Premiership forward Ashley Hansen continued his push for a recall to senior football with a dominant performance for Swan Districts against East Fremantle on Saturday and will surely be a topic of discussion at match committee this week.
The flame haired veteran kicked five goals in a strong display for Swans and was one of several players under notice in the WAFL.
Rookie utility player Callum Wilson continued his good form in attack for South Fremantle with another six-goal haul, while ruckmen Mark Seaby and Will Sullivan – who were opposed to each other for much of the day – each contributed strongly for their team.
And midfielders Tim Houlihan (East Fremantle), Pat McGinnity and Tom Swift (Claremont) also played strongly, while Beau Wilkes showed his versatility by being under notice at both ends of the ground.
West Perth v Perth
Mark Seaby: Found himself opposed to Sullivan and Krueger and also spent 15 minutes at centre half-forward in the last term. He had a good dual with Sullivan, his work rate was good and picked up 10 possessions in the third quarter. In all, Seaby had 25 possessions and 28 hit outs which made him a good contributor for West Perth.
Will Suillivan: Played in the ruck against Seaby for three quarters and Morrow in the final term. After giving Seaby a little too much latitude early in the first quarter he tightened up and enjoyed a good contest. He also won 23 hit outs and kicked a very good goal on the run.
Ashley Smith: Played in the back pocket and across half-back for the duration of the game. Defensively he did a good job on his opponents, Saylor, Harvey and Smoker. He restricted the impact of his opponents and he offered good run out of defence for the Demons.
Claremont v South Fremantle
Tom Swift: Was opposed to Peter Bell for periods in the game which would have been a good learning curve. Was effective around the stoppages. Played as a loose man in defence in the last quarter and excelled. Generally used the ball well.
Pat McGinnity: Worked his way into the game. His defensive pressure was very good.
Lewis Stevenson: Played on a wing and had a good contest with Malseed. He put his body in the contests and laid some strong tackles. He ran hard forward and kicked a good running goal, with a bounce, from about 50 metres.
Beau Wilkes: Started forward and worked hard, taking eight marks in a side well beaten. Played back in last quarter and had one goal kicked on him.
Liam Bedford (reserves): Liam played at half-back and had a good first quarter, but injured injured a knee in the second term and was brought off the ground. He returned, but had did not reach the same levels.
Callum Wilson: Continued his good form as a key forward, lead well to space and was a major factor of his game. Callum’s skills were very good and he finished the game with six goals. Consistently provided a target for his teammates.
East Fremantle v Swan Districts
Tim Houlihan: Houlihan played on the ball on the wing in a midfield that was well beaten. He was his team’s best player and highest possession winner, despite finishing the game at three-quarter time with hamstring tightness.
Tony Notte: Notte started the game inside 50 and lead well but was not used on occasions. He took several strong contested marks and in the second quarter was used higher up the ground. Notte worked hard in these roles but struggled to maintain his work rate due to the type of running required in these positions.
Ashley Hansen: An outstanding display where Hansen played from full-forward and used his hard run to create space and to wear down his opponents. He took several strong contested marks and combined with his clever leading, took eight marks inside 50. As Swans dominated play large numbers flooded back in front of Hansen in final term, and his 10 marks and five goals came in three quarters.
Ryan Davis: Ryan played deep in defence opposed to Riley Dunn – who was East Fremantle’s leading target. Davis was moved into the midfield during the second quarter and for the entire fourth quarter where he consistently picked up possessions.
