WAFL Colts Grand Final Preview – Swan Districts v ClaremontSaturday, September 20, 2014 - 8:14 AM - by Chris Pike

SWAN Districts and Claremont meet in Sunday morning's WAFL colts grand final with plenty of exciting young talent on display between two teams who played off in a second semi-final decided with the last kick of the day.

Swan Districts was the standout colts team of 2014 winning 18 of 20 matches during the home and away season, and then beating Claremont in the second semi-final to win straight through to the grand final.

However, Claremont and South Fremantle have shared the last three WAFL premierships and had played off in last year's grand final, and always loomed as the threats to Swans in 2014 and it was the Tigers who won last week's preliminary final to advance to the grand final.

Claremont has not had a season since 2008 without a premiership in at least one grade so the 2014 colts team is left trying to carry on that run.

Claremont won a colts premiership in 2009 and 2013, reserves flags in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and league premierships in 2011 and 2012 so it has been a tremendous run of success for the Tigers in recent years.

The Tigers' league side started 2014 poorly but finished on fire narrowly missing the finals while the reserves made the preliminary final before losing to West Perth last Sunday.

Swan Districts' meanwhile is looking for the club's first premiership at any level since the league triumph of 2010 with the colts hunting for a first flag since going back-to-back in 2007 and 2008.

Swan Districts and Claremont met in the second semi-final with the black-and-whites prevailing in a thriller by five points, but it's a match that could have gone either way.

Claremont led by 13 points at three quarter-time, but Swans dominated the final term kicking 2.7 to lead by a goal before the Tigers had one last chance with the last kick of the game.

However, that missed and Swans won by five points to advance straight through to the grand final with the week to prepare while Claremont had to take on South Fremantle in the preliminary final at Medibank Stadium in a rematch of last year's grand final.

Claremont won that grand final last year by just a goal and it was destined to be another thriller with another grand final spot up for grabs.

The Tigers looked in control with a 14-point advantage approaching the 20-minute mark after a goal following a 50-metre penalty, but the Bulldogs weren’t done with and kicked two quick goals to suddenly be within a point.

There was only time for a centre clearance and a mark, but South Fremantle conceded a centre square infringement to see time expire and Claremont win by one point to set up a clash with Swan Districts in the colts grand final of 2014.

Swan Districts and Claremont also met three times during the home and away season starting with Swans winning by 39 points at Steel Blue Oval in Round 9 and then again by 56 points at the same venue in Round 14.

It was another big margin in Round 17 but this time in favour of the Tigers who won by 60 points at the Claremont Showground.

There is plenty of exciting talent across both teams including Nelson Ansey, Jack Watson and Albert Dean from Swan Districts named in the Colts Team of the Year while Sam Humphry, Harrison McCracken, Jack Prendiville and Isaac Baum were all there from Claremont.

Swan Districts' on-baller Dean also took out the Jack Clarke Medal as the fairest and best player of the colts in 2014 while his coach Trent Cooper was named Coach of the Year.

Ansey was Swans' leading goalkicker for the season booting 39 majors in his 17 matches while Robert Mostert kicked 37 goals, Sean Fletcher 21, and Chad Daniels 19.

Other key players for Swan Districts include Callan Cranenburgh, Jason Daniels, Chris Firns, Fletcher, Ben Gillard, Ethan Maguire, Lindsay Murray, Kevin Pickett, Dino Ross and ruckman Justin Shand.

Jacob Coniglio also drops back into the colts team for the grand final after splitting his season evenly with 10 reserves and 10 colts matches. The 19-year-old showed strong signs as a senior player in the reserves as well and could very well come back as a difference maker to the colts on Sunday.

Claremont's leading goalkicker for the year was Sam Bevan who has booted 30 majors with Alexander Manuel adding 28 and Lawrence Evans 18.

As well as Humphry, McCracken, Prendiville and Baum, Josh Barty, Matthew Cairns, Jacob Delaporte, Jared Hardisty, Ryan Lim, Bailey Rogers and Harry Wilkinson have all been key players this year.

However, the Tigers' star is Alec Waterman with the son of former dual West Coast Eagles premiership player, and Peel Thunder and Subiaco coach Chris backing up his Mel Whinnen winning performance in last year's grand final win with another tremendous year.

The likely father-son selection for the Eagles later this year has averaged 26 possessions a game in 2014 and looms as a potential match-winner for Claremont on Sunday morning. 

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RESERVES GRAND FINAL: SUBIACO v WEST PERTH – PATERSONS STADIUM, SUNDAY 11.15AM
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COLTS GRAND FINAL: SWAN DISTRICTS v CLAREMONT – PATERSONS STADIUM, SUNDAY 8.30AM
Selected teams
Preview