LAST season and this year after resuming following an injury-enforced absence, Mason Whitehead showed excellent promise as a wingman for Claremont. But in the past couple of matches he has shone in his new role as a back-pocket specialist.

Whitehead was assigned the task of guarding Subiaco’s dangerous Rhys McAlister in the match at Leederville Oval on Saturday morning and his spirited effort in keeping the accomplished small forward under wraps played a significant part in Claremont’s 28-point victory.

Whitehead restricted McAlister to just two ineffective kicks in the first three quarters and he was on the bench for a short while early in the final term when McAlister had another kick and made a handpass. McAlister finished the contest with five kicks, due mainly to Whitehead’s close attention. Whitehead also played with a good deal of flair and many of his 13 kicks set up promising attacking moves from deep in defence.

Whitehead was a member of a wonderful defensive unit, with Jared Hardisty outstanding on a half-back flank until he was moved on to the ball in the final quarter. Rowen Powell was a tower of strength at centre-half-back, Harry Taylor was cool and calculating in a pocket alongside dependable full-back Luke Rosher and 16-year-old Bailey Rogers performed strongly on a flank, particularly in the third quarter.   

And the good news is that the side’s defence will be strengthened when Tom Barrass recovers from a damaged finger.

The ground was waterlogged and extremely muddy and each side managed just one goal in the first quarter, with Claremont’s coming after 20 minutes when Sam Humphry passed to Patrick Wilson, whose kick was marked by Jyrin Woods for the first major.

Hardisty relished the heavy conditions and he set a splendid example right from the outset with his fierce tackling and his uncompromising attack on the ball. Darcy Cameron was dominating the ruck duels and lively forward Francis Watson delighted the small band of spectators with the assurance with which he handled the wet ball.

After a quiet first quarter, wingman Ryan Lim exploded into action and it was a deft Lim handpass which enabled Harry McCracken to kick the only goal posted in the second term, which ended with the Tigers leading, 2.3 to 1.6.

Powell was a dominant force in the second quarter and he revealed great discipline with a couple of perfectly-executed spoils against his opponent, Jordan Bestry.

The Tigers missed a valuable opportunity to increase their lead late in the quarter when Alec Waterman earned a free-kick dead in front and about 15m out from goal. But his deliberate shot slewed to the right to register a behind. This simply illustrated the treacherous conditions.

Scoring continued to be very difficult in the third quarter, during which Claremont small forward Jordan Law stood out with four strong tackles and Rogers shone on a half-back flank where he restricted Chris Wrigley to one kick.

Twelve minutes into the quarter Powell sent an accurate pass to McCracken, who got the ball on to the busy Joel Fiegert. But Fiegert’s shot was touched on the line. Approaching the 15-minute mark Harrison Court, working strongly on the ball, Passed to Max Bentley, who booted the ball into the goalsquare where Watson was one of several in a milling pack who attempted to take the mark. Watson then cleverly grabbed the spilt ball and snapped a goal.

Subiaco replied within 90 seconds with a goal to Connor Wilkinson. Six minutes later Humphry gained possession at a boundary throw-in in the right pocket and his snapped goal extended Claremont’s lead to 12 points. But this was reduced to six points moments later after the Maroons were awarded a free-kick at the centre bounce down. Joseph Scafidi took the advantage free-kick and booted a goal from long range.     

The Tigers asserted their authority in the final quarter in which they added 3.6 and held Subiaco to two behinds.

Early in the quarter ruckman Eddie Simpson took a shot from the left pocket. The ball slewed across to the right pocket where Lim took the mark and promptly booted a point. McCracken, maintaining his excellent form, took a mark at left half-forward and his kick was marked in the right pocket by Sam Bevan, whose screw kick registered another behind.

Six minutes later Woods chased hard and tackled Subiaco’s Adam Swain to earn a free-kick. The Woods shot on goal was marked in the left pocket by Bevan, who slotted home a low shot for the side’s fifth major.

Then a low pass from Hardisty to Waterman resulted in yet another behind. Court was rewarded for a strong tackle on the right wing with a free-kick, but the attacking move fell down. Jack Carruthers finished the match full of running and at the 19-minute mark he handpassed to waterman for a goal from long range. This attacking sortie involved a cohesive movement involving Taylor, Whitehead, Carruthers, Watson, Hardisty and Carruthers (again).

Two minutes later Carruthers snapped a point and in the final moments Carruthers drove the ball forward where Watson took the mark and kicked truly.

Claremont have won 14 of their 16 matches and head the premiership table with 56 points. They are followed by South Fremantle (44), Perth (40) and Subiaco and East Fremantle (each on 36 points).

By Ken Casellas

Details:

Claremont 7.13 (55) beat Subiaco 3.9 (27).

Scorers---CLAREMONT: F. Watson 2.0; A. Waterman 1.3; S. Bevan 1.2; S. Humphry, H. McCracken 1.1; J. Woods 1.0; R. Lim 0.2; J. Carruthers, J. Fiegert 0.1; 2pts forced. SUBIACO: T. Hooper, J. Scafidi, C. Wilkinson 1.0; R. McAlister, C. Wrigley 0.2; J. Bestry, J. Deluca, L. Ellis, J. Webster 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best---CLAREMONT: J. Hardisty, R. Lim, H. McCracken, M. Whitehead, A. Waterman, H. Court, D. Cameron, R. Powell, H. Taylor, F. Watson, J. Carruthers. SUBIACO:  A. Summers, D. Jackson, A. Swain, L. Ellis, C. Wilkinson, J. Bestry, R. Vermeersch.