Simply Energy State Combine Preview Friday, October 11, 2019 - 10:29 AM

The 2019 season has proven to be a good one for Western Australian draft prospects with 19 players nominated for the Simply Energy AFL State Combine.

Claremont have the most players with six, while both East Perth and Peel Thunder have three representatives each.
 
“This is another exciting opportunity for players from right across Australia to showcase their AFL potential ahead of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft,” AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan said.
  
“A number of players who have attended NAB AFL State Combines in past years are currently on AFL lists, including Liam Ryan (West Coast Eagles), Matthew Parker (St Kilda), Bayley Fritsch (Melbourne) and Jack Ross (Richmond),” Sheehan said.

Western Australia will run each of the individual tests for the nominated players on Sunday, October 13, at the UWA Recreation Centre. 

For a player to receive a State Combine invitation, they must have been nominated by at least two AFL Clubs.

Below are the Western Australian prospects at the 2019 AFL State Combine.

CAMERON ANDERSON - CLAREMONT
The Wembley Downs Junior is a lively rebounding defender who can also play as a wingman. Anderson loves to take the game on, using his speed and skills to carve his way through the opposition’s defensive zones. In 8 games for Claremont’s Colts team, Anderson averaged 13 possessions, 3 tackles, and 3 marks with his best performance coming against East Perth (22 possessions and 5 inside 50s). He was also solid for Western Australia, averaging 10 possessions (four contested), 3 marks, 3 tackles, 2 clearances and 2 inside 50s across 3 games. His notable performances came against South Australia (10 possessions – 6 contested – 5 tackles and 2 clearances) and the Allies (14 possessions, 5 marks and 2 inside 50s).

ISAIAH BUTTERS - CLAREMONT
The Fremantle Next-Generation Academy member relocated to Perth from Halls Creek and has shown enough promise to receive an invitation to the state combine. He was one of the most influential players for Claremont in the Grand Final with 4 goals from 7 possessions to help the Tigers win the Premiership. Throughout the 2019 season, Butters showed he has the raw potential to be a viable small forward prospect for this year’s AFL Draft. In five games for the Tigers, Butters kicked 5 goals and averaged 10 possessions, 4 tackles, 3 marks, 2 inside 50s. Other notable performances came against Swan Districts in round 10 (10 possessions, 5 tackles and 2 goals) and Subiaco in round 14 (18 possessions, 6 marks, 3 tackles and 2 goals). He is a member of Fremantle’s Next-Generation Academy.

JACK COOLEY – CLAREMONT
The Claremont Junior made a name for himself with a stunning Grand Final performance that saw him win the Mel Whinnen Medal as the best player on the ground. In the Grand Final, Cooley collected 33 possessions (18 contested), won 14 clearances, laid 7 tackles, recorded 7 inside 50s and took 5 marks. Cooley is a big-bodied midfielder who is tough, competitive, defensively sound, balanced and reads the play well. In 20 games for the Tigers, Cooley averaged 22 possessions, 3 inside 50s, 3 marks and 3 tackles. His notable performances during the season came against Subiaco in round 14 (33 possessions, 5 inside 50s, 5 tackles and 5 marks), Perth in round 16 (31 possessions, 8 tackles and a goal) and South Fremantle in round 19 (28 possessions, 7 tackles and 2 goals). However, it was his finals campaign that really caught the eye of recruiters. Across the four finals, he averaged 26 possessions, 5 inside 50s, 5 tackles and 4 marks. 

JEREMY GODDARD – CLAREMONT
A member of the AFL-AIS Academy in 2015 and 2016, Goddard has established himself as solid up-and-coming ruck prospect. In 21 games for Claremont’s League team, Goddard recorded the most hit-outs (828) of any ruckman in the WAFL Competition. He averaged 9 possessions, 39 hit-outs, 3 tackles and 2 marks. His best games came against East Perth in round 11 (12 possessions and 45 hit-outs), Peel in round 17 (14 possessions, 52 hit-outs and a goal) and Swan Districts (14 possessions and 43 hit-outs). As a ruckman, Goddard always carries a physical presence, whether it be through his strength in the ruck contest, his contested marking ability or his desire to lay a strong tackle.

LENO THOMAS - CLAREMONT
The 2017 WA U16s State Academy member is a medium sized defender who can lock down on his direct opponent but can also provide excellent rebound from the defensive half. He was the hero for Claremont in the Colts’ Grand Final when he produced the game-saving smother in the final moments of the last quarter. He finished third in Claremont’s Best & Fairest after he averaged 15 possessions, 3 marks and 2 tackles across 18 games. His best performances came against West Perth in round two (21 possessions and 10 marks) and Peel Thunder in round six (21 possessions). He is a member of Fremantle’s Next-Generation Academy.

