Bernie Naylor Medal race down to three in final-round WAFL showdown

Three gun forwards, one Bernie Naylor Medal.

The race to be the WAFL’s leading goal-kicker for 2025 is going down to the final round of the home-and-away season, with just six goals separating the top three.

West Perth veteran Tyler Keitel is in the box set to win his fifth Bernie Naylor Medal and third in a row.

Keitel sits atop the goal-kicking ladder with 46 majors in 17 games, three ahead of South Fremantle recruit Trey Ruscoe (43 in 16 games) who’s having an excellent debut season after crossing from West Coast WAFL.

Rounding out the top three is Claremont spearhead Jaiden Hunter, a Perth Demons product back in the WAFL after an injury-hampered stint with Essendon.

Hunter’s efforts are all the more impressive given his 40 goals have come in just 13 games after he missed a month earlier in the season due to a finger injury.

The 23-year-old is the form forward of the competition, kicking three-plus goals in each of his last five matches including back-to-back four-goal hauls in rounds 17 and 18.

Second-year Demon Aaron Clarke is in fourth spot after his six-goal bag – which included five in the opening quarter – in last Saturday’s loss to Claremont, taking his season tally to 35 in 12 games.

Like Hunter, Clarke has been sidelined for parts of the season and only returned in Round 18.

Out of the top-three goal-kickers, Ruscoe’s Bulldogs are facing the lowest-ranked team with he comes up against wooden spooners West Coast at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday in the early fixture from 11am.

Claremont and West Perth are going up against finals-bound outfits in East Perth and East Fremantle respectively

The Tigers and Royals tussle at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday from 2.10pm, while the Falcons travel to The Good Grocer Park for their season-ending clash against the Sharks from 2.30pm.

Bernie Naylor Medal race

1.Tyler Keitel (West Perth): 46 goals

2. Trey Ruscoe (South Fremantle): 43 goals

3. Jaiden Hunter (Claremont): 40 goals