Search Results

It took 23 years between George “Staunch” Owens becoming the first ruckman to win a Sandover Medal and Merv McIntosh winning the second. It remains the longest gap between ruckmen winning the WAFL’s greatest individual honour. The order is Owens (1925), McIntosh (1948, 53-54), Graham Farmer (1956, 57 and 60), Jack Clarke (1957), Brian Foley (1959), Stephen Michael (1980-81), John Ironmonger (1983), Craig Edwards (1989), Gus Seebeck (1999), Ryan Turnbull (2001) and Lachlan Delahunty (2019). The medal might have morphed into a midfielder’s award but don’t be surprised if it is hung around a ruckman’s neck at this year’s Sandover count. And that man is likely to be Ollie Eastland, the Claremont star who won their fairest and best award last year and has started this season in even better form. Eastland has been Claremont’s best player in three matches this season – the two-point loss to West Perth, the one-point loss to South Fremantle and the strong win over Subiaco – to suggest he might already be closing in on double-figure votes in the medal. Totals of 25 and 26 have secured the past two medals. Eastland’s emergence as one of the league’s best players is based on excellent tap work but even more impact when the ball hits the ground. He gets 45 hit outs a game but has also won the ball 21 times to go with four tackles and nearly a goal an outing. When he plays well, his team either wins or gets into a position to win. Delahunty had the same influence at Subiaco five years ago. He might have had less influence at ruck contests where he won about 15 a game, and the Lions were content to use him as an extra midfielder, but did more around the ground with 26 disposals and a couple of tackles. The spirit of East Fremantle premiership ruckman and WA Hall of Famer Percy Johnson, the sometimes cantankerous but always fascinating SportFM football analyst, accompanies Eastland whenever he runs onto the field. Johnson was Eastland’s mentor in his early days in league ranks and always recalls the advice to “compete, compete, compete”. Johnson also had a mantra for the numerous young ruckmen he tutored in the craft - make second efforts, follow up the ball, hit packs hard and keep your eyes on the ball. Johnson always said that ruckmen are more important than “rabbits”, the midfielders who feed off the efforts of their bigger colleague. If Eastland can continue his golden run long enough to keep the rabbits at bay on Sandover Medal night, there will be a happy ruckman somewhere in footy heaven. IMAGE: The West Australian

Emerging midcourter Jordan Cransberg says she’s embracing every moment she receives on the court during the West Coast Fever’s red-hot start to the season. After impressing the Fever enough in 2023, Cransberg was elevated from training partner and received a three-year contract starting in 2024. In the two opening games against the GWS Giants and Sunshine Coast Lightning, Cransberg has played minutes in the midcourt, along with Alice Teague-Neeld, Kelsey Brown and Jess Anstiss. Speaking after their 25-goal win against the Lightning, Cransberg says being clear on her role is key for her in the first part of this season. “I think that role is to come on and impact if I need, even when I need to,” she told SportFM. “I'm enjoying every single moment out there. I think if on the bench, if I can be as loud as I can to support the team. “When I get those opportunities on court, to embrace it and be confident and go out and show them what I can do,  which hopefully I can continue to do and those opportunities will come a little more. “(I’m) really just enjoying every single moment I get on court and off court because it's been a pretty amazing two weeks and have absolutely loved every second.“ The formidable Fever midcourt group conceded just three turnovers on the weekend, restricting the Lightning from scoring and cutting back the Fever’s winning margin. Jamaican internationals Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford worked hard in attack to put 81 goals on the board, with Fowler embracing the Super Shot more this year than ever. Fowler-Nembhard was highly accurate on the weekend, scoring 63 from her 65 shots and landing all three of her super shot attempts, while Beckford hit eight of her 11 scoring attempts. With an almost telepathic connection, Cransberg says the combination is ‘amazing’ to watch. “There was one play on the weekend that I don't think everyone on the bench just laughed at because it was so good,” she said. “Shanice has really showed that she can take it to anyone at this level and she's been really amazing. “Her connection with Jhaniele has just made Jhaniele's life so much easier and now Jhaniele is dominating as well, so it's really, really special to watch.” This weekend, the Fever head to Victoria to play the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena. This is the first time the two teams will come head-to-head in the Suncorp Super Netball competition. Despite not having much experience against them, Cransberg believes the Fever are in a good position ahead of the game on Saturday. “They're very much a new-look team, don't have as much experience and know what to expect,” she said. “We've watched a lot of footage and we played them during the preseason twice. That experience will put us in a good position I think, and then just refining a few things at training this week to make sure that we're the best prepared we can be.” IMAGE: FILE

