Reserves & Colts Both Claim Round 4 Wins Over Claremont

The Subiaco Colts remain unbeaten following a heart stopping four point win over Claremont on Thursday evening in one of the most entertaining games of WAFL Colts footy for the season.

 

The win made it four wins in a row to commence 2018 and is the best start to a season for Subiaco Colts since 2011, when they won four and drew once in their first five games.

 

The win was spearheaded by Luke Foley who continued his stunning form to open the 2018 season, collecting 36 possessions, laying 13 tackles and kicking two crucial goals.

 

Foley was complimented by another strong team performance in the Subiaco midfield with Jacob Peletier having his best game with 25 possessions and seven marks, Will Hickmott having 22 possessions and seven tackles and Tristan Hobley finishing with 21 possessions and taking six marks.

 

Up forward Nathan French, Jack Mayo and Jordan Faraone joined Foley in kicking two goals.

 

Subiaco made a bright start with a clever Nathan French dribbled goal opening the scoring inside the game’s first three minutes.

 

After a back and forward first quarter, Subiaco made the decisive break of the game kicking four goals in a ten minute burst either side of quarter time turning a seven point deficit into a 16 point lead.

 

Claremont reduced the margin to three points at the long break and kicked the first goal of the third quarter to take the lead, however Subiaco would again respond with consecutive goals by Jack Mayo and Jake McKinnon seeing the Lions regain the lead.

 

In a topsy turvy third quarter, the lead would change hands another two times, as Claremont kicked three goals in a row before Subiaco also kicked three goals in a row with French and Xavier Peacock kicking goals late in the third that allowed Subiaco to hold a 12 point final change lead.

 

In a tense final quarter highlighted by outstanding defensive pressure the two teams went 13 minutes without a goal to start the quarter and only one goal was kicked in the first 20 minutes of the quarter.

 

In a game changing break however, it was Subiaco’s French who produced an outstanding effort that allowed Mitch Georgiades to kick what would ultimately be the game deciding goal.

 

 

GAME CHANGERS

 

FOLEY SIZZLING

A big reason behind Subiaco’s unbeaten start to the season has been the rapid ascension of Luke Foley. In 2017, Foley averaged 16 possessions, four tackles and kicked seven goals in 19 games. So far in 2018, Foley is averaging over 27 possessions, six tackles and has kicked six goals in just four games. Foley’s rapid rise and rich form has been the backbone of Subiaco’s sizzling start.

 

MANIC TACKLING

The Subiaco Colts have put an emphasis on out-tackling and out-pressuring their opponents. Thursday night was the best example so far as the Lions laid over 100 tackles for the match. Eventually finishing plus 24 in this area, it was Foley with 13 and Liam Hickmott with 12 who led the way, however significantly, 12 Subiaco players laid over five tackles and 21 of the 22 players laid a tackle in the game.

 

KEY DEFENDER DOMINANCE

In his short 15-game career with Subiaco, Josh Leunig has made a name for himself as a ruckman. But on Thursday night he was situated as a key defender and he was outstanding with 13 possessions, five marks and five tackles. His composure with ball in hand was outstanding and his decision-making was sound. With an ongoing need for flexibility, Leunig showed the required flexibility that the Subiaco colts are striving for.

 

THE GAME DECIDING MOMENT

With under five minutes left in the game, Nathan French intercepted a Claremont kick in the forward half and played on immediately. He burst past two Claremont defenders before handballing to Mitch Georgiades who handpassed it back. French stood up in a tackle, handballed back again to Georgiades, who put kicked truly and gave the Subiaco a match winning lead.

 

 

SUBIACO                            4.0        7.1        12.5        13.7.85

CLAREMONT                     3.2        6.4        10.5        12.9.81

 

BEST: Foley, Peletier, French, Leunig, Hobley.

GOALS: Faraone, Foley, French, Mayo 2, Georgiades, W. Hickmott, McKinnon, Peacock, West 1.

 

 

RESERVES RECAP

 

Subiaco’s Reserves won their second match for the 2018 season and their first since Good Friday’s opening day with a hard fought and emotional 30 point win over Claremont on Friday night.

 

Once again, reigning Blakemore Medalist Daniel Leach led from the front for the Subiaco Reserves side as he finished with a team high 21 possessions and equal team high eight tackles.

 

He was well supported through the middle with ruckman Andy Doyle offering good support in the air and ground level while Collie recruit Travis Cleggett continued his impressive start to 2018 with 18 possessions, seven tackles and driving the ball inside 50 on seven occasions.

 

Up forward Daniel Perkins made the most of his chances kicking three goals from 16 possessions, while Cleggett also contributed with two crucial goals.

 

In a strong team defensive display Subiaco held Claremont goalless for the games first 35 minutes and held Claremont to just six goals for the game.

 

Youngster Max Dennis continued to impress while Ben Reid also had a strong game for the Lions Reserves.

 

Early in the night Subiaco stormed from the blocks kicking two goals in the first 10 minutes and building up a 28 point quarter time lead.

 

Claremont would hit back in the second quarter with three goals prior to the long break reducing the margin to 17 points, however a recharged Subiaco side kicked the first goal of the second half to again restore a comfortable lead.

 

Weight of numbers began to tell over the last quarter and a bit, as Subiaco started to get some reward for effort and were able to pull away late, eventually winning by five goals.

 

 

GAME CHANGERS

 

MUCH NEEDED BIG GAME

Andy Doyle produced the all-round ruckman game that Subiaco’s Reserves team needed. Though somewhat undersized in the ruck, it was Doyle’s willingness to compete in the air, and than his athleticism at ground level that was a difference maker in the game. Doyle finished with 20 hit-outs, 15 possessions, eight tackles and a goal in an important contribution to the win.

 

STATISTICAL DOMINANCE

Across the night Subiaco showed an ability to get first hands on the ball and were the team always looking most likely to attack. The Lions ended up plus 37 in possessions, possessions, 292 to 255 and plus 17 in inside 50’s, 46 to 29. For a lot of the night that dominance probably didn’t show on the scoreboard, by games end, Subiaco had their reward.

 

WELCOME BACK

Friday night represented a welcome back for a couple of popular Subiaco figures. Sean Bradley played his first game since 2016 after a year off in 2017 while Luke Norriss played his first game since 2015. Each played a role in the win, and would be expected to be better to get the first game of 2018 out of the way. Chris Bryan and Jarrod Turner were two other notables to play their first game of 2018 aswell.

 

 

SUBIACO         4.5       5.7       7.10     10.11.71

CLAREMONT   0.1       3.2       4.4        6.5.41

 

BEST: Doyle, Cleggett, Reid, Perkins, Nelson.

GOALS: Perkins 3; Cleggett 2; Breeze, Breman, Doyle, Lawrence, Turner 1.