3 x BULLDOGS IN ROUND 20 TEAM OF THE WEEK

THERE sure was plenty squeezed into the three matches in Round 20 of the Optus WAFL Premiership Season meaning the Team of the Week is full of players who delivered standout performances.

On Sunday, it was a battle between two teams already guaranteed of playing finals and trying to finish as high up as possible, and West Perth came back from 26 points behind to beat South Fremantle 11.7 (73) to 10.7 (67) at Joondalup's Provident Financial Oval.

Tyler Keitel kicked another four goals for West Perth and Rudy Riddoch three with Aaron Black amassing another 40 possessions and 13 tackles. Jake Florenca made a spectacular return for South Fremantle with 29 disposals.

That all means that with two rounds of the season remaining and all five finals bound teams having two matches remaining, all sports in that top five are still up for grabs.

Subiaco (12-4) remains a game clear on top of the ladder after the Round 20 results just ahead of South Fremantle, West Perth and Claremont who are all on 11-5 records. Swan Districts is only one game further back at 10-6.

HALF-BACK FLANK – CHAD PEARSON (South Fremantle)
Continues to quietly go about his business in consistently outstanding fashion as a reliable defender for the Bulldogs who is adept at finding plenty of the football and setting up play for his team out of the back-line. In 76 games, he's already a premiership player and has represented the WAFL State Team, and was terrific again for South Fremantle on Sunday finishing with another 22 touches, four marks and three tackles.
Times named in 2021: 3

ROVER – JAKE FLORENCA (South Fremantle)
He was the heartbreaking story of South Fremantle's premiership triumph in 2020 when he ruptured an Achilles during the preliminary final after being such a key part of the Bulldogs' success. He was runner-up in their fairest and best award highlighting his importance but he made his return on Sunday against West Perth and was brilliant with 29 possessions, eight marks, eight tackles and a special opening quarter goal from right up against the boundary in the forward pocket.
Times named in 2021: 1

INTERCHANGE – TOM BLECHYNDEN (South Fremantle)
Found his feet in last year's South Fremantle team that won the premiership as an outside player, but opportunities as an inside midfielder have opened up in 2021 and he continues to make the most of it. He is proving himself a strong and impressive ball winner week after week, and produced a game of 29 touches, seven tackles, five marks and five inside 50s on Sunday against West Perth.
Times named in 2021: 3

WAFL TEAM OF THE ROUND
BACK: Zane Sumich (WC), Matthew Jupp (EF), Jamie Meade (EF)
HALF-BACK: Kye Willcocks (EP), Noah Pegoraro (WP), Chad Pearson (SF)
CENTRE: Rohan Kerr (EP), Aaron Black (WP), Blaine Boekhorst (EF)
HALF-FORWARD: Jonathon Marsh (EF), Dillon O'Reilly (EF), Tyrone Thorne (PT) 
FORWARD: Matthew Young (EP), Tyler Keitel (WP), Blair Bell (PT)
RUCK: Bailey Williams (WC), Michael Randall (PT), Jake Florenca (SF)
INTERCHANGE: Shane Nelson (WP), Tom Blechynden (SF), Angus Scott (EP), Ben Hancock (PT)
 

UNLUCKY BUNCH
There were plenty of players who delivered tremendous performances across Round 20 but couldn’t quite fit into the Team of the Week, including:

Peel Thunder's Stefan Giro, Jackson Merrett, Taylin Duman and Ethan Hughes.

West Coast Eagles' Xavier O'Neill, Brayden Ainsworth, Ben Johnson, Lennon Marlin, Joey Deegan, Isiah Winder and Hamish Brayshaw.

East Perth's Eddie Simpson, Angus Schumacher, Aidan Lynch, Nick Robertson and Scott Jones.

East Fremantle's Hugh Dixon, Tom Bennett, Kyle Baskerville, Michael Tasson, Jarrad Jansen and Fin Gorringe.

West Perth's Rudy Riddoch, Tristan Hobley and Blake Wilhelm.

South Fremantle's Haiden Schloithe, Zac Strom, Jacob Dragovich, Hamish Free and Jason Maskos.

Players of the Round
Round 1 – Josh Schoenfeld (East Fremantle)
Round 2 – Sam Fisher (Swan Districts)
Round 3 – Greg Clark (Subiaco)
Round 5 – Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle)
Round 6 – Tyrone Thorne (Peel Thunder)
Round 7 – Keegan Knott (West Perth)
Round 8 – Jye Bolton (Claremont)
Round 9 – Tyler Keitel (West Perth)
Round 10/11 – Jonathon Marsh (East Fremantle)
Round 12 – Jackson Ramsay (East Perth)
Round 14 – Warrick Wilson (Swan Districts)
Round 15 – Angus Schumacher (East Perth)
Round 16 – Oliver Eastland (Claremont)
Round 17 – Brandon Matera (Subiaco)
Round 18 – Aidan Lynch (East Perth)
Round 19 – Shane Nelson (West Perth)
Round 20 – Michael Randall (Peel Thunder)

CREDIT Wednesday, August 25, 2021 - 4:32 PM - by Chris Pike WAFL website