WESTERN Australia has invested in the long-term when it comes to its Under 18 program, and while the state endured a 1-3 National Championships campaign last year, it also produced 10 draftees. Six bottom-agers were blooded in 2025 and they are among the 15 players from last year’s winter squad to feature in the 2026 summer squad. We take a deep dive into WA’s representative stocks.

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SQUAD BREAKDOWN

BY AGE:

Top-age (2008): 29
Bottom-age (2009): 14
Over-age (2007): 2

BY CLUB:

Claremont (9): Benji van Rooyen, Elijah Dennis, Elijah Williams, George Gale, Harper Banfield, Heath Mellody, Jacob Kee*, Robert Farmer, Tom Brown

East Fremantle (9): Benjamin Wood, Cooper Ramsay**, Finlay Yeo, Hunter Hearn*, James Artemis*, Joshua Nathan, Kye Ormerod, Marcus Motton, Noah Hannaford*

East Perth (4): Axel Walsh*, Garrison Kenh, Lachlan McGlade, Seb Royle**

Peel Thunder (2): Mitchell Stirling, Xavier Little*

Perth (5): Cody Lee, Finn Gunton*, Fynn Tomasini*, Jayden Clarke, Jamayson Ketchup

South Fremantle (4): Byron Foster, Cameron Maynard, Heath Wilson, Lucas Robinson

Subiaco (2): Angus Abbonizio*, Kyan Perera

Swan Districts (5): Jaxon Ozanne, Kalum Smith, Leo Steed, Taj Allan*, Xavier Daniel*

West Perth (5): Campbell Creyk*, Harvey Spawton-Guy, Koby LeCras, Maxim Collins*, Rafe Williamson*

* – denotes bottom-age
** – denotes over-age

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AFL ACADEMY MEMBERS

Garrison Kenh (East Perth/Western Australia)
Defender | 182cm | 19/04/2008

A club-tied talent in the mix, Kenh is linked to West Coast via its Next Generation Academy. The East Perth product is a daring running defender capable of taking the game on with his speed and skills. Kenh’s athleticism also lends to intercept marking ability defiant of his 182cm standing, and he takes risks to flick the switch between defence and attack. He was among the standouts in the National Futures game on AFL Grand Final day and has all the tools to be a first round prospect.

Koby LeCras (West Perth/Western Australia)
Tall Forward | 191cm | 26/04/2008

Hailing from strong footballing pedigree, LeCras is the nephew of 2018 premiership Eagle Mark, and son of six-game former Roo Brent. He possesses similar goalkicking prowess to his uncle, while also presenting as a mobile marking target who takes the ball cleanly overhead. LeCras’ versatility has been explored with time on the wing where his aerial ability and raking left-foot kicking shine just as bright. He’ll be right up there among WA’s promising crop credit to his high upside.

Heath Mellody (Claremont/Western Australia)
Midfielder/Defender | 181cm | 27/07/2008

Mellody had plenty of people singing his praises with a sparkling end to the 2025 season. He was part of Claremont’s third consecutive Colts premiership and starred with a shift to half-back. Whether there or up on the wing, Mellody’s dual-footed kicking stands out along with his clever running patterns and positioning on the intercept. He only further stamped his credentials with an industrious display in the National Futures game on AFL Grand Final day. A graduation to on-ball duties could be in the offing.

Benji van Rooyen (Claremont/Western Australia)
Ruck | 202cm | 17/09/2008

One of the many distinguished rucks to look forward to next year, van Rooyen will be looking to follow big brother Jacob into the AFL ranks. Projecting to have over 10cm of height over his elder sibling, the Claremont tall gets first access to the ball with his reach and developing craft. He held down Western Australia’s starting ruck role this year and has begun to develop his impact around the ground, as shown during Claremont’s run to a third-consecutive Colts flag.

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TOP-AGE LOCKS

One of the unluckiest players to be overlooked for this year’s National Academy was South Fremantle bull Lucas Robinson. The big-bodied contested ball winner is part of Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy and offers a competitive edge on the inside. He’ll be a lock in the engine room.