Premiership-winning forward Peter Sumich has commended Jake Waterman for his recent performances, stating it’s been a good opportunity to ‘show his wares.’ The 25-year-old sits in third place with 17 goals in the Coleman medal count, behind GWS’ Jesse Hogan and Carlton’s Charlie Curnow after kicking five goals Fremantle. One week, prior Waterman matched his career-best total and kicked six goals, leading to a 39-point win over Richmond in West Coast’s first win of the season. Sumich, who won club-leading goalkicker seven times, told SportFM Waterman always had the armoury to play well, but lacked opportunity. “He's always had the armoury to play like that, it's just probably the opportunity,” he said. “Now he's got a little bit of momentum, you'll see a change in his attitude which we have. He's a very good player. He's very mobile, very fit, he can work up the ground. “His one-on-one contest is a little bit old-fashioned where he knows how to use his body and if you know how to use your body in a one-on-one contest, you're going to be a very good player. “He's got it probably through his old man who would have taught him how to marry up against an opponent and use your body your hips and push off at the right time. He's done that a few times and taken some great marks.” Last season, Waterman only played 11 games before serious illness sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Since returning in 2024, Waterman has stepped up in Oscar Allen’s absence and become West Coast’s most potent forward, averaging 14 disposals and seven marks per game. Although Allen, who kicked 53 goals to come equal-fifth in the Coleman last year,  is ruled out at least until the bye with a knee injury, the prospect of a Waterman-Allen duo looks ‘threatening,’ according to Sumich. “He's got good opportunity to really show his wares and with Oscar Allen being out, Josh Kennedy of course retiring, Darling at the end of his career,” he said. “Stand up, and that's what he's done and the kid's done it really well. I think he's going to be a terrific player. “The combination of him and Oscar Allen now looks threatening going forward. Darling can just be that third and then take a bit of pressure off him and he can chime in.” Jack Darling added yet another highlight to the Derby win, kicking two goals which took him to 514 goals, equalling Sumich in second place in the club’s goalkickers list. “Records are meant to be broken, if you want to call them records,” said Sumich “For him to kick over 500 goals in today's football is an outstanding effort. No matter how many games you play, kicking 500 plus is a great effort in AFL football, so well done him. “If he can get his body 100% right, he can still then help the Eagles and be that third tool to Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen… and really help these young kids and probably kick close to 600, hopefully.” IMAGE: AFL Photos

West Coast midfielder Reuben Ginbey says the way teammate Harley Reid plays is ‘different’ and something the side wants to reward. On Monday evening, the AFL announced the number one pick as round five’s rising star nominee after a phenomenal performance against the Tigers. Reid had 27 possessions, and eight clearances, playing a crucial role in bringing West Coast their first win of the season. Speaking on Sports Breakfast, Ginbey, who was a rising star nominee last year, had plenty of praise for his teammate. “He handles it awesomely, you can't really tell what's going on with Harley. He's always the same. He's a great guy to hang around and pretty chill,” he said. “He's taken it all in his stride and the footy he's playing for us is awesome. He's just building and building and building every week. “I see a player play like that in their fifth game, I don't know what kind of player he's going to become, but I guess one who just doesn't sit back.” With each round, Reid has grown more confident and continued to add more highlights to his reel. Most notably his clearance work in which he takes on several opponents and breaks tackles. West Coast has been consistently strong in clearances all season, including matches in which they lost by large margins. When asked about Reid's influence, Ginbey says it encourages the team to lift when he does ‘something crazy’. “The clearances he gets are just different,” Ginbey said. “His ability to not get tackled, I don't think he's got properly tackled yet, Like if you tackle