Cook, Saunders, Schloithe, Hams to play for WA

FOUR South Fremantle stars will be representing Western Australia this Saturday in the 2014 State match against the NEAFL at Blacktown in Sydney.

South Fremantle captain Ryan Cook will be representing WA for the third time having previously played in 2011 and 2012 while Ashton Hams, Ben Saunders and Haiden Schloithe will be pulling on the Black Swans jumper for the first time.

All four will be crucial in the WAFL's clash with the NEAFL as well with Saunders the main goalkicking target up forward, Hams likely to be asked to set up play off half-back, Schloithe given an important role in the midfield and across half-forward, and Cook being asked to be one of the main ball winners and carriers in the line-up. 

The WAFL's opponent this year is a combined side from the North Eastern Australian Football League which features teams competing from New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The NEAFL features some familiar faces including the likes of Ryan Brabazon, Eddie Sansbury, Jacob Derickx, Cleve Hughes and Will Sierakowski.

Cook is now in his third season as South Fremantle captain and fourth year with the Bulldogs following his time in the AFL with Collingwood, and the 26-year-old will be representing WA for the third time.

Cook previously played for the WAFL representative side in 2011 in the win over Queensland at Mandurah's Bendigo Bank Stadium when he racked up 26 possessions, and then he also played in 2012 in a narrow loss to South Australia in Adelaide.

In three years with the Bulldogs, Cook has won two fairest and best awards as well as playing for WA twice already and he is again in the middle of an outstanding 2014 season averaging almost 25 possessions a game.

Schloithe is in his first season back with South Fremantle after time with Fremantle, and the Bulldogs colts premiership star has taken his game to another level in 2014.

The 20-year-old is in the middle of an outstanding season with the Bulldogs that is seeing him averaging almost 26 disposals a game while also kicking 11 goals in eight matches along with drawing 33 free kicks and laying 26 tackles.

His form in 2014 included a remarkable three-week run between Rounds 4 and 6 where he racked up 102 possessions in three games and then kicked four goals in South Fremantle's win over East Fremantle on Anzac Day.

As well as winning a lot of the ball, he has kicked seven goals the last three games.

It might come as a surprise to many, but despite having played 123 WAFL matches, being a dual premiership player, Simpson Medallist and having played 39 matches with West Coast in the AFL, Hams will be playing for WA for the first time on Saturday as well.

The 27-year-old is back full-time at South Fremantle this season having retired from the AFL at the end of 2013.

He started 2014 playing across half-forward and through the middle, but over the past month has shifted to playing across half-back which has included him picking up 66 possessions in Rounds 5 and 6.

Across the season, he has averaged 26.5 possessions a game including having more than 30 disposals on four separate occasions. Not to mention his experience and outstanding kicking skills, and he was a natural selection to play for WA for the first time.

Full-forward Saunders will also be representing WA for the first time with the 22-year-old set to play at full-forward and be the main forward target with help from big men Nick Rodda and Tony Notte, and Ryan Davis, Kody Manning, Paul Bevan and George Hampson around him.

Saunders joined South Fremantle from Claremont in 2012 and has kicked 115 goals in 36 matches for the Bulldogs. He kicked 66 in 2012 to win the Bernie Naylor Medal as the league's leading goalkicker before managing just eight games due to collarbone injuries in 2013.

He has now kicked 23 goals in eight matches so far in 2014 including 16 in the last four.

WAFL SQUAD

Claremont – Luke Blackwell

East Fremantle – Steven Dodd, Tom Howlett, Jamie McNamara, Andrew Stephen

East Perth – Brendan Lee

Perth – Paul Bevan

South Fremantle – Ryan Cook, Ashton Hams, Ben Saunders, Haiden Schloithe

Subiaco – George Hampson

Swan Districts – Tallan Ames, Blaine Boekhorst, Ryan Davis, Tony Notte

West Perth – Jordan Jones, Chris Keunen, Kody Manning, Shane Nelson, Laine Rasmussen, Nick Rodda, Jay van Berlo

By Chris Pike