South Fremantle stars keep standing up on AFL stage

FOURTEEN South Fremantle products remain on AFL club lists in 2014 and continue to make a big impact led by Brandon Matera starring for the Gold Coast Suns, and veterans Clint Jones and Paul Duffield continuing to shine for St Kilda and Fremantle respectively.

Since the AFL draft was introduced in 1986, South Fremantle has provided the national league with some all-time great players including Peter Sumich, Peter Matera, Glen Jakovich, Darren Gaspar, Phil Matera, James Clement, Dean Rioli, Andrew Krakouer and Roger Hayden, and the current crop of AFL-listed players from the Bulldogs are certainly continuing to do well also.

Brandon Matera is in the middle of a tremendous season with the Gold Coast Suns so far having played 10 matches this season that has seen him kick 20 goals including a best of four against St Kilda in the midst of a three-week stretch that saw him boot 10 goals.

The 22-year-old has now already kicked the fourth most goals and played the 13th most games in history for the Suns after being drafted from South Fremantle following the 2009 season as a concession draft pick for Gold Coast.

During 2009, Matera stepped up from playing in the colts to play two league matches and showed good signs on both occasions and now the son of Wally and older brother of current South Fremantle player Bailey is realising his potential in the AFL.

Clint Jones continues to be a mainstay of St Kilda's team and the 30-year-old has now become one of the leaders of a team that is undergoing a youth movement under first-year coach Alan Richardson.

Jones had a terrific career as a dual fairest and best winner, and premiership player with South Fremantle before arriving at St Kilda at the end of 2006.

He played just the six matches in 2007, but ever since he has been a regular member of the Saints line-up never playing fewer than 17 matches in a season.

He played in the grand final of 2009 against Geelong and both grand finals against Collingwood in 2010.

Jones first made his mark in the AFL as a tagger despite being a prolific wingman in the WAFL with South Fremantle, but over the past two years he has been freed up to play as more of a ball-winning midfielder helping to add experience following the departures of Brendon Goddard and Nick Dal Santo.

His 2014 season started with a career-high 39 possessions in a win over Melbourne, he then had 26 disposals the next week in a win over the GWS Giants and he has continued to show good form since.

Paul Duffield is continuing to be a crucial player of the Fremantle team that is looking to get another chance of at least backing up last year's maiden AFL grand final appearance.

The 29-year-old is now closing in on reaching 150 matches with Fremantle as well and currently sits 14th on the all-time games played list for the Dockers.

Duffield is having another strong season off half-back for Fremantle including picking up a season-high 27 possessions last week in the win over Adelaide at Patersons Stadium.

Not only has Duffield played 144 AFL matches, he has amassed 77 matches with the Bulldogs including being a key member of the 2005 premiership team. However, since 2007 he has played just 13 games with South Fremantle due to his outstanding form with Fremantle.

Cory Dell'Olio broke through for his first AFL match with Essendon of the season in last weekend's win over the GWS Giants and he played well kicking two goals from 11 possessions.

Before that, he had played three games for three goals with the Bombers with 2013 and in 2012, he played eight matches for nine goals.

Essendon picked up the now 24-year-old from South Fremantle following the 2011 WAFL season that saw the 2009 premiership small forward kick 55 goals to lead the club's goalkicking tally in a year it made the finals. In all he has kicked 109 games in 58 games for the Bulldogs.

Leroy Jetta is also at Essendon with Dell'Olio and the 25-year-old has added two more matches in 2014 to take his career tally with the Bombers to 93 since making his debut back in 2007.

Jetta's best AFL season came back in 2011 when he played in 23 matches with the Bombers and kicked 27 goals, but continues to show his value to the team whenever receiving a chance ever since being drafted at the end of 2006.

Adam Carter hasn’t managed to add to his five AFL matches from last year with the West Coast Eagles, but the South Fremantle product has been playing solid football in the WAFL with East Perth including being part of the Royals' team that beat South Fremantle back in Round 3 at Fremantle Oval.

After starring in South Fremantle's 2012 colts premiership, Mason Shaw was drafted into the AFL by Port Adelaide but injuries have limited him to just two league matches in the SANFL this year with the Port Adelaide Magpies.

Shaw played seven league games for five goals in 2013 with South Adelaide with 12 matches and 25 goals in the reserves.

Brendon Ah Chee was drafted by Port Adelaide also at the end of 2011 and has shown impressive form in seven SANFL matches with the Magpies so far in 2014 to be close to breaking into the AFL-leading Power team.

He played just 15 reserves matches in 2012 with the Port Magpies, but became a regular in the league side in 2012 playing 15 league matches. Now with the Magpies in 2014, he has been in impressive form.

Shane Kersten earned his way into the AFL for his strong form as a full-forward with the South Fremantle colts and Geelong sees a long-term future in him as a key forward despite his injury troubles the last two years.

Kersten was drafted at the end of 2011 and played 17 VFL matches for the Cats for 38 goals in 2012, and then kicked another 41 goals in 13 games in 2013 but so far in 2014 he has been limited to just the two matches the past two weeks after injury ruined his first half of the season.

Ash McGrath hasn’t managed an AFL match with the Brisbane Lions in 2014 due to injury, but the 30-year-old 208-game veteran is closing in on his first appearance of the year.

McGrath is the younger brother of South Fremantle champion Toby and former Essendon and Carlton AFL player Cory, and he now will be hoping to his tremendous 208-match AFL career before the 2014 season is over.

He was drafted by the Lions at the end of the 2000 season as a 17-year-old and managed just the one AFL match in the first of Brisbane's three premiership years.

He then played nine games in 2002 but none after Round 10 again missing out on the premiership team, but in 2003 he was a permanent member of the team playing in 22 games and becoming a premiership player.

McGrath has continued to be a regular player with the Lions through strong and struggling sides since both as a running defender and dangerous small forward.

He has kicked 165 goals in his 208-game but perhaps his most memorable day came when he celebrated his 200th milestone last year against Geelong in Round 13 at the Gabba. 

Brisbane stormed home after conceding a big lead to the Cats and McGrath took a mark just outside 50 as the siren sounded, and went back and kicked the goal to give him three for the day.

He also booted six majors in the final round of the season against Geelong as well in what has been his last AFL match up to this point.

Cameron McCarthy was an exciting forward prospect when drafted by the GWS Giants at the end of last year, but so far in 2014 in the Giants' reserves team in the NEAFL he has been used in defence in his nine appearances as he continues to press for an AFL debut.

With Jeremy Cameron, Jonathon Patton and Tom Boyd already in the Giants' forward-line, it might be a good move to find his niche as a defender at least in the short-term.

Dylan Main was drafted at the end of 2013 after starring in South Fremantle's colts premiership team of 2012 and then the grand final team of last year. He has played one league game with East Perth so far this year and also played in the Foxtel Cup win over Norwood at Patersons Stadium.

Tom Vandeleur was rookie-listed by Fremantle at the end of 2013 following strong performances firstly in South Fremantle successful colts teams and then even making his league debut in Round 1, 2013.

He hasn’t been able to break through for an AFL berth with the Dockers but has been solid in five league matches for Peel Thunder and four in the reserves.

Blaine Johnson has been close to making his AFL debut with Carlton this year on several occasions and it does seem to be a matter of time based on his VFL form with the Northern Blues.