WESTERN Australia stormed to a 67-point win over South Australia at Alberton Oval on Sunday, dominating the hapless hosts from start to finish. There were plenty of standout performances from the Sandgropers’ opening win of the Under 18 National Championships, highlighted in our Scouting Notes.

>> Match report: West is best as scintillating Sandgropers storm SA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

#2 Lucas Camporeale (Glenelg)
Wing | 185cm | 21/07/2006

Stats: 29 disposals, 5 marks, 5 rebound 50s

In his standout game for the tournament, Camporeale continued his quest to rack up the ball with a game-high 29 disposals on Sunday. Akin to twin brother Ben, his kicking was a little iffy under pressure but the left-footer hit some sharp passes in space and was a constant outlet on the outside. His strong ground coverage could be observed as he swept back to support defensive transitions, accumulating a whopping 19 handball receives and 24 uncontested possessions.

#6 Benny Barrett (South Adelaide)
Small Forward | 174cm | 01/05/2006

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50s

Finally getting his chance to don the esteemed Superman Suit, Barrett provided a spark on what was a difficult day to play in South Australia’s forwardline. The Port Adelaide Next-Generation Academy (NGA) member worked high up the ground and used his turn of speed to advantage both with and without possession. As expected, he was busy at ground level and in tight spaces with four tackles and 10 of his 15 touches being handballs.

#7 Sid Draper (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 182cm | 05/07/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 clearances, 3 inside 50s

In a South Australian midfield which was smothered by pressure and tended to overpossess the ball, Draper was one of the more effective players on stoppage exits. He won five clearances himself but looked arguably more dangerous when receiving second possession and using his pace to accelerate out the front or continue to connect with teammates. While not quite at his best, Draper tried to impose himself on the game and matched up on opposition skipper Bo Allan.

#11 Phoenix Hargrave (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 182cm | 15/09/2006

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 tackles, 8 inside 50s

Another high possession winner in the South Australian midfield, Hargrave was often the one to add a bit of impetus to his side’s ball movement. The hard-working onballer was a mainstay on the inside and looked to wax with teammates in running waves or launch the ball long into attack – highlighted by his 16 handball receives and eight inside 50s. He had a couple of uncharacteristically poor moments by hand and was scratchy by foot, but provided an intensity many teammates lacked.

#17 Jacob Newton (Norwood)
Forward/Midfielder | 178cm | 20/03/2006

Stats: 13 disposals, 3 clearances, 1 goal

Newton was the only player to be added to South Australia’s standard on-ball mix of Draper, Hargrave, Dyson Sharp, and Ben Camporeale, but the move came far too late at the start of the fourth quarter. Still, the emerging small provided some grunt at the contest and came away with three clearances. Earlier, he showcased his strong hands as a half-forward and struck a beautiful set shot goal towards the end of the second quarter.

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

Stats: 15 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 clearances

While less prolific than his top-age contemporaries in midfield, Sharp joined in on the handball heavy style South Australia adopted at the centre bounces. The bottom-ager was typically efficient by hand but much scrappier by foot, with half of his six kicks being ineffective as Western Australia put the clamps on. Still, Sharp was deceptively good at weaving through traffic and carrying the ball through the corridor, helping his side link up with slightly different traits than he usually shows.

#40 Alex Dodson (Sturt)
Ruck | 203cm | 15/06/2006

Stats: 20 disposals, 22 hitouts, 5 clearances

Dodson has continued his ascent up draft boards, delivering on glimpses of promise with a sustained run in the footballing pathway. The mobile ruckman again had little trouble getting his hands on the ball and played the percentages well, flicking off 15 handballs and providing a fourth midfielder kind of impact at stoppages. His deft handling also translated to advantageous tap work in a great head-to-head battle with WA’s Aiden Riddle.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

#2 Luke Urquhart (East Fremantle)
Midfielder | 184cm | 19/09/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 clearances, 11 inside 50s

The heartbeat of Western Australia’s midfield, Urquhart’s energy and run helped launch a barrage of attacks in what the numbers don’t show was a midfield domination. SA may have won the clearance and inside 50 counts, but Urquhart ensured his side made deep entries with his pace and booming kicks. The latter factor was a little awkward at times, especially on the run, and remains something Urquhart can look to work on. Still, he was exciting to watch when attacking through the centre.