ANTHONY TREACY – CLAREMONT
The Cable Beach product made the move to Claremont at the start of this year, and the move has paid dividends. In 17 games for Claremont’s League team, Treacy booted 18 goals and averaged 13 possessions, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s and 3 tackles. His best performances came against Perth in round five (17 possessions, 5 inside 50s and 2 goals), Subiaco in round seven (12 possessions and 2 goals), Swan Districts in round 20 (14 possessions and 2 goals) and West Coast in the Second Semi-Final (12 possessions and 2 goals). Treacy is a medium-sized forward, who is quick, smart, skilful and tough.

REUBEN MCGUIRE – EAST FREMANTLE
The Willetton Junior is a key forward who can also pinch-hit in the ruck when required. In 14 games, McGuire kicked six goals and averaged 11 possessions, 10 hit-outs, and 3 marks. His best performances were against Perth in round seven (11 possessions, 18 hit-outs and a goal), East Perth in round nine (13 possessions, 14 hit-outs and a goal), and Subiaco in round 13 (17 possessions and 2 goals). As a key forward, McGuire always creates a contest, has good skills and is tough.
 
AJANG AJANG – EAST PERTH
The former West Coast Eagles’ Academy member, Ajang is a ruckman with raw athleticism. He is powerful in contests, excellent with his ruck craft, has good skills and reads the play well. In 18 games, Ajang kicked 6 goals and averaged 12 possessions, 26 hit-outs, 3 tackles and 3 marks. His best games were against Swan Districts in round 13 (21 possessions, 24 hit-outs and a goal), Peel Thunder in round 14 (13 possessions and 38 hit-outs) and West Perth in round 15 (21 possessions and 40 hit-outs).

RHAI-ARN COX – EAST PERTH
The Mount Hawthorn Junior made a name for himself in 2017 when he kicked a goal after the siren against Vic Country, that ultimately secured the AFL U16s Championships for Western Australia.  In six games for East Perth’s Colts team, Cox averaged 10 possessions, four marks, two tackles and kicked eight goals. His best performances coming against Perth in round 12(16 possessions and 2 goals) and Peel Thunder in round 14 (14 possessions and a goal). He also showed promise when playing for the Royals’ Reserves team. In three games, he kicked three goals and averaged 11 possessions, 2 marks and 2 tackles with his best performance coming against South Fremantle in round 17 (13 possessions and 3 goals). He is a small forward who is quick, evasive, skilful and has x-factor.

HARLEY SPARKS – EAST PERTH
The Deanmill product is a medium-sized midfielder who accumulates possessions, makes sound decisions and is also sound defensively. Sparks finished sixth in his Club’s Best and Fairest, after he averaged 25 possessions, 4 marks, and 4 tackles across 13 games. His best performances came against Claremont in round three (28 possessions and a goal), and South Fremantle in round 17 (47 possessions and a goal). Sparks also showed promise for the Royals’ Reserves team, where he averaged 16 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles across four games. His most notable performance in the Reserves came against Swan Districts in round 13 (22 possessions and 9 marks).

RYAN BENNELL – PEEL THUNDER
A crafty small forward, Bennell was recognised as Peel’s Best Young Player of the Year after he kicked 14 goals and averaged 9 possessions, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50s and 2 marks across 13 games. His best performances for Peel’s League team came against West Coast in round two (seven possessions and two goals), Subiaco in round four (13 possessions and three goals) and Claremont in round 17 (12 possessions and two goals). He was also solid for Western Australia at this year’s National U18s Championships, where he averaged 9 possessions and 4 tackles with his best outing coming against Vic Metro (11 possessions and a goal). Bennell is quick, agile, has good goal sense and does not need a lot of possessions to hurt opposing teams.

JARVIS PINA – PEEL THUNDER
The Peel Thunder Colts’ captain is an attacking small defender who also has the capability to lock his direct opponent out of the game. In 8 games for the Thunder’s Colts team, Pina kicked 3 goals and averaged 22 possessions, 5 marks and 5 tackles with notable performances against West Perth in round one (32 possessions, 8 marks and 4 tackles), Perth in round 11 (21 possessions and a goal) and East Perth in round 14 (33 possessions, 5 marks and 5 tackles). Pina was also a member of the WA U18s State Academy’s Leadership Group and was excellent for the Sandgropers. He averaged 12 possessions, 4 marks, and 2 tackles, with his best performance coming against Vic Country (17 possessions, 3 marks and 2 rebounding 50s). As a small defender, Pina rebounds with class – he’s a sound decision-maker and he uses his damaging skills to penetrate the opposition’s defensive zone.

TYRONE THORNE – PEEL THUNDER
The younger brother of Peel senior member Calvin, Tyrone is a raw small forward with plenty of upside. He finished seventh in Peel’s Colts Best and Fairest after he kicked 16 goals and averaged 19 possessions, 6 tackles, and 3 marks across eight games. He was arguably Peel’s best player in their Grand Final against Claremont with 22 possessions, 8 tackles and a goal. He also showed promise for Peel’s League team where he averaged 11 possessions and 5 marks across two games. Thorne was also a member of the WA U18s State Academy. Across four games for the Sandgropers, Thorne booted seven goals and averaged 11 possessions, four marks, three tackles and two inside 50s with his best performances coming against Vic Metro (13 possessions and two goals) and the Allies (10 possessions and three goals). Despite having a smaller frame, Thorne hunts the ball and the man with intent, never shirking a contest. He also plays at a frenetic pace and hits his targets by hand or foot.

