WESTERN Australia has opened its 2023 AFL Under 16 National Development Championships campaign with a hard-fought victory, holding off an inaccurate South Australia to run out three-point winners at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday morning.

With scores level deep in the final term, Western Australia small forward Basil Hart roved a contest superbly to boot a crumbing goal and clinch the victory for the Sandgropers.

After conceding the first goal inside a minute, Western Australia responded and held the lead for almost the entirety of the contest, withstanding a barrage of South Australian pressure in the third and fourth terms to end with a triumph.

The visitors will be left to rue a flurry of missed chances in the second half, where they threatened to take the game away from the West Australian side but for some inaccurate kicking at goal.

Both sides will continue their respective campaigns on July 4, with Western Australia taking on Vic Metro and South Australia locking horns with Vic Country, with both games to take place at Heritage Bank Stadium on the Gold Coast.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 3.2 | 5.8 | 6.10 | 9.11 (65)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1.4 | 3.5 | 4.14 | 7.18 (60)

GOALS:

Western Australia: B. Hart 3, J. Boniwell, B. Kelly, K. Gerreyn, K. Summerell, J. Marcello, D. Montgomery
South Australia: D. Cochrane 2, L. Sands, W. Prescott, L. Kellaway, D. Sharp, B. Thregold

RMC BEST:

Western Australia: K. Gerryn, B. Kelly, B. Hart, T. Whan, T. Longmuir
South Australia: D. Sharp, L. Candy, G. Downs, L. Sands, K. Edwards

#9 Taj Longmuir (South Fremantle)
04/07/2007| 179cm | Defender

The smooth-moving Longmuir was a strong contributor for the Black Ducks, showing some class from half-back with some good ball use and poise with ball in hand. The son of Troy was WA’s main distributor coming out from defence and it was easy to see why, with Longmuir possessing a silky left foot kicking style that is easy on the eye. With his team leading by less than a kick late in the piece, he also demonstrated some good game awareness, making some smart choices to help ensure the Black Ducks held on for the win. 

#10 Blake Kelly (Swan Districts)
03/01/2007| 180cm | Midfielder

The Western Australian co-captain was one of the State’s best, producing a steely showing to lead from the front with his strong attack on the football and contested play. It felt as though Kelly had a grasp of the game’s big moments, as he often produced a strong effort when needed and through exemplifying a level of surety when the pressure was at its highest. With ball in hand, Kelly’s execution was not always perfect, but he generally made incisive decisions and managed to hit the scoreboard, kicking truly with a nice finish in open play in the first term.

#20 Basil Hart (Peel Thunder)
18/01/2007 | 183cm | Forward

The Peel livewire ended as the game’s match-winner, kicking the winning goal in the closing moments and while his game may be remembered for his late heroics, he was terrific throughout the whole of the contest, presenting plenty of headaches for the South Australian defenders with his speed and intuition around goals. Alongside fellow small Darcy Montgomery, Hart presented a double threat to his opponent, looking dangerous aerially in a one-on-one contest and at ground level. He finished with three majors, with his final goal a quintessential crumbing goal over the back of a contest to clinch the victory for the home side.

#37 Kayle Gerreyn (West Perth)
05/10/2006 | 198cm | Ruckman

The Western Australian ruckman was the dominant big man on the field, producing a terrific all-round performance which saw him influential at the stoppage and around the ground. The West Perth product used his athleticism to generally first hands to the ball around the clearances, but it was his contested marking that was the most impressive aspect of his game, as he took several big grabs, including an important one late to help his team get over the line. It was a commanding performance from the big man as he continues his strong form he has demonstrated for West Perth’s colts and Wesley College at PSA level.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

#8 Lachlan Sands (Woodville-West Torrens)
26/03/2007| 179cm | Midfielder/Forward

The Woodville West-Torrens product put together an energetic performance for the Croweaters, using his raw pace and good foot skills to be a dangerous player across the match. It always felt as though something good would happen whenever Sands’ had the football, and he looked particularly damaging forward of centre, kicking a nice goal on the run in the second term. He also showed his line-breaking ability late in the game when his side was pushing for the win, as he burnt an opponent with his speed before hitting up a teammate to set up a forward foray.

#19 Luke Candy (Glenelg)
16/05/2007 | 183cm | Defender

The Bays product played an impressive game in defence for the Croweaters, finding plenty of the ball and using it well from his left foot to provide some good rebound for his State. Candy was particularly prolific in the second term when his side was under the pump, combining with fellow small defender Gus Downs, to repel several Western Australian forward entries and ensure his team stayed in the contest. As the game went on, Candy continued to find more ball in space, and he was able to get involved in setting up his team’s ball movement more often.

#22 Dyson Sharp (Central District)
23/05/2007 | 188cm | Midfielder

The South Australian captain was superb at the coalface for his side, with his mature body and penetrating kick helping him to be a dominant presence across the four quarters. Like his opposing skipper, Sharp lifted his individual output when the game was on the line in the final term, kicking a big goal on the run after several of his teammates had missed and winning some important clearances and aerial contests. While he didn’t end up leading his team to the victory, Sharp couldn’t have done much more in what was an excellent leader’s display.

#27 Douglas Cochrane (Central District)
02/05/2008 | 192cm | Key Forward

The only 15-year-old in the South Australian squad, Cochrane looked comfortable against the older prospects, kicking two majors as he operated as the side’s deepest forward for most of the game. He used his rangy frame to get his hands to a few high balls and while he didn’t always bring down the mark, he gave his side a strong aerial contest and always looked likely as a target. He had the chance to tie the game after marking late in the final term, but his set shot fell short from 50m, a distance he will no doubt be able to kick from when he matures physically. Nonetheless, it was a showing of genuine promise from a prospect who isn’t draft-eligible until 2026.