SUBIACO has resisted a late West Perth charge to come away four-point victors in their Round 15 clash at Leederville Oval on Saturday. Spearheaded by four goals to Thatcher Simmons, the Lions led all day and held on despite conceding the last three majors, seeing them pegged back to within a kick.

With the Under 18 National Championships now completed, a bunch of state representatives returned to club level and made an impact. That included a trio of West Perth bottom-agers and a West Coast-tied speedster whose tackle pressure caught the eye. We took note of the top prospects from either side.

SUBIACO 3.1 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 9.8 (62)
WEST PERTH 2.4 | 3.6 | 5.9 | 8.10 (58)

GOALS:
Subiaco: T. Simmons 4, J. Molloy-Broughton 2, J. Detata, A. O’Donnell, S. Williams
West Perth: M. Bowers 2, L. De Fraine 2, X. Zuchetti 2, Z. Dwyer, J. McGuane

BEST:
Subiaco: T. Simmons, S. O’Brien, D. Young, K. Perera, B. Beck, C. Lally
West Perth: C. Creyk, T. Barrowclough, M. Bowers, M. Collins, L. De Fraine, F. McGuane

SUBIACO:

#8 Samuel O’Brien
Midfielder | 185cm | 02/10/2009

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s

O’Brien built into the contest and ended up running out the game strongly having initially been down on his usual output. The bottom-ager showed his physicality, bumping opponents off the loose ball and rolling tackles off his back. His core strength was noticeable and allowed him to either absorb pressure, or exit congestion without necessarily having the raw pace to do so. Atop a rain-soaked deck, O’Brien suited the conditions with his grit and compact frame.

#9 Kyan Perera
Forward/Wing | 173cm | 10/09/2008

Stats: 13 disposals, 6 tackles, 2 inside 50s

West Coast NGA

It took Perera until around midway through the second quarter to register his first disposal, but he made a splash with his pressure throughout. Operating as a high forward before rolling up to the wing, he made opponents panic with his closing speed and willing repeat efforts. Perera provided connectivity between the arcs and was crafty at the fall of the ball, using his evasive technique to find space and forge creative passages. He’s an opportunist, only needing a few touches to impact.

#16 Thatcher Simmons
Forward/Midfielder | 184cm | 18/01/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 marks, 4 goals

Returning to the Colts grade after a successful run of four Reserves games, Simmons outscored West Perth in the opening half. He was a constant threat one-out inside 50, combining physical power and smarts to consistently beat his direct opponent. All four of Simmons’ goals came before the main break, and while he spent plenty of time running on-ball, he remained a scoring threat and set up several chances for others. His foot skills around the ground were pinpoint.

Others:

Midfielder Benji Beck led all comers with 29 disposals, including eight marks and five tackles. Connor Lally (19 disposals) did plenty of strong work by his side, while wingman Dylan Young (22 disposals, five marks, nine inside 50s) provided plenty of drive on the outside. Undersized ruck Archie Hinchliffe (12 disposals, 12 hitouts) was another who showed good signs around the ground.

WEST PERTH:

#8 Maxim Collins
Tall Defender | 194cm | 06/11/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles

Fresh off a strong state campaign, Collins played with plenty of confidence and composure. The bottom-ager hardly fumbled throughout the day, intercepting with assuredness both in the air and at ground level. He used the ball just as effectively, impacting across a high line and deep in defence. Collins was swung forward late in the day and laid a terrific holding-the-ball tackle to round out his performance. He provides a remarkably calm head down back.

#9 Tadhg Barrowclough
Tall Defender | 191cm | 22/06/2009

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 marks, 1 tackle

Already an extremely reliable figure in defence, Barrowclough was an intercepting machine on Saturday. He roamed the defensive half and positioned well down the line, able to impact aerially or recover the ground ball before moving it on efficiently. The bottom-ager was capable of snuffing out attacks and quickly turning them into counters, calmly bringing teammates into play. He ended up being swung forward in the final term and endured some poor delivery before switching back to defence, where he picked up a couple of crucial late intercepts.

#24 Campbell Creyk
Midfielder | 182cm | 03/04/2009

Stats: 27 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s

It was a typically power-packed performance from Creyk, who topped West Perth’s disposal tally with 27. He was super clean at ground level and used his speed to accelerate out of stoppages, driving the ball forward before launching long by foot. While he could have been a little more composed and polished in the way of kicking, Creyk’s urgency helped give the Falcons a quick avenue into attack. He also became an intercepting threat across half-forward, showing a good bit of spring and that usual kick penetration to reload heading inside 50.

#29 Rafe Williamson
Tall Defender | 189cm | 26/02/2009

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s

Another of West Perth’s dynamic bottom-age defenders, Williamson was prominent on the intercept and rebound. He set up across a high line, cutting off opposition kicks with his ability to play tall, while also driving his legs and using the ball well heading forward. Williamson’s playreading was among his best traits, as was his balance between controlling possession and taking the game on.

Others:

Max Bowers was among the best players afield, shaking off a heavy knock in the second half to end up with 22 disposals, five inside 50s and two goals. His speed was a real feature in driving the ball forward. Defenders Luca Boczar (17 disposals) and Ethan Andrich (16) played key roles, while Laith De Fraine (13 disposals, two goals) was a powerful target at the other end of the ground. Rangy wingman Flynn McGuane and mobile ruck Lachlan Jones (22 hitouts) showed some promise.