GEORGE Gale‘s last gasp goal handed the West Australian Under 18s a six-point win over their Under 20 counterparts on Saturday morning. In the last of the younger side’s six trial games, they were made to fight back from deficits at the first two breaks and late lead chances in a thrilling finish at Leederville Oval.

The result was somewhat soured by a first half ankle injury to Fremantle Next Generation Academy prospect Finlay Yeo, who started in electric fashion up forward. The Under 18s were already missing three National Academy members in Koby LeCras, Benji van Rooyen, and Garrison Kenh, along with Lucas Robinson.

Still, there was plenty of talent out there, of which we identified in our Scouting Notes.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA U18 2.0 | 5.3 | 10.4 | 13.6 (84)
WESTERN AUSTRALIA U20 3.2 | 6.4 | 9.6 | 12.6 (78)

GOALS:
WA U18: H. Graham 2, C. Maynard 2, G. Gale, H. Mellody, C. Ramsay, O. Richardson, H. Spawtown-Guy, L. Steed, E. Turner, B. Wood, F. Yeo
WA U20: B. Kelly 2, N. Hibbins-Hargreaves 2, C. Watson 2, J. Hill 2, F. Burmeister, A. Caldow, B. Gray, W. Walley

BEST:
WA U18: L. Steed, H. Mellody, G. Gale, A. Walsh, H. Graham
WA U20: B. Kelly, N. Hibbins-Hargreaves, J. Soutar, A. Caldow, M. Murdoch

WESTERN AUSTRALIA U18:

#1 Axel Walsh (East Perth)
Ruck | 202cm | 20/01/2009

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 marks, 11 hitouts

From the opening ball-up, Walsh showcased many of the reasons why he could well be Tasmania’s very first draft selection. The star bottom-ager showcased his enormous leap in the middle and followed up with aplomb, handling the ball cleanly and operating like a fourth midfielder. Even more impressive was his ability to drop back deep inside defensive 50 and clunk several strong intercept marks, stamping his authority in every phase of play.

#5 Frazer Rickson
Ruck/Key Forward | 198cm | 23/02/2007

Stats: 11 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 9 hitouts

One of three Under 18 rucks to rolls through the centre stoppages, Rickson was also prominent up forward. Above all, his competitiveness stood out with every contribution, starting with his eager leaps at the restarts. Rickson provided pressure and repeat efforts at ground level, while also presenting up the line as a forward. Even when outnumbered, his physicality meant the opposition was made to earn each touch – a good sign for the over-age tall.

#7 Byron Foster (South Fremantle)
Key Defender | 196cm | 05/06/2008

Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks, 2 rebound 50s

Most often operating deep in defence, Foster had a knack for doing just enough to prevent his direct opponent from marking. Not only did he make several intercepts in the air, but also applied body contact in one-on-one duels and looked impressive when able to extend overhead. When the ball hit the deck, Foster mopped it up with minimal fuss and dished off confidently.

#8 Hudson Graham (South Fremantle)
Wing | 194cm | 28/05/2008

Stats: 13 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 2 goals

Often utilised as a key defender at club level, Graham plied his trade up on the wing in state colours. The mobile tall dropped back to provide support and helped move the ball out of defence with fluency. Quite nimble for his size, Graham showed a level of comfort with ball in hand as he stepped through traffic and onto his favoured left foot. He even snuck forward in term three to take a strong mark overhead before playing on, steadying and nailing a classy goal. What’s more, he added a second later in the quarter with a wheeling effort from long-range.

#23 George Gale (Claremont)
Wing/Midfielder | 190cm | 06/09/2008

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 7 inside 50s, 1 goal

Gale was the hero for his side, booting a late goal on the run to seal victory. He had a few pings at the big sticks and while wayward in those instances, straightened up when it mattered most. Gale started out on the wing before moving on-ball in the second half and had no trouble finding the footy, handling it with poise. He tended to be most effective as a stand-and-deliver type – dishing off for quicker players to use their leg speed, or pin-pointing punchy kicks to hit longer targets.

