Win over SANFL another WAFL highlight for StrijkWednesday, May 27, 2015 - 10:33 AM - by Chris Pike

ANDREW Strijk has plenty of highlights throughout his decade-long career but his two best State game memories have now been wins over South Australia following Western Australia's 45-point win at Lathlain Park on Saturday.

 Strijk has now played 155 games for West Perth since making his WAFL debut in 2006 and he added 13 matches in the AFL with the West Coast Eagles, and has now represented the WAFL four times in State matches.

And along the way he has become a WAFL premiership player, won a West Perth fairest and best awards and had plenty of career highlights, but the wins over the SANFL in State matches are right up there.

Strijk was part of the WA team that beat South Australia by a point in 2009 to break a 15-year drought and then again on Saturday, he starred in WA's 45-point win over the Croweaters at Lathlain Park.

"This would be right up there with the last time we played South Australia over here and beat them by a point," Strijk said.

"Playing against the Vics they are obviously quality opposition so it was good to beat them a couple of years ago, but our history with South Australia has been so close with ebbs and flows. It had been about 15 years since beat them when we did it the last time so to get the second win over them in recent years was outstanding."

The 27-year-old certainly enjoyed the experience and the game style instilled in the WA team by coach Darren Harris suited Strijk perfectly and he ended up with 27 possessions and eight marks running off half-back.

"It was very enjoyable to be part of and it just adds a sort of dimension to your football to play with guys that you usually play against. You sort of form a bond with them pretty quickly and to play as a team like we did was pretty impressive," he said.

"They are a quality outfit and I thought we played very well to beat them. That free-flowing type football does suit me, but I think the coaches picked a team for that as well. All 22 of us are pretty much suited to that style of football and we executed the game plan very well, and pretty much ran them off their legs."

By making his league debut at West Perth in 2006, Strijk missed out on the chance to play on Falcons premiership captain and coach Darren Harris narrowly as that was the year he joined West Coast and went on to become an AFL premiership assistant coach.

However, Strijk has always heard the highest of praises of Harris and certainly saw why when coached by him in the State game.

"I was saying to Blacky on the way to the game that one of the regrets I had that I didn’t get to play under Harro," Strijk said.

"I was playing colts in my first year and Harro was coaching the seniors at the time and there were guys like Todd Curley and Kim Rigoll in the team, and I looked up to those guys like you wouldn’t believe. To now get the chance to play under Harro was unbelievable.

"I've heard really good things about him and all of them have proven to be true. He's a fantastic coach and the way he talks to you, he makes you feel comfortable, he is approachable and he is a fantastic coach. It was awesome to get the chance to play under him."

Strijk turned out to be just one of two West Perth players selected in the State game alongside Aaron Black who also had a terrific game with 28 possessions and two goals.

Shane Nelson has won the last two West Perth fairest and best awards and is again averaging 32 possessions and 13 clearances a game this year, but was the last person left out of the WA team on Saturday morning. Strijk has no doubt he will bounce back now on Monday against East Perth.

"I think Nelly was probably the most unlucky of all the West Perth players who missed. They were all unlucky, but given Nelly's form this season has been second to none in the competition but he is the kind of kid who won't let it get him down," he said.

"He will bounce back and have a fantastic game against East Perth next week, and try to prove to everyone that he deserved to be in the State team because that's the kind of player he is. He is a two-time best and fairest, is a fantastic person and his character is unquestionable."

It's not back to normal business for Strijk and West Perth this Monday against East Perth in the WA Day derby at Medibank Stadium.

With the Falcons having won three of their last four games and the Royals losing three straight, both teams come in on different form lines but Strijk knows West Perth will need to be at its best to get over the line.

"They are going to come at us with everything they've got, there's no doubt about it, and we have to be good enough to absorb it and hit back. I think we are good enough to do that," Strijk said.

"As a team we are going in with some fantastic form and the personal form isn’t that important. It's good to be in good touch, but to play a team like East Perth all 22 of us need to play as a team and they are a fantastic outfit.

"It's going to be a real challenge for us next week because we had to work very hard to get the win against them a couple of weeks ago. We won't find it as easy to get a run on this time and I think they are going to come out pretty hard, and we need to be ready for that."