WESTERN Australia boasts a quality starting midfield and plenty of flair in its forwardline heading into the Under 18 National Championships. Despite a few key injuries, the Black Swans will be keen to built off a 2024 campaign which proved many doubters wrong despite the 1-3 overall record.

>> FULL SQUAD: 2025 Western Australia Under 18s

BREAKDOWN

TOP-END TALENT:
AFL Academy (4): Cody Curtin, Koby Evans, Fred Rodriguez, Wes Walley
League experience (3): Fred Rodriguez, Hudson Walker, Will York

AGE PROFILE:
Bottom-age (2008-born): 5
Top-age (2007-born): 30
Over-age (2006-born): 0

SQUAD NUMBERS

1. William York, 3. Tylah Williams, 4. Luke Carrello, 6. Hudson Walker, 7. Toby Whan, 9. Fred Rodriguez, 10. Blake Kelly, 11. Dale Sutherland, 12. Wesley Walley, 13. Heath Mellody, 14. Garrison Kenh, 15. Luke Hallett, 16. Basil Hart, 17. Sam Swadling, 18. Koby Evans, 19. George Gale, 20. Oscar Willis, 22. Jay Hill, 23. Max Thomas, 24. Jacob Farrow, 25. Ryda Luke, 26. Charlie Banfield, 27. Matthew Becker, 28. Thomas Phillips, 30. Joseph Hopkyns, 31. Harvey Spawton-Guy, 34. Lochlain Carpenter, 36. Jax Williams, 37. Bol Makuach, 38. Benji van Rooyen, 39. Charlie Watson, 40. Cody Curtin, 41. Mitchell Stirling, 42. Cooper Ramsay, 43. Lucas Cattalini, 44. Sebastian Royle.

TRAIN-ONS: 2. Lachlan McGlade, 5. Robby Farmer, 21. Heath Wilson, 29. David Shanahan, 32. Koby LeCras, 33. Byron Foster, 35. Lucas Robinson, 45. McCartney Murdoch

FIXTURE

vs. Vic Country
Saturday June 7, 12pm AEST @ Mineral Resources Park

vs. South Australia
Sunday June 15, 12:30pm AEST @ Alberton Oval

vs. Allies
Sunday June 29, 1:00pm AEST @ TBC (Victoria)

vs. Vic Metro
Sunday July 6, 2pm @ TBC (WA) 

TRIAL GAMES

Game 1: WA U18 5.10 (40) def. by WA U20 21.12 (138)
Game 2: WA U18 14.14 (98) def. West Perth 6.4 (40)

SQUAD STRENGTHS

For the first time in a long time, WA is somewhat bereft of options to run through the midfield. Of the genuine midfielders, Fred Rodriguez has already played League football for South Fremantle and is widely considered a first round prospect. Toby Whan (South Fremantle) and Sam Swadling (West Perth) have been putting in big shifts week after week at WAFL Colts level, with the latter averaging 35 disposals this season – the most of anyone across Australia at Under 18 level.

Blake Kelly (Swan Districts), Luke Hallett (East Perth) and Charlie Banfield (Claremont) are all highly rated midfielders fighting for a spot in the rotation for this carnival. Additionally, forwards Wesley Walley (Subiaco), William York (Peel), Hudson Walker (Subiaco) and Koby Evans (Perth) have all had extended midfield minutes when playing at Colts level, though Evans is expected to miss the start of the tournament with a stress fracture in his back.

Ahead of the ball, WA’s speed in attack is going to cause serious headaches for opposition defences. With few tall options going forward, the small/medium brigade is going to have a big task at hand for WA. Forward pressure, crumbing marking contests, and fast break counter attacks are going to be the weapons of choice for the Black Ducks to kick goals. On top of Walley, York, Walker and Evans who were all mentioned as midfield options, genuine forwards Tylah Williams (Swan Districts) and Basil Hart (Peel Thunder) provide a lot of speed and agility to an already fast and frenetic forward group.

STAR POWER

South Fremantle midfield duo Rodriguez and Whan stand out amongst the midfield crop for their decision making and composure on the ball. Both players have shown they know how to get plenty of the pill in the WAFL Colts, leading teammates by example and still proving dangerous when resting forward, having nailed eight goals between them in as many games.

