TABtouch Team of Round 15Monday, July 16, 2018 - 5:10 PM - by Chris Pike

THERE were just the three games in Round 15 of the WAFL on Saturday with Subiaco again showing its dominance against the second placed South Fremantle while Perth continues its charge to take part in a rare finals series and East Perth also returned to the top five.

Claremont, East Fremantle and West Perth all had byes in Round 15 of the WAFL season leaving the other six clubs to take part in three matches across Saturday afternoon.

The afternoon on Saturday did get underway at Leederville Oval with the top two teams doing battle between Subiaco and South Fremantle, with both having played each other during the finals of the past two years as well.

South Fremantle came into the game on a three-game winning run and kicking the first two goals, but managed just one more the rest of the day as Subiaco remained undefeated in 2018 winning 13.10 (88) to 3.10 (28).

Then at Lathlain Park, the winner of Perth and Peel Thunder was always going to move into the top five at the end of the round and thanks to the opening four goals of the last quarter, the Demons beat the premiers of the last two years 10.15 (75) to 10.7 (67).

The round then concluded with East Perth ending its six-game losing run and moving back to fifth position by beating Swan Districts 18.7 (115) to 8.6 (54) at Steel Blue Oval.

Following Round 15 of the 2018 WAFL season, Subiaco (13-0) has moved further clear in top spot ahead of South Fremantle (9-4) and West Perth (8-5).

Perth (6-7) is then in fourth position after winning four of its last five games with East Perth (5-7) rounding out the top five in front of Claremont (5-8), Swan Districts (5-8), Peel Thunder (5-8) and East Fremantle (2-11).

M & J CHICKENS PLAYER OF THE ROUND - BRANT COLLEDGE

TABtouch TEAM OF THE ROUND (times named)
BACK: Aaron Heal (5), Chad Pearson (1), Michael Sinclair (6)
HALF-BACK: Ben Hancock (3), Jordan Lockyer (3), Jackson Nelson (1)
CENTRE: Chris Phelan (7), Cody Leggett (3), Hamish Brayshaw (1)
HALF-FORWARD: Brant Colledge (5), Lachlan Delahunty (10), Mitch Dobson (1)
FORWARD: Jack Petruccelle (3), Ben Sokol (5), Cody Ninyette (4)
RUCK: Nathan Vardy (2), Kyal Horsley (9), Dom Sheed (1)
INTERCHANGE: Danyle Pearce (5), Hayden Kennedy (8), Jesse Turner (1), Corey Yeo (2)

BACK POCKET – AARON HEAL (Subiaco)
He is one of the best and most consistent defenders in the league, and most importantly one of the most versatile who can play on any variety of forward opponents. On Saturday his job was on South Fremantle's Matthew Parker and not only did he restrict him to four kicks and two behinds, but he had 20 possessions and five tackles himself.

FULL-BACK – CHAD PEARSON (South Fremantle)
He showed some good signs in a handful of league appearances last year and has now cemented his spot as a key defender with South Fremantle this year and he could comfortably do that alongside Noah Strom for the next decade. It was a tough day for the Bulldogs against Subiaco but he defended well holding Rhys Waters to one goal and five kicks while showing good poise and skill with ball in hand, finishing with 19 possessions, four marks and three tackles.

BACK POCKET – MICHAEL SINCLAIR (Perth)
He continues to be right at the peak of his powers and a major reason why Perth has now won four of its past five matches to be witting in fourth position in the ladder. He is likely the best intercept and rebound defender in the competition with the 2016 fairest and best winner delivering another 24 possessions, eight marks, seven tackles and four inside on Saturday in the win over Peel.

HALF-BACK FLANK – BEN HANCOCK (Peel Thunder)
He is a premiership player at Peel from last year but continues to fly under the radar while being one of their most consistent performers. Is having the best season of his career now in 2018 having cemented his spot in the line-up and again off half-back on Saturday, he was a strong performer despite the loss to Perth with 24 disposals, seven marks, four inside 50s, three tackles and a goal.

CENTRE HALF-BACK – JORDAN LOCKYER (Subiaco)
He has missed a couple of games along the way in 2018 but is having another strong season with the Lions and he was given the task of manning South Fremantle's best forward so far of this year, Mason Shaw on Saturday. He clearly got the points holding Shaw to two kicks and one behind while having 16 possessions and five marks himself.

HALF-BACK FLANK – JACKSON NELSON (East Perth)
He has played some good AFL football as a defender with West Coast in 2018 and didn’t do his chances of earning a recall leading into the finals any harm with an impressive display against Swan Districts on Saturday. He finished the afternoon with 25 possessions, eight marks, four tackles and three inside-50 entries.

WING – CHRIS PHELAN (Subiaco)
The 162-game dual premiership-winning, two-time fairest and best winner just continues to play outstanding football for Subiaco and it's all the more remarkable considering 12 months ago he wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to return from a knee injury. Delivered another superb game in the 10-goal win over South Fremantle with 26 possessions, 13 tackles, four marks and four inside-50 entries.

CENTRE – CODY LEGGETT (Perth)

Is yet another Perth player in the best form of his career in 2018 and he is a significant reason why The Demons are inside the top five after Round 15. Whether playing on the inside or outside, or through the middle or off half-back or half-forward, he continues to play well in whatever role asked of him and he had another 32 possessions, 13 inside 50s, seven marks, five tackles and a goal in the win against Peel.

