New-look Kia WAFL State team named for SANFL clashWednesday, May 14, 2025 - 2:15 PM - by Jordan McArdle

It will be a new-look Kia WAFL State team taking the field against South Australia at Adelaide Oval on Saturday morning, with 14 debutants selected in the squad of 23.

First-year WA head coach Adam Read said while there was plenty of fresh faces to representative football, he was excited about the WAFL experience among the group.

“While there’s a lot of new faces in the group, we’ve got a lot of consistent players and experienced players who are more than capable.

“Even though they haven’t played State footy, a lot of these guys are around 25 or 26 years old and have been consistent performers at WAFL level for a long time.”

Among the first-gamers is East Perth co-captain Christian Ameduri who was announced as skipper on Tuesday night.

Read spoke glowingly of Ameduri’s leadership capabilities after coaching against him for the last few seasons at Peel Thunder.

 

 

 

 

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“Having coached against him as an assistant first and then as a head coach, I was really impressed with him,” Read said.

“He’s incredibly strong, prepares like a professional and is an actions-based leader who inspires others to follow his lead.”

While Ameduri was the popular choice as captain, Read felt there were several other strong leaders in the squad.

“Swan Districts captain Jesse Turner is another who stands out. He’s played State footy before and is an experienced and consistent campaigner," Read said.

“Kyle Baskerville is another club captain at East Fremantle and Jack Sears has captained Peel since Ben Hancock’s recent knee injury.”

While breaking a five-year losing run against the Croweaters and representing the State with pride were the main focus points, Read said the match would also be a fantastic opportunity for several players looking to put their name forward for the AFL Mid-Season Draft later this month.

“We’ve picked a team to win but there’s definitely an opportunity there for the guys in the team,” Read said.

“We saw it with Blighty (Peel Thunder product Jacob Blight) who was picked by Richmond in last year’s mid-season draft.

“(Peel defender) Michael Sellwood stands out as I’ve seen him week in, week out and know what he’s capable of. He’s still only 21.

“Then plenty of others like (Subiaco pair) Taj Schofield and Archer May, (East Fremantle midfielder) Milan Murdock and (Claremont small forward) Zac Mainwaring.

 

 

 

 

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“It’s a great chance for these guys to match it with the best of the best in state footy, with the speed and intensity going up.”

East Fremantle have the strongest representation with five players, followed by South Fremantle with four.

Bulldogs captain Chad Pearson and Sharks veteran Cameron Eardley have the most State game experience in the squad with four appearances apiece.

It will be the 100th contest between the long-term rivals with South Australia currently ahead 51-48 on the back of their recent winning run.

The match will be streamed live on SANFL Now from 10am WST on Saturday morning.

Live stats and match information will be available on the match page at wafl.com.au.

Kia WAFL State team

Claremont: Zac Mainwaring

East Fremantle: Jarrad Jansen, Cameron Eardley, Kyle Baskerville, Milan Murdock, Harry Marsh

East Perth: Christian Ameduri (captain), Scott Jones, Liam Tedesco

Peel Thunder: Michael Sellwood, Jack Sears

Perth: Aaron Clarke, Austin Davis

South Fremantle: Chad Pearson, Noah Strom, Ethan Hughes, Jamaine Jones

Subiaco: Archer May, Ryan Borchet, Taj Schofield

Swan Districts: Jesse Turner

West Perth: Zac Guadagnin, Joe Hinder