WAFLW: Lions fall short at Leederville Oval

It was a tough day out for Subiaco’s WAFLW side, as they took a 45-point loss to Claremont at Leederville Oval on Sunday February 27.

Claremont’s system was well structured and prevented the home side from playing their natural game for the majority of the match.

West Coast AFLW listed Beth Schilling was a standout for Subiaco, looking solid in defence all day, while Jayme Harken found plenty of the football with 22 disposals.

The contest was hot from the beginning, as both teams found it difficult to keep the ball inside their forward 50.

Claremont had the ball in their forward half for the majority of the first term, but Subiaco’s backline stood up to the challenge.

Schilling led the way, looking to turn defence into attack with her intercepting ability on full display.

However, the Tigers kicked the sole major for the quarter and took an eight-point lead into quarter time.

It was a challenging period for Subiaco in the second term, as Claremont kept up their momentum.

The Lions weren’t able to freely move the ball up the ground, and the Tigers were able to navigate the ball into their forward 50 on multiple occasions.

Two Claremont goals were kicked in the quarter, while the Lions weren’t able to hit the scoreboard.

It meant the Tigers led by 22 points at the main break, with Subiaco focussing on a response for the second half.

There was a sense of urgency from the Lions in the second half, as they looked to play the game on their terms.

Nyra Anderson was able to get the ball deep inside forward 50, with Jess Ritchie taking the mark and converting for Subiaco’s first and only goal of the match.

It was an even contest throughout the quarter, with neither team willing to give up.

Subiaco held strong for the majority of the term, but a late goal from Claremont meant it was a 24-point deficit for the home side at three quarter time.

The magnets were flipped by the Lions in the last, in an effort to change the momentum of the match.

Ritchie moved to the ruck, and Anderson was moved into the midfield in a move that looked to be a masterstroke, as the two combined for the first clearance of the term.

It wasn’t to be, however, as Claremont was able to kick three unanswered goals for the quarter.

There were glimpses of Subiaco’s natural game style, but the Tigers’ effort and intensity proved too much on the day, winning by 45 points.

Earlier in the day, there were mixed results for Subiaco.

The Rogers Cup side had their first win of the season, taking a 19-point victory, while the reserves side lost their match by 104 points.

Subiaco will look to get their first win of 2022 when they take on South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Friday March 4.

Subiaco         0.1     0.1     1.1     1.2    (8)
Claremont     1.3     3.5     4.7     7.11  (53)