Likely joining him will be Claremont running machine Harper Banfield. Already a premiership Colt, the West Coast father-son candidate looks poised to graduate from a high forward role to more midfield minutes – inside or out. He offers the kind of work rate that will likely make him a walk-up starter.

One to watch is Swan Districts onballer Leo Steed. Having been overlooked for last year’s winter squad, the Under 16 All-Australian will be eager to impress as a top-ager. If Robinson isn’t snaffling everything at the stoppages, expect Steed to feature prominently with his aggressive instincts at the contest.

Western Australia also looks likely to have strong running power around the square. With Kenh bolting off half-back and Mellody already owning the wing, along with Banfield through the guts, George Gale is a calming influence who can playmake with pinpoint accuracy among his high-intensity teammates.

The spine of the team will centre around towering ruck van Rooyen, though Mitchell Stirling and Harvey Spawton-Guy promise to be pillars at either end of the ground. The former is a robust defender who hates to be beaten, while the latter is a mobile marking forward with plenty of development left.

LIVEWIRES

West Australian squads are often lauded for their X-factor and this one could have a few bolters. South Fremantle livewire Cameron Maynard showcased his talent with three goals in last year’s Colts Grand Final, while the likes of Jayden Clarke and Finlay Yeo are already known for their high-flying exploits.

There are also high hopes for Claremont’s Robert Farmer, who missed out on the Tigers’ 2025 flag. Still, he seems a good fit to ply his trade as a goalkicking small forward alongside Lachlan McGlade. The latter has a sharp turn of speed and plenty of tricks which promise to light up the representative scene.

OVER-AGE TALLS

They say the mid-season draft is an intake for talls, and one of the early candidates for 2026 is East Fremantle big man Cooper Ramsay. The developing 203cm prospect is a multi-sport athlete who would have been WA’s number one ruck last year, if not for stress fractures which restricted him to just one Colts game.

Given his rawness and lack of exposure, Ramsay may yet be given the opportunity to show his wares at the National Championships before AFL clubs come calling. Combined with van Rooyen, he could form a formidable ruck duo which few other states could hope to rival. But, he still has a long way to go.

The aptly named East Perth Royal, Sebastian Royle, is another 2007-born ruck in the squad. He measures up at 204cm and was named in WA’s Under 18 roster last year, but like Ramsay played only one Colts game last year. A back injury kept him out for the remainder of the season, but he’ll hope to get a chance in 2026.

CLUB-TIED TALENT

West Coast is once again set to have a relatively deep pool of club-tied options. Kenh is the leading candidate along with Banfield, while small forwards McGlade and Farmer offer plenty of upside. From outside the WA squad, Swan Districts tall David Shanahan is an athletic tall talent to monitor.

Fremantle’s top NGA prospect is Robinson, though Josh Nathan is also held in high regard. The East Fremantle utility is likely to develop in midfield but is also capable of making an impact out on the wing or off half-back. He was WA’s Under 16 co-captain at the 2024 National Championships.

Dockers fans will also have a keen eye on Finlay Yeo, a high-flying small forward with plenty of pace and goal sense. His East Fremantle teammate Oli McManus is a father-son candidate who has been training with the Dockers over preseason, shaping as a hard-running midfielder to track.

THE FUTURE

Western Australia fared well at last year’s Under 16 National Championships, which bodes well for a strong bottom-age crop in 2026. A considerable 14 2009-born players have been included in the 45-man squad, including three Under 16 All-Australians – Axel Walsh, James Artemis, and Angus Abbonizio.

Walsh shapes as a pick one contender for 2027 and is as dominant a ruck prospect as there has been in recent memory. Artemis, a speedy midfielder, was the state’s Under 16 MVP last year, while Abbonizio is a pure accumulator through the middle who can move forward and hit the scoreboard.

Hunter Hearn co-captained the Under 16 squad last year alongside Walsh. The Sharks boast three bottom-agers, a tally matched by West Perth, whose 2027 crop is headlined by midfielder Campbell Creyk. The tall defensive trio of Jacob Kee (Claremont), Fynn Tomasini (Perth), and Rafe Williamson (West Perth) is set to be another highlight for the budding 2009-born crop.