The WAFL Eagles recorded back-to-back pre-season wins when they defeated Swan Districts by 12 points at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday.

In warm conditions, the Eagles had 14 AFL listed players suit up, with young recruits including Tom Gross, Malakai Champion and Sandy Brock all making their mark in the 16.12 (108) to 15.6 (96) victory.

Coach Kyal Horsley said he was pleased with the group’s performance.

“It was a really good hitout for our playing group and another opportunity to grow and execute our game plan in all phases,” Horsley said.

“We are pleased with how the connection is growing and we are playing some exciting football.

“While we are seeing positive signs, we know there is still plenty of work ahead of us to become a finished product.”

Top Performers:

Sandy Brock

Sandy was clearly the best player on the ground. Last week his offensive running was impressive, but he didn’t get on the end of the ball as he was attracting opposition players which would free up teammates. This week he ran the same but got the reward and generated a lot of offence for us. His defence has been at very high level all pre-season and this game was no different.

Tom Gross

His tenacity and intent inside is becoming a hallmark of his game. He led the team in pressure acts and disposals and has strung together an impressive three-game stretch.

Malakai Champion

It was an impressive game from Mally. He led the forward line for pressure acts, got rewarded by getting four shots at goal and converted three of those. He is building well and his understanding of his role is growing each week.

Loch Rawlinson

Another strong game from Loch, while he’s always had a high work ethic and his defensive efforts have been a highlight, he’s now added the ability to link up in transition and connect the ground offensively for us.

AFL Listed Players:

Jack Petruccelli

Jack was one of our leading pressure players in the front half and got the reward with three goals. His leadership was important with a young forward line and you could see him educating and helping players understand their role in the moment.

Jobe Shanahan

It can be a hard game as a key forward when the game is played with so much length and space as the game becomes unpredictable. What you can do is focus on what you can control and I though Jobe did that well. He kept putting himself in good spots and making good choices when he got his opportunities.

Rhett Bazzo

It was Rhett’s second game back from injury, and he produced another strong performance. His positioning and work with the back six was important, he is seeing the game well, and his voice and leadership have been evident. It was another step forward, and it’s great to see him playing with such freedom.

Harvey Johnston

‘Whop’ played on the wing all game, and he used his running power to link the ground for us both offensively and defensively. His creativity by hand and foot opened the game up, his energy and spirit was infectious for his teammates.

Matt Flynn

Matt played with a real physicality in the contest which set the tone for everyone, and his aerial power was evident with eight marks, most of them being contested and pack marks. He managed to hit the scoreboard as well, finishing with two majors.

Clay Hall

Clay dealt with some attention from the opposition, which is a mark of respect with the impact he’s had this summer. He worked his way through it and looked to help his teammates get free which showed a selfless mentality and a maturity beyond his years.

Harry Barnett

It’s always hard to play as the deepest defender against Swan Districts as they hold so much length, but I thought Harry learnt a lot within the game around his positioning. He worked his way through how to play against something different, which is such a unique challenge. He played as the second ruck in the second half and had an impact.

Lucca Grego

We played Grego as an inside mid this week and I thought he applied himself well and worked himself into the game. His composure with ball in hand within chaos is impressive and his combative nature serves him well within stoppage.

Hamish Davis

Hamish’s running power was on display again, he continually got back to support our defence and then would be getting on the end of it and delivering it inside 50 to our forwards. He is in good form and has real respect and trust from his teammates.

Coen Livingstone

It was his first game back from concussion, and he didn’t miss a beat. He played mostly as a forward with some ruck time in the first half. He competed well in the air and applied good pressure at ground level. He kicked three goals straight off set shots which is a real strength to his game.