WESTERN Jets soared to a thumping 83-point win over Murray at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday, overcoming a slow start to flex their scoring muscle. The Round 8 clash was an arm-wrestle in the opening term, before Western slammed home five, five, and seven goals in the remaining three quarters to cruise to victory. We took note of the top performers and prospects from either side.

WESTERN JETS 1.6 | 6.10 | 11.12 | 18.17 (125)
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 1.3 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6.6 (42)

GOALS:
Western Jets: L. Hicks 4, K. El Souki 4, K. Williams 3, H. Gardner-Solomon 2, G. Barker, M. Buck, J. Fenton, K. Hawli, A. Tippett
Murray Bushrangers: K. Hadley 2, M. Tyson 2, J. Coleman, J. Mellington

BEST:
Western Jets: L. Hicks, K. Williams, N. McMenamin, K. El Souki, B. Wigmore, J. Marron
Murray Bushrangers: J. Hewitt, E. Hyde, M. Tyson, B. Hilton, J. Coleman, J. Carey

WESTERN JETS:

#2 Khaled El Souki (Bulldogs NGA)
Small Forward/Midfielder | 175cm | 04/07/2008

Stats: 16 disposals, 4 goals, 2 behinds

El Souki notched up four goals with relative ease, popping up for moments of brilliance throughout the day. He was typically lively at ground level, evading would-be tacklers and applying punishing pressure of his own to impact outside of those goalkicking exploits. El Souki also used the ball creatively, unselfishly looking inboard to assist others. He split the big sticks both over the mark and with snaps, although put a couple wide in term four hunting another bag of five or six.

#7 Angus Tippett
Midfielder | 194cm | 12/02/2008

Stats: 33 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 clearances, 1 goal

While he started a little shakily, Tippett had no trouble finding the ball throughout the day and led all comers with 33 disposals. He looked to combine with teammates at every opportunity, at times rushed into forcing an option that wasn’t quite there but proving productive nonetheless. At all of 194cm, he was expectedly clean on the inside, but also spread well to accumulate in all parts of the ground. He found a bit of space inside 50 to add a goal to his haul in the fourth quarter.

#9 Lachlan Hicks
Midfielder/Forward | 183cm | 19/01/2008

Stats: 31 disposals, 11 marks, 4 goals

Another Western midfielder who seemed to be everywhere all at once, Hicks was arguably the most impactful player afield. Above all, his overhead marking was a standout trait, competing bravely overhead with good spring and a strong set of hands. That kind of handling translated to his midfield craft, dishing the ball out at all angles, albeit with some rushed possessions here and there. As he has consistently done, he impacted the scoreboard in a big way by drifting inside 50 and converting his opportunities over the mark. A strong all-round performance.

#10 Griffin Barker
Wing | 186cm | 13/08/2009

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Power was the name of Barker’s game on Sunday, exploding into action at every opportunity. He played at a typically high intensity, looking to burst forward and fight through pressure. The bottom-ager also held his width as a wingman, offering an outlet in space or option to switch the ball before turning to take ground. His disposal was a little scrappy at times, perhaps a product of that high-octane style. He has all the makings of a damaging onballer in the future.

#17 Billy Wigmore
Tall Defender | 188cm | 29/03/2008

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 marks, 4 inside 50s

There are times where Wigmore seems to clunk everything that comes his way, and those times arose on Sunday. The 188cm prospect thrives aerially, making early reads and positioning aggressively to meet the ball with a full head of steam. It meant he made several intercepts in what was a fast start, even mopping up at ground level. While Wigmore’s overhead marking is a strong suit, he can continue to work on his ball use on the run; particularly when venturing into dangerous positions up the ground, or even when clearing his lines out of defence.

#21 Kobe Williams (Hawthorn F/S & Bulldogs NGA)
Forward | 186cm | 30/10/2007

Stats: 25 disposals, 9 marks, 3 goals, 4 behinds

Williams warranted a mention for his sheer weight of score involvements, even if a little wasteful at times. The over-ager was a useful connection piece up the ground, providing an avenue into attack and then becoming the final link in the chain. His forward 50 pressure caused panic and turnovers, converting all three of his goals from set shots. Two of them came late in the piece, holding his own in one-on-one contests. Williams could not quite apply the same finishing touch in open play.

#24 Noah McMenamin
Key Defender | 192cm | 22/03/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 5 marks, 7 rebound 50s

A player garnering plenty of mid-season draft interest, McMenamin returned another fine audition down back. The tall interceptor was a calm head behind the ball, positioning expertly both deep and high up the ground to cut off opposition kicks. He was just as comfortable with ball in hand, showing great poise and mobility to navigate pressure situations. His kicking was generally sound, although fell short on a few occasions without necessarily resulting in turnovers or hurting his side.

#35 Jacob Marron
Key Defender | 195cm | 27/11/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 10 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Working in tandem with fellow over-ager McMenamin, Marron’s intercept work and steady head helped put the squeeze on Murray. He not only held his own aerially, but also peeled off to get ahead of the ball and join in on the Jets’ transitional play. Marron used the ball steadily to compliment his ability to win it back, playing a solid key defender’s game.

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:

#7 Lincoln Brand
Midfielder/Defender | 188cm | 19/05/2009

Stats: 24 disposals, 6 marks, 5 clearances, 5 inside 50s

Brand continues to build into his bottom-age season after an interrupted start, and worked hard alongside Billy Hilton to keep the Bushies competitive in midfield. He crashed and bashed his way through the contest, getting his hands on five clearances but also finding success when spreading to the outside. While not an out-and-out speedster Brand often looked to go quickly and take the game on, which suited his ability to kick the ball off either foot – albeit inviting pressure.

#11 Jackson Hewitt
Defender/Midfielder | 182cm | 19/03/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 13 marks, 7 tackles, 8 rebound 50s

Hewitt was a standout for Murray, and the scoreline would likely have been even worse without his influence. He assumed his usual role in defence, taking on the El Souki matchup and proving a keen tackler. With ball in hand, he distributed with poise and sharp foot skills to help Murray pick ways out of tight spots. Having relieved some of the considerable pressure down back, Hewitt spent time on-ball in the second half and racked up plenty of strong marks, going when his number was called and competing bravely overhead. It was all heart from the consistent top-ager.

#38 Jack Mellington
Utility | 184cm | 13/10/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 10 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Mellington did a bit of everything on Sunday, playing across all three lines. He started up forward with a rotation on-ball, before switching out to the wing and eventually running out the game down back. Wherever he went, he got his hands on the ball and showcased a smooth side-step to buy time in possession. Mellington’s clean handling and poised release meant he suited a half-back shift, where he could chain together possessions on the rebound. At the other end of the ground, he slotted the game’s first goal with a classy checkside out of the scramble.