WA youngsters show good signs but lose to Vic MetroSaturday, June 13, 2015 - 9:39 PM - by Chris Pike

DESPITE again having some impressive individual performances led by West Perth's Clint Hinchcliffe, Western Australia has gone down on Saturday to Vic Metro by 74 points at Domain Stadium as part of the 2015 AFL National 18s Championships.

The game was played as a curtain-raiser to the West Coast-Essendon AFL clash at Domain Stadium, but despite WA starting reasonably well and showing some fight in the third quarter, it was Vic Metro who ended up winning 19.7  (121) to 7.5 (47).

The result means that WA's State 18s team has now lost three straight matches for the championships after starting impressively with a thrilling one-point win over the two-time defending champions South Australia at Lathlain Park.

Since then, the Black Swans have lost to Vic Country by 105 points at Medibank Stadium, to South Australia by 73 points at AAMI Stadium and now 74 points at the hands of Vic Metro at Domain Stadium.

West Perth's Hinchcliffe worked hard throughout the whole match against Vic Metro finishing with some impressive numbers compiling 24 possessions, six inside-50 entries, four clearances and a goal.

Jake Waterman returned to the WA side and the son of West Coast dual premiership star Chris, and current Eagle Alec, and kicked two goals to go with seven possessions and four marks.

Captain Greg Clark, Josh Schoenfeld, Chad Daniels and Cameron Zurhaar were the other goal scorers for WA.

Claremont's Declan Mountford also amassed 18 possessions to go with six marks, five inside 50s, four rebounds from the defensive 50 and three clearances.

Levi Ridley also worked hard for 18 disposals while winning three clearances and driving the ball inside-50 on six occasions.

Jordan Snadden also gathered 15 touches for WA and Kade Stewart 15 (eight clearances) while Jordan Goddard and Michael Cronan battled hard in the ruck finishing with 34 and 18 hit outs respectively.

Vic Metro had a host of star performers in their big win with Jack Silvagni kicking six goals from 18 possessions and seven marks while Ryan Clarke had 27 disposals and three goals.

Jade Gresham also had 26 possessions for the Victorian team, Bryce Batty 24, Matthew Perry 21, Harley Balic 20 and Fraser Pearce 20 while Hisham Kerbatieh kicked three goals as well, and Callum Moore and Blake Hardwick two apiece.

Vic metro kicked the first four goals of the match before WA got on the board with the last two majors of the opening quarter first thanks to Zurhaar and then Waterman shortly before quarter-time.

WA didn’t manage a major in the second quarter while Metro kicked five to go into half-time leading by 44 points, but the home side showed some better fight in the third term with three goals to four to see the Victorian team's lead only extend to 50 points by the last change.

However, Vic Metro then piled on six goals to two in the final quarter to run out 74-point winners.

WA will now have a week off to prepare for their final two matches starting against Vic Metro at Geelong's Simonds Stadium on Friday June 26 and then the following Thursday July 2 against Vic Country also at Simonds Stadium.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA        2.2    2.4    5.4    7.5    (47)
VIC METRO            4.1    9.6    13.6    19.7    (121)

WA– Goals: Waterman 2; Hinchcliffe, Clark, Schoenfeld, Daniels, Zurhaar.
Best: Hinchcliffe, Mountford, Stewart, Ridley, Waterman, Clark, Schoenfeld.
VIC METRO– Goals: Silvagni 6; Kerbatieh 3, Clarke 3; Hardwick, Moore 2; Gallucci, Perry, Gresham.
Best: Silvagni, Clarke, Gresham, Batty, Hardwick, Kerbatieh, Perry, Balic.