WAFLPlayers to watch: WAFL Round 4
Jordan McArdle
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24 Apr 2026
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AFL Academy pair Benji van Rooyen and Garrison Kenh headline the AAMI WA Football State 18s Boys team for Sunday’s first trial game against Swan Districts Reserves at Mineral Resources Park Oval No.2.
Claremont ruck van Rooyen, the younger brother of Melbourne forward Jacob, and East Perth and West Coast Next Generation Academy speedster Genh both impressed for the Australian Under-18s against Richmond VFL last week.
Several of the EGT WAFL Colts competition’s most in-form players, including East Fremantle and Fremantle NGA livewire Finlay Yeo, Peel Thunder key defender Mitch Stirling, East Perth talent Ethan Turner and Subiaco ball magnet Sam O’Brien, will also feature in the team.
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Unbeaten colts teams South Fremantle and East Fremantle, who have both started the season with 3-0 records, are the best represented with five and three players respectively.
Among the Bulldogs’ contingent is Hudson Graham, the son of former West Coast big man and current Dockers assistant coach Jaymie Graham.
“Hudson Graham, really late developer – I think he’s grown about 8cm since futures – but he’s a key-position player. And his teammate Conor Bushe-Jones, he’s a really skinny sort of tall ruckman. They were both late developers and were involved at the 16s level and have come up to the 18s squad,” AAMI WA Football State Talent Manager Adam Jones told SportFM this week.
Swan Districts over-ager Sheldon Pickett, who’s had a strong start to the colts season, gets his chance to impress after being selected in the initial State 18s Boys squad earlier this week.
Subiaco ruck Frazer Rickson, South Fremantle midfield bull Lucas Robinson and hard-working Swan Districts midfielder Leo Steed all won’t play due to senior duties at their respective clubs.
“To be able to get all that talent together and be able to work with them over the next couple of months is really exciting and I’m really happy with the talent we’ve got in both 18s and 16s. I think we’re going to shape up for a really competitive campaign,” Jones said.
“We’ve got six trial games in the 18s this year, and if they’re playing league they’ll only be selected for two of those games.
“Guys like Leo Steed, Lucas Robinson, Frazer Rickson will be available for that game, and then for our last trial game we’ll play our best team as well. We want to keep those guys in league football, it’s important for their WAFL clubs and also for their individual development.”
There are three players tied to West Coast’s Next Generation Academy – Claremont half-back Elijah Williams, Kenh and Subiaco talent Kyan Perera playing – while Yeo is the sole member of Freo’s NGA.
It’s the first of six trial games for WA ahead of their AFL National Under-18s Championship opener against South Australia at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday, June 13.
WA’s AFL National Under-18s Championship fixtures
Saturday, June 13: v South Australia at Mineral Resources Park (10.30am)
Saturday, June 20: v Vic Metro at Cockburn ARC (11am)
Friday, July 3: v Vic Country in Melbourne (venue and time TBC)
Wednesday, July 8: v Allies in Melbourne (venue and time TBC)
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