KIA State Game Preview - WAFL v SANFLThursday, May 18, 2023 - 1:16 PM - by Chris Pike

WESTERN Australia will attempt to snap a three-match losing run and level the overall ledger with South Australia in Friday's KIA State Game between the best of the WAFL and SANFL at Adelaide Oval.

It has now become an annual fixture between the proud football states to battle over the Haydn Bunton Cup and the 2023 edition takes place this Friday afternoon at Adelaide Oval with the game beginning at 1.40pm WA time.

The game will be streamed live on the AFL App from 1.30pm and will be played as the lead up to the Port Adelaide-Melbourne AFL contest on Friday evening at Adelaide Oval.

This year's State match will be the third straight year that WA and SA have done battle, and the streak dating back to 2018 when it became an annual event was only interrupted by COVID in 2020.

South Australia has won the past three match ups including by 53 points two years ago at Adelaide Oval, and then four and seven-point victories at Optus Stadium in both 2022 and 2019.

WA's late State game win came back in 2018 which was also at Adelaide Oval when the Black Swans prevailed by 26 points.

Overall, the two proud football states have played one another 97 times dating back to 1904. Currently it's the Croweaters leading the head-to-head battle with 49 wins to 48 but Friday's game presents the chance for the Sandgropers to even the ledger at 49-49.

Meanwhile, the WAFL team is up against it at Adelaide Oval. From the 23 State games played at the venue, South Australia has won 20 of them including 13 of the past 14 with WA's lone win that one in 2018.

From the 23-man squad picked to represent WA, it will be West Perth's reigning Simpson Medallist Luke Meadows the most experienced State player who will be pulling on the black-and-gold jumper for a fifth time.

East Fremantle's Jonathon Marsh and Subiaco's Ben Sokol will be playing for a fourth time along with defensive trio Noah Pegoraro (West Perth), Chad Pearson (South Fremantle) and Cam Eardley (East Fremantle) making a third appearance.

Captain Matthew Jupp from East Fremantle will be playing for a second time along with vice-captain and reigning Swan Districts fairest and best winner Jesse Turner. East Perth's Angus Schumacher, Perth's Michael Sinclair, Subiaco's Stefan Giro and West Perth's Zac Guadagnin will also be playing for a second time.

Making their State debuts will be Claremont trio Oliver Eastland, Teia Miles and Jack Buller, East Fremantle on-ball maestro Milan Murdock, East Perth trio Angus Scott, Mitch Crowden and Hamish Brayshaw, Peel Thunder captain Ben Hancock, South Fremantle duo Toby McQuilkin and Tom Blechynden, and West Perth powerhouse forward Mitch Dobson.

Dual Peel Thunder premiership winning coach Cam Shepherd is once again the man in charge of the WAFL State team, and he's looking forward to getting to Adelaide Oval with a well-rounded WA team at his disposal.

"I think the timing is actually really good for us with it being a curtain-raiser to a pretty big AFL game. It will be a great experience on Adelaide Oval for all of our players and we are really grasping that with both hands," Shepherd told 91.3 SportFM.

"We've again rewarded some players who have played a lot of WAFL footy and been great warriors for the state competition like Ben Hancock who is the captain of Peel and played 139 games there now. 

"He's a great leader but he's also in fine form so we've tried to reward guys who have put in great effort over a long period of time and who are in really good form. 

"Then you have guys like Blechynden who will play his first game of State footy, Blechynden will play and they are joining three or four others in their first games.

"We've just tried to pick players who are playing their best footy in their positions for their clubs. We've never been a State that has really big bulking bodies that are physical so we are looking at using our skill and our speed to hopefully counter attack the South Australians."

The South Australian team will be coached by premiership winning Norwood SANFL coach Jade Rawlings. 

With a strong playing and coaching background in the AFL, he gives South Australia a strong presence as leader and he certainly takes State football seriously.

"We're really excited about the opportunity. It's genuine with how both States approach this game and with the best of the best wanting to play and striving to play rather than having to be convinced to play," Rawling said.

"That lends itself to a really healthy contest and to be able to play at Adelaide Oval gives the players the chance to play at a great venue with the opportunity for players from both States to put their best foot forward."

Jupp has now put together a career of 168 games at East Fremantle to earn the universal respect of the WAFL community. He's also grown into his role as captain at the Sharks and was a natural selection to captain WA for the first time.

It's a role he has thrown himself full into and narrowed the focus given the short time frame and limited time the WA players do get to spend together in preparation for Friday's game.

"It's a bit hard to put into words. It's still a bit of a pinch yourself moment when you're able to be chosen to be the captain of your state," Jupp said.

"It’s right up there with the pinnacle of what I'll achieve in my career, and I would put it alongside finals wins. I'm extremely honoured to be able to do that job.

"In terms of leading the State team, it's quite different because when you lead your club you have a lot more time and you can develop a lot more standards, and the culture. But that's a little more difficult in the State program just due to the time frame.

"So I've just kept it really simple and my No. 1 focus is about giving us a purpose and to me that purpose is representing our State and making the people that are involved in our game no matter in what capacity proud. 

"We want to represent WA with pride and then it's about unifying this group. We are a team of champion, but can we become a champion team in a short period of time. So we're doing everything we can to unify and that's been the main two things I've focused on."

KIA WAFL STATE SQUAD

CLAREMONT - Oliver Eastland, Teia Miles, Jack Buller

EAST FREMANTLE - Matthew Jupp, Milan Murdock, Cam Eardley, Jonathon Marsh 

EAST PERTH - Angus Schumacher, Angus Scott, Mitch Crowden, Hamish Brayshaw 

PEEL THUNDER - Ben Hancock 

PERTH - Michael Sinclair 

SOUTH FREMANTLE - Toby McQuilkin, Tom Blechynden, Chad Pearson 

SUBIACO - Stefan Giro, Ben Sokol 

SWAN DISTRICTS - Jesse Turner 

WEST PERTH - Luke Meadows, Mitch Dobson, Noah Pegoraro, Zac Guadagnin 

SANFL STATE SQUAD

CENTRAL DISTRICT – Jez McLennan

WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS – Connor Ballenden, Mitch Hardie, James Rowe, Joe Sinor

GLENELG – Matthew Allen, Darcy Bailey, Lachie Hosie, Liam McBean, Max Proud, Brett Turner

NORTH ADELAIDE – Cameron Craig, Mitch Harvey, Harrison Magor, Keenan Ramsey, Frank Szekely

NORWOOD – Harry Boyd

SOUTH ADELAIDE – Eamon Wilkinson

STURT – Will Coomblas, Martin Frederick, Josh Hone, Tom Lewis, Connor McFadyen, Casey Voss

WEST ADELAIDE – Josh Ryan