Claremont’s Cody Curtin has gathered a lot of attention as the brother of previous top 10 draft pick Dan Curtin, but has more than shown he is his own player, looking set to lock in a spot at full-forward with the ability to pinch hit in the ruck or swing down back. Standing at 200cm tall, Curtin is strongly built for his age, dominating every aerial contest he’s part of. With eight goals in three outings in the WAFL this season, this series is an opportunity for Curtin to prove himself a first round draft prospect.

Another two AFL Academy participants stand out for WA this year; fast forward duo Walley and Evans. Both members of West Coast’s Next Generation Academy, the pair are an exciting blend of speed and athleticism on the ground, while both proving dangerous aerially in marking situations. Both players have had extended stints in the midfield throughout this season, though Evans has just the one game under his belt having dealt with pains in his lower back, which he’ll look to get through before the carnival ends.

POTENTIAL RISERS

A pair of West Perth players have put their name in lights this WAFL Colts season. Swadling went on a run of three consecutive 40-disposal games (before Champion Data rescinded a disposal in Round 6), to be one. A tall, combative midfielder with a high work rate, Swadling will have a lot of recruiters excited to see how he can perform at the next level.

Down back, his club teammate Jacob Farrow has drawn comparisons to Hayden Young for his rebounding from defence. Having gone at or above 27 disposal disposals in four of his six outings this season, Farrow also averages over seven marks a game, proving his abilities to rebound by his speed or kicking.

Walker and York have played League football for their respective sides already this season, both small forwards who can run through the midfield at Under 18 level. Walker’s pressure and relentless pursuit of the ball are standout features of his game, using his athleticism as much to stop the opposition as he does to propel his own team. York has proven his ability to keep up with senior football, holding his spot in Peel’s League side for the first five rounds of the season before going down to Colts level and collecting 28 disposals and a goal in his lone outing.

NEXT GEN

The lack of tall 2007-born talent in WA has paved the way for the likes of ruckman Benji van Rooyen (Claremont), key back Mitchell Stirling (Peel) and key forward Harvey Spawton-Guy (West Perth) to get the exposure at this year’s champs as bottom-age talents. All three are a live chance to be in the best team, and have all had strong starts to the season at WAFL Colts level.

Garrison Kenh (East Perth) and Heath Mellody (Claremont) are another pair who will be battling for a spot this Saturday against Vic Country. Kenh is a rebounding defender akin to Tom Stewart with his strength in intercepting and danger he possesses when rebounding. Mellody is a high work rate, highly skilled winger who can impact across any third of the ground.

Train-on player Koby LeCras (West Perth) has also gathered a lot of attention for his start to the season, providing another possible tall forward option throughout the carnival if any squad changes are to be made.

FRESH FACES

A whopping 14 players have made their way in from the initial summer squad, four of which were uncapped in the WAFL colts before their inclusions to the squad.

IN: George Gale (Claremont), Charlie Watson (Claremont), Jay Hill (Claremont), Joseph Hopkyns (Claremont), Heath Mellody (Claremont), Luke Carrello (East Fremantle), Tom Phillips (East Fremantle/Oakleigh), Seb Royle (East Perth), Bol Makuach (Peel), Jax Williams (Peel), Will York (Peel), Ryda Luke (South Fremantle), Max Thomas (South Fremantle), Jacob Farrow (West Perth)

BEST LINEUP

B: J. Farrow – M. Stirling – O. Willis
HB: D. Sutherland – J. Williams – M. Becker
C: T. Phillips – S. Swadling – H. Mellody
HF: W. Walley – H. Walker – W. York
F: T. Williams – C. Curtin – H. Spawton-Guy
FOL: B. Van Rooyen – F. Rodriguez – T. Whan

INT: C. Banfield, B. Hart, B. Kelly, M. Thomas, L. Hallett

EMG: S. Royle, J. Hopkyns, B. Makuach, G. Kenh

INJURED: L. Carrello, K. Evans, R. Luke, C. Ramsay

HOW THEY STACK UP

The Black Swans will count themselves in most contests given the quality of their starting midfield brigade. They have the capacity to score quickly and either get back into games or apply scoreboard pressure to take their opponent out of it. A typically quick and flair-driven forwardline is sure to excite and could be the difference in some tight matchups. Pre-championships favourites the Allies have already been knocked off, so WA should sense an opportunity to feature among the top two or three. They should account for Vic Country, with definitive games coming against SA and Vic Metro.