Taking Stock at Half-Time
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OOFFICIALFFICIAL PPUBLICATIONUBLICATION OOFF TTHEHE WWAFLAFL RROUNDOUND 1133 JJUNEUNE 115,5, 22013013 $$3.003.00 TTakingaking sstocktock aatt hhalf-timealf-time WWAA ffootballootball rround-upound-up TTweetsweets ooff tthehe WWeekeek The Lions take top marks, so does our insurance. We’re proud to be Major Sponsor of the Subiaco Lions. And even prouder that our car and home policies are competitively priced. Better still, we’ll help you find the cover that’s right for you. To find out what we’ve made possible, call QBE today on 133 723. Call us for a PDS to decide if a product is right for you. QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239545. Features 4-5 WAFL half-time stocktake 6 Awards 11 Q and A, Foxtel Cup Every Week Game time 7 Tipping 7 Tweets of the Week 12 Fremantle v Brisbane 22-24 WAFC news 12 West Coast stats 25 Country Football 13 Previews 26 Amateur Football 14-15 Claremont v Peel 27 Club calendar 16-17 Subiaco v Swan Districts 28 WAFL Stats 18-19 East Fremantle v West Perth 29 Ladders & results 20-21 Perth v East Perth 30 Fixtures CONTENTS3 By Ross Lewis 4 @r_lewis_thewest Publisher This publication is proudly produced for the WA Football Commission by Media Tonic. Phone 9388 7844 Fax 9388 7866 Sales [email protected] Editor TTAKINGAKING Tracey Lewis Email [email protected] @traceylewis5 Contributing writers Ross Lewis, Andrea Damonse, Sean Cowan. Photography Andrew Ritchie, William Crabb & Paul Litherland SSTOCKTOCK Design/Typesetting Jacqueline Holland - Visible Ink Graphics Printing Quality Press. Phone 6254 9999 Address at half-time 8 Babel Road Welshpool WA 6106 Email [email protected] In a competition with a compromised set of fi xtures Cover Simon Donovan. it is, at times, diffi cult to make comparisons in the WAFL. Yet this week provides a platform on which to make some assessments about teams, coaches and The Football Budget is printed on players. And it also provides evidence to make some Express Gloss 90gsm paper, which is educated predictions about the future. sourced from a sustainably managed forest and uses manufacturing WAFL 2013 has hit its mid-way point. Not all processesof the highest environmental teams have played an equal amount of matches and standards. The Football Budget is printed by a rivals haven’t met each other the same number of Level 2 EnvironmentalAccredited times. But this week has provided an opportunity to printer. The magazine is 100% stand back and gauge everyone’s progress. recyclable. What have we learned? The Football Budget WAFL admission prices $15 – Adult* got Ross Lewis to cast his eye over the opening 12 $12 – Concession rounds – plus the interstate clash – to determine the 2 for 1 offer – Student Edge Member* key messages from the first half of the season. Free – Children U16 *Includes a copy of Football Budget Little men stand tall Find us on No longer do teams rely on their big men to kick winning totals. The battle for this year’s Bernie Naylor Medal is littered with small players. Paul Bevan, Brennan Stack, Ian Richardson, Paul Medhurst and Copyright © No part of this publication may Ryan Lester-Smith are in the top-10 for this year’s be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the permission of the publisher. Opinions leading goalkicker prize. expressed in the Football Budget are not necessarily those of the WAFC. The WAFC or East Perth’s Josh Smith is still within striking affi liated clubs believe that the material produced in this publication is accurate, but gives no distance so the big men haven’t disappeared. But warranty in relation thereto and disclaims all the rise of the small forward in the local league is liability for claims against the WAFC or affi liated clubs, Media Tonic, its employees, agents, or Jake Murphy underlined by the fact Bevan has 31 goals from any other person, which may rise from any person acting on the materials contained herein. nine matches this year. He kicked 39 in 129 AFL appearances with Sydney. Registered by Australia Post - PP642521/00112 Greg Harding A league of second chances Plenty of players have recently used the WAFL as a stepping stone to redemption. Andrew Krakouer returned to the AFL via his work in the WAFL following incarceration. Mark Hutchings this year used his good form for West Perth to grab his second opportunity to rise to the AFL. But for Dean Cadwallader and Travis Casserly, season 2013 was the chance to just get back to playing football. Cadwallader sat out 33 months while Casserly was sidelined