Track watch: Every WAFL club’s pre-season standouts

We take a look at your club’s pre-season standouts so far as things ramp up towards a massive 2026 Sullivan Logistics WAFL season.

Claremont

Emerging defender Jasper Peace has been a standout on the track at Revo Fitness Stadium this pre-season as he looks to build on a breakout senior campaign in 2025. The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting young players in the competition and was last week ranked in the top-25 young guns to watch in the 2026.

East Fremantle

Former Essendon rookie Oskar Smartt has settled in nicely at The Good Grocer Park, arriving for day one of pre-season of November and barely putting a foot wrong since.

Three-time Lynn Medal winner Milan Murdock continues to impress, as does defender Jack Avery, athletic utility Reuben McGuire and youngsters James Spadanuda and Griffin Vladich.

East Perth

Prized recruit Cooper Stephens has been a welcome sighting on the track after the former Geelong and Hawthorn midfielder missed his entire debut WAFL season with a ruptured ACL sustained last pre-season.

Experienced trio Hamish Brayshaw, Scott Jones and Harrison Macreadie are enjoying strong pre-seasons, with Xavier Milner, Andre Gullini, Jordyn Baker are and returning ex-Brisbane Lion Darcy Craven among the younger players going well for last season’s grand finalists.

Peel Thunder

Small forward Kyelan Sanders looks set to take his game to another level this year if his work on the track is anything to go by.

The 19-year-old made his league debut for the Thunder and booted 12 goals in 11 appearances including 3.5 in the final game of the season.

Fellow 19-year-old Floyd Burmeister, an athletic ruck-forward and former high jumper who’s cross from GWV Rebels in the Coates Talent League, is another young gun making an impression over the summer.

Experienced campaigner Lachie Tardrew, who played more than 100 VFL games at Collingwood, has also slotted in nicely since moving the move from Victoria.

 

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Perth

South Fremantle

Colts graduate Lucas Cattalini is making giant strides in his first pre-season with the seniors.

Cattalini, the 18-year-old nephew of Perth Wildcats legend Martin Cattalini, was part of WA’s under-18s squad last year and was runner-up to Dockers draftee Toby Whan in South Fremantle’s colts fairest-and-best award.

Aaron Drage, one of the younger members of the Bulldogs’ league premiership side at 22 years old, is another who’s had a massive summer.

Skipper Chad Pearson is leading the way for the senior brigade alongside ex-Eagle Isiah Winder and midfield ball magnet Jake Florenca.

Subiaco

Two-time Bernie Naylor Medal winner Ben Sokol is back with a bang, with the sharpshooter making an impression in his return to the WAFL.

New recruit Will Bravo, a former Richmond VFL player, is looking the goods since moving from Victoria, with running machine Taj Schofield, ex-Gold Coast Sun Marlin Corbett and high-flying forward Ryan Borchet among the others catching the eye at Sullivan Logistics Stadium under returning premiership mastermind Jarrad Schofield.

Swan Districts

New faces Clint Hinchliffe, a former Big Bash League all-rounder for Melbourne Stars who hasn’t played any level of WAFL since his West Perth colts days in 2015, and Kade Chalcraft, the younger brother of midfield star Jye, are looking the goods so far at Steel Blue Oval as they pushing for an opening-round debut against reigning premiers South Fremantle at home on Good Friday.

Hinchliffe, who was part of WA’s under-18s during his younger years and came close to getting drafted, has been dominating in the Perth Football League for several years, while 21-year-old Chalcraft captained Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League before lining up for Shepparton United in the GVFL last season.

Former AFL-listed pair Zane Trew (ankle) and Jarvis Pina (knee) are building after season-ending injuries last year and will be huge factors in Swan Districts’ plot to rise up the ladder.

West Coast

A pair of new recruits are leading the way at West Coast, highlighted by former AFL-listed utility Callum Jamieson who is impressing on the track. Jamieson’s leadership since being delisted from the Eagles’ AFL list has been outstanding.

Fellow off-season addition Archie Watt, from Kyabram in regional Victoria’s Goulburn Valley league, continues to work hard after spending pre-Christmas training with the AFL squad.

Second-year player Justin Prior has attacked this pre-season with terrific focus and determination, while Peel Thunder product James Ewing is back to his best after a significant injury to his quad in 2025 that required surgery.

West Perth

Returning midfielder Connor West and Conal Lynch are among the experienced heads impressing at West Perth.

Former West Coast-listed talent West is back after a stint with Scarborough in the Perth Football League in a massive addition to Paul Sanzone’s squad.

Young recruits Jonah Brooks (from East Perth) and Ben Fairbank (Perth) have started strongly at the Falcons, as have John Coleman and Cooper Bewick in their first pre-season with the seniors after graduating from the club’s colts program.