M & J Chickens Player of Round 13Wednesday, July 4, 2018 - 12:59 PM - by Chris Pike

FOR virtually every week of the 2018 WAFL season so far Lachlan Delahunty could have rightfully been named the M & J Chickens Player of the Round and Round 13 is the time for the versatile Subiaco big man to receive the recognition.

Subiaco took on West Perth as part of the International Football Festival at Joondalup Arena on Saturday and once again the Falcons were able to push the Lions, but with Delahunty one of a host of players standing up, they continued their unbeaten start to the 2018 season.

Subiaco did come into the game missing three of its four leading goal scorers for the season – Brad Stevenson, Rhys Waters and Kyle Halligan, so the Lions did need others to stand up to kick a winning score and that certainly didn’t prove a problem.

Delahunty stepped up kick a career-best five goals in the win for Subiaco and with third-gamer booting five majors as well, the Lions ended up beating West Perth by 33 points to improve to an 11-0 record on the season.

While Delahunty has spent much of his 75-game career with Subiaco as a key forward, he had never kicked more than the four goals in a game that he kicked against East Perth last year in Round 23 at Leederville Oval.

He had kicked three goals in another two games as well and then two on another 10 occasions, but kicking goals wasn’t always his greatest strength.

That changed on Saturday against West Perth as he kicked five majors for the first time in his WAFL career made up of one in the first quarter, one in the second and three in the third while also finishing the game with 28 possessions, 11 marks, six inside-50 entries, five hit outs and four tackles.

While other Subiaco players also stood out in the win over West Perth on Saturday, including Josh Deluca (34 possessions, eight tackles), Chris Phelan (31 disposals, eight marks), Zac Clarke (17 touches, 51 hit outs) and Ryan Borchet (five goals), Delahunty was named M & J Chickens Player of the Round.

It continues what has been an outstanding season from the 27-year-old who is in his fifth season at Subiaco since being recruited from VFL club Frankston.

Delahunty played in Subiaco's premiership wins of 2014 and 2015 doing so largely as a centre half-forward in the first win against East Perth and then playing in the ruck in the win the following year in 2015.

He has had to largely play in the ruck much of the past two seasons as well with Subiaco reaching two more Grand Finals and finishing as minor premiers along the way.

But what the arrival of Zac Clarke in 2018 has done is allow Delahunty to enjoy greater freedom to no longer have to play as Subiaco's No. 1 ruckman with Clarke doing so well in that role.

That has seen Delahunty start most games at centre half-forward but through any game he plays any number of roles. That includes as a hard-leading centre half-forward roaming up the ground and then driving it inside-50 for the other forward options.

Then he has also spent time still playing in the ruck backing up Clarke while also spending time as a big-bodied wingman and on-baller, while also spending more time closer to goal on occasion as well.

That versatility has made him a standout player all season with Subiaco where he is now averaging 23.2 possessions, 7.2 marks and 11.6 hit outs a game while kicking 18 goals, including 11 in his last four matches.

He is in some stunning form right now and if he can keep it going, he's going to be a key reason why Subiaco might be unstoppable on the way to the 2018 premiership.

M & J Chickens Players of the Round
Round 1 – Rhys Palmer (Swan Districts)
Round 2 – Fraser McInnes (East Perth)
Round 3 – Cody Leggett (Perth)
Round 4 – Shane Nelson (West Perth)
Round 5 – Patrick McGinnity (East Perth)
Round 6 – Marlion Pickett (South Fremantle)
Round 7 – Andrew Strijk (West Perth)
Round 8 – George Hampson (East Fremantle)
Round 9 – Nick Suban (South Fremantle)
Round 10 – Ben Howlett (Peel Thunder)
Round 11 – Michael Bennell (Perth)
Round 12 – Kyal Horsley (Subiaco)
Round 13 – Lachlan Delahunty (Subiaco)