WEST Perth prospect Kane Bevan has started the 2022 WAFL Colts season on fire, leading the Falcons to consecutive wins with dominant form in midfield. On Sunday, he racked up team-high numbers once again en route to a 39-point victory over Peel Thunder, backing up his 27-disposal outing in Round 1.

Having originally cut his teeth as a key defender, Bevan made a move to the engine room at Colts level midway through last year and that has put him in good stead for a bright start to his top-age campaign. He earned selection in Western Australia’s Under 17 and 19 squads in 2021, and looms as one of his state’s most readymade talents.

We put his Round 2 performance under the Player Focus microscope.

West PerthInside Midfielder

Kane Bevan

Height: 192cm

Weight: 87kg

DOB: 25-04-2004

Strengths:

Clean hands

Contested work

Inside game

Size

Versatility

Improvements:

Hurt factor

Outside game

Speed

Draft range: Pick 25-40

2022 WAFL COLTS – ROUND 2
West Perth 10.16 (76) def. Peel Thunder 5.7 (37)

Stats: 26 disposals (16 kicks, 10 handballs), 3 marks, 6 tackles, 11 inside 50s

FIRST QUARTER

Bevan’s strengths lie at the contest, so it was no surprise to see him start at the opening centre bounce and hardly leave that post. He earned his first touch with a tackle and got going from there, proving the beneficiary of a couple of free kicks but also winning his own ball.

The West Perth skipper had an uncharacteristically fumbly moment early, matching the scrappiness of the contest, but fixed up in quick time and began to look his usual clean self at the stoppages. He was hit to consistently, and used his size to absorb pressure when handing off.

Peel Thunder got on top in the opening term but that did not stop Bevan from collecting a good amount of early possessions, given every chance to do so with his permanent midfield role.

SECOND QUARTER

As West Perth began to wrestle back momentum in term two, Bevan continued to have his say among the on-ball brigade. He again attended every centre bounce across the 25 minutes and made his biggest contributions at stoppage.

The 18-year-old even got on the board with a behind at a forward 50 ball-up, using his size to get right under the rucks and bustle a checkside shot clear. That kind of play was his MO for the day, thumping clearances from the packs and gaining quick meterage.

While dominant at the coalface, Bevan’s areas for improvement were becoming evident, given he had to lean on his strength to find exits, and was not nearly as prominent away from the contest. Still, he was having a massive game while playing to his strengths.

THIRD QUARTER

In a ‘more of the same’ type of term for Bevan, he again slotted into the centre bounce mix and had an immediate impact there. Again as the go-to, seemingly for both sets of rucks, he got his hands on the first centre bounce passage and released a runner via hand under tackling pressure.

His ability to bring others into the play that way became increasingly prominent, and it was important he could do so given his kicking radar was not as accurate. Going inside 50, Bevan ended up with a couple of clangers on his long entries, looking to get the ball to the hot spot as opposed to a leading target.

That factor did little to diminish his overall impact on the game, as he ticked up over 20 disposals by three-quarter time and had double-digit clearances to that point – more than double the tally of anyone else afield.

FOURTH QUARTER

It was handy that Bevan seemed to bring his shovel on Sunday, as he continued to rack up the contested ball and flick it out to space. His tendency to draw and win free kicks was another factor which carried on into the final term, much to the frustration of Peel players as the heat turned up a notch.

Unfazed, Bevan was able to use his size among the scraps and capped off a big day strongly to finish with great numbers. He was the Falcons’ primary ball winner and could not be beaten on the inside, with his size too much for many Colts players to combat.

Overall, while clearly adept at stoppage and by hand, the readymade midfielder can certainly look to expand his game with more outside play and by exiting congestion with a bit more composure. He already knows how to exploit his best traits and can put West Perth on his back, but has a few weapons to add going forward.