West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 31 May 1937, page 7


PERTH OUTCLASSED. Clarement's Fine Form. Claremont gave Perth its heaviest defeat of the season in a one-sided game at the Claremont Oval on Saturday. Only a point separated the teams at the end of the first quarter, Perth having capitalised a few hard drives to the goal while Claremont's forward lines were slow in beginning, possibly due to new placings, resulting from Lawn and aeilly being absent. Unexpectedly, Perth took the lead in the first few minutes of the second quarter, but Claremont soon put the scores in their pro*per proportions. Entertaining the crowd with brilliant, systematic football, fast, crisp and graced with beautiful long low passing, Claremont quickly put the issue beyond doubt. Although partly relaxed for most of the last half, the team was in such fettle that it went ahead steadily like a well-tended machine; and inexorably its score mounted until at the end it was 110 points ahead, with Perth having scored only 58 points. The teams were: Maitland, Batt, Edmeades. Half-backs: Headon, Clarke, Grieve. Centres: Reid, 0. Moloney, Hoskes. Balf-forwards: Bee, Campton, Boys Forwards: Cook,Hopkins Morris. Buck: Beeves, 8. Moloney, Hooper (rover). Nineteenth man: Moeennan (did not play). PERTH.-Back: Fitzgerald, Love. L. Walsh. Ball-backs: Wormald, Brown, Harold. Cedtres: Trainor, Burton, Puddey. Half-forwards: Hetherington, Dewar, G. Davey. Forwards: Wedgewood, Bobson, A. Grigg. Rack: 011i phant, Carrington, Keightley (rover). Nineteenth man: Lamp (did not play). UapIEE.--G. Owenm Perth began with its play enlivened by more spirit than in recent games, but Claremont was playing with the zest of a first-class team in top form. Strong in every department and scoring heavily across the centre, Claremont attacked the most, but the forwards were marked by tenacious opponents who returned the ball repeatedly. Although Clare- mon't men were leading well, marking and kicking accurately and playing with speed and snap, its forwards could not lose their men and Compton, while in fine form, was not yet at home in the centre-half-forward position; he was falling back on the goal too much, enabling his marksman, Brown, to do a lot of damage out of his territory. - For its part, Perth, was not merely on the defensive. With new-found heart, it was eager to attack and in part overcame its centre-line weakness by close attention to the ball in hard drives straight down the field. Its forward pushes, though infrequent, were fruitful, despite an inexplicable overdoing of handball by both half and full forwards, and at quarter-time its score was 32 to Claremont's 3.3. Showing great dash, Perth, set in motion by Oliphant, scored seven points which gave it a lead of 1.0 soon after : the second quarter began. Claremont steadied and then clapped on the pace again, with systematic play, and Perth did not score again for half an hour. Playing better to position and with the forwards scouting well behind him, 4,

Compton was brilliant. Wormald was sent to mark him while Brown was shifted to a half-back wing. Its 18 men effectlve, Claremont rose to top form and swept all before it, scoring 44 points in a row and ending the quarter with 9.11 to Perth's 4.3. After half-time, Perth put Dewar in the centre in a fruitless attempt to curb G. Moloney, Burton going on a halfforward wing and Hetherington to centrehalf-forward. Another experiment later was to swing Robson into the rock, G. Davey relieving him as full-forward. Without bustle, but steadily and irresistIbly, Claremont kept attacking with an insistence born of superiority in every part of the field. Perth had very little of the play and before the quarter was half over the game had lost seriousness for the spectators. At three-quarter time, Claremont was 16.14 and Perth 6.6. In the last quarter, Perth was disorganised and impotent. Claremont had the tension off, but still went ahead with nice play. A notably pretty passage was from Batt, in one goal, by way of Headon, G. Moloney (punch), Hosken and Hopkins to the other goal, being topped off by a remarkable mark and kick for full points. Compton raised applause with a magnificent 60-yard goal. The final scores were:CLAREMONT .. .. 2518 (168pts.) PERTH ........ 8.10 ( 58pts.) Scorers:--Claremont: Hopkins, 10.4; Hooper, 5.2; Compton, 4.4; Cook, 4.3; Morris, 1.1; S6. Moloney, 1.0; Boys, 0.2; Reeves, 0.1; Bee, 0.1. Perth: Hetherington, 1.2; Keightley, 1.2; Robson, 1.2; Burton, 1.1; Oliphant, 1.1; Grigg, 1.0; Carrington, 1.0; Wedgewood, 1.0; Dewar, 0.1; Davey, 0.1. Claremont had 18 men effective and working together, making it invidious to single out individuals, but special praise is deserving in some cases. Reeves was devastating in tuck and G. Moloney dominated the midfield play with his clever captures and fine disposal, these two men giving the initial power to many an attack. Behind then, Headon gave a model half-back display and could be bracketed

A. Massman (E.P.) takes a mark despite the efforts of the East Fremantle defaiue, G. Skeehan, who leaps through the air attempting to intercept the balL C. Rowlands (EP.) is runnng in at the right. ·t;

with the first two for initiating attacks. Then, again Compton was brilliant at centre-half-forward; Hooper was a firstclass rover; and Hopkins did fine work as full-forward. Clarke was unbeaten at centre-half-back, Hosken and Reid won well on their wings, and Morris and Boys were prominent on the ball. Practically all the Perth men were out of form. The backs were most In the play and of them Harold was the surest and most reliable. Walsh gave a good account of himself in a back pocket, and Keightley was a great trier, roving tirelessly. Fitzgerald was solid in a back pocket, and Oliphant, Carrington, G. Davey, Wedgewood and A. Grigg were the best of the others.