WAFL 2025: Former West Coast forward Alec Waterman kicks four goals for Claremont to ensure Eagles’ defeat

Alec Waterman has come back to haunt his former side, kicking an equal career-high four goals to ensure Claremont claimed a 51-point win and avoided an upset against battlers West Coast. The Tigers were uncharacteristically scrappy, but the Eagles were goalless in two quarters as they lost a sixth consecutive match 13.18 (96) to 6.9 (45) at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday. Waterman discovered some of his best form, kicking four majors for the first time since the 2020 second semifinal as part of a powerful forward line alongside Jaiden Hunter (two goals) and Kieran Gowdie (three goals) who could’ve also had days out had they kicked straight. Inaccuracy was the story of Claremont’s day as they never put the Eagles away in front of goal despite strong periods of dominance and missed out on what could be a valuable percentage boost as finals loom. West Coast gave plenty of nuisance value for the powerhouse Tigers outfit, with first-year midfielder Tom Gross his team’s best with 28 disposals and five clearances, while defender Rhett Bazzo was outstanding a game-high 30 touches and 10 marks but was wasteful with his disposal. Up forward, Eagle Josh Burke kicked an equal career-best three goals having been unable to hit the scoreboard in his previous three games. Claremont ruckman Ollie Eastland (19 disposals, 37 hit-outs and seven clearances) got the better of three Eagles counterparts, while Sandover medallist Bailey Rogers (27 disposals and eight clearances) was seemingly everywhere as he continues to look the best he has for some time. The one-win Eagles came out with a strong intent to pressure the star-studded Tigers and it paid dividends as they stunned the visitors by kicking the first two goals of the game. Claremont were clearly rattled by the plucky West Coast and by quarter time there was hopes for the home side that an upset could be on the cards. These hopes were quickly dashed in a dominant second term by the Tigers who upped the ante with their spread and West Coast couldn’t match their intent. At times Claremont’s ability to break the lines looked too easy at times with West Coast’s pressure all bit dissipating as they conceded all five goals kicked for the term to trail by 35 points at half-time. To West Coast’s credit they didn’t allow the Tigers to have it all their own way in the second half as they fought out the game but were never any serious threat to the premiership contenders who kicked the only four goals of the final term. SCOREBOARD CLAREMONT 3.4 8.9 9.14 13.18 (96) WEST COAST 3.3 3.4 6.6 6.9 (45) Goals – CLAREMONT: A Waterman 4 K Gowdie 3 J Hunter 2 Z Mainwaring 2 S Alvarez R O’Connor. WEST COAST: J Burke 3 H Barnett M Champion N Long. Best – CLAREMONT: B Rogers O Eastland B Elliott A Waterman S Alvarez J Bolton. WEST COAST: T Gross R Bazzo J Burke J Eastough L Grego C Chesser. Injuries – WEST COAST: J Newton (illness) replaced in the selected side by J Prior. Umpires: C Snadden D Cox T O’Shea. Crowd: TBC at Mineral Resources Park.

WAFL 2025: Former West Coast forward Alec Waterman kicks four goals for Claremont to ensure Eagles’ defeat

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