Seven up-and-coming South West footy stars selected in State squad

Seven of the South West’s most promising footy stars are taking to the national stage, selected for the WA State Under 16s AFL team.

With an exclusive squad of 35, each week a team of 25 players will be selected to travel interstate to compete in the Under 16s AFL National Championships, with the first round played in South Australia last week.

Darcy Petersen, Tyler Lindberg, Harry Jones, Colby McDonald, Cody Ryan, Anthony Hansen and Chayse Martinson have all been recognised for their proficiency in the sport, having already made a name for themselves in the Perth WAFL colts competition.

16-year-old Peterson is excited for the experience, with the typical forward being given a run in the team’s back line.

“It’s good learning how to be a better back man,” he said.

“I started off as a forward down at community level, and they’ve swung me to the back line so it’s great to learn a different position.”

The Eaton Community College student hopes to do the region proud, following in the footsteps of other notable players from the South West.

“There’s been a lot of good South West players coming through, and it’s great to be noticed as one of them,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in front of AFL recruiters and getting looked at early because next year is 18s, draft year as well, so for me it’s just about getting noticed now and playing good footy over there,” he said.

“I really want to have a good carnival and get picked for the Australian Under 18s team.”

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the carnival will take place over three weeks, with the team set to visit Queensland this weekend before heading back to Adelaide for the final round.