WAFL Team of the Week – Round 4Tuesday, May 2, 2023 - 10:27 PM - by Chris Pike

WITH Swan Districts breaking through for a first win, East Fremantle and Subiaco continuing to win, and Peel Thunder and Claremont bouncing back emphatically, there was hot competition for spots in the Round 4 WAFL Team of the Week.

It was a fascinating weekend of WAFL action in Round 4 only further highlighting just how tight and competitive of a competition it is with there now no longer any teams yet to lose this season, and plenty of players delivering standout performances.

That makes selection in the Team of the Week tough to nail down with so many genuine contenders and that was again the case in the five matches in Round 4 of the 2023 season.

The action got underway on Saturday with the first game of the season for East Fremantle at the WACA Ground, and it turned out to be an entertaining affair with the Sharks keeping Perth winless with the 16.9 (105) to 12.5 (77) victory.

Then later on Saturday, Peel Thunder took charge against the previously undefeated East Perth to score the comprehensive 13.8 (86) to 6.17 (53) victory.

Next up was a battle of the last two premiers with Subiaco ending up beating West Perth in a performance with plenty to like as the Lions won 9.12 (66) to 6.9 (45).

The final match up on Saturday afternoon saw Swan Districts score its first win of the season and snap a nine-year hoodoo at Fremantle Community Bank Oval by beating South Fremantle 13.10 (88) to 10.10 (70).

The round wrapped up on Sunday at Revo Fitness Stadium with Claremont handing the West Coast Eagles a third straight triple-figure thrashing by winning 23.16 (154) to 6.7 (43).

That all led into the selection of the Team of the Week for Round 4 from those who performed well in those five matches, so let's get to how it came together.

PLAYER OF THE ROUND – BRADY GREY (PEEL THUNDER)

There might have been other players putting up bigger numbers, but there was no more influential player across Round 4 of the WAFL than what Brady Grey delivered as the tough and tenacious midfielder for Peel Thunder against East Perth.

He has returned to Western Australia this season to resume his career at Peel and while the Thunder are getting strong service out of their Fremantle-listed players, they need their WAFL players to step up and he is leading the charge so far.

The task was ahead of the Peel midfield on Saturday as well as they took on the undefeated East Perth and it was the mix of Mitch Crowden, Hamish Brayshaw, Christian Ameduri, Tom North, Stan Wright, Angus Scott and Angus Schumacher who were brilliant in the first three rounds.

The Royals were undefeated coming into Saturday's clash at Leederville Oval and those midfielders who could be spread through the middle, off half-back and up forward by coach Ross McQueen were a massive reason for that.

That meant for the Thunder to be any chance of knocking them off on Saturday their midfield had to step up and in the end it was Grey who led the charge and Peel went on to record the supremely impressive 33-point victory.

Grey last played in the WAFL for two years ago with Perth on the back of a season with the West Coast Eagles in 2019 after the first 52 games of his career in the competition were at the Thunder while he was on Fremantle's list.

He would also play 21 AFL matches with the Dockers and after a year back in Victoria in 2022, he returned to WA to take on a job at Fremantle as the Indigenous player liaison and a development coach, and to resume his WAFL playing career at Peel.

He started the season well in Round 1 against East Fremantle before getting hurt the next week against Perth and then missing the loss to South Fremantle, but he was back with a vengeance against East Perth on Saturday.

Grey finished the game with 19 possessions, seven tackles, seven clearances, five inside-50 entries and a goal to have a significant influence on the result for Peel, and to show why he still has plenty to offer as that tough, physical and hardnosed ball winning midfielder for the Thunder.

Players of the Round
Round 1 – Max Walters (Subiaco)
Round 2 – Tyler Keitel (West Perth)
Round 3 – Ryan Borchet (Subiaco)
Round 4 – Brady Grey (Peel Thunder)

WAFL TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUND 4

BACK: Anthony Stephens (SD), Angus Dewar (S), Toby McQuilkin (SF)
HALF-BACK: Jack Avery (P), Jacob Blight (PT), Jye Bolton (C)
CENTRE: Kyle Baskerville (EF), Tobe Watson (SD), Aidan Lynch (WP)
HALF-FORWARD: Charlie Thompson (P), Tom Emmett (PT), Dylan Main (SF)
FORWARD: Jonathon Marsh (EF), Jesse Palmer (SD), Bailey Rogers (C)
RUCK: Zac Clarke (S), Milan Murdock (EF), Brady Grey (PT)
INTERCHANGE: Dakota Baldwin-Wright (P), Karl Worner (PT), Lachlan Martinis (C), Ben Johnson (WP)

BACK POCKET – ANTHONY STEPHENS (Swan Districts)
He now has 62 games to his credit as a key member of the Swan Districts' back-line and while he might fly under the radar from outside the club, inside the four walls of Steel Blue Oval there's no member of the team held in higher regard. Continues to take on the biggest defensive jobs and remains rock solid for the Swans and did that again in Saturday's win against South Fremantle while also finishing with 13 touches and nine tackles.

