WA Football Commission

Hungry Lions claim important winThursday, August 2, 2018 - 6:59 AM

Fighting to secure a finals berth, it was all or nothing for Subiaco in their Round 15 clash with Claremont on Sunday afternoon.

With West Perth hot on their tail in fifth by percentage, a loss would have placed the Lions a win outside finals contention. Yet despite being out of a position to make finals, their opponents in Claremont weren’t going down without a fight.

Mother nature certainly didn’t have any tricks up her sleeve, with conditions at Claremont Oval sunny and without much breeze.

From the opening bounce, Claremont's poise and grit in defence was immediately evident. Tackling and chasing hard, their ability to clear the ball from defensive 50 was telling. 

Subiaco made it anything but easy for the home side, dominating possession and looking threatening in front of goal. While they did control the ball for most of the opening half, their dominance wasn’t converted on the scoreboard.

With the margin just two points at the main break, it was certainly game on.

The opening half of the third term had Claremont written all over it, with the girls stealing the lead back courtesy of two quick goals to open the term.

Needing to respond, Subiaco immediately answered the call with a contested grab and goal courtesy of Amy Lavell. Finishing as the most dominant forward on the ground with three goals to her name by games end, her dominance and ability to lock the ball inside 50 proved crucial for the Lions.

Danika Pisconeri certainly made the highlights reel, consistently finding space, winning the ball and showcasing some quality ruck work which proved advantageous to her teammates.  

Still anybody’s game, Hayley Miller took matters into her own hands with a screamer mark and goal to re-ignite Subiaco back into the lead by a solitary point at the final change.

The Lions’ run of goals didn’t stop there. Kicking the next three, they found themselves in positive stead and up by 19 points halfway through the final term.

Question was, would Claremont find a way to put their wheels back on or would Subiaco shut the door on them? It seemed Claremont had found their answer in Amanda Robertson. Slotting a neat set shot for the Tigers with only five minutes to go, she narrowed the margin back to 12, and once again it was game on.

A testament to Subiaco’s composure and hunger for the win, the girls held their nerve and walked away 12 point winners.

Brooke Erceg, Amber Ugle-Hayward, Nikki Phillips, Andie Payne and Isabella Zadnik were amongst the Tigers’ best, while Claire Ortlepp, Courtney Stubbs, Mary Roseingrave, Sara Lewis, Hayley Miller, Melissa Lim and Danika Pisconeri all provided stellar performances for the Lions.

GOAL KICKERS

Claremont: Caitlin Lewis (2), Adele Arnup, Brooke Erceg, Amanda Robertson.

Subiaco: Amy Lavell (3), Hayley Miller (2), Katie Lamb, Lauren Stammers.

QUARTER BY QUARTER

Claremont: 0.3 (3) 2.4 (16) 4.6 (30) 5.7 (37)

Subiaco: 1.4 (10) 2.6 (18) 4.7 (31) 7.7 (49)