West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 22 May 1939, page 17


WEST PERTH'S FINE SHOWING. Claremont Hard Pressed. A handful of spectators expecting a one-sided match at the Claremont Oval on Saturday saw exciting play In which the home team was pressed to the narrow margin of five points by a solid West Perth side. It was no fluke by West Perth. It had no obvious weak link in the team, but, winning In the air, in front of its marksmen and taking the honours In the ruck, it won appreciation for a valiant effort for which it would not have been grudged victory. It matched Claremont in fast, open football and lost points chiefly through unreliable kicking and a lack of precision in attack that might be expected in a reorganised side and might be overcome with further improvement. Claremont had form without fire in the first half. As a result of its lackadaisical approach to the game, it helped West Perth to gain, confidence. West Perth was a goal ahead at half-time and, scenting victory, it practically held Claremont in the third quarter when that team had covered its previous weaknesses in ruck and at centre-half-forward. The lead changed four times in the last quarter, but Claremont was scoring more readily than West Perth and it held the lead at the end. Claremont gained the reward of a well-drilled side in a tight finish. It owed victory to the capacity of each of its men to rise 'to the occasion and produce concerted movements from all parts of the field, movements

capable of quick penetration of a strenuous defence for rapid scoring when it was needed. The teams were:CLAREMONT.-Backs: Sutherland, Grieve, S. Moloney. Half-backs: Headon, S. Clarke, Guthrie. Centres: Reid. G. Moloney. - Lovegrove. Half-forwards: Gibson. Bermingham. Heusler. Forwards: Serjeant, Compton. Boys. Ruck: Reeves. Hunt. Hooper (rover). Nineteenth man: Baker (did not play). WEST PERTH: Backs: Coplin. Tetley. L. V. Walsh. Hsalf-bscks: Jeavons. P. Walsh, Davies. Centres: Bridges. W. K?ngsbury. Heal al-forwards Robinson. MScDiarmid. C. CambelL Forwards: Shuttleworth, Tyson. Pola. Ruck: O'Keefe. Goldng, Ratnoldi (rover). Nineteenth man: N. Cook (did not play). UMPIRE.-C. Black. Claremont was slow to start and, winning in the rack, West Perth took the initiative. It held Claremont in general play for the first part of the quarter, doing better in the air and backing up well, but its work was not crisp enough to enable it to establish a lead. Claremont had better understanding and, moving forward with nice combination, it scored steadily, though not accurately, to lead with 3.6 to.2.1 at quarter-time. West Perth was put into attack by its ruck again in the second quarter, continuing to play an attractive open game. Claremont provided some neat passages of accurate teamwork, but its passing was short and, playing well within itself, it was not really aggressive. West Perth seized the opportunity offered and vigour carried the day. Taking the offensive, West Perth kept the ball in its scoring area and, although too many shots yielded only behinds, it took the lead with 6.8 to Clasemont's 5.8 at halftime. Claremont put Heusler at centre-halfforward, where P. Walsh had been damaging. Twice in the first four minutes of the third quarter. West Perth took the ball around Heal's wing and goaled through Tyson. Claremont was now strenuously in earnest, but it found West Perth at the top of its game and not yielding ground easily. G. Moloney Initiated a determined offensive from the centre and, with Reeves now swaying the rack and Heusler stiffening the attack, Claremont made a fast, exhilarating burst which gave it the lead with 9.14 to West Perth's 910 at three-quarter time. Attacking strongly from the rack, West Perth went straight down the field for a nine-point lead. Claremont had to fight and its centre players sent it forward in a smart counter-offensive which quickly regained it the lead by four points. West Perth gradually forced the ball down for Tyson to sneak a goal, but immediately afterwards Compton snapped a goal for Claremont. The game was hard and fast with little between the teams and there was ten minutes of fierce striving between the two defence lines before

L Sttack (Snbiaco) taking the ball over the head of G. Prince (East Fremantle), while A. Fisher (Sublaco) backs him up during the match at Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

Claremonl managed to make the margin ten points with a goal through Serjeant. There was still six minmtes to play and West Perth attacked again, but two difficult shots went out of bounds. Then Tyson goaled 1* minutes from time. Clarke sent back another attack and Gibson kicked a behind just before the siren went, making the final scores:CLA? EMONT ...... 1316 (94 pts.) WEST PERTH ...... 13.11 (89 pta.) Scorers.--Claremont: Compton. 6.4: Heusler, 2.2; Boys, 2.0; Serjeant, 12; G. Moloney, L1; Reeves, 1.0; Gibson, 0.4; Hooper, 0.3. West Perth: Tyson, 7.1; Pola, 2.1; Campbell, 2.0; Rainoldi, 1.3; Golding, 1.1; O'Keefe, 0.3; Shuttleworth, 0.2. For Claremont, Headon was solid from start to finish on a half-back wing. Much of the credit for the victory went to G. Moloney for co-ordinating the team and thrusting it from the centre when the pinch came. S. Moloney and Guthrie were prominent in defence and Sutherland gave good service in rack. Reid was in form on a centre-wing and Compton led and marked well. Heusler, Clarke, Lovegrove and Gibson were the best of the others. For West Perth, P. Walsh was outstanding at centre-half-back. Heal played excellently on a centre-wing and O'Keefe was in fine form in ruck. Shuttleworth was a strong influence in ruck and Jeavons and L. V. Walsh were prominent in defence. Golding was another ruckman to do well, with Rainoldi roving in good style. Tyson was an effective centre-forward and Kingsbury. a valuable type of player, acquitted himself well at centre, with Bridges active on a centre-wing. McDiarmid and Canmpbell were useful in attack.