West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 18 May 1936, page 6


F. Hopkins, the Claremont goalsneak, kicking one of his seven goals at Bassendean on Saturday despite the efforts of W. Hunter, -the Swan Districts goalkeeper.

STIRRING PLAY AT BASSENDEAN Swan Districts Beat ClaremonL The play was fast, vigorous, and of a high standard in a stirring game, in which Swan Districts beat Claremont by 14. points at Bassendean on Saturday. The teams were well-matched, and the issue turned on the forward play, in which the Swan Districts team was much the more effective. Its forwards played to position and led out well, and made a particularly good showing in the last quarter, when, with the result in doubt, the play became so fierce as to put teamwork to a severe test. Claremont's work in front of goals provided a distinct contrast. This team seemed to be imbued with the idea of kicking high to its tall goal-sneak, Hopkins, whatever the circumstances, and, although its persistency produced seven goals for him, many opportunities were missed which might have won the game for Claremont. The teams were: DISTRICTS.-Backs: Zilko, Hunter, Easton.. Half-backs: McInnerney, Chandler. Sinclair. Centres: Krepp, Hunt, Mosey. Half-forwards: Holdsworth, Avery, Sweet. Forwards: Park. Taylor, Gorn. Ruek: Penberthy, Murray, Randall (rover). Nineteenth. man; Fountain (did not play). CLAREMONT.-Backs: Sutherland, Batt, S. Moloney. Half-backs: Headon, Clark, Grieve. Centres: Edmondson, G. Moloney, Lovegrove. Half-forwardP: Jones, R. Moloney, Boys. Forwards: Steward, Hopkins, Reeves. Ruck: Birmingham, Maitland, Hooper (rover). Nineteenth man: Skinner (did not play). UMPIRE.--G. Owens. The play was fast and open from the first bounce. Swan Districts had the better of the ruck, but Claremont had command in the centre. Good play by each set of half-backs kept the ball in midfield, but then the Swan Districts attack settled down like a machine, and scored six goals in a row. Fast and combining excellently, the leading-out clinched by long and accurate kicking, the home team had given the game a one-sided appearance by cuarter-time, when the scores were:-Swan Districts, 6.3; Claremont, 1.1. There was a marked change when play was resumed. The breeze, which had been very slight at first, now freshened but even allowing for this there was a general slackening in Swan Districts' efforts, a major cause being a lapse into poor kicking. Smartening, increasing its pace, and doing better in the ruck, Claremont kept thrusting the ball down. At centre, G. Moloney was irresistible. He was well backed by Clarke and Lovegrove, and found touch with R. Moloney, who became more at home at centre halfforward, and, with Boys, infused life into the attack. As a result, the score mounted steadily, despite an appalling weakness immediately in front of goal. The backs held their marksmen scoreless, and the continued pressure from midfield brought Claremont's total, in spite of many missed opportunities, to 5.6, against Swan Districts' 6.3, at half-time. When the teams took the field again, Srepp was changed to centre, on G. Moloney. and Avery was swung into the ruck, Holdsworth going to centre halfforward. Claremont, still at top pace and now leading and kicking better, continued in the ascendancy, but still lacked the decisiveness in front of goals which should have yielded the merited results. The Swan Districts team recovered its balance, and established a handy lead. Then Claremont increased its effectiveness through an improvement in Hopkins's play, and, with both teams in top form, and little between them, there was spectacular football. An unusual incident occurred when Hopkins marked in front within easy distance a fraction of a second before the bell went. He ran on, taking the ball into play, so that, although he kicked a goal, it had to be disallowed. Swan Districts had then scored 10.6 and Claremont 7.10. At the final change-over, Swan Districts' centre-line was again changed. Randall was put on a wing on Lovegrove, who had been doing a lot of damage, and, after going in a forward pocket, Mosey was transferred to the other wing in place of Hunt. Both teams threw themselves into the game unreservedly, and Claremont, with G. Moloney its guiding star, gradually drew up. After 14 minutes it was only two points behind. Swan Districts clapped on pressure, and goaled twice in the next three minutes. They wEre the deciding scores. Claremont tired under the terrific pace set by Swan Districts, but battled with great determination. The game became very hard, the players hurling themselves into it and exchanging knocks with abandon,

and the spectators were worked into a high pitch of excitement. The game ended with the scores:SWAN DISTRICTS .. 13.7 (85 pts.) CLAREMONT .. .. 10.11 (1 pts.) Goalkickers.-Swan Districts: Taylor (3). Gorn (3), Avery (2), Park. Murray, Hunt. Sweet, and Sinclair. Claremont: Hopkins (7), Steward, G. Moloney and Maitland. Claremont had the star of the game in G. Moloney. Cool and clever, he did prodigious things at centre, showing himself to be a master footballer. Lovegrove played brilliantly on a wing, and Clarke was in his best form. Of the other backs S. Molcney was most prominent. Headon was very sound, but did not have much opportunity to -distinguish himself. Birmingham, Maitland and Hooper made a solid ruck. R. Moloney and Boys worked well on the half-forward line, and Hopkins showed flashes of form in the last half. For Swan Districts, Murray was the outstanding player. He has been in unbeatable form this season. Sinclair also stood out. Krepp scintillated on a wing in the first half, and, although his work in the centre was overshadowed by that of G. Moloney in the second half, he remained a power in the game. It would be invidious to weigh the merits of the others in the team, who were uniformly good, but special mention should be made of Gorn's effective full-forward work and the strength of the full-back line.