him, he'll get his hands out and if you wrap him up, you're lucky. “We're 0-3, me trying to tackle Harley, he's put me on my backside three times. His strength as a young player is crazy. “It really does lift us. I know the crowd loves him as they should. I know when he does something crazy we really try to reward him because it really does get us up and about.” Reid’s nomination is another plaudit added to a successful weekend for West Coast. Hours before the bounce, West Coast’s WAFL side finally snapped a 660-day losing streak against reigning premiers East Fremantle by four points. With the AFL side also entering the Western Derby with a 39-point win and under their belt, Ginbey admits this may be the start of something positive. “We're not going to get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “We got one win but I think any kind of win, the confidence that it can give a group, the experience of actually winning a game of footy. A lot of us young fellas don't know that, we're just used to losing. “That feeling of getting in front by a few goals and being able to hold that and extend that lead, all that experience is going to be great for us. “I think that can hopefully definitely build something this year and going forward.” IMAGE: Getty Images

Former Docker Brad Wira says the return of Sean Darcy may be the key to solving Fremantle’s scoring woes. Fremantle remain in the top eight despite a horror fortnight in Adelaide which saw them come away a 3-2 win-loss record, losing to Carlton and Port Adelaide who sit above them on the ladder by 10 and 3 points respectively. Since round three, Fremantle has not scored above 70 points, with the last two games resulting in losses during the game's dying minutes. Speaking to Sports Breakfast, Wira said Fremantle has plenty of positives to take away, particularly in their defensive game. “I think that 69 and 63 points is just not enough in this game,” he said. “You can defend their life depends on it, I think they're number one in the comp. They've got that part right, but it does leave you open. “We saw the evolution of Collingwood, they would win close games. Carlton had to learn last year or the year before, they lost all the close ones and learned how to defend at the end. “That's part of Fremantle that needs to. If we're close, how do we really, lock it down as opposed to defend.” Fremantle are one of the best defensive teams in the competition, despite missing players such as Brennan Cox and Oscar McDonald. However, the Docker’s scoring woes are evident - ranking 13th for total goals scored averaging 11.2 per game. Wira believes a key player who has been sidelined with injury for the first few rounds may be a solution to this glaring issue. “The elephant in the room is they need to kick more goals,” he said. “The introduction of Sean Darcy will probably assist, but they won't have a power forward like a Curnow or a Mackay. “It might assist in 15 points that moves them from 60 to 80. With their defensive mode, I think that might be the key.” This weekend, the Dockers will look to return to their winning ways in the Western Derby against cross-town rivals, the West Coast Eagles. The Eagles come fresh off a 39-point win against an injury-ravaged Richmond side, with numerous stellar individual performances across the board. Wira is backing Fremantle to get the Derby win but cautions West Coast should not be underestimated. “The Dockers are more steady but hats off to West Coast,” he said. “They were great on the weekend. Sometimes we forget, they've got some wonderful players and when they're fit, aka Elliot Yeo, he gets ten coaches, votes and wins games. “No game is easy in this competition now. It is so tight and we've seen that with Hawthorn pushing Collinwood. We see Adelaide beat Carlton, there's just no easy game. “Fremantle won't take it lightly. They should be favourites and they should win, but underestimate West Coast at your peril.” IMAGE: Fox Sports

Former Premiership Eagle Peter Sumich says West Coast win over Richmond was a ‘great result’ for the club, with plenty of positives to take away. West Coast recorded its first win for the season, with a 39-point win over an injury-ruined Richmond side, lifting them from the bottom of the ladder. After conceding the first four goals of the game West Coast switched back on after Jack Darling and young gun Harley Reid kicked two back-to-back goals. From there, the Eagles piled on a further 14 goals - six belonging to Jake Waterman. After calling for West Coast to kick more goals over the past few weeks, Sumich told Sports Breakfast increasing their scoreline paid off, with the crowd getting up and about. “It's amazing how you can get a forward who can stay at home a bit more and get him one-on-one,” He said. “Tylar Young, he was a little bit raw and that's fine, West Coast has been in a similar position. “It was good to get a hold of someone and someone kicked six goals, it's