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Big test for WA under-18s

Returning WA under-18 coach Andrew Lockyer doesn’t know what his team is capable of this year, but has promised it will be competitive when it kicks off the national championships against South Australia tomorrow.

Lockyer, who led WA to their last title in 2009, returned to the fold late last year after a disappointing carnival which netted just one win from six games.

After six months of his second stint with the WAFL talent academy, he said he’s a more mellow coach than before but was anxious to see how his squad matched up against SA, the reigning champions, when they face off at Lathlain Park at 11.20am tomorrow.

WA have named a team with nine AFL Academy members — captain Greg Clark, Callum Ah Chee, Jordan Snadden and bottom-agers Sam Petrevski-Seton, Sam Powell-Pepper, Jeremy Goddard, Josh Rotham, Noah Hura and Luke Strnadica.

Of the players named, Petrevski-Seton (Claremont) and Levi Ridley (Swan Districts) have also played league football in the WAFL.

Vic Country are overwhelming favourites to take out division one this year, but Lockyer believed the title was anyone’s to win.

“I’m excited to see what some of these boys might be able to do,” he said. “From my experience everybody has a favourite, but they actually haven’t seen them play against anyone.

“In 2009 we weren’t rated the best team but after five games of winning by an average of 60 points I think everyone sort of changed their minds. It’s about who is the best team and you only find that out after the last game of the carnival.

“I think it’s been a really good build-up. I think we’ve gelled as a team.

“We’ve got a nice even spread of players and I think we’ll go OK. We’ll be competitive, I know that.”

Lockyer said his goals for the program were far-reaching, but knows success will be measured by one thing.

“Obviously we’ll get judged on how many kids we get drafted,” he said.

“But we’ll see how many kids go on to play senior footy this year and how many go on to play senior footy in the next couple of years.

“In the end, that’s when we’ll start to see whether our program is successful in consultation with the WAFL clubs.”