Claremont captain Declan Mountford wouldn’t change a thing about testing journey to 100-game milestone

Declan Mountford’s resilience has been tested on his way to a 100-game milestone, but the Claremont captain says he would not change anything about his journey. The hard-nosed midfielder played a key role on his big day as the Tigers came from more than five goals down to beat East Fremantle by five points, kicking a goal late in the fourth quarter which cut his side’s deficit back to one point before Alec Waterman slotted what proved to be the winner moments later. When available, Mountford has been a regular fixture for Claremont since returning after a three-year stint with North Melbourne — aside from two games with West Coast as a top-up player in the midst of their 2022 COVID crisis. But he has spent more than his share of time on the sidelines, with his injuries in recent years including a punctured lung, numerous hamstring concerns and a shoulder problem which kept him out for much of this season. After his side’s win at The Good Grocer Park on Saturday, the North Albany product said the setbacks helped make the winning feeling even sweeter. “I think that’s just football — if you play it for long enough, you’re going to get a few injuries,” Mountford said. “When you get to play in games like today, you get a bit of reward for it all. “I’m sore right now, but I’ll be right to go by next weekend.” Behind by 32 points as the game entered time-on in the third term, the Tigers closed the contest out with a blitz which saw them kick seven of the game’s final eight goals. Mountford credited improved skill execution as the driving force behind the comeback, saying not much had changed in their approach. “I thought we stayed the course,” he said. “Keeping a positive attitude has been a big focus for us over the last few weeks, especially (since) we got put under pressure by South Fremantle. “They don’t always go your way, those games, but it did today. I felt like we robbed them a bit, but it was pretty special.” The win ensured Claremont remain in second spot and they are certain to feature in the finals for the eighth consecutive season, including the past five under the stewardship of coach Ash Prescott. But they are still on the hunt for their first premiership since 2012, with grand final appearances in 2020 and 2022 as close as they have come to the ultimate success through the run. Mountford said his side’s focus remained squarely on their four remaining games in the home-and-away season. “We’re just going to try and keep getting better every day,” he said. “We’re not a results-focused team, we just try to get better every time we train so we can put that into game day. We’ll see what happens.”