West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 1 June 1936, page 9


SPEED AND GOOD KICKING. Claremont Overwhelms Perth. Starting with such vim and determination, studiously keeping the ball out of the forward pockets and kicking for goal with remarkable accuracy, Claremont demoralised the Perth team at the W.A.C.A. ground on Saturday and, much stronger all round, won easily. But for the patches of brilliant football played by Claremont in conditions which rendered such arts as stab-kicking and high marking almost impossible, the game held no interest. Claremont played the go-ahead game from the first bounce, wasting no time in delivering the ball or on short passes, and scored eight goals before its first behind was recorded. In almost every department Perth was beaten and, although changes were made from time to time in an endeavour to pull the side together, it seldom raised its standard above the ragged, slow-moving play which marred its play in the first term. Claremont deserved its success, and whatever luck it had, for its players met and took the ball in their stride and kept up a straight-ahead game. With Cook, at full forward, bustled and bumped away from the ball, Perth's attack became completely disorganised and easy chances to score goals were fumbled and missed, with the result that 13 behinds were kicked in a row between the second and third goals. The teams were:CLAREMONT.-Backs: S. Moloney, Batt, Sutherland. Half-hbacks: S. Headan, Clarke, Grieve. Centres: Edmondson, G. Moloney, Lovegrove. Hall-forwards: Beeves, B. Moloney, Boys. Forwards: Cook. Hopkins, Steward. Ruck: Birmingham, Guthrie, Jack Hooper (rover). ?Nineteenth man: Claybrook (replaced Clarke, injured leg, at three-quarter time). PERTIL--Backs: Walsh, Brown, Dewar. Halfbacks: G. Davey. 3I. Jarvis, Wormald. Centres: HI. Davey, IH. Grigg, Trainor. Half-forwards: Bandy, G. Hendon, Hetherington. Forwards: O'Callaghan, Cook, Burton. Buck: Fitzgerald, Oliphant, Keightley (rover). Nineteenth man: Puddey (did not play). UMPIRE.-L. McComish. Profiting from long kicks straight down the centre and the Perth backs' bad habit of playing the man instead of the ball, Claremont scored three goals in as many minutes. S. Moloney, S. Headon, Batt and S. Clarke were too strong in defence for Perth and the efforts of Trainor and H. Davey on the Perth wings were wasted. Claremont changed its wing men about, and H. Davey was shifted to the centre to watch G. Moloney, and from then on Claremont dominated the play. The Claremont men were much faster to turn and to deliver the ball, and men like Steward, Boys and Cook left the Perth backs standihg. At quarter time Claremont led with 8.1 to 0.1. A succession of marks with the dry ball placed Perth in attack, and Oliphant goaled. Soon afterwards, O'Callaghan marked well and scored a goal, but Perth's forward play was far too crowded to permit consistent scoring of goals. Kicks were made at random and Batt, S. Headon, and Grieve cleared without trouble. A monotonous succession of behinds only rewarded Fitzgerald's determined defensive play and the hard work of the ruck men. Then Claremont's smaller men, G. Moloney and Hooper, combining cleverly, began to revel in the slippery going and at half-time the scores were 10.3 to 2.10. After the interval Gook was moved out to half-forward, and for a time the play was even. Perth, however, was giving away free-kicks and still playing poorly near the goal, with the result that Claremont had time to settle down again into its early non-stop game. Claremont's shepherding and efforts at combination were in marked contrast to Perth's play. At one period the home team infused dash and a little system into the game, but the kicks were usually across the ground. At the bell Claremont had increased its lead--15.8 to 2.12. In the last quarter Claremont needed only to play defensively, and Perth could not make much headway, although it had the satisfaction, at last, of scoring more than behinds. The game ended tamely with the scores as follows:CLAREMONT .. .. 17.9 (Illpts.). PERTH .......... 4.19 (48pt,). Goal-kickers.--Claremont: Steward (5), Cook (4), Boys (3), Hopkins (3), R. Moloney and Edmondson. Perth: Oliphant (2), Gook and O'Callaghan. In the even Claremont side G. Moloney, S. Headon, Batt, Steward, Boys and Cook stood out Moloney scarcely did a thing wrong in the centre, marking the wet ball on his chest with sureness and taking advantage of any good lead. Headon was unbeaten at half-back, making up for his lack of inches with wonderful anticipation, fast and sure ground play and a good clearing kick. Batt, ably assisted by the back pocket men, kept a close watch on Gook, while Steward, playing in conditions which has always suited him, gave his best display for some time. Cook kept to position in attack with thoroughness and he kicked well, while Boys was always dashing on the halfforward flank. Jack Hooper, Clarke (until his leg injury became troublesome), Edmondson, Grieve, LIovegrove (after the first term), and S. Moloney were the best of a good remainder. In Perth's team many were womse than others. H. Davey was a hard trier on the wing-he was only in the centre for portion of the first quarter. G. Headon showed glimpses of his ability when playing in the centre, and Hetherington (second half particularly), Keightley, and Fitzgerald were the best of the others. O'Callaghan, Brown, Oliphant, Jarvis, and Wormald occasionally did something of note, while .Gook improved at halfforward. Trainor was playing weH on the wing until shifted.