WA Ends National 18s Carnival with Home VictoryTuesday, July 26, 2022 - 1:02 PM

WA has finished its NAB U18 AFL National Championship campaign with a strong win over South Australia at Pentanet Stadium in Joondalup. 

Playing their first match in Perth during the carnival, the West Australians scored a 20-point win, pleasing State coach Ben Dyer. 

“It was good reward for the boys after a testing carnival,” Dyer said. 

They’ve put in a lot of effort, learnt some great lessons, and then to leave it all out there and come away with the win was a pleasing way to finish.” 

WA had lost its previous three matches of the Carnival, and despite controlling large portions of the match, the Black Swans had to hold off a surge from South Australia in the third quarter. 

“We always had a slender advantage but couldn’t quite build a lead to be comfortable with. The game was in the balance at three quarter time, and it was a real credit to the boys the way they took their opportunities when they presented early in the last,” Dyer said. 

After tweaking and fine-tuning the side’s output through the Championships, the persistence of the players paid off. 

“Sometimes when you are doing a lot of things right and it isn’t ticking the scoreboard over, it can be quite deflating, but the boys stuck to the task and never let up against SA.  

We felt like the game could break open and it was good to put a margin on them and keep them at bay late. 

For probably the first time over the carnival, we had some good forward pressure and I felt that our ability to create chances off inside 50 numbers was a real positive,” according to Dyer. 

East Fremantle’s Jed Hagan enhanced his Draft prospects with a best-afield performance with 22 disposals, 5 tackles and two goals. 

Defenders Jack Cleaver, Hugh Davies and Jed Adams were also strong contributors. 

In the midfield, Darcy Jones produced an eye-catching display with 18 disposals and a goal, while Reuben Ginbey continued his path towards a potential first round draft selection with 20 possessions. 

 After a consistent Carnival Ginbey was named WA’s Most Valuable Player. 

“Rueben was clearly our most consistent performer across the four games. 

He has a great power/endurance combination to his game which makes him a midfielder who can impact inside and outside. 

I thought Jed Hagan was consistent all day as a high forward and hit the scoreboard when he needed to, while Tyrell Dewar was lively, and Koen Sanchez has added a touch of class to the team in the latter part of the carnival. 

Jed Adams and Hugh Davies were very solid down back against the highly regarded SA key forwards,” Dyer said. 

WA shared the workload in front of goals with Koen Sanchez, Jed Hagan, Harry Cole, and Tyrell Dewar all booting two goals each. 

Midfielder Elijah Hewett provided one of the highlights of the match, with a stunning mark on his opponent’s shoulders in the second quarter. 

 While WA’s results were mixed, Dyer implored the teenage talent to make the most of their opportunities this year ahead of the National Draft. 
“I think it’s important they understand that the back end of the WAFL season is so important. 

Recruiters have been able to compare our players against the national talent pool, but history tells us that good performances post carnival, particularly in finals, can elevate a player’s standing,” the coach said 
 
Dyer also wanted to acknowledge a broad section of the football community who’ve played a part in WA’s campaign. 

“First and foremost, the WAFL clubs have shaped the players to this point. 

They do a terrific job preparing the boys.  

Our team at the State Academy is too large to individualise, but all members of our team are involved for the right reasons, and they go above and beyond to help the boys. 

Winning the last game was terrific for them too,” he said. 

Final Scores:
WA 4.2 7.6 9.7 15.10 (100) 

SA 3.1 5.3 8.6 12.8(80)