Two epic comebacks in 24 hours
Plus Freo ruck stats, love for Jobe, a heavy-hitting WAFL thriller and hello Zinzan.
G’day people!
In case you missed it, both the WA U18 boys and girls staged massive comebacks on Friday arvo and Saturday morning respectively to beat Vic Country. It was a 49-point turnaround for the boys and a 26-point turnaround for the girls. So good.
In today’s newsletter: Objective Freo ruck breakdowns, more love for Jobe, full breakdowns of the U18 boys and girls, an epic top-of-the-table clash in the WAFL and the U16 star who lit up his WAFL colts debut.
Let’s get stuck in.
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FREMANTLE
Giants 16.13 (109) def Dockers 13.10 (88)
If we were to take a positive spin, we would say that the Dockers were off in almost every aspect of their game and only lost by 21 points.
It’s still annoying though.
A quick look at the centre bounce split between Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy since his return: v Giants (Jackson 20, Darcy 13), v Suns (Jackson 12, Darcy 6). And the split with Mason Cox before that: v Cats (Jackson 24, Cox 8), v Kangaroos (Jackson 23, Cox 8). Just worth noting and keeping an eye on.
Flowers for Karl Worner. Few saw his rise coming but he’s been a rock for Freo this season. Had 29 disposals and 10 marks as one of the few winners for the Dockers against GWS.
WEST COAST
Crows 15.9 (99) def Eagles 11.8 (74)
They lost the first quarter 38-9. They won the last three 65-61. There was a moment in the final term where it looked winnable against the odds. But as we’ve seen all season, they’re not a side that is able to grab those moments yet.
That’s a big tick now for both mid-season draftees. Oliver Francou finished with 18 disposals and nine tackles and, while he was scrappy at times with his disposal, he showed the kind of endeavour that will make him a reliable pick with better upside.
Can I say much more about Jobe Shanahan? One of three young players on the list with A+ potential.
WA U18 BOYS
WA 10.16 (76) def Vic Country 9.6 (60)
Genuinely one of the best comebacks I’ve watched at the 18s level. WA looked off it early and were down by 33 points in the second quarter. They kicked one goal to six in the first half. After the break it was a different story. The WA mids got going and next thing you know, they’d kicked 9.11 to 3.4 across the final two terms. Unreal.
We knew Heath Mellody was talented, but this game kicked him up a level. It was his move into the middle in the second half which unlocked the WA surge. He broke from packs and his delivery was sublime.
Same names led the charge - George Gale worked all game, Harper Banfield cracked in and Leo Steed showed his class late, with Benji van Rooyen and Axel Walsh very strong as well.
Harvey Spawton-Guy definitely lifted. He was wayward early before finding his range and kept presenting as the focal point inside 50, took some nice grabs and finished with seven score involvements and 2.3.
Their final game is this Wednesday, 11am WA time against the Allies.
WA U18 GIRLS
WA 6.4 (40) def Vic Country 5.3 (33)
Speaking of comebacks… the girls kicked four unanswered goals in the final quarter to storm past a Vic Country side that had the better of the game for most of the morning.
Lexi Strachan finally got going. The West Perth midfield star had been relatively quiet through the first two games but she exploded here with 19 disposals, nine clearances and nine tackles. She was aggressive and polished.
She kicked WA’s first two goals, but bottom-ager Hannah Seaborn was just as impressive when she went into the midfield. Finished with 10 disposals, 11 tackles and three clearances as well as the work in front of goals.
As if there was any doubt, Esperance’s Bea Crane looked composed as ever in her first U18s appearance. The U16 All-Australian from earlier in the year had an equal game-high eight intercept possessions and took a handy mark late that stopped Vic Country’s final push.
Their final game is next Saturday, 10.30am WA time against the Allies.
WAFL
The top-of-the-table clash between Peel and Claremont was as good as advertised. It took an after-the-siren goal from Thunder ruck Aiden Riddle to split them, but the Thunder got it done - and they did it without Jeremy Sharp, who missed with illness.
A Tiger was probably still best on ground. Zac Mainwaring was already having a good season, but his four-goal, 18-disposal, 11-tackle outing was enormous.
There was another thriller between South Fremantle and Subiaco. Subi kicked the last seven goals of the game, but time was the enemy after a slow start. They lost by a point.
The mid-table teams are hard to split or read this season. After talking up Perth last week, they were belted 103-52 by an injury-hit East Perth. It was Tyler Lindberg doing the damage for the Royals. He had 25 disposals, 12 inside 50s and two goals. We told you he was one to keep an eye on.
West Coast are a game out of the five and look set to finish the season strong. They were too stacked for the Sharks on Friday night, with Elijah Hewett starring.
WAFLW
Just a casual 33 and six tackles for Jaime Henry this week as Swans beat East Freo to hold Claremont at bay on top of the ladder. Ashley Sharp kicked two, she leads the WAFLW goalkicking with 30 for the season.
The Tigers kept the pressure on with an 80-12 win over West Perth who are patiently waiting for the U18 champs to end so they can get a handful of their stars back. Bec Anderson kicked another three for Claremont.
Monster game for reigning Dhara Kerr medallist Krstel Petrevski as Subi beat Peel. She had 38 disposals, nine marks and a goal.
Ditto for Isabella Shannon over at Perth. She kicked three from 33 disposals in a win over East Perth.
WAFL COLTS
A few players of note from our colts contributor.
Elijah Williams (Claremont): Maximising his flair, pace and line breaking abilities, Williams is now one of the best half-backs in the colts competition. He had an eye-catching 23 disposals, five marks and four tackles against Peel on Friday night.
Campbell Creyk (West Perth): A bottom-aged player at colts level, in his four matches for West Perth when not on PSA duties for Hale he has accumulated 27, 30, 40 and 31 disposals as well as kicking five valuable goals. A great size for a mid at 185cm and has genuine speed. In this year’s U18 squad and you get the feeling he’ll be a massive part of next year’s championships.
Zinzan Clark (Subiaco): A Kalgoorlie City FC product and a WA U16’s squad member, Clark made his debut for the Lions on the weekend and made an immediate impact. Playing taller than his listed 178cm, he was able to give Subiaco a solid avenue in the forward 50 on a day when very few could. Nine disposals belies the impact he had on the game but with two goals, two marks, three tackles and a high degree of flair he was impressive for a double bottom-ager.
Chace Vanderhoek (South Fremantle): After 11 WAFL Colts matches this season, Vanderhoek has racked up 299 disposals at an average of 27.2. A smooth-moving, no-thrills midfielder, he relies on quick hands to free up an outlet player at stoppage. He can also be an outlet mid when he sees the right opportunity. A fine prospect for WA in 2027 and one of the favourites for this year’s Jack Clarke Medal.
That’s us all caught up.
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Catch you next week.