Round 7 Preview – Claremont v PerthFriday, May 18, 2018 - 6:56 PM - by Chris Pike

CLAREMONT and Perth have just the one win apiece over the opening six rounds of the 2018 WAFL season raising the stakes for their clash at Claremont Oval on Saturday.

The Tigers and Demons were hoping to be big improvers in the WAFL in 2018 to try to return to being in finals contention, but for the loser of Saturday's game to fall to a 1-5 record will make it difficult for that to still be a chance of happening in an 18-game season.

Both Claremont and Perth come into Saturday's clash at Claremont with 1-4 record and precious little separates them over the opening six rounds with Demons just ahead of the Tigers by just 2.49 per cent.

Claremont started the season with an 18-point loss to West Perth before the Tigers' lone win came in Round 3 when Keifer Yu kicked a goal with the last kick of the game to give them the four-point victory.

Since then, the Tigers have lost to Subiaco, South Fremantle and Peel Thunder by an average of 44.3 points to slip to the 1-4 record.

Perth did have high hopes too of an improved season in 2018 but so far there's been little signs of that eventuating.

The Demons opened the season losing to Swan Districts by 45 points before losing to East Fremantle by seven points. 

They did play well in Round 3 to beat Peel by a kick but since Perth struggled to lose to East Perth by 37 points and West Perth by 62 prior to the bye in Round 6 and then the State game break.

Claremont had two players that took part in the victorious WAFL State Team win against the SANFL at Adelaide Oval with Jye Bolton and Kane Mitchell both among the best players on the ground.

Bolton claimed his second State game Simpson Medal after finishing with 34 possessions, six marks, four inside-50 entries and a goal while 2012 Sandover Medallist Mitchell delivered 25 disposals.

Claremont's best quarter across the season has been the second terms which they have outscored their opposition by 14 points. But the Tigers have been outscored in first quarters by 68 points, 28 points in third terms and 65 points in fourth quarters.

Perth's best quarter has been third terms which the Demons have only been outscored in by five points but they have lost first quarters by 61 points, second terms by 62 points and fourth quarters by 17.

Perth has actually enjoyed some recent success against Claremont winning three of the past five meetings between the two teams despite the Tigers beating the Demons by 99 points in Round 20 last year at Lathlain Park.

This will be their first meeting at Claremont Oval since Round 8, 2013 though. The Tigers have won their last two at Tigerland against Perth but interesting prior to that the Demons had won three of the previous four. 

From Claremont's team that lost to Peel Thunder a fortnight ago, there are plenty of changes with Oliver Eastland, Fraser Gilbert, Lachlan Martinis, Declan McNamara, Jacob Sideris, Eddie Simpson, Isaac Wallace and Keifer Yu all coming into the squad.

Meanwhile, Bailey Bennett, Jeremy Goddard, Matthew Palfrey, Tom Shanahan and Alex Manuel are the players already named out of the team.

Perth last played way back in Round 5 against West Perth and from that team, Daniel Horan, Mitch Browne, Kurtis Chester, Michael Bennell, Shaun Smith and Cody Ninyette come into the squad.

Richard Bourne, Marshall Jones and Callum Collard are three players out of the team for the Demons while the likes of Michael Sinclair, Spencer White, Sam Garstone, Mitch Lague and Christian Eyres remain sidelined.

CLAREMONT (1-4, 8th) v PERTH (1-4, 7th) – CLAREMONT OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams, live stats 
Broadcast – KIX Digital, Footy Radio