amazing isn't it? Kicking goals that everyone gets excited about. “At West Coast, they've just got to keep kicking ten-plus goals and everyone gets excited, whether they win or lose. I don't think that's the problem, it's more about the way they go about it. In the midfield, Elliot Yeo wound back the clock and delivered a classic performance, with 27 disposals, two goals and 15 clearances. He was supported by Tim Kelly who had 29 touches and eight clearances, while Reid took the game on to finish with 27 touches and seven clearances. Sumich said the midfield’s performance was an overriding positive, with plenty of growth across the board. “He keeps growing and growing Yeo. It's amazing how you can get your body right, what can happen? Harley Reid keeps improving. To what level this year? We'll wait to see,” he said. “The midfield really got on top. So that was the key. Ginbey was okay, but he seems to be growing. Positive signs. “Once Taranto went out, in a couple of hours, I think that that was nearly game over for Richmond. If West Coast bought their A game, or a game that was always going to be competitive, they were always going to be in it to win.” Post-game, teammate Yeo and coach Adam Simpson advocated for Reid’s Rising Star nomination for round five. Sumich says you can’t complain about his performance and instinct to take the game on. “He's going to be a very good player. I'm not going to say a champion player because we'll give him that title when he deserves it. Right now, he's a very good player. “He's going in the right direction, and that's all he has to do. In the years to come, hopefully, he gets to that status.” IMAGE: Getty Images

Fremantle development coach Tendai Mzungu says fans should be confident in the depth on their list developing at Peel Thunder in the WAFL. With one of the youngest and most inexperienced sides in the AFL, Fremantle started their season in tremendous fashion going 3-1 to sit seventh on the ladder. Just ten players have played over 100 games, while 25 have played under 50, with young guns like Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Luke Jackson leading the charge. However, speaking to Mzungu on Sports Breakfast, plenty of young Dockers are impressing at WAFL level, proving they’re ready to make the AFL jump - including defenders Josh Draper and Karl Worner. “You do see players coming in and performing quite well at the (AFL) level,” he said. “It's very much a development space at times at Peel and trying to hone your craft and do your apprenticeship there, making sure that you're ready to perform when you come in. “I look at our list and how driven the younger players are, and how passionate they are and how willing they are to grow their game and learn. “Not everyone's going to make it, but we think that we've got the core group that can take us to where we want to go.” When discussing players, Draper was highlighted for his past few games in the AFL since debuting in round two. The Next Generation Academy product looks incredibly promising and has shouldered the responsibilities that come as an AFL key defender in Brennan Cox and Oscar McDonald’s absences. This included playing against Coleman medallists Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay in last week’s heavily debated 10-point loss to Carlton. “He sees the game well, he's very athletic and he's got a really good turn of foot as well, which hopefully once he builds confidence in his game he'll be able to see a bit more of that explosiveness as well,” said Mzungu. “I was lucky to work with him from the age of 14 and watched him develop and he's played a number of positions forward in ruck and even time as a midfielder. Once he got into the club we saw some real upside in being a key defender and bringing his strengths behind the footy. “He's a beauty, but he played reserves football last year at times, not even cracking a league game. He's pretty proud to see how far he's come, how much he's developed his game.” For a young team, Mzungu says while players are eager to play, focusing on their values, strengths and weaknesses at WAFL is key to ensuring they’re a complete AFL player. “Young players particularly are impatient, they want to play straight away and some do take longer,” he said. “The taller players are generally the ones that take a little bit longer, and players come from different physicals. They just need to build their bodies to get to a level where they can compete at AFL level. “Some guys, like Cooper Simpson and Matt Johnson and Jye Amiss, they probably get to the level a little bit quicker, so there's gonna be some variations across the list. “Our job as a development coach is to really set them up and to keep them focused and dialled into what's important.” IMAGE: AFL

