Rogers Collars Bulldogs

Round 13 Match Report | Daniel Scamozzi

Claremont utility Bailey Rogers (equal team-high five inside 50s) broke South Fremantle hearts at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in round 13 when he kicked the winning goal in the dying stages of another arm wrestle between the Tigers and Bulldogs as part of NAIDOC Week.

The pulsating four-point win, 9.6 (60) to 8.8 (56), was Claremont's fifth in succession and maintains their one-game buffer atop the ladder, and was delivered in the most dramatic fashion as the two teams produced another gruelling contest which went right down to the wire.

South Fremantle key forward Jimmy Miller (team-high seven marks, game-high four goals) looked to have won the game for the Bulldogs when he kicked truly in the 26th minute of the final term to establish a two-point lead for the hosts, before Claremont ruckman Oliver Eastland (21 disposals, six marks, five tackles, game-high 40 hit-outs, equal team-high five inside 50s), who continued his career-best form with another brilliant performance as he schooled familiar opponent Brock Higgins, won a free kick from the ensuing ball-up and sent the ball inside 50.

Enter Rogers.

After winning a free kick and with the game on the line, the 2021 Sandover medallist kicked truly from 45m on a slight angle to snatch the lead back for his beloved Tigers and send the travelling Tiger Army into raptures.

However, there was still time for another scoring opportunity, with the Bulldogs pressing and sending the ball inside 50 as they pushed for a late victory, only for ever-reliable defender Jack Lewsey to repel them and pump the ball up the ground and away from danger.

Siren.

Another heart-stopper, another low-scoring classic between the two teams at the venue and another win for Claremont in what is becoming a season like no other when it comes to prevailing by tight margins.

Claremont's 10th win saw them take home the Jimmy Melbourne Cup and was the fifth time they've prevailed by seven points or less, and is testament to the belief within the playing group instilled by coach Ash Prescott, who continues to urge his players to be bold and brave.

The Tigers are also brilliantly led by inspirational midfielder and captain Dec Mountford (24 disposals, team-high nine tackles), who sets the tone with his ferocious attack on the ball and appetite for the contest.

Forwards Tyron Smallwood and Max Minear each kicked two goals, while midfielder Ben Edwards (team-high 29 disposals) returned from injury for his first League game since round four and lined up across half-forward at the opening bounce.

South Fremantle were well served by smooth-moving midfielder Jake Florenca (team-high 29 disposals, game-high 14 tackles, game-high six inside 50s) and Miller, who was the most dangerous forward on the ground and caused Claremont's defence all kinds of problems, and were cleaner from stoppages and more efficient going forward.

Claremont kicked to the northern end of the ground in the opening term as South Fremantle key defender and 100-gamer Noah Strom opposed Minear, Miller snapping the first goal in a sign of things to come but the Bulldogs losing Brendon Ah Chee to an arm injury.

Minear replied with Claremont's first goal when he converted a kick inside 50 from Cal England, small forward Brandon Donaldson kicking South Fremantle's second after the Tigers turned the ball over at half-back.

With Claremont trailing by eight points at quarter time, Prescott urged his players to drive the ball forward and play wet weather footy and not force lateral kicks, forward Alex Manuel drawing first blood in the second term to trim the margin to two with Rogers now working his way into the contest in his second game back from injury.

Jacob Dragovich kicked truly from the pocket for South Fremantle before Zac Mainwaring replied for Claremont, Teia Miles producing a team-lifting smother and a ferocious tackle to further endear himself to the Tigers faithful.

Forward Anthony Treacy, who capatained the team alongside Mountford as part of the occasion, then laid a crunching tackle before Miller added his second goal for the Bulldogs, key defender Anthony Davis (game-high nine marks) producing a tackle on the last line of defence to deny South Fremantle from extending their lead beyond 10 points at half-time.

Prescott pulled a familiar move when he injected Jye Bolton into the midfield from half-back to start the second half, Rogers finding Smallwood with a neat pass and the No.31 kicking Claremont's fourth goal to trim the margin to four points.

An unmarked Chase Bourne replied with South Fremantle's fifth goal before Davis hauled in a courageous mark, midfielder Ben Elliott winning a holding-the-ball free kick and snapping miraculously from the pocket as the teams continued to trade goals.

Miller kicked his third goal to maintain South Fremantle's 10-point lead at the final change, Miles now plying his trade on the wing as Claremont continued to be flexible.

Then came Prescott's inspirational and passionate address which encouraged the Tigers to win the game by being bold and brave, as defender and backup ruckman George Graham was sent forward for the final term.

Bourne's second goal gave South Fremantle a game-high 16-point lead in the early stages of the final term as Eastland continued to stamp his authority on the contest with his tireless work around the ground, before Treacy, who was shifted to a wing in another one of Prescott's positional changes, kicked Claremont's sixth to keep the Tigers in touch.

Minear added his second goal before defender Lachlan Martinis adhered to Prescott's message to be bold and brave when he produced a dashing run through midfield and sent the ball forward where Smallwood finished brilliantly on the run from just outside 50m to edge Claremont in front by four points.

South Fremantle were then awarded a dubious free kick across half-forward before they kicked inside 50 and found Miller for what looked to be the winning goal, Rogers replying in Claremont's hour of need and Lewsey snuffing out one last forward thrust as the Tigers collared the Bulldogs.

Claremont face East Perth in a top-of-the-table clash at Leederville Oval in round 14.

CLAREMONT 1.1 3.1 5.4 9.6 (60)

SOUTH FREMANTLE 2.3 4.5 6.8 8.8 (56)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 2 T. Smallwood, M. Minear, 1 B. Rogers, A. Treacy, B. Elliott, A. Manuel, Z. Mainwaring.

SOUTH FREMANTLE: 4 J. Miller, 2 C. Bourne, 1 J. Dragovich, B. Donaldson.

BEST

CLAREMONT: O. Eastland, J. Maibaum, B. Rogers, D. Mountford, L. Martinis.

SOUTH FREMANTLE: J. Florenca, J. Miller, T. Blechynden, R. Colborne, G. Byron.

Thank you to ingophoto for the game day photography