VIC METRO claimed the first win of its Under 18 National Championships campaign after downing Western Australia by 35 points at East Fremantle Oval on Sunday. The visitors led from the first goal despite facing a stiff breeze in the opening term, applying constant scoreboard pressure along the way.

The result brought WA’s series to an end, finishing with a 1-3 record having beaten Vic Country by three points in June. Meanwhile, Vic Metro moves to parity at 1-1 after being trounced by title-holders South Australia in game one, with fixtures against the Allies and Vic Country to come later this month.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 0.2 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 5.12 (42)
VICTORIA METRO 2.6 | 5.7 | 9.10 | 11.11 (77)

GOALS:
Western Australia: C. Curtin 3, S. Swadling, T. Williams
Vic Metro: Z. McCarthy 3, L. Dovaston 2, H. El Achkar 2, L. Emmett, O. Greeves, S. Grlj, T. McGuane

BEST:
Western Australia: T. Williams, B. Kelly, F. Rodriguez, C. Curtin, C. Banfield, J. Farrow
Vic Metro: O. Greeves, L. Dovaston, H. El Achkar, Z. McCarthy, A. Sharkie, X. Taylor

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

#3 Tylah Williams (Swan Districts)
Small Forward/Wing | 175cm | 22/02/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

West Coast NGA

A consistent source of vigour and creativity in the forward half, Williams was one of Western Australia’s few shining lights. He would have had the GPS running hot with his work rate up the ground, buzzing at the bottom of packs and helping his side connect the field. That kind of ability saw him shift up to a wing where his smarts helping him rack up seven intercept possessions before flicking the switch into attack. Williams was also lively close to goal where he laid a game-high three tackles inside 50, and attacked the ball well to mark and snap a well-deserved final quarter goal.

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

Stats: 23 disposals, 6 tackles, 7 clearances

Western Australia’s skipper led from the front all series and that continued on Sunday. No one had more clearances than Rodriguez’s seven, but he also found a way to rack up uncontested ball between the arcs. There, the South Fremantle midfielder leant on his running capacity to help his side shift the ball in transition, linking up with 11 handball receives. While quite neat by hand, Rodriguez can tend to throw the ball on the boot and kicked at 42 per cent efficiency.

#10 Blake Kelly (Swan Districts)
Midfielder/Forward | 183cm | 03/01/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 6 tackles, 4 inside 50s

Kelly has been a solid contributor for WA but broke out to be one of his side’s absolute best in game four. He led the Black Swans for both contested (12) and uncontested possessions (18) among an equal game-high disposal haul of 29, proving industrious throughout a tough day. Kelly showed an improved ability to evade and break through tackles, which helped to surge the ball forward with urgency. He chained up with teammates by hand and pulled off a couple of sharp kicks into the attacking zone, while also getting stuck in defensively. Kelly’s best moment was his holding-the-ball tackle on Hussien El Achkar in term four, proving one of WA’s few forms of resistance.

#24 Jacob Farrow (West Perth)
Defender | 188cm | 21/09/2007

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 intercept possessions, 6 rebound 50s

Closing in on the status of being Western Australia’s top prospect, Farrow led a line of willing rebound defenders. He racked up 536 metres gained and used the ball better than anyone who managed over five touches, running at 88 per cent efficiency. The latter stat was made even more impressive by Farrow’s kick-first approach in blustery conditions. Shouldering some of the kick-in duties, he was one of WA’s most dynamic ball movers with speed and penetrative delivery. Farrow also provided reliable intercept marking and utilised his overlap run further afield after half time.

#26 Charlie Banfield (Claremont)
Wing/Forward | 191cm | 18/07/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances

West Coast F/S

Another of Western Australia’s most reliable contributors throughout the carnival, Banfield capped off his campaign with another strong showing. Able to play a variety of roles, he again showcased his top notch overhead marking ability to be a link man in end-to-end passages. That continues to be a key facet of Banfield’s game, along with hard defensive acts and great versatility at 191cm. He should be firmly on the Eagles’ radar as the son of 1992 pick one and dual premiership player, Drew.

#34 Lochlain Carpenter (West Perth)
Key Defender | 194cm | 01/04/2007

Stats: 7 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles

Carpenter had his hands full with Vic Metro boasting an embarrassment of riches in the ruck-forward department, but helped keep spearhead Archie Ludowyke goalless in the loss. The West Perth Colts captain was strong in his defensive acts and led the game for intercept possessions with eight. Many of them were marks off Metro kicks, with Carpenter able to chime in and pluck the ball cleanly. He also shut down attacks at ground level with a half-dozen tackles, holding down the fort.