WING – HAMISH BRAYSHAW (East Perth)
After missing the first half of the 2018 season, the rookie West Coast draftee put together an impressive display in just his second league game with East Perth having earned his spot with two appearances in the reserves prior to that. Had a big say in the Royals' win over Swan Districts with 25 touches, seven tackles, five inside-50 entries, three marks and two goals. 

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – BRANT COLLEDGE (Perth)
The former Eagles-listed player returned to Perth at the start of 2017 and now is showing just why the Demons were so desperate to lure him back to his original WAFL club. He was named M & J Chickens Player of the Round for his performance in the win against Peel with 28 possessions, eight inside-50 entries, six marks and two goals.

CENTRE HALF-FORWARD – LACHLAN DELAHUNTY (Subiaco)
His remarkable season continued and no matter his role, no matter the conditions, he is just proving unstoppable. Despite being big enough to be a ruckman, he is equally effective at ground level or in the air, or in the dry or wet. South Fremantle tried to quell his influence with Steve Verrier on him, but he couldn’t keep him out of the game and he finished with another 28 disposals, 11 marks, nine inside 50s, eight hit outs and a goal.

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – MITCH DOBSON (East Perth)
The 20-year-old made his league debut last year on the back of three strong colts seasons at East Perth and he delivered the best of five-game career at the Royals during Saturday's 61-point victory against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval. He produced 23 possessions, five inside-50 entries and four marks.

FORWARD POCKET – JACK PETRUCCELLE (East Perth)
The West Coast Eagles rookie was in some lively form in attack in Saturday's win against Swan Districts. The speedster performed well as part of the forward-line for the Royals kicking three goals from 12 disposals and three marks.

FULL-FORWARD – BEN SOKOL (Subiaco)
He continues to thrive in games against his former team with another two goals from 22 possessions, 11 marks and seven inside 50s in Saturday's win against South Fremantle. Since joining Subiaco in 2016 from the Bulldogs, he has now played his old side on five occasions for 18 goals an and average of 16.2 disposals. That included his career-best haul of seven goals back in 2016.

FORWARD POCKET – CODY NINYETTE (Perth)
Continued his tremendous form as a small forward in attack for the Demons and after leading the goalkicking for Perth last year with 28 goals, he already has 23 again in 2018 including having kicked 13 now in his past four matches. Was a difference-maker with the game on the line against Peel ending up kicking three goals from 12 possessions, four marks and four tackles.

RUCK – NATHAN VARDY (East Perth)
The West Coast-listed ruckman dropped back to East Perth on Saturday and opposed to both Nathan Blakely and Corey Gault, was the best big man in the game ending up with 16 possessions, 66 hit outs and a goal. He will be needed by the Eagles to now step up in the absence of Nic Naitanui and East Perth will be hoping Fraser McInnes is right to return to take his spot with the Royals.

RUCK ROVER – KYAL HORSLEY (Subiaco)
The captain showed once again that he's a class above in the WAFL in Saturday's 60-point win for Subiaco against South Fremantle. His ability to be clean with his hands in difficult conditions and use the ball precisely on his left-boot was a treat to behold. He finished with another 30 possessions, six inside 50s, five tackles, four marks and a goal.

ROVER – DOM SHEED (East Perth)
The West Coast midfielder couldn’t be doing anything more to bang down the door to earn a recall for the Eagles. He produced another best on ground performance in East Perth's big win over Swan Districts ending up with 37 possessions, seven inside-50 entries, four marks, three tackles and a goal.

INTERCHANGE – DANYLE PEARCE (Peel Thunder)
He has played 258 matches in the AFL and taken part in Grand Finals for both Port Adelaide and Fremantle so the 32-year-old could be excused for dropping his head with Dockers coach Ross Lyon publicly confirming his career at the top level is all but over. But his form for Peel remains superb and continues to give his all and had another 34 possessions, five inside-50 entries, four marks and a goal.

INTERCHANGE – HAYDEN KENNEDY (Subiaco)
He was another Subiaco player to continue his career-best season in the big win against South Fremantle at Leederville Oval. He again spent time in the back-line and providing drive off half-back while also playing on the wing and finishing the afternoon with 28 possessions, nine marks and four inside-50 entries.

INTERCHANGE – JESSE TURNER (Swan Districts)
Swan Districts might be going through a tough time with a five-game losing streak, but he could very well be in the best patch of form of his 55-game career. Swans might have dropped from the top five but he did all he could to lift his team ending up with 29 possessions, four tackles and three marks on the back of 32 disposals last week against Perth.

INTERCHANGE – COREY YEO (Perth)
Joined Perth this season on return from time in Melbourne playing in the VFL on the back of cementing himself as a prime WAFL on-baller at Claremont. Has been a strong and consistent performer all season in the midfielder for the Demons and continued that form in the win against Peel with 29 disposals, nine tackles, six inside-50 entries and five marks.

UNLUCKY BUNCH
There were plenty of players who delivered tremendous performances across Round 15 but couldn’t quite fit into the Team of the Round, including:

Subiaco's Josh Deluca and Leigh Kitchin.

South Fremantle's Jacob Dragovich, Haiden Schloithe, Dylan Main, Marlion Pickett, Nick Suban and Noah Strom.

Swan Districts' Matt Riggio, Tobe Watson, Tony Notte, Matthew Rogers and Corey Gault.

East Perth's Patrick McGinnity and Brendon Ah Chee.

Perth's Clint Jones and Michael Bennell.

Peel Thunder's Mitch Crowden, Keegan Power, Taylin Duman and Michael Johnson.