WAFL State Game Preview v Tasmania

SOUTH Fremantle is on top of the WAFL and will have five players representing Western Australia in Saturday’s State Match against Tasmania at Steel Blue Oval with the WAFL looking for a fourth straight win in interstate contests.

The WAFL representative side takes on the best of the Tasmanian State League at the Bassendean venue on Saturday looking for a fourth successive victory following wins over the VFL, NEAFL and SANFL the past three years.

The WA team will again be coached by Darren Harris and captained by East Perth ruckman Paul Johnson who were both in the same roles in last year’s 45-point win over South Australia. East Fremantle defender Andrew Stephen and South Fremantle skipper Ryan Cook are the vice-captains.

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The Bulldogs remain on top of the WAFL ladder despite the WA Day Foundation Derby loss to East Fremantle on Monday, and as a result Cook, Ashton Hams, Ben Saunders, Marlion Pickett and Tim Kelly have all been selected to play for WA on Saturday.

Cook has been named to play in his fifth state match for the WAFL in just his sixth season at South Fremantle as he continues his remarkable career.

Hams will play for WA for a third straight year with Saunders and Pickett both to play for a second time.

Meanwhile, Kelly will make his state debut in recognition for his outstanding season in the midfield so far for the Bulldogs.

WA and Tasmania have met 22 times in state matches previously with the Black Swans winning 17 of those. The last meeting was in 1999 with WA winning by 58 points in Kalgoorlie.

Prior to that two years earlier Tasmania won by 47 points in North Hobart. That was the first game since WA’s State of Origin victory back in October, 1980.

The WAFL team will feature seven players representing their state for the first time at senior level.

That includes Peel Thunder defender Josh Bootsma, Subiaco premiership backman Aaron Heal, South Fremantle midfielder Tim Kelly, Claremont big man Darcy Cameron, East Fremantle veteran Brett Peake, Claremont on-baller Jye Bolton and West Perth tough nut Luke Meadows.

Meanwhile, Cook and West Perth’s damaging Andrew Strijk will both be playing with WA for a fifth time, and Johnson and Stephen both a fourth time.

It will be a third appearance for Swan Districts’ Tony Notte, West Perth captain Jay van Berlo, South Fremantle’s Ashton Hams, Claremont’s Ryan Neates, West Perth’s Aaron Black and Perth’s Clint Jones.

In the case of Jones, it will be his first game for WA since 2006 with the former South Fremantle premiership player and dual fairest and best winner since going on to play 149 games in the AFL with St Kilda before returning to the WAFL in 2016.

West Perth defender Nick Rodda, South Fremantle’s Marlion Pickett, Bulldogs full-forward Ben Saunders, Subiaco premiership midfielder Leigh Kitchin, West Perth on-baller Shane Nelson and Swan Districts veteran Matt Riggio will all represent the WAFL for a second time.

Of those players in the WA line-up, Jones (149 games), Peake (118), Johnson (70), Bootsma (14), Strijk (13), Cook (14), Notte (2), van Berlo (32), Hams (39), Neates (1) and Riggio (10) have all played AFL football.

WA has a well-balanced well squad both in terms of youth and experience, talls and smalls, and those who can run and carry the ball, do well in the air and win their share of contested possessions.

The back-line will be made up of key defenders Rodda and Heal while Bootsma and Stephen can play tall or small, and Strijk, Meadows and Pickett can provide plenty of drive off the half-back line.

Captain Johnson will carry the ruck duties with support from Notte while Jones, Nelson, Hams, Black, Kelly, van Berlo, Bolton, Kitchin and Riggio will do the power of the work through the midfield.

The forward-line will be spearheaded by Cameron and Saunders with Peake playing the crumbing role, and the likes of Cook and Neates to play as half-forwards.

Tasmania is coached by Brett Geappen who is the older brother of former Swan Districts premiership player Tim, who will be serving as the team’s runner on Saturday.

The Tasmania team does feature two players with AFL experience in the form of ex-Adelaide Crows player Ian Callinan and Hawthorn’s Mitch Thorp. Callinan was part of the South Australian team that played against WA last year.

STATE GAME 2016 – WAFL v Tasmania
Steel Blue Oval, 2.15pm
Entry is Free

LIVE STATS – CLICK HERE
The game will also be broadcast on radio by Sport FM 91.3FM

WAFL TEAM (times represented WA)
B: Josh Bootsma (0), Nick Rodda (1), Andrew Stephen (3)
HB: Andrew Strijk (4), Tony Notte (2), Aaron Heal (0)
C: Tim Kelly (0), Jay van Berlo (2), Marlion Pickett (1)
HF: Ryan Cook (4), Darcy Cameron (0), Ashton Hams (2)
F: Brett Peake (0), Ben Saunders (1), Ryan Neates (2)
RUCK: Paul Johnson (3), Clint Jones (2), Aaron Black (2)
INT (from): Jye Bolton (0), Leigh Kitchin (1), Luke Meadows (0), Shane Nelson (1), Matt Riggio (1), Zac Strom (0), Matthew Watson (0)

TASMANIA TEAM
B: Corey Nankervis, Tom Cleary, Jordon Arnold
HB: Jay Foon, Ben Reynolds, Harry Walters
C: Jay Lockhart, Taylor Whitford, Jake Cox
HF: Mitch Rainbird, Jobi Harper, Nick Dodge
F: Trent Standen, Mitch Thorp, Jack Siggins
RUCK: Tyrone Morrison, Ian Callinan, Clint Riley
INT: Jordan Hayden, Nick Walters, Rhys Mott, Brandon Batchelor, Dylan Riley