The WAFL Eagles faced a challenging opening to the season, going down 13.10 (88) to 24.9 (153) to Perth Demons.

Senior coach Kyal Horsley said it was a disappointing result to start the season.

“While our identity was evident for periods of the game and we were able to play for long stretches in our front half and generate plenty of opportunities, we weren’t able to capitalise on the scoreboard,” Horsley said.

“When momentum swung, Perth were able to take full advantage, scoring heavily and winning convincingly.”

Top Performers

Sasha Kernutt

It was Sasha’s first game for the WAFL Eagles and he made an immediate impact. His pressure and team first approach stood out and quickly endeared him to teammates, coaches and supporters. Every touch led to a scoring opportunity, and it was pleasing to see him rewarded with two goals.

Bailey Williams

Bailey is continuing to build well after an interrupted pre‑season. Provided first use around the contest was strong with his follow up work at ground level and he was able to impact forward of centre with two goals.

Josh Burke 

Josh played with standout intensity. Whether aerially or at ground level, he competed relentlessly and looked our most dangerous forward on the back of his work rate and contest.

AFL Listed Players

Clay Hall 

Clay was clearly our best two-way midfielder. His ability to defend behind the ball and support the team was a standout, finishing as our leading disposal winner with 26 touches.

Tyrell Dewar

Tyrell played on the wing and was consistent across the four quarters. He provided strong drive and finished with 25 disposals.

Fin Macrae

Fin had a strong four quarter performance. His class in tight was evident and he led the team in clearances.

Luca Greggo

Luca was solid down back. He largely shut his opponent out and was able to rebound effectively with ball in hand.

Ryan Maric

Ryan was our best defender on the day. He played with a ruthless approach to the contest and was not beaten.

Tom Gross

Tom managed minutes in his first game back from injury but didn’t miss a beat, impacting across all phases in limited time on ground.

Harvey Johnston

Harvey played primarily as a forward with short stints on the wing. He was lively both offensively and defensively, creating multiple forward 50 stoppages and scoring opportunities, finishing with equal most score involvements.

Elijah Hewett

Elijah played mainly forward with occasional midfield minutes. He looked a class above with ball in hand and his ability to connect inside 50 was a standout.

Tylah Williams

Tylah’s speed and tenacity were evident. Whenever the ball was live inside 50, he was either creating opportunities offensively or forcing turnovers defensively.

Rhett Bazzo

Rhett faced a challenging afternoon due to the quality and volume of supply he was defending against. When pressure was applied higher up the ground, he was able to win or halve his contests.

Jack Williams

Jack played the majority of the game as a key forward and was never beaten in contest, providing our smalls with predictability at ground level. While he would have liked to mark a few more, his aerial work ensured the team benefited from every contest.

Harry Barnett

Harry played predominantly forward with brief ruck stints. He took several strong contested marks around the ground and his willingness to launch and crash packs was a highlight.