Exhibition game a feature during Claremont’s pre-season trip to the Great Southern

Great Southern Storm will play an exhibition match against Claremont’s futures team as part of the WAFL club’s three-day visit to the Great Southern this weekend. Claremont Football Club will travel to the region on Friday afternoon and be based at Normans Beach for two nights. Last year’s WAFL grand finalists will bring a squad of about 50 senior players down to participate in a gruelling training camp. Their visit will also include a big day of football activities at Centennial Stadium on Sunday, highlighted by the exhibition match that kicks off at noon. Claremont’s young talent who compete in the WAFL futures competition will clash with the local Storm outfit. Sunday’s festivities will include a junior clinic for Year 3-8 children run by Claremont along with a registration day for the Southern Districts Junior Football Association from 8.30am to 10am. The Storm’s junior players will have a light training session and scratch match at 10am. Claremont senior coach Ashley Prescott said one of their major reasons for the trip was to be involved in the junior registration day. “We really want to just spend time together on the camp and get to know each other while participating in fun, strong and physical activities,” he said. “We want to come down to the Great Southern region and appeal to the kids what the club is about and what footy is about. “It’s a beautiful spot down there, it’s magnificent and a good opportunity for a lot of the people to go somewhere they haven’t been before. The Tigers senior team will camp at Normans Beach and use the estuary along the beach for training activities. “Everyone is on board, obviously a few can’t make it with work commitments but 90 per cent of the squad will be there,” Prescott said. “It’s a great opportunity for the local boys to showcase the part of WA they grew up in and are from. “The Great Southern region has been such a fertile provider of talent to the football club for decades, around 20 per cent of our playing list on any given year comes from the area. “The camp also provides the opportunity for the players and staff to really get to know each other and bond together.” Storm coach Glynn Verbruggen said it was a great chance for his players to come up against strong opposition. “It will be a good opportunity for the guys, obviously they have a lot of guys to pick from but we have a side that we think will be really competitive,” he said. “It’s been a really good program, we are just really exciting and really luck that Claremont are bringing their futures side to the regional area.” Claremont senior coaches Prescott, Anthony Rock, Andrew Foster and Anthony Jones will stay long enough to watch the main game. Sunday activities at Centennial Stadium 8.30-10am: Albany Year 3-8 clinic 8.30-10am: Southern Districts Junior Football Association registrations 10am start:Junior Storm training session and scratch match Noon start:Great Southern Storm v Claremont Futures