The WAFL Eagles faced Claremont last Saturday, toppling the ladder leaders 16.11 (107) to 15.7 (97) after withstanding a late fourth-quarter surge from the Tigers.

“The game itself was a fierce contest and a real arm wrestle in the first half, with both teams refusing to give an inch”, coach Kyal Horsley said.

“After half time the game opened up, and we played the best quarter of football I’ve seen in my time.

“The intensity of our defence created numerous turnovers, and the speed with which we attacked off the back of it was dynamic and, at times, unstoppable.

“To Claremont’s credit, they fought back hard in the final quarter and continued to close the gap. We’ll take plenty of learnings from that period, particularly around how we arrest momentum and defend big leads.”

Top 3

Tom Gross

Tom set the tone with relentless front‑half pressure, which fed directly into his offensive game. He was the difference in the game with four goals, a monster return for any player, let alone a small forward.

Matt Flynn

Matt was at his imposing best. He gave us first use to our inside mids, crashed packs both aerially and at ground level, and played with a physicality that permeated through the entire group.

James Ewing

James was solid as a rock down back. He made great defensive decisions and used the ball well. He impacted strongly in the air with four intercept marks and multiple spoils. His work ethic is starting to show real rewards.

AFL Listed Players

Oliver Francou

Oli’s attributes were on full display. Explosive, clean with hands and composed in congestion. He finished with 10 clearances, four tackles and 14 contested possessions in a fierce contest.

Fin Macrae

A classy performance both inside the contest and on the outside. Fin made those around him better with his ball use. The only blemish was leaving a few chances on the table in front of goal.

Elijah Hewett

Elijah led the group superbly in the absence of captain Callum Jamieson. His energy and care for others was evident all day and complemented the toughness and class he showed inside (nine tackles) and outside the contest (five score involvements).

Harry Schoenberg

Harry split his time between midfield and wing. He set a high bar with his intensity around the contest and his spread on the outside. He had multiple moments that lifted the entire group.

Clay Hall

Clay played wing and inside. His defensive work rate and speed complemented his ability to drive his legs and use his penetrating kick to gain territory and keep the game in our front half.

Lucca Grego

Lucca continued growth in his defensive game, which is really complementing those around him. As always, his class with ball in hand stood out, but his grit was particularly impressive, winning four big moments in tough situations.

Fred Rodriguez

Fred played on the wing. His defensive running was off the charts, highlighted by a full‑ground sprint to spoil a ball in D50 in a game‑saving moment. Added damaging ball use with six score involvements.

Sandy Brock

Sandy’s speed in both defence and offence was crucial. He won the ball back on multiple occasions and helped the team transition quickly out of the back half.

Tylah Williams

Tylah’s impact far outweighed the numbers. His electric speed in attack and strong pressure caused havoc in the forward half. He finished with two classy goals.

Jack Williams

Jack presented hard all game and was a beacon up forward. He won or halved contests, kicked two goals and helped straighten us up.

Tyler Brockman

Another step forward in his return from long term injury. A constant forward threat with seven score involvements. He spent time inside and was electric at centre bounce, finishing with a classy goal.

Marcus Herbert

Marcus was composed in all situations. When the pressure was at its hottest, he remained unfazed, made elite decisions and settled those around him.

Tyrell Dewar

It was Tyrell’s most damaging game since moving forward. His run and carry opened the game up and his ability to create something from nothing was eye‑catching, finishing with two goals.

Josh Lindsay

Josh played a half as AFL emergency and made a big impact. He opened the game with foot skills, defended well behind the ball and hit the scoreboard with a classy boundary finish from 50.

Matt Owies

The stats don’t tell the full story. Matt had eight forward‑50 tackles (as many as most teams produce), plus multiple moments halving contests while outnumbered to force stoppages. He finished with two goals and five score involvements as reward.

Harry Barnett

Harry got to great spots on the ground, competed hard and looked threatening all game. He didn’t play the final quarter as a precaution.

Jake Miles‑Wrency

It was Jake’s first game for the club after as a Category B Rookie during the pre-season. His competitiveness and appetite to adapt were clear. He will take plenty from the experience and with his willingness to learn, will continue to take steps forward.