#5 Will Hayes (Claremont)
Forward | 179cm | 16/05/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

Hayes was right up there as one of the best players afield at quarter time having posted seven disposals, four marks and a goal. The productive half-forward was a useful connection piece and creative force in attacking phases, as he emptied the tank when working up the field before storming back towards goal. His ball handling could have been a little cleaner and he faded a touch, but Hayes was just about unstoppable early in the piece. Great to watch.

#12 Bo Allan (Peel Thunder)
Midfielder | 191cm | 16/02/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 clearances

Returning to action after sitting out game one with a back injury, Allan slotted straight back into his side’s midfield. The state captain was in the action straight away and notched the game’s first score after cutting off an errant SA kick inside 50. His energetic possessions helped spark stoppage exits and end-to-end transitions, using his speed to advantage while also proving sturdy on the inside at 191cm. Overall, a largely positive first game back for WA’s top talent.

#17 Max Rohr (Claremont)
Key Forward | 197cm | 16/04/2005

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 4 goals

One of the catalysts for Western Australia’s hot start, Rohr booted two of his four goals in the opening quarter. The big man showed handy dexterity to finish on the run and with a quick snap, clearly having a good eye for goal. He only really began to worry his opponents aerially in the second half, and clunked a couple of nice marks inside 50 with one leading to his final major. He also stayed down at the bottom of a pack to assist Kayle Gerreyn in term four.

#20 Cody Curtin (Claremont)
Key Defender | 197cm | 18/05/2007

Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark, 4 rebound 50s

Taking the matchup on mobile South Australian tall Charlie Nicholls, Curtin more than held his own to keep the dangerous forward goalless. Above all, he competed well aerially – despite only taking one mark – and had the athleticism to go with Nicholls on his ventures up the ground. With big brother Dan in attendance, Curtin junior proved he was up for the contest and capable of playing a defensive-minded role to compliment his usually sound intercept game.

#21 Darcy Petersen (Peel Thunder)
Key Defender | 192cm | 12/01/2006

Stats: 12 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Another of Western Australia’s resolute tall defenders, Petersen had the job on Tyler Welsh and kept him to just three touches and two behinds. He was thrown out of the way in an early one-on-one but recovered to add value as an interceptor. His desperate efforts on the last line were terrific, especially aerially, but he also beat Welsh in a dicey loose ball situation one-out in the third quarter. He would have been tested if Welsh had more supply but held up well in the big win.

#23 Charlie Burke (Subiaco)
Wing | 183cm | 11/04/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 2 goals

Burke is steadily building a strong top-age resume and was again prolific on the wing in state colours. The Subiaco skipper has his role down pat, showcasing strong running patterns on the outside as a productive part of his side’s transitional play. His one-touch handling was on show with a super overhead grab for his first goal, and he again snuck forward in the dying stages to nab another just before the full time siren.

#24 Fred Rodriguez (South Fremantle)
Midfielder | 184cm | 10/07/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 4 marks, 3 clearances

Western Australia’s top disposal winner on Sunday, Rodriguez is certainly proving far from overawed as a bottom-ager on the big stage. He helped his side move the ball from inside to the outer, waxing well with teammates and providing strong spurts of run. The South Fremantle prospect also showed dual-sided tendencies with his kicking and while he had a couple of clangers, was quite neat by hand.

#26 Kayle Gerreyn (West Perth)
Key Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 10/05/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 8 hitouts, 3 goals

The beneficiary of his teammates’ good work up the ground, Gerreyn booted three goals which proved reward for his vocal leadership and effort. He was typically nimble to enforce and recover a forward 50 turnover before snapping his first major, before going on to be a fourth midfielder of sorts in his ruck rotation. Gerreyn provided an ideal start to the second half with another goal in the opening minute, and impressed with his movement and awareness in open play.

REMAINING AFL U18s FIXTURE

DATE	MATCH	VENUE	TIME
Sun, June 23	WA vs Vic Metro	Optus Stadium	10:45am
Sat, June 29	WA vs Vic Country	Revo Fitness Stadium	10:30am
Sun, June 30	SA vs Vic Metro	Alberton Oval	10:05am
Sun, July 7	Allies vs Vic Country	Brighton Homes Arena	10:35am
Sun, July 14	Vic Metro vs Vic Country	IKON Park	10:35am