FULL-BACK – ANGUS DEWAR (Subiaco)
The Subiaco back-line has been remarkably miserly so far this season outside of Perth's first quarter in Round 1 and then East Perth's first half in Round 2, and the Lions again put the clamps on West Perth on Saturday. He was at the forefront of it and given the job to quell the influence of Tyler Keitel who had kicked 15 goals his last two games. He held him to one goal on 12 kicks and six marks while having 20 touches himself as he revels on his return to defence in 2023.

BACK POCKET – TOBY MCQUILKIN (South Fremantle)
What an emergence it continues to be after he broke into the South Fremantle team late in 2021. Went on to have a cracking 2022 season where he finished runner-up in the fairest and best at the Bulldogs behind Haiden Schloithe, and has now started 2023 in perhaps even better form. While South Fremantle lost to Swan Districts, he couldn’t have done more on Saturday both with his defensive efforts but then in setting up play out of the back half with 29 disposals, six inside 50s, four marks and three tackles.

HALF-BACK FLANK – JACK AVERY (Perth)
He is a good size at 190cm and is capable of holding down some key defensive roles for Perth, but is proving to be quite the first-class attacking and ball winning threat for the Demons coming out of the back-line as well. He might have only played in one win in his 24-game career to date, but he is in strong form and had another 33 possessions and 12 marks in his first ever game at the WACA Ground on Saturday.

CENTRE HALF-BACK – JACOB BLIGHT (Peel Thunder)
It was a focus of Peel in the off-season to strengthen their key defensive stocks and they were able to secure his services after he had played seven matches the past two seasons with Claremont. While he does have an AFL premiership defender, Joel Hamling, down there with him, he has started his new life with the Thunder in standout form and stood tall in the win against East Perth. Rock solid defensively along with 19 possessions and 11 marks.

HALF-BACK FLANK – JYE BOLTON (Claremont)
He was coming off an uncharacteristically quiet game against Subiaco the week before thanks to the close checking of young Lions forward Koltyn Tholstrup. He hit back emphatically on Sunday just like you'd expect from a two-time Sandover Medal and four-time Simpson Medal winning 136-game star. Was brilliant controlling play off half-back for the Tigers with 40 possessions and eight marks.

WING – KYLE BASKERVILLE (East Fremantle)
The 2021 fairest and best winner at East Fremantle was still named to the WAFL Team of the Year in 2022 despite missing six matches, and now he has opened up 2023 in brilliant form as part of quite the dominant Sharks midfield unit. Was instrumental in the win against Perth finishing with 30 disposals, 10 tackles, four inside 50s, three marks and a goal.

CENTRE – TOBE WATSON (Swan Districts)
It was a Swan Districts midfield missing stars Sam Fisher and Aidan Clarke as they came up against South Fremantle on Saturday hunting a first win of the season, and he had a massive say in the final result as Swans broke through against the Bulldogs. Ended the afternoon with a standout performance consisting of 22 possessions, six tackles, five marks, four inside-50 entries and a goal.

WING – AIDAN LYNCH (West Perth)
He returned to West Perth in 2022 and became a premiership player, and now the 113-game veteran is in some terrific form again to start the 2023 season and enjoyed his increased responsibility in the absence of co-captain Aaron Black on Saturday. While the Falcons lost to Subiaco, he did all he could to lift his team and ended up with 22 touches, 11 tackles, four marks and four entries inside the forward 50.

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – CHARLIE THOMPSON (Perth)
The former Coburg VFL midfielder has settled nicely into life in the WAFL with Perth under coach Peter German. Has slotted into a role off the wing and his hard running, strong body and nice kicking skills have made him one of their standouts over the opening month. Had another first-rate performance against the Sharks on Saturday ending the afternoon with 25 touches, six marks, four tackles, four inside 50s and two goals.

CENTRE HALF-FORWARD – TOM EMMETT (Peel Thunder)
The first-year Fremantle draftee is adjusting to life in the WAFL in impressive fashion and is proving to be a handy mid-size forward option. Was terrific as a goalkicking target for the Thunder in Saturday's win against East Perth and finished up kicking three goals along with 12 kicks, four tackles and three marks to mean his AFL debut might not be too far away.

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – DYLAN MAIN (South Fremantle)
The South Fremantle captain has had a bit of a rough run in recent times with injury, but he has come into 2023 season looking right back on top of his powers physically, he's spending more time playing on the ball and his form might well be the best it's been in his 131-game WAFL career. He's proving schmick around the stoppages but then dangerous moving forward and that was on show against Swan Districts where he kicked three goals to go with 21 disposals, four marks, three tackles and two inside-50 entries.

