The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Opinion

AFL Preseason Challenge Cup: Western Australia

Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
Roar Guru
2nd May, 2020
13

This team has the ability to beat any other state in this hypothetical Preseason Challenge Cup, including Victoria.

It’s remarkable that a team that comprises two clubs could defeat Victoria, which is made up of ten teams, but at least on paper it appears as if the West Australian team has a chance to win the game.

It was an easy choice to make the current Captain of the West Coast Eagles, Luke Shuey and the Fremantle Dockers current Captain, Nat Fyfe as Co-Captains of this hypothetical team; both lead by example.

Even though the Fremantle Dockers have struggled of late, they still had nine of the players compared to the West Coast Eagles who had 13 players in the starting 22. Check out the team:

Coach: Adam Simpson (West Coast Eagles)
B: Brad Sheppard (West Coast Eagles), Joel Hamling (Fremantle Dockers), Shannon Hurn (West Coast Eagles)
HB: Liam Duggan (West Coast Eagles), Jeremy McGovern (West Coast Eagles), Nathan Wilson (Fremantle Dockers)
C: Andrew Gaff (West Coast Eagles), Nat Fyfe (co-captain – Fremantle Dockers), Blake Acres (Fremantle Dockers)
HF: Matt Taberner (Fremantle Dockers), Nathan Vardy (West Coast Eagles), Jack Darling (West Coast Eagles)
F: Michael Walters (Fremantle Dockers), Joshua J. Kennedy (West Coast Eagles), Rory Lobb (Fremantle Dockers)
FOLL: Sean Darcy (Fremantle Dockers), Tim Kelly (West Coast Eagles), Luke Shuey (co-captain – West Coast Eagles)
I/C: Dom Sheed (West Coast Eagles), Elliot Yeo (West Coast Eagles), Darcy Tucker (Fremantle Dockers), Nic Naitanui (West Coast Eagles)
Emg: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle Dockers), James Aish (Fremantle Dockers), Luke Ryan (Fremantle Dockers), Liam Ryan (West Coast Eagles)

Coach
Adam Simpson has coached the West Coast Eagles to a premiership and has proven to be arguably one of the best coaches in the competition, while Justin Longmuir has coached just one game where the Fremantle Dockers narrowly lost. Therefore, it appears as if the logical decision is to pick Adam Simpson as coach of the team.

Adam Simpson

Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Backs
Remarkably, Brad Sheppard finished third in the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest. He is an underrated player, so the season that he had in 2019 may be a surprise to some.

Advertisement

Joel Hamling is a quality fullback who finished seventh in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest. Hamling managed to win a premiership with the Western Bulldogs and has the capability to be regarded as one of the top defenders in the competition if he can stay injury-free.

Shannon Hurn has been a stalwart defender for the West Coast Eagles. He finished ninth in the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest.

Halfbacks
Liam Duggan is a quality player who plays on a halfback flank.

Jeremy McGovern is arguably the best centre-halfback in the competition.

Nathan Wilson can create run off the halfback flank.

Centres
Andrew Gaff is a top player and was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian squad of 40.

Nat Fyfe was captain of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team.

Advertisement
Nat Fyfe

(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Blake Acres has a lot of ability to make a difference if he starts on the wing. Acres had an excellent preseason, but injured a hamstring and will come back and prove that he is a good player.

Half-forwards
Matt Taberner has the capability to be one of the best mobile half-forward flankers in the competition.

Nathan Vardy would flourish if given the opportunity to play at centre half-forward.

Jack Darling was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and deservedly so.

Forwards
Michael Walters was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and can play in the forward line and on a wing.

Joshua J. Kennedy is still capable of kicking goals and making a difference.

Advertisement

If Rory Lobb can replicate the manner in which he played in Round 1 of season 2020, then he will be one of the key players for the Fremantle Dockers. Lobb finished eighth in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest.

Followers
Sean Darcy can be a top ruckman.

Tim Kelly was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and will take the emphasis off the likes of Luke Shuey and Andrew Gaff.

Tim Kelly

(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Luke Shuey won the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest leads from the front; consequently he was chosen as captain of the West Coast Eagles from the start of the 2020 AFL season.

Interchange
Dom Sheed is a player who has the capability of being a match-winner as he proved when the West Coast Eagles won the premiership.

Elliot Yeo was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team on the interchange bench.

Advertisement

Darcy Tucker finished tenth in the 2019 best and fairest and has plenty of potential.

Nic Naitanui would benefit from not playing the whole game because he is injury-prone.

Emergencies
Andrew Brayshaw is a player who needs time to develop, but Brayshaw managed to finish ninth in the 2019 Fremantle best and fairest.

James Aish has plenty of potential and will prove to be a good recruit for the Fremantle Dockers.

Luke Ryan finished sixth in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest.

Liam Ryan did well in 2019, finishing seventh in the West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest.

close