REGAN CLARKE – PERTH DEMONS
The Manning Junior is a hard-working wingman who has also demonstrated an ability to play as an inside midfielder. He made a name for himself when he kicked the winning goal against Vic Country that ultimately secured Western Australia the U18 Championships. In four games for the Sandgropers, Clarke averaged 15 possessions, 6 marks and 4 inside 50s. He finished sixth in Perth’s Colts’ Best and Fairest after he averaged 20 possessions, 5 marks, and 4 tackles across six games. His best performances came against South Fremantle in round two (20 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles), Swan Districts in round three (26 possessions, 6 tackles and 5 marks) and Subiaco in round 17 (26 possessions, 6 tackles and 4 marks). He also showed encouraging signs when playing for Perth’s Reserves team. In two games, he averaged 20 possessions, 6 marks and 4 tackles.

NICK MARTIN – SUBIACO
The Noranda Junior has demonstrated an ability to be a dangerous medium-sized forward for both Subiaco and Western Australia. In four games for Subiaco’s Colts team, Martin booted 9 goals and averaged 21 possessions, 6 marks and 2 tackles with his best performances coming against and Swan Districts in round five (24 possessions, 9 marks and 3 goals) and South Fremantle in round 11 (17 possessions and 4 goals). He also showed encouraging signs when playing for Subiaco’s Reserves team. In 7 games, Martin kicked 10 goals and averaged 12 possessions and 4 marks, with notable performances against Claremont in round 14 (10 possessions and 3 goals) and East Perth in round 20 (16 possessions, 8 marks and 3 goals). Martin was also a member for the WA U18s State Academy. In 3 games, he averaged 10 possessions and 3 marks.

BEN SOKOL - SUBIACO
The 23-year-old claimed the 2019 Bernie Naylor Medal after he booted 60 goals from 20 games. He also claimed the Simpson Medal as the best player on the ground in the 2019 WAFL Grand Final after he booted 6 goals from 15 possessions to guide the Lions to back-to-back premierships. As a medium-sized forward, Sokol has drawn comparisons to Melbourne’s Bayley Fritsch. Both can play tall due to their marking ability, and their mobility allows them to be dangerous on the ground level. In 20 games for the Lions’ League team, Sokol averaged 15 possessions, and 8 marks. Other notable performances were against Perth in round 17 (21 possessions, 13 marks and 7 goals), Swan Districts in round 18 (22 possessions, 12 marks and 6 goals), West Perth in round 19 (16 possessions, 11 marks and 6 goals) and East Perth in round 20 (15 possessions, 13 marks and 6 goals).

NATHAN IRELAND – SWAN DISTRICTS
The Bunbury product has proven to be a good key position prospect with solid performances for Swan Districts’ senior teams. In 8 games for the Reserves, Ireland averaged 12 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles with his best games coming against Subiaco in round five (16 possessions and eight marks), East Fremantle in round 14 (13 possessions and 11 marks) and South Fremantle in round 16 (16 possessions and five marks). He showed plenty of encouraging signs when he played for Swans’ League team. In five games, he booted 3 goals and averaged 9 possessions, 3 marks and 3 tackles with his best performance coming against Subiaco in round 18 (13 possessions, 4 marks and 2 goals). Ireland is strong overhead, makes sound decisions and has neat skills.

ZAK PATTERSON – WEST PERTH
The Joondalup-Kinross junior is a ruckman who is athletic, skilful and has strong ruck craft for someone his age. In 12 games for West Perth’s Colts team, Patterson kicked 4 goals and averaged 14 possessions, 27 hit-outs, 3 marks and 2 tackles. His best performances came against Claremont in round two (12 possessions, 23 hit-outs and a goal), East Fremantle in round five (15 possessions, 19 hit-outs and a goal), Subiaco in rounds 12 (13 possessions, 5 marks and 2 goals) and 19 (21 possessions and 36 hit-outs) and East Perth in the Second Semi-Final (17 possessions and 27 hit-outs).

NOAH PEGORARO – WEST PERTH
The Kingsley amateur only joined West Perth this season but has shown enough across six League games to receive recognition from AFL clubs. Across the six games, Pegoraro averaged 12 possessions, 5 marks, 5 hit-outs, 3 tackles and 2 inside 50s. His best performances came against Peel in round one (15 possessions and 6 marks), Swan Districts in round four (12 possessions, 8 marks and 7 hit-outs) and Perth in round 13 (18 possessions, 13 hit-outs, 5 marks and 4 tackles). As a key defender, Pegoraro is strong overhead, reads the play well, positions himself in the right spot and makes sound decisions with ball in hand.