West Coast Eagles forward Jamie Cripps says West Coast’s team defence needs to be top-notch against the chaotic Tigers. On Sunday, West Coast will look to win their first game of the season against an injury-ravaged Richmond side at Optus Stadium. However, despite losing the likes of Noah Balta, Dion Prestia, Tom Lynch and Dylan Grimes, Cripps told SportFM it won’t be an easy game. “Richmond is going to be a tough game. I think their first half last week was really good,” he said. “The quick game that they play is hard to defend, so our team defence has to be right up there. “If we play a good four-quarter effort, I think we can get the win. Looking forward to it and hopefully, a big crowd can come out to show their support and get behind us.” When asked about what a win against Richmond would mean for the club, Cripps said it would be ‘massive’, especially for the younger players. “They can feel that win feeling, sing that song, which we haven't done for a while," he said. “If we're getting the win, we obviously played a good brand of footy, the brand that we want to play each week. So fingers crossed that we can come out and get the win.” Richmond has just one win this season which happened a fortnight ago against Sydney, in what was a resilient, but daring display. One week later, West Coast outscored and challenged the Swans in the first half, but dropped away to lose the match in the second half. Compared to previous weeks, West Coast looked stronger across the board and converted more scoring opportunities to come away 11.12 (78). Cripps says, although satisfying to see some results, it needs to be a four-quarter effort to get a win. “It's good to finally see what we've been working on in the pre-season, and in the training in the first few weeks of the season come out in a game. We haven't really had that this year,” he said. “That was the most disappointing thing in the first three games that we were just going out there and we weren't seeing anything that we were working on. In little snippets, we would. “On the weekend, it was just a longer brand of footy that we want to play for two to three quarters and now we have to do it for the four quarters to start getting some wins.” Over the weekend, Harley Reid kicked his first goal for West Coast, and proudly tugged his jumper in celebration as his teammates gathered around him. The much-hyped battle between Richmond superstar Dustin Martin and Reid will take centre stage at Optus Stadium on Sunday. Within four games, Reid has made a name for himself with his fend-offs and broken tackles, with fans eager to see how he matches up with Martin's 'don't argues.' “He's just a big unit. He's strong. I think he broke a fair few tackles on the weekend,” said Cripps. “He's a good user with the footy and he can go up forward and kick goals as well. “He's definitely good to have in the midfield, he's got a bit of speed behind him as well which is nice. He can get on the outside and use his legs.” IMAGE: AFL

West Coast Fever assistant coach Sara Francis-Bayman says Fever won’t have a ‘complete overhaul’ of game style this season, despite having a massive turnover in players. The West Coast Fever’s Suncorp Super Netball campaign commences this Saturday against the GWS Giants at Ken Rosewell Arena. During the trading and signing period, Fever lost numerous key players for the club including veteran GK Courtney Bruce, Sasha Glasgow and Verity Simmons - resulting in a new-look Fever outfit. Fever has brought in six new players to replace those who departed, as they look to make finals for their fifth straight year. Talking to Sports Breakfast, Francis Bayman says she is happy with how it’s all coming together. “The amount of player turnover that we've had, you've got to adapt to the strength of the team and that looks slightly different this year than it has done,” she said. “Defensively, we want to win more ball throughout the court. With the loss of Courtney, we feel like we need a more even spread of ball winners. There's a focus on that. Attacking-wise, we keep Jhaniele, but we've got different players around her, so that might look slightly different also. “People know their role in this team. Hopefully, they're able to show that and enjoy it and, put their best foot forward at the weekend.” After Bruce, Kim Jenner and Rudi Ellis’ departure, Sunday Aryang remained the only defender on the list. This season, the Diamond will receive support from Fran Willams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney who represent England and Jamaica respectively. Francis Bayman believes the defence will be formidable with the experience within the side. “Katie-Anne comes to us from Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Melbourne Vixens before that, so she has a lot of experience within this league,” she said. “It's Fran's first year in SSN and she's excited to get going. She is a World Cup silver and bronze medalist with England. She's a key part of their defence and I think she's fitted in perfectly and had some really strong pre-season performances. “You combine that with Sunday Arayang, a Diamonds defender and