WAFL 2022 Preview – ClaremontThursday, March 3, 2022 - 2:30 PM - by Chris Pike

IT was a heartbreaking end to 2021 for Claremont and that would have stung the entire group over summer as they prepare for 2022, but there's every reason to expect the Tigers to give themselves a chance to go a step, or two, better this time around.

Claremont made a big move after reaching the Grand Final of 2020 and losing in a thriller to South Fremantle by changing coach, parting ways with Darren Harris and welcoming back Ashley Prescott for his second stint at the helm.

The Tigers were again in the mix throughout 2021, but ultimately missing out on a top two finish cost them dearly. It meant they ended up facing South Fremantle in both the qualifying and preliminary finals at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

That was the scene of the Grand Final heartbreak of the year before and more was to come in both finals as they ultimately saw their season end with the loss in the preliminary final.

However, there's no reason to suggest Claremont can't be around the mark again even with the departure of some loyal servants led by Anton Hamp and Kane Mitchell, and with the loss to South Australia of Jake Patmore.

Morgan Davies and Ronin O'Connor return to the club, but really it's not an issue of the Tigers needing to bring in too much talent because their depth is strong and they have that in spades.

Jye Bolton and Bailey Rogers were among the best handful of players in the WAFL last year and should be again, assuming Rogers doesn’t earn an AFL call up as the reigning Sandover Medallist.

There's natural growth in the playing group too with Harry McCracken, Timm House, Anthony Treacy and Francis Watson among those who could have a greater impact than they did in 2021 for a host of reasons.

Expectations should be high of what the Tigers can achieve in 2022, they will just be hoping for not too many visits down to Fremantle Oval.

COACH – Ashley Prescott (Sixth season, 79-31 record)
CAPTAIN – Declan Mountford, Jared Hardisty (2021)
FAIREST AND BEST 2021 – Bailey Rogers

LOOKBACK ON 2021

There did appear only one outcome for Claremont that was acceptable after their recent trajectory and by the end of preliminary final day, the Tigers would have been terribly disappointed in how their 2021 ended up.

Claremont got back to finals and won an elimination final in 2018 before reaching the preliminary final in 2019 and then the Grand Final in 2020 so it did appear there was only place to go in 2021 and that was on the back of the club replacing Darren Harris as coach with the returning Ash Prescott.

The Tigers started the 2021 season on fire winning the opening four matches before a surprising 40-point loss to Subiaco. They bounced back well to win the next four games as well, but the second half of the campaign didn’t quite go the same way.

After holding an 8-1 record, Claremont finished the home and away season at 13-5 and in third position before resuming hostilities with South Fremantle and losing the qualifying final by a solitary point after the siren.

The Tigers bounced back to beat West Perth but again South Fremantle was their nemesis with Claremont not managing a goal for three quarters of the preliminary final on the way to an 11-point loss.

FULL CLAREMONT 2021 SEASON REVIEW

INS AND OUTS

Incoming – Morgan Davies, Ronin O'Connor, Ben Harding

Outgoing – Kane Mitchell, Anton Hamp, Jake Patmore, Rylie Morgan, Jacob Van Rooyen

FEATURE FIXTURE

You can't go past Round 1 for Claremont in terms of fascinating fixtures for so many reasons when they take on West Perth at Joondalup's Provident Financial Oval on Good Friday.

First of all, Claremont was the team that ended West Perth's season with a win at Revo Fitness Stadium in last year's first semi-final so there's that natural on-going rivalry coming on the back of another finals meeting.

There's certainly some added spice too with Darren Harris now coaching West Perth following his surprise departure from Claremont at the end of 2020. 

Harris and Tigers coach Ashley Prescott are no strangers to coaching against one another having done so in the previous stints for both at the same clubs back in 2004 and 2005.

Then if Anton Hamp plays for West Perth, it will be his first game for his new club against a Claremont team he had a tremendous 163-game career with.

But for Claremont, it's the chance to show what their intentions are for 2022 against a team that looks also likely to be around the mark later in the season.

PREDICTION

Finals should be the bare minimum for Claremont to be aiming for again in 2022. How much further they can go from that will be based on if Jye Bolton, Bailey Rogers, Lachlan Martinis, Declan Mountford and company can maintain their levels, and how many others can go up another gear.