FORWARD POCKET – JONATHON MARSH (East Fremantle)
Didn't have the start to the 2023 season he was after having to serve out a two-game suspension, but returned last week with two goals and had an even more ominous performance against Perth on Saturday. As perhaps the best pure match winner in the WAFL and most imposing physical presence, he kicked three goals from 23 possessions, seven inside 50s, four marks and three tackles against the Demons along with some mighty fine posing routines in celebration.

FULL-FORWARD – JESSE PALMER (Swan Districts)
His form has been a bit of a mixed bag since arriving at Swan Districts in 2021 after his time with Port Adelaide which included three AFL games in 2016. However, he's always had a great goal sense and he's in a stirring run of form right now. After kicking three goals the previous week against West Perth, backed it up with four standout goals in the win against South Fremantle from eight kicks and three marks. 

FORWARD POCKET – BAILEY ROGERS (Claremont)
The 2021 Sandover Medallist has started the 2023 season back to his top form and he put that all on show in the 111-point win against West Coast on Sunday. Was an unstoppable presence when both in the middle and going forward for Claremont to finish with a brilliant four goals to go with 33 disposals, 10 inside-50 entries and four marks.

RUCK – ZAC CLARKE (Subiaco)
Has returned to Subiaco this season on the back of a 110-game AFL career with Fremantle and Essendon to resume a WAFL career already including 86 games and two premierships, and has been in ominous form in the ruck for the Lions. Stamped his authority again with a best on ground performance in Saturday's win against West Perth finishing with 23 disposals, 41 hit outs, six marks, five inside-50 entries and a goal.

RUCK ROVER – MILAN MURDOCK (East Fremantle)
On the back of winning the fairest and best at East Fremantle in 2022 and consolidating himself as one of the best inside midfielders in the competition, he has started the 2023 campaign in even more imposing form. Is just so ferocious with his attack on the ball that he's an unstoppable force and had another 32 touches, four inside 50s, three tackles and a goal in win over Perth.

INTERCHANGE – DAKOTA BALDWIN-WRIGHT (Perth)
Has always been a talented ruckman with a big upside, but it now appears new coach Peter German is going to help him realise his potential. Looks to be in the best shape of his life and his form in the ruck for the Demons is backing that up both in what he can do in the ruck contests, but then also his ability to link up around the ground. Was tremendous against East Fremantle with 26 touches, 33 hit outs, six inside 50s, five marks, three tackles and a goal.

INTERCHANGE – KARL WORNER (Peel Thunder)
Is in the middle of some supremely striking form as a running and creative defender playing off half-back for Peel. Has strung together four straight strong performances now to be banging down the door for a call up to Fremantle's AFL team. Was superb in the win against East Perth finishing with 33 touches, 11 marks and three tackles.

INTERCHANGE – LACHLAN MARTINIS (Claremont)
Claremont's great strength has become its attack created from the defensive end and he has continued on his superbly consistent form that's seen him named to the WAFL Team of the Year each of the past two seasons. Was sensational with his run and drive again in Sunday's win against the Eagles finishing with 35 touches, six marks, four tackles and two entries inside the forward 50.

INTERCHANGE – BEN JOHNSON (West Perth)
The former West Coast-listed small defender has finally banged the door down for selection in the Team of the Week this season having strung together four straight strong showings for the Falcons. Became a premiership player in 2022 as a key member of the back-line and has been outstanding so far in 2023 including another 23 disposals, four marks, three tackles and three inside 50s despite the loss to Subiaco on Saturday.

UNLUCKY BUNCH

There were plenty of players who delivered tremendous performances across Round 4 but couldn’t quite fit into the Team of the Round, including:

East Fremantle's Josh Schoenfeld, Tom Joyce, Hugh Dixon, Cam Eardley and Brayden Lawler.

Perth's Sam Stubbs, Austin Davis, Matthew Taylor and Corey Byrne.

East Perth's Mitch Crowden, Hamish Brayshaw, Angus Scott, Tom North, Kye Willcocks and Angus Schumacher.

Peel Thunder's Nathan Wilson, Anthony Treacy and Ben Hancock.

West Perth's Luke Meadows.

Subiaco's Galen Savigni, Stefan Giro, Jaxon McGowan and Liam Hickmott.

South Fremantle's Tom Blechynden, Jacob Dragovich and Brendon Ah Chee.

Swan Districts' Jarvis Pina, Jesse Turner and Jackson McLachlan.

Claremont's Joel Western, Zac Mainwaring, Ben Edwards, Declan Mountford, Ronin O'Connor and Oliver Eastland.

West Coast's Kane Mitchell, Josh Browne and Ethan Hansen.