a West Australian product, it's a pretty formidable defence. We were really happy with the blend during the recruitment and what we were able to land on.” In the attacking third, shooting sensation Jhaniele Fowler will team up with her Jamaican teammate Shanice Beckford and rising Australian talent Olivia Wilkinson. Francis Bayman says the connection between the Jamaican teammates is ‘almost telepathic’ and is excited about the partnership. “Shanice is another Jamaican international and hugely experienced at international level but again her first year in the Australian league,” she said. “She's got a long-standing connection with Janelle. They played together internationally for years and years. We were excited about putting that connection into the domestic competition and seeing how they go. “They're almost telepathic. They're really strongly connected and that's exciting.” IMAGE: FILE

One of the best things to come out of the Gather Round in Adelaide was the return of Victoria to State football. Even better was the Big V going 14 points down to a South Australian team that will have a crack at beating WA for the fifth time in as many seasons when they meet for the 99th time next month. Victoria spat the dummy and walked away from State football when a WA team coached by Mike Broadbridge and captained by Kyal Horsley towelled them up at Port Melbourne in 2017. That was the first and only time that WA have beaten Victoria on their home turf and while it does not carry the same weight as the inaugural State of Origin match or the 1961 carnival triumph, it remains one of the high points in the State’s interstate rivalry. On a personal level, that was one of the best sporting trips I have experienced as a reporter covering State and national teams. The camaraderie and focus within the playing, coaching and support groups were almost unrivalled in my experience while there were numerous memorable moments to stoke the conversation whenever the participants encounter each other. Two things spring to mind. The first was Horsley’s short, sharp and incisive comment to a team-mate who was excited that he had got tickets to the Dreamtime match at the MCG after the State game. “Not having winners’ drinks with your mates after our game?” Horsley asked as his target got the message in an instant and immediately asked, somewhat mournfully, ‘Anyone want four tickets to Dreamtime at the G?’” The second was at the official jumper presentation at the team hotel the night before the match when Jack Bradshaw’s grandmother brought the house down with her response to a comment by assistant coach Paul Johnson. Bradshaw had been plucked from the Claremont reserves and did his job superbly with three important goals, as well as sustaining a critical knee injury that subsequently ended his career. He was presented with his WA jumper by Johnson, the former East Perth star and Melbourne, Hawthorn and West Coast ruckman, who made his feeling known about the Victorian opposition. “I hate the $@#%s,” he said before spluttering an apology when he realised that Mrs Bradshaw was sitting in the front row. “That’s alright Paul,” she said, “I quite agree with you.” The room erupted amid a growing sense that the next day would belong to WA. The game has changed fundamentally since then with the VFL expanding to the northern States and even having Port Adelaide contemplate joining them in the near future. That particular madness is the topic for another column but it does suggest that the VFL is regaining some of the credibility and value lost before and after their pasting by the Black Swans. WA football officials have not had any contact with their VFL counterparts but it is likely that an approach will be made to ascertain Victoria’s interest in returning to the interstate roster. State football is still the pinnacle for many players and an important indicator of a league’s health. WA have lost their past four games to the Croweaters since annual contests replaced the previous three-year rotation that included Victoria, Tasmania and versions of Queensland or the defunct NEAFL. Three of those losses have been by seven, four and 13 points to suggest there is little between the leagues though, to be fair, the margins have flattered WA. Cam Shepherd will coach WA for the third time and will be aided by experienced WAFL coaches Ross McQueen and Beau Wardman, and newcomers Horsley and Adam Read. Their programme will start in a week or two to prepare for the May 18 match which, with a bit of luck, will not only mark WA’s 49th victory over SA but the return to a full hand of interstate rivals. And how good would it be for WA to have the chance to defend their historic win over the Big V with another win on their Melbourne dung heap? IMAGE: SANFL

