THE prestigious Jack Clarke Medal for the best and fairest player of the 2018 WAFL Colts Competition will be awarded tonight. Previous winners of the Jack Clarke Medal who have gone on to play in the AFL include Kepler Bradley, Adam Cockie, Dean Kent, and Tom Ledger.

The night will also recognise the WAFL Colts Coaches Award, the WAFL Colts Leading Goalkicker, the Coach of the Year, and the WAFL Colts Team of the Year. Below are each club’s best prospect of taking home the Jack Clarke Medal.

CLAREMONT: MAX GRANT

The West Coast junior was phenomenal for the Tigers throughout the 2018 season. At Claremont he ranked first for possessions (338 at an average of 19 per game), fourth for tackles (58 at three per game) and eighth for marks (33 at two per game). The flair he provided with his dare to run and carry, along with his penetrating skills made him a vital cog in the Claremont line-up. His best games came against Perth in round seven (25 possessions and a goal), Swan Districts in round 10 (24 possessions, six tackles and a goal), West Perth in round 11 (26 possessions and four tackles) and East Perth in round 16 (24 possessions and six marks).

EAST FREMANTLE: COREY ROBINSON

The Aquinas student was a key factor for the Sharks, especially in their engine room. His tough combative style often saw him winning clearances and getting the ball forward for his team. He ranked fifth in the competition for possessions (395 at an average of 22 per game), while he ranked fifth at East Fremantle for marks (68) and sixth for tackles (49). His best games came against South Fremantle in round four (24 possessions, 6 inside 50s and 5 tackles), East Perth in round six (26 possessions, seven marks and six tackles), West Perth in round 7 (29 possessions and 11 marks), and Subiaco in round 20 (23 possessions and a goal).

EAST PERTH: JACOB MSANDO

The 2016 WA Under 16s State Academy member was a lively player for the Royals as a dashing wingman. In 18 games, he averaged 15 possessions, four tackles and three marks and was often the Royals’ link-up player due to his exhilarating speed and damaging skills. At East Perth he ranked third for total possessions (272), second for marks (53) and first for tackles (68). His best games came against Claremont in round 12 (22 possessions, five marks and four tackles), South Fremantle in round 13 (29 possessions, seven marks, seven tackles and six inside 50s) and Perth in round 17 (21 possessions, five tackles, four inside 50s and a goal).

PEEL THUNDER: LACHLAN RILEY

The South Bunbury product was a dynamo in the midfield for the Thunder in 2018, averaging 23 possessions, five marks and two tackles across 15 games. Despite being a smaller-bodied midfielder, Riley competed hard in the midfield but also showed his class on the outside to be extremely damaging. His notable performances came against Claremont in round six (28 possessions and six marks), Subiaco in round 7 (23 possessions, seven marks, five inside 50s, and three tackles), Perth in round 15 (22 possessions and two goals), and South Fremantle in round 16 (29 possessions and a goal).

PERTH: SYDNEY STACK

The Under-18 All-Australian had a sensational season with the Demons that certainly enhanced his draft prospects. A dynamic playmaker, Stack is a strong clearance player in the middle but also has the explosiveness to worry defenders when resting forward. In 11 games, Stack averaged 23 possessions, eight tackles and two marks. His noteworthy games came against East Fremantle in round two (24 possessions and 13 tackles), East Perth in round four (24 possessions, seven tackles and six inside 50s), West Perth in round five (27 possessions, six tackles, six inside 50s and two goals) and Peel Thunder in round 15 (25 possessions and seven tackles).

SOUTH FREMANTLE: TOM BLECHENDYN

The Brookton-Pingelly product put together an outstanding campaign for the Bulldogs. In 18 games, he averaged 21 possessions, four tackles and four marks. He ranked fourth in the competition for total possessions (398), while at South he ranked second for marks (69) and fourth for tackles (76). His starring performances came against Claremont in round eight (18 possessions and five tackles) and round 14 (34 possessions and a goal), and against Peel in round 11 (23 possessions and nine marks) and round 16 (21 possessions and 12 tackles).

SUBIACO: LIAM HICKMOTT

The reigning Subiaco Best and Fairest winner put together another unbelievable season in 2018. In 18 games he averaged 26 possessions (ranked second in the competition), and seven tackles (ranked second in the competition). His ability to win the clearances for his team and his two-way defensive pressure make him an outstanding prospect for senior football. His best games came against Swan Districts in round three (27 possessions and seven tackles), Perth in round eight (38 possessions and 10 tackles), South Fremantle in round 15 (33 possessions and 8 tackles) and Claremont in round 17 (28 possessions, nine tackles and a goal).

SWAN DISTRICTS: MITCHELL BAIN

Despite only playing 11 games for Swan Districts’ Colts team, expect Bain to poll well in the Jack Clarke Medal count. In the 11 games, Bain averaged 23 possessions, five tackles and four marks and was named in the best on six occasions. At Swan Districts he ranked third for possessions (303), fourth for tackles (66) and sixth for marks (54). His best games came against Peel in round two (28 possessions, seven tackles, and four inside 50s), West Perth in round four (29 possessions, nine marks, four tackles and four inside 50s), East Perth in round eight (24 possessions, eight inside 50s, and six tackles), Perth in round nine (23 possessions, seven tackles and a goal), and Claremont in round 10 (25 possessions and seven tackles).

WEST PERTH: NATHAN MURRAY

The Ocean Ridge junior was a constant shining light for the Falcons. A big-bodied midfielder, Murray would often crash-and-bash his way through packs to win the ball for his team and also had the class on the outside to be extremely damaging with ball in hand. Despite only playing 14 games, Murray ranked third in the competition for possessions (402 at 29 per game), while at West Perth he ranked sixth for tackles (52 at four per game), and seventh for marks (50 at four per game). His notable games were against South Fremantle in round three (31 possessions and two goals), Perth in round five (27 possessions, nine tackles and three goals), Claremont in round 11 (34 possessions and a goal), and East Fremantle in round 14 (37 possessions and a goal).

LAST 10 WINNERS