SUBIACO ruck Frazer Rickson was somewhat of an unheralded addition to Western Australia’s winter Under 18 squad, but has quietly been impressing in his debut League campaign. The 198cm prospect broke his leg on the eve of state selection last year, so gets his opportunity as an over-ager.

Rickson played seven Colts games last year, returning in the back-end of the year to serve a reminder of his talents. He went on to make his League debut in Round 1 and has remained in the side ever since, having locked horns with experienced East Perth ruck Scott Jones in his first go-around.

That baptism of fire was lessened in Round 5 as Subiaco took on a South Fremantle side missing Hamish Free. Although, the Lions couldn’t quite get over the line in what was their fourth result decided by single-digits this season. We put Rickson’s performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Subiaco, Western AustraliaRuck

Frazer Rickson

Height: 198cm

Weight: -

DOB: 23-02-2007

STRENGTHS:

+ Competitiveness
+ Clean hands
+ Follow-up work
+ Tackling
+ Leap

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Speed
– Undersized

SEASON AVERAGES:

2026 WAFL League (5 games):
10.2 disposals, 7.8 handballs, 0.4 marks, 5.2 tackles, 25.8 hitouts

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 WAFL League: Round 5
Subiaco 10.9 (69) def. by South Fremantle 11.6 (72)

#48 Frazer Rickson (Subiaco)
Stats: 12 disposals (10 handballs), 5 tackles, 31 hitouts, 1 inside 50

CBAs – Q1: 8/9 | Q2: 4/5 | Q3: 3/3 | Q4: 6/8 | Total: 21/25

FIRST QUARTER:

Rickson assumed Subiaco’s primary ruck role, facing off against West Love in his first League game for South Fremantle. The over-ager sprung high to clearly win the first tap of the day and got to work with active work on the follow-up, hunting the loose ball and opportunities to tackle.

He gave everything to each centre throw-up, leaping with confidence and vigour to get first hand to the pill. While he came up short at times, Rickson fared well when engaging in physical jostles around the ground and fought hard for front position, before dropping the ball at his feet.

On one occasion, as South began to build a lead, he thumped the ball forward in an attempt to impose his will and it ended in a hit-back goal for Subi. Rickson’s double effort at a half-back stoppage was also impressive, applying a tackle and smother consecutively.

The 19-year-old played full-time in the ruck, only handing over to Jack Mayo when the ball entered Subiaco’s forward 50. He positioned down the line to provide a body in aerial contests, but impacted more with his ability to snap up the loose ball and hand it off cleanly.

SECOND QUARTER:

Rickson began to be tested by a new adversary in Aidan Harvey, whose size proved difficult to combat at stoppages around the ground. Still, Rickson showed his ability to at least halve the contest and remained involved once the ball hit the deck with his tackling pressure.

A pattern began to emerge where on the occasions Rickson failed to win a hitout, Subiaco would concede the centre clearance. In any case, he provided consistent effort with his leap and even gained a bit of vigour once he returned from a mid-quarter rest on the bench.

Among Rickson’s best acts in term to was a big body spoil at half-forward, along with his persistent ground ball gets to fire off quick handballs. In the ruck domain, he gathered one of his own taps late in the piece so Subiaco could clear and eventually snatch the half time lead.

THIRD QUARTER:

The scoring slowed in term three, but the large majority of it was done by South Fremantle with three unanswered goals. It meant Rickson was made to cover more ground, most notably drifting deep forward to stand tall in a couple of marking contests at the goalmouth.

While not necessarily a marking influence, he remained unbeaten in aerial duels and brought the ball to ground at a minimum. Rickson’s ability to stay involved after his initial effort saw him again grab a centre clearance, hacking forward off the left after roving his own tap.

He otherwise stood out with his crisp handling of the loose ball, playing within a ruck’s limitations but proving effective nonetheless. Rickson’s spin and hand-off made for one of his flashier possessions midway through the term, while still providing ground level pressure.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Rickson provided a late lift as Subi surged home, giving his side a sniff at victory. He imposed himself in the ruck with strong hits, including one where he framed off an opponent to punch the ball forward. A booming centre clearance followed at the death, seeing the ball land in Subiaco’s forward 50 as the final siren blew.

Given how much of Rickson’s work was done by hand and in ruck duels, that late clearance was a welcome change in the context of the game. He recovered well from being bodied out of a couple of ruck duels to come run out the game at a high intensity, showing he was up to fight for the win at senior level.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Western Australia has not been shy on over-age ruck choices over the years, perhaps barring 2025, and Rickson fits the bill. He is arguably undersized for his role at 198cm but makes up the difference by being ultra-competitive. Whether it be leaping at the ball or following up with tackle pressure, he gets stuck in.

Subiaco finished its Round 5 clash minus-55 for total disposals and minus-31 for marks, but with help from Rickson held up well at the contest. The Lions won the clearance and hitouts counts, while pressuring the Bulldogs’ high-possession style throughout.

Rickson plays with few frills but gets the job done. He will leap at the centre stoppages, wrestle around the ground, and stay engaged at ground level. He tends to play the percentages with quick and clean handballs, but can perhaps take the next step by elevating his marking impact or finding a secondary position.