Perth Football League Chief Executive Andrew Dawe is confident clubs will adhere to the new concussion guidelines implemented in the off-season. In March, the PFL announced its new concussion protocols, which included increasing the return to play period to 21 days after a concussion, provided the player is medically cleared. Previously, WA football followed the national AFL guidelines which allowed players to return 12 days after a concussion. Speaking ahead of round one, Dawes says these protocols enable amateur footballers to return to football in a ‘safe and healthy’ manner. “There's been a fair bit of noise around concussion, obviously in the last year or so,” he said. “We've adopted a concussion protocol that's in line with effectively what the Australian Sports Commission has recommended, what the AFL has recommended, and certainly in line with what the West Australian Football Commission is doing. “Like everyone else, except the AFL, sitting out for 21 days if you do get a concussion, of which you need 14 days of recovery and making sure that you get medical clearances, so it's safe and healthy when you return.” The Perth Football League is working with stakeholders, including clubs and their trainers to educate and equip them with the tools needed to help implement and follow the new guidelines. Guidelines are designed to prioritise player welfare and provide a consistent and structured approach to concussion management. Some guidelines include gradual reintroduction to activity, a 14-day symptom-free period, prioritising work and education before return to play, and holistic assessments of concussions. While acknowledging it may be an ‘absolute challenge,’ Dawes says he is hopeful the clubs will adhere to the guidelines. “As soon as we saw these proposed changes, that an issue would be under reporting, but we're hopeful that we've got the mechanisms in place,” he said. “We also think that society has caught up and understood that this is a serious issue and that if you're playing God as such, then that's a dangerous way to move forward. “We have referral forms, we've got a clear set of guidelines to help not only just the player, the trainers, the club, but also to educate the medical practitioners when a player presents with a concussion from the weekend. “We're hopeful that they will adhere to it, and I think the societal trends will dictate that.” Over 320 teams - including 68 women’s teams, across 72 clubs will take the field around the Perth Metropolitan region for round one of the PFL this weekend. IMAGE: Perth Football League

Fremantle defender Jordan Clark is backing in Alex Pearce to do the job on Carlton’s lethal forward duo on Saturday during their clash at Adelaide Oval. Carlton and Fremantle are sitting in the top six with three wins each and will go head-to-head, hoping to come away remaining undefeated. Carlton’s forward contains Coleman medal-winning duo Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, who have accumulated 21.6 goals between the two of them this season. However, Clark, told Sports Breakfast the backline is up for the challenge. “Carlton are a very good team all over the ground and that can be a really good challenge for us,” he said. “Alex Pearce is in great form, and all the backs are going to have a big job this week as do our midfielders and forwards. “The more pressure on the ball in any game the easier it is to play.” The Fremantle captain has started the season in tremendous form, playing some career-best footy - averaging 13.3 disposals, 3.3 intercept marks and 4.7 tackles across three games. Also in the backline, is key defender Josh Draper, who has had a solid start to his career after coming in to replace the injured Oscar McDonald and Brennan Cox in round two. The Peel product is set to play a fundamental role and assist Pearce in reducing Curnow and McKay’s impact on the scoreboard. “He obviously played in the WAFL now for probably a year and is reaping the rewards now,“ said Clark. “He's very athletic, he's made for the modern game and quite a raw footballer. I'm excited to see what player he's going to turn out to be in the future. “I think he’s going to be a very exciting, full player for us in a backline or wherever he wants to play. It is a credit to him and how he has developed since he walked through the doors.” Carlton, who sits sixth on the ladder will be looking to beat Fremantle to jump into the top four, while the second-placed Fremantle will look to establish themselves as a serious contender after missing finals last year. This is the first time the Dockers have started the season 3-0 - a significant improvement from their start last season. However, Clark said he wouldn’t be reading too much into this game. “Certainly these are the games you want to play in, the big ones that both teams are undefeated and there's a lot of pride on the line,” he said. “You always want to win, there is obviously going to be a lot on this game and rightly so. “I think both teams probably earned that right with the form they're in at the start of the year, so it'll be a pretty good battle come Saturday." IMAGE: Getty Images