WESTERN Australia’s state Under 18 side has come up agonisingly short of an unlikely comeback victory in Saturday’s trial match against the WAFL Under 21 All-Stars. The Sandgropers’ elder counterparts were wasteful at Fremantle Oval, but held on to win by seven points in the face of a spirited late surge.

With seven behinds being the difference at the main break, the Under 21s kicked away to a 36-point lead at three-quarter time having dominated territory but failed to truly capitalise. Cue an irresistible fourth quarter burst from the Under 18s, booting six of the last seven goals only to run out of time.

The state’s opening game at this year’s Under 18 National Championships is fast approaching, against the Allies on Sunday June 2 in Blacktown. With that in mind, we took note of some of Western Australia’s top performers as the defiant squad begins to come together with a massive point to prove.

WA U18s 3.2 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 11.4 (70)
WAFL U21s 3.3 | 4.11 | 9.15 | 10.17 (77)

GOALS:
U18s: M. Champion 2, C. McDonald 2, B. Allan, C. Angove, M. Becker, H. Davis, A. Hansen, B. Kelly, M. Rohr
U21s: C. Tregenza 3, J. Carr 2, J. Cocking 2, D. Craven 2, A. Riddle

RMC BEST:
U18s: B. Allan, M. Champion, D. Roberts, K. Gerreyn, H. Davis
U21s: K. Bevan, C. Tregenza, S. Tuia, O. Hine-Baston, A. Riddle

WESTERN AUSTRALIA U18s:

#1 Cody Angove (Claremont)
Forward | 182cm | 28/05/2006

Angove came alive in the final quarter and provided the exact spark WA’s Under 18s needed to mount a late charge. His pace and surge style not only created headaches for the Under 21s, but helped manufacture scoring chances with quick ball movement. While scrappy at times, Angove’s willingness to attack at all costs and bring the game to the opposition meant he had an impact.

#3 Malakai Champion (Subiaco)
Small Forward | 176cm | 17/05/2006

It seems as though Champion’s trademark zip and spark are back after another promising performance, building on arguably his best Colts outing for the season. The lively small helped turn WA’s shallow forays into deep forward 50 entries, but was also sure to pressure the opposition if they found a way out. While he constantly worked up the ground, Champion got busy inside 50 too and prised two final quarter goals, converting a pair classy snaps.

#11 Hamish Davis (Claremont)
Forward | 190cm | 02/05/2006

One of Western Australia’s many tall targets up forward, Davis was not overly prolific on Saturday but had his moments. The 190cm prospect displayed a strong set of hands with his marking on the lead, presenting hard and taking the ball cleanly at the top of his reach. His reward was a set shot goal in the third quarter, wedged in between five opposition majors for the term.

#12 Bo Allan (Peel Thunder)
Midfielder | 190cm | 16/02/2006

Allan was head and shoulders above his teammates in the way of output and draftability on Saturday. The state Under 18 skipper continued his midfield venture and had little trouble finding the footy, producing bursts of speed with each possession. He always looked to set off quickly and take ground in front of him, proving an effective metres gained player when combined with his raking kicks. Allan could perhaps have balanced his play and chosen his moments a touch better, but can be lauded for his athleticism and ability to break lines as a midfielder.

#14 Matthew Becker (Peel Thunder)
Wing | 188cm | 30/08/2007

One of five bottom-agers blooded in the Under 18 side, Becker found a home on the wing. The Peel Thunder product is already a decent size at 188cm and covers ground well, tracking the play both ways and holding his width to be an outlet option. He swept back nicely to aid transitions but had his best moment when sneaking forward into space during term four and slotting a nice goal on the run.

#15 Deian Roberts (Peel Thunder)
Midfielder | 185cm | 24/07/2006

Along with Allan and Luke Urquhart, Roberts helped form a powerful starting midfield mix for the Under 18s. His ability to fend off and drive his legs through tackles made him hard to contain at stoppages, where Roberts’ extraction work allowed others to shine on the outside. The top-ager’s strength was a factor all game and the momentum he provided out of the middle helped keep his side in the hunt when the ball was finally brought out of the defensive half.

#17 Max Rohr (Claremont)
Ruck/Forward | 197cm | 16/04/2005

The sole over-ager in the Under 18 side on Saturday, Rohr made himself useful up forward in the early stages while providing ample support for Gerreyn in the ruck. The 197cm big man competed well aerially and followed up his work, as displayed when he recovered a marking attempt to snap home the game’s first goal. Rohr would achieve similar feats when rucking and would have enjoyed the battle against fellow 2005-born Claremont tall Aiden Riddle.

#20 Cody Curtin (Claremont)
Key Defender | 197cm | 18/05/2007

The brother of first year Adelaide defender Dan, Cody Curtin is also a key back with potential. His ball use was a little sloppy early but improved across a solid overall outing as the Under 18s backline was peppered by 27 scoring shots. Curtin did much of his best work in the second half, fulfilling his defensive duties with strong one-on-one work, a big tackle and a nice intercept mark.

#25 Colby McDonald (Swan Districts)
Tall Forward | 191cm | 18/01/2006

Finishing alongside Champion as the Under 18s’ only multiple goalkickers, McDonald showed some nice signs with his two first half majors. The Swan Districts tall, who plays slightly above his 191cm listing, clunked a couple of clean overhead marks inside 50 and hit the scoreboard as a result. His first set shot conversion was terrific, slotting the ball home from a tight angle before nabbing another goal over the back completely against the run of play in term two.

#26 Kayle Gerreyn (West Perth)
Ruck | 199cm | 10/05/2006

Western Australia’s premier ruck this year, Gerreyn waxed well with his midfielders and did some impressive things for a tall. His follow-up efforts were terrific, often crumbing his own taps or getting the ball back off a midfielder he had hit to for a clearance. He then went on to impact around the ground as an outlet marking option, and while he was able to kick off either foot, could have been a little neater with his field kicking. Still, it was a dominant all-round display in the ruck.