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Hams looks forward to second State appearance alongside debutant

Friday, May 22, 2015 - 5:29 PM by Chris Pike

ASHTON Hams is a little disappointed he didn’t get to play for Western Australia alongside Kyle for the first time in Saturday's State match against South Australia at Lathlain Park, but the chance to play with Marlion Pickett in particular is something he is excited about.

Ashton Hams is one of five South Fremantle players selected to represent the WAFL against the SANFL on Saturday as he gears up to pull on the Black Swans jumper for just the second time.

And he certainly made his mark in his first appearance for WA in last year's win over the NEAFL in Sydney when he was judged best afield and won the Simpson Medal.

The 28-year-old veteran of 141 WAFL matches is now one of the league's most decorated players with two Simpson Medals and two premierships to his credit, and now he will play for WA for the second time on Saturday.

While twin brother Kyle won't be there with him on Saturday, South Fremantle teammates Marlion Pickett, Cory Dell'Olio, Ryan Cook and Blayne Wilson will be.

And he is looking forward to running out there with Cook for the second straight year for WA, and Pickett, Wilson and Dell'Olio for the first time.

"It's always an honour obviously to represent WA so I can't wait until it's time to get out there with the boys and especially the South boys. It will be good to run out with the lads again," Hams said.

"Obviously we're all pretty close and good mates so it's good to represent WA with good mates and just playing footy with Dells again this year has been good. It's going to be extra special to play a State game with him and Marls will be playing his first game so that's pretty special and he pumped and pretty excited. I can't wait to run out with the boys."

Despite being a dual premiership player and a Simpson Medallist, it took until he had played well over 100 WAFL games for Hams to make his debut representing WA last year. As a result he certainly cherishes every opportunity he gets now and is looking forward to Saturday.

"I'm always pretty keen to play and obviously watching the bro Kyle playing a couple and he loved it. He made some really good mates from playing for WA who he still talks to today so it's pretty special," he said.

"I think it's good that it is only a couple of weeks and we all sort of come together, and we all become pretty close mates. It's been really good and training has been good and we just have to go and have a win now."

Hams is especially happy to see his teammate Pickett get the chance to play for WA.

He came onto the scene in blistering fashion late in the 2013 season, struggled to find his best position in 2014 and now has found his feet as a running defender to the point where he is well and truly on the radar to get drafted into the AFL at the end of the year.

"It's fantastic for him and he has worked hard and has had a bloody good pre-season, he's fit and has everything else you need. It took a while for him to find his position but now at half-back he's really playing good footy and I'm pumped for him, and he's pretty excited," Hams said.

"He is a pretty simple bloke so he's not looking too far ahead but we are all happy for him we are pretty pumped and hope he gets picked up at the end of the year."

Ashton will now play his second straight State game and Kyle was able to play in 2012 against South Australia and 2013 against Victoria, and went close to winning a Simpson Medal on both occasions.

However, they've never played for WA together and that's something they both hoped happened in 2015 now that they are back together at South Fremantle as well. And Kyle has slotted right back in at the Bulldogs in 2015 and been in tremendous form as a small defender.

"I was a little bit surprised he wasn’t picked. We were both pretty keen actually to have a run around together and he has been playing pretty good footy so I think he is pretty stiff and I would like to have him out there," Ashton said.

"But there are some good players like Strijky and Marlion and Brock O'Brien that have all been playing good footy as well so it is a tough side to crack into. It probably hurts him a bit living in Busselton, the slacker, and it would have been nice to see him in there."

 

The other positive from the State experience so far this year for Hams has been reconnecting with his first WAFL coach John Dimmer who took him to the 2005 and 2009 premierships with the Bulldogs.

Dimmer is an assistant coach for WA to Darren Harris, and Hams is enjoying the chance to reconnect with the man that set up his WAFL career.

"It's been good actually, I haven't seen him since 2010 when he left so it's good to have a quick catch up. We haven't had too much time to have a chat yet but hopefully over the next couple of days we can have a good chat," he said.

"We have our 10-year anniversary this year so hopefully I'll see him again then and he has been a big part in the careers of both me and Kyle.

"He moved us up to play league from ressies, and he was our first coach and coached us for our first five or six years and to a lot of success, and he's been a big part of it. He's always been a smart and good coach so it's always good to catch up with him and the whole coaching panel has been good."

Preparing for a State game against a largely unknown opponent can be difficult, but Hams and the WAFL team will be hoping to take advantage of their strengths on the wide expanses of Lathlain Park. And he knows that winning means a lot to everyone involved.

"You just have to go out there and play the best against each other. I guess we have a pretty simple game plan and if we follow that hopefully we come away with the win but it is pretty hard. You really don't know what to expect at all and hopefully they aren’t used to the big ground but they are still the best of the best so it's a game you have a crack in and see who wins," Hams said.

"Last year in my first game they were pretty big on making sure we backed up the win over Victoria the year before and now WA have won the couple and want to make it three straight this year now. If we keep that form going we will be known as the best state leagues in Australia and that's pretty important.

"We know South Australia have a lot of pride too and we are all very competitive, and no one likes losing. You just try to find your feet early in games like this and try to keep the legacy going of what you've been building the last couple of years. You want to go out there and have a win, and then enjoy having a beer together after the game."

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