for 31 months after testing positive to prohibited substances. The WAFL has welcomed both back on the completion of their penalties and each has since reappeared in league ranks this year. Wes Lammie The line on the alignment Breakey gets promoted from the reserves and Scuttlebutt on the East Perth-West Coast and Dean Cadwallader earns WAFL rising star votes in his first three Peel-Fremantle deals dominated pre-season matches. WAFL talk. It is such depth that has made the Tigers The sky was about the fall in if you listened the league dominant force for almost four Going back on the behind to some strong league identities. years. It was created by the AFL as a knee-jerk However, the true impact of the host club reaction to Hawthorn’s tactics in the 2008 arrangements won’t be fully felt until next Setting the ground rules grand final. For the next few years defenders season when all surplus Eagles are based at couldn’t even look at the goals with the ball in the Royals and secondary Dockers are at the Not everything has gone according to plan their hands let alone rush the leather through Thunder. for Swan Districts in 2013. the posts. There were some movements between But coach Greg Harding is certainly The WAFL was reluctant to introduce the East Perth and Peel for 2013 but the effect ensuring his message is getting through. rule but eventually succumbed. However, hasn’t been strong. Both the Royals and Two weeks after kicking WA to its first win now the whistleblowers are giving the Thunder are out of the top four at the halfway over Victoria in 22 years, Wayde Twomey, was backmen a bit more leniency in their actions stage and on some occasions have had as few dumped to the Swans reserves by Harding as in forcing a point. Good to see. as four AFL-listed players in their line-up. a statement over his defensive efforts. A big call yet one that resonated Applying the clamps Claremont conveyor belt throughout the black-and-whites’ group. On the topic of defence, winning big has When one midfielder goes down at Claremont become difficult – unless you happen to be in there seems to be another ready, waiting and Most improved player a Claremont guernsey, of course. more than capable of filling the gap. It might be a bit early for awards but Swan Only four teams have a for-against The Tigers lost the services of Sandover Districts ruckman Wes Lammie has had some percentage above 100 points and East medallist Kane Mitchell to Port Adelaide big assignments this season and has often Fremantle (100.51%) just sneaked into the this season. So Jake Murphy takes over as if been required to carry the following duties group by its triumph over Peel last week. nothing has happened. Maybe just the hair on his own. Yet bottom-placed South Fremantle has a has got shorter. Lammie showed his progress with 40 percentage of 81.34 – quite a high figure for a Then another WAFL champion player of hit-outs in his last outing – against Perth in wooden spoon contender. the year, Luke Blackwell, gets hurt and Hugo round 11. 5 6 AWARDS Player of the Year Rising Star Andrew Foster has become Mr ROUND 12 VOTES Forward Ryan Lester-Smith ROUND 12 VOTES Consistency for Claremont this has edged closer to the lead in season. Claremont v West Perth the 2013 WAFL Combined Past East Fremantle v Peel His rich vein of form has 3. Andrew Foster (C) Players and Offi cials Rising Star 3. Matthew Taberner (PT) not only helped the Tigers hold award. their grip on top spot on the 2. Mark Hutchings (WP) Lester-Smith earned one vote 2. Kyle Westwood (PT) premiership ladder but also been 1. Pat McGinnity (C) for his efforts in East Fremantle’s 1. Ryan Lester-Smith (EF) highlighted by the judges in the win over Peel last week to take his Osborne Park Volkswagen WAFL East Fremantle v Peel tally to just one shy of Claremont’s West Perth v Claremont Player of the Year Award. 3. Bradd Dalziell (EF) Sam Fong. 3. Tom Taylor (C) Foster has earned top votes in 2. Viv Michie (PT) Tiger Ben Daniher became the 2. Ben Daniher (C) the prize during four of his past seventh Claremont player to earn five outings to jump to the top of 1. Ben Howlett (EF) votes in the award this season. 1. James Batterham (WP) the leaderboard. Subiaco v South Fremantle To be eligible players must Subiaco v South Fremantle Mark Hutchings from West have notched eight games or less Perth has climbed into the top- 3. Jarrod Kayler-Thomson at the start of the 2013 season 3. Michael Wood (S) (S) 10 but his solid work could be and be aged 21 years or under 2. Matthew Bogensperger rewarded with a return to AFL 2.