#40 Cody Curtin (Claremont)
Key Forward/Ruck | 200cm | 18/05/2007

Stats: 8 disposals, 5 marks, 3 goals

Curtin was Western Australia’s main scoring source, booting over half of his side’s five goals. He did so by monstering his opponents, winning one-on-one duels and taking strong pack marks inside 50 before converting most of his chances. While he could have provided greater impetus up the ground, Curtin’s four contested grabs made him one of the few threats that Vic Metro’s defence didn’t have an answer for. He also spent time rucking as per his usual role throughout the series.

VIC METRO:

#2 Hussien El Achkar (Calder Cannons)
Small Forward | 171cm | 02/04/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 11 score involvements, 2 goals

Essendon NGA

Teaming up with Vic Metro’s abundance of small forward options, El Achkar did the damage with 2.3 and a game-high 11 score involvements. The Essendon NGA member got his game going with improved pressure acts and went on to slot a well-judged set shot goal in the opening term. He bagged another in more characteristic fashion, snapping out of the pack in term three, showcasing his ability to break free of tackles. El Achkar also looked more measured when hitting up short options and ventured further up the ground that usual, using his speed on the way back.

#5 Lachy Dovaston (Eastern Ranges)
Small Forward | 177cm | 29/05/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 goals

Another lively member of Metro’s mosquito fleet, Dovaston arguably looked the most dangerous of the lot. While kicking over the mark proved a difficult task into the heavy breeze, he got on the board in term one with a crafty crumb and checkside dribble goal. Dovaston went on to bag another major by snatching and snapping in a pack, but would miss running into an open goal just before the final siren. On top of his scoring feats, Dovaston worked up the ground to get busy at stoppages and help make plays heading back to goal. He trailed El Achkar with nine score involvements.

#10 Thomas Burton (Western Jets)
Small Defender | 178cm | 09/01/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 7 marks, 6 rebound 50s

Vic Metro’s backline helped overwhelm WA with its endless run and ability to turn defence into attack, with Burton proving a key part of that. The Western Jets prospect racked up 14 uncontested possessions, often setting off at pace and looking to get teammates involved in transition. He attacked the corridor and took a direct approach to sending his side forward, helping gain momentum on the overlap. Burton also positioned well behind the ball to take intercept marks inside defensive 50, meaning he’d be the first link in chains out of defence.

#16 Aaron Sharkie (Oakleigh Chargers)
Defender | 184cm | 20/01/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 5 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Sharkie was nothing short of prolific on Sunday, leading the game for disposals (29), uncontested possessions (19), and metres gained (480). Those three stats perfectly outline how he approached proceedings, running hard to demand possession from his teammates and driving it forward relentlessly. He accumulated throughout the day and while his usually sharp short kicking didn’t always cut up WA, his transitional run was an effective way forward. Being so aggressive on the overlap made the skill gap between either side’s ball movement look more stark.

#23 Xavier Taylor (Eastern Ranges)
Tall Defender | 191cm | 30/01/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks, 6 intercept possessions

Working in tandem with the likes of Max Kondogiannis and Andrew Barker, Taylor continued to show his quality as a versatile tall defender. He used the ball more efficiently than anyone in a Big V guernsey, running at 87 per cent in tricky conditions and helping to chain possessions off the last line. Taylor’s speed and repeat efforts led to several eye-catching counterattacks, many of which were initiated by his own intercepts. One of Taylor’s best defensive acts saw him beaten to the ball by Wes Walley, but stay with the play to apply physical pressure and impact the kick.

#27 Oliver Greeves (Eastern Ranges)
Midfielder | 191cm | 07/02/2007

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

Best afield in a strong win, Greeves is often dominant when things go his side’s way. He has a knack for showcasing different facets throughout the game; starting out by tracking back as an outlet out of defence, then becoming a clean handball extractor, before driving the nail in with his ability to peel forward off the contest. While inconsistent with some of his execution by foot, Greeves showed serious class with his snap goal from the pocket in term three. His dynamism in the attacking phase was felt and makes him a unique threat compared to other big-bodied midfielders.

#33 Zac McCarthy (Oakleigh Chargers)
Key Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 27/10/2007

Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals

Collingwood NGA

With Metro able to call upon key position reinforcements, McCarthy was freed up forward of the ball. He showcased the dexterity which has him in top 25 conversations, booting three goals while also chopping out in the ruck. The Collingwood NGA prospect grabbed out of the ruck for his first major at a forward 50 stoppage, going on to take a pair of marks close to home before adding two more. His mobility there and around the ground made him a tough matchup, and likely always will.

#35 Louis Emmett (Oakleigh Chargers)
Ruck/Key Forward | 200cm | 23/03/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 11 hitouts, 1 goal

Emmett was a crucial inclusion for Metro, returning from injury in a big way. He did his part in the way of ruck contributions, showing he could grab from the contest and feed his rovers in a variety of ways. Emmett was also dangerous up forward where he competed well aerially and took a strong grab before converting his lone goal in term two. While that shot was well judged with the breeze, Emmett sent another one out on the full in open play during term three. Still, a great return.