Impotent Peel feel force of Tiger claws
Sometimes it is not who but how.
Faced with a Peel outfit studded with 16 Dockers supposedly well-drilled in Fremantle’s intense game style and three other recruits with significant AFL experience, eighth-placed Claremont were given little chance of upsetting the third-placed team on Saturday.
Yet eight minutes into the game at Showground, the Tigers had laid nine effective tackles, kicked 2.2 from seven inside-50 entries and exposed several Dockers as players content with an insipid brand of bruise-free and cautious football.
That opening burst was reflected in the next two hours as the focused and ferocious Claremont stretched their lead at every break while the anaemic Peel failed to issue even a single challenge to the home team.
It was a throwback to the worst of Peel’s many barren Saturday afternoons and the most galling loss of their full or partial alignment with Fremantle.
The 72-point result flattered the Thunder, was Claremont’s fourth win in a row while their score of 17.16 (118) to Peel’s 6.10 (46) was their highest of the season and best since they last played finals two years ago.
Claremont’s percentage also went into the black for the first time in coach Mike Broadbridge’s tenure.
“It is probably my best win with this group,” Broadbridge said.
“Our discipline and effort was constant from start to finish.
“You would expect a Fremantle team to be very good defensively so to be able to get that score and (58) inside-50 count was a bit of a surprise.
“But we are starting to play some pretty good footy and we will challenge the best sides.”
It was not high-profile or regular Tigers who inspired the result but three of the most inexperienced members of their squad who confirmed that fierce endeavour, rather than talent or reputation, is the life-blood of a winning football team.
Small forward Shane McAdam turned 20 last week, weighs just over 70kg and was playing just his seventh match but was rewarded for his selfless attack on the ball with three goals in the first 20 minutes.
“Pressure is the thing you need to bring which is why Shane McAdam was so outstanding,” Broadbridge said.
“His seven tackles were great then add three goals and all the other stuff and it is very exciting.”
Francis Watson is also from Halls Creek, is still a teenager and had made three league appearances.
Yet his attack on the ball at half-back embarrassed his mercurial opponent Max Duffy, helped him gather 21 possessions and enabled him to carry the ball forward with verve and precision.
And Ryan Lim, a teenage midfielder in the second month of his career, was even more effective.
Lim started on the highly-regarded Connor Blakely, spent time opposed to other Fremantle mids in Matt De Boer and Jacob Ballard, as well as veteran Brendon Jones, but came away with a career-high 32 disposals and substantially enhanced standing.
Add Jack Bradshaw’s impact and Claremont not only won the ball in the middle but had numerous potent options in attack.
Peel defender Brady Grey attacked the ball with greater vigour than most of his colleagues but he could not contain Bradshaw whose 18 disposals included eight shots at goal for 4.4.
The margin may have been far greater but for Claremont’s inaccuracy.
Only five goals were returned from 15 marks inside 50 while the improving Kepler Bradley kicked four consecutive behinds in one 30-minute stretch.
