Records achieved in the game

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• First WAFL game for Claremont, who were known at the time as Claremont-Cottesloe

Newspaper report

Source:The West Australian 26 April 1926 - via Trove

A fairly large attendance watched the new club, Claremont-Cottesloe make its debut in league football at the Claremont Showgrounds on Saturday. The going was true if a little bit heavy and this helped to slow down the speed. How would the new club shape with its great preponderance of players round about the age of twenty? Their only seasoned performer was N.Mclntosh, the old South Fremantle-Richmond player. None of the others had ever participated in a league match and as they entered the arena clad in very neat blue and gold jerseys, their general youthfulness and anxiety to be up and doing were most marked, so too was the disparity between the general proportions of the contending eighteens. In a year or two this will be all very different but at present it is a very big handicap, for the good big man has the call over the good little chap in football every time.

In an opening engagement one does not expect perfect form and it will probably be a week or two before the coaches of the various clubs can "whip the offending Adam" out of their charges. Claremont's blemishes were fairly obvious. In the opening term their strange environment and their own extreme modesty led first to an undue haste when in actual possession of the ball while at other times there was a hesitancy - fear to do something lest that something be wrong. This wore off as the game progressed. Their backmen wandered off towards the centre far too often, leaving Campbell by himself and within range.

Of course East Perth's superior system frequently made for a forward running loose. On the contrary, the home side's full; forward, had a penchant for getting out of range and giving goal keeper Sherlock an open go. They showed that they have at least 5 or 6 excellent players and when the rake has been put through those aspirants, who were not included in last Saturday's team they should do much better. With experience in the school of adversity with the increasing weight and with the district scheme of football behind them, Claremont need have no misgivings as in their future in the football world. On the whole they came through fairly well, better than the present strong Subiaco combination did in their first few seasons and quite as-well as East Perth at a later date. East Perth fielded a weak eighteen, notable absentees being B.Harrold, P.Hebbard, Woodthorpe, V.Sparrow, Dobson, Walsh and the crack winger of last season, J.Guhl.

The teams were :- Claremont-Cottesloe :- N.Mclntosh (captain); Hendy, Allen, Jackson, Sanders, Vincent, Lemmon, Smith, Lovegrove, Willox, Steward, Angove, McManus, Thompson, Cosson, Clements, Jones, Howson.

East Perth :- A.Burgess, A.Western, Mitchell, Duffy, McMahon, Sharp, Glew, G.Owens, Barratt, Brentnall, Gepp (captain), Sherlock, Spence, Fletcher, H.Campbell, Redhead, C.Western, O'Meara.

The Play

It was not an excellent game, the pace being slow and the scores too lopsided to rouse the enthusiasm. Nevertheless there were some splendid features - its clean nature, the courage and tenacity of the' Claremont men under the heavy barrage, the quickness and accuracy of the pass by the winners and some grand individual performances. The opening term was all in favour of the blue and blacks. H.Campbell being ubiquitous and showing that he had not lost any deftness of foot.

Claremont's kicking was very short and rather at random, East Perth's accurate and long. During the term, Campbell sent up four goals, his anticipation and "get away" proving a sore trial to the homeside defenders. Thrice Claremont-CottesIoe pierced the centre yet three possible scoring shots yielded a bare point. Towards the close of the term the blue and gold had steadied somewhat. "Grubbers" gave place to driving kicks and they were showing that in Lemmon, Willox, the hefty Vincent, Steward, and G. Smith they were sheltering a quintette who would make their mark. East Perth best performer was Gepp opposed to Mclntosh at centre.

The first changeover saw the board:- East Perth 5-9, Claremont- CottesIoe, 0-3.

The blue and golds surprised by their good showing in the second term and when Angove from an acute angle goaled there were rounds of applause. A little later goals from Steward and Lovegrove galvanised the side into life. Smith roving, playing with rare dash, Sanders having an even battle on the wing with C.Western, Lemmon marking beautifully and Vincent tearing through the masses. Their rearguard Jones, emulating Sherlock at the other end cleared many an Eastern rush. For the leaders Fletcher and Duffy were finely, the latter was finding H.Campbell with absolute certainty. Claremont however, were sticking it out well and the success that came their way (three goals for the quarter), mainly by hap-hazard but without individualism, showed that latent powers were only awaiting development.

At the long interval the scores were:- East Perth 7-12, Claremont-Cottesloe 3-4.

East Perth were quickly away on resumption twice Campbell goaled but the home side then steadied and for a stretch played the best football for the afternoon their combined work, grit and speed making them look like seasoned senior side. Vincent was full of dash but faulty leads into the pockets did the new club little good - indeed wasted their powers. The titbit of the quarter was a succession of clever things by Smith, who topped them off with a well-earned goal, and Steward followed up with the good work of the rover. But the younger or inexperienced players' combination was a fleeting quantity their backs failed to keep guard and East Perth's football in the open spaces was telling its tail. Their tally was 8 goals 6 behinds. The finest player afield after the interval was Sherlock who quite submerged the small forward in aerial work. At the final change East Perth held a big lead showing:-

East Perth 15-17, Claremont-Cottesloe 5-6

The last quarter saw the ball first at one end then at the other with neither set of forwards able to get the upper hand of the backs. The only tallies of note being majors from Barrat (East Perth) and Willox (Claremont-Cottesloe). The home sides defenders held to their forwards much better - they'll live and learn. The fact that the men under Macintosh were able to hold Campbell, Owens and Co. down to 1.3 in the closing phase should greatly hearten them and Claremont though well beaten can look back on their first match with a fair amount of satisfaction having done quite as well as their most sanguine supporters could have expected.

Final Score

East Perth 16.21 (117 points), Claremont-Cottesloe 6.10 (46 points)

For the winners nobody played better than Sherlock whose play was faultless throughout. Next to him came Gepp. At half-back C.Mitchell had the leather quite a lot - in fact he had a day out. Glew impressed with many find dashes, Duffy and Owens played with all their old skill, the former's passing and the latter's marking both being very fine.

For Claremont Cottesloe Smith's roving was nippy and pleasing. Lemmon (one of the tallest men who have ever played league football) shone with some capital marking. Vincent was a tiger for work, Jones kept goal really well and others frequently in the picture were Clements, Sanders and Willox. O'Connor umpired satisfactorily but missed more scragging then he usually does, owing to his not being in a position to see (probably the effect of somewhat heavy going). The accommodation for players and umpires was somewhat crude.