#29 Harper Banfield (Claremont)
Midfielder | 181cm | 18/12/2008

West Coast F/S

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 tackles, 5 inside 50s

Playing at a typically high intensity, Banfield injected plenty of run to the Under 18s’ forward thrusts. He started full of vigour, laying a strong tackle on a bigger opponent and setting up a goal for Finlay Yeo. Banfield’s patented bursts of speed were also a feature throughout the day, often accelerating into the open field and delivering inside 50. Another of his repeatable skills was intercepting, whether that be reading short opposition kicks or cutting off handballs in the clinches.

#35 Heath Mellody (Claremont)
Defender/Midfielder | 184cm | 27/07/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 marks, 7 tackles, 1 goal

Mellody was industrious as ever, primarily as a half-back before making the move into midfield. His sharp foot skills leant to strong playmaking ability, as Mellody ran hard to provide overlap run but remained poised as he released the ball. He proved he could play slow but looked lively when putting speed on the ball, using it creatively as he racked up possessions. As an onballer, Mellody’s work rate saw him impact with a couple of hard forward transitions in the final quarter, the second leading to a crucial snap goal to level the scores. He’ll be a key figure for the Black Swans.

#42 Ethan Turner (East Perth)
Small Defender | 177cm | 22/10/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 5 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Turner was involved in plenty of his side’s transitional play from defence, operating at a high speed. He used his pace to peel off and intercept or chase down opponents, maintaining the rage to recover possession and move forward. With such intensity, Turner bordered on erratic at times but was full of run and helped move the ball into advanced areas. Having come in from outside the summer squad, he has done plenty to suggest he can nail down a state spot.

#43 Lachlan McGlade (East Perth)
Midfielder/Forward | 175cm | 06/10/2008

West Coast NGA

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 4 inside 50s

McGlade played a crucial hand in the dying stages, including his assist for Gale’s winning goal. The mercurial small forward was deadly at ground level, swooping on loose balls and popping up before looking to step past opponents. His evasive technique was flashy, as was his ability to hit targets with stylish kicks around the corner. McGlade was creative with each touch and had he found a little more of the ball while running through midfield, could have had an even bigger say in the game.

#44 Leo Steed (Swan Districts)
Midfielder | 176cm | 07/03/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 tackles, 7 clearances, 1 goal

Arguably best afield, Steed scrapped his way to a big performance. The diminutive midfielder got stuck in at the bottom of packs and showed an air of confidence on the back of his League exposure, not afraid to engage in a bit of niggle. He backed his speed to accelerate away from opponents and refused to be tackled easily. On the flip-side, Steed was tenacious when applying pressure of his own and held his own against bigger bodies. He was the catalyst for his side taking the lead in term two with a couple of big holding-the-ball tackles, one leading to his lone goal.

#45 Cameron Maynard (South Fremantle)
Small Forward | 171cm | 14/08/2008

Stats: 7 disposals, 2 goals

A real ‘moments’ kind of player, Maynard popped up with a couple of classy feats when his side needed it. He kicked two goals in the second half, the first being a one-step snap which curled around beyond belief. Maynard tended to take the loose ball at pace and was able to spin out of trouble, coming to life in short spurts. His clean hands and evasiveness made him the ideal player to work up the ground and join in at stoppages, while still remaining a threat close to goal.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA U20:

There were two absolute standouts for the U20s, being Blake Kelly and Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves. The former continues to push for a senior recall after collecting 31 disposals, 10 inside 50s and two goals, looking like a man on a mission. The latter, recruited to Subiaco via Victoria this year, led all comers with 33 touches and a couple of goals from half-back.

Elsewhere, McCartney Murdoch did well to compete against the U18s’ array of fresher rucks, taking on the primary duties on his own. Fellow Swan Jez Rigoni (23 disposals) was also prominent, along with Peel’s Archie Caldow (23 disposals, nine marks, one goal), while Luke Hallett got stuck in with a team-high six clearances and as many tackles.

Jake Soutar was another of the standouts down back with 18 disposals and five marks. Further up the ground, West Coast father-son prospect Noah Braun continued his late push for a state call-up with 20 disposals and five marks. He rose to prominence last week after breaking the WAFL Colts disposal record with a massive haul of 50.