Small Talk – Ashton Hams Column State Game

I AM really looking forward to the State game actually this Saturday. It will be my first time playing for WA and it's a bit of a surprise I've been picked, but especially to play with the other three South Fremantle boys I'm really looking forward to going to Sydney with them and giving it a good crack.

It means a lot to play for WA. It's a bit disappointing that it's not as big these days as it used to be, but there's definitely a spot for it and I think everyone in the WAFL should be aiming to play for the State. I'm lucky enough to be in the squad and to hopefully be playing.

It's actually a bit weird training, travelling and now preparing to play with some of the guys in the team because I know I definitely have had a few run ins with some of them over the years. To now be teammates with them is a bit weird at first, but you quickly work out that they are good blokes. It's just that you hate them when you play against them, but you always find out that they are good blokes off the field.

It's also good to now get the chance to play with a few of the blokes at Swans who my brother Kyle played with. I have got to know them for a while now because of that and it's going to be good playing with those guys.

Especially the East Fremantle guys it's a bit weird because we will be playing them straight after the game in the derby the next Monday. Obviously with guys like Doddy being at East Freo for so long and myself being at South for so long, it will be weird playing with the East Freo guys and then playing them straight after, but for now we'll enjoy it, have a bit of a laugh and I'm sure we'll also get into each other a bit.

Kyle was able to play in the State side the past two years and I know he had a good Saturday night when they went away to Adelaide. He loved the chance to get around the boys he played against for a long time and making some great mates – especially Doddy and Aaron Black from West Perth. He loved the opportunity. It would have been nice if he was still playing in the WAFL so we could have played together, but it wasn’t to be.

I'm also looking forward to my South teammates Saundo, Cooky and Schloithey playing as well. Haiden has been one of the best midfielders in the comp the way he's been playing, Cooky is our captain and our leader, and I can see all those three playing and playing really well. With Benny up at full-forward, hopefully he goes well and kicks a bag for us which would be nice.

It's always tough to pick a team like this and looking at some Souths guys, I reckon Googsy is a bit unlucky. He has been in really good form the past month or so since moving down back. Dylan Ross also has been getting an award every week and is in great form. I know Amesy and Doddy are good defenders, but Rossy would be the next key back I would pick.

The game is now being played out at Blacktown and I actually played a game for the Eagles there against GWS back in 2012. I didn’t get a kick, though, and I got ran down holding the ball so I don’t have the best memories out there. Hopefully I go a bit better this time. It was still a great experience going out there even though it's out in the sticks. It's a bit of a drive, but it's not a bad oval and it's something different so it will be good to get back there.

It's a bit disappointing the game was moved because there is probably going to be about three people out at Blacktown. It would have been nice afterwards to watch the GWS and Richmond game and have a beer, but there's not much we can do about that now. It would have been nice to play in front of a few more people and then watch that game afterwards, so that is disappointing but we are still putting on the jumper for the State and I'm sure all the boys are still looking forward to it.

Playing for WA probably isn’t quite as good as winning a premiership, but apart from that it is without doubt one of my career highlights. I never thought I would play for WA but then watching Kyle get to play, he just loved it and played really well in it and he now has his jumper hanging up. Since he did that, I always thought I would want to do it and it's a big effort I reckon playing for your State so I'm really looking forward to it.

By Ashton Hams