Ames injury only black mark for Black Swans

WA confirmed its status as a premier football State with a comprehensive 85-point thrashing of the NEAFL representative side in Sydney on Saturday.

The result was never in doubt, with the Black Swans controlling the majority of the contest to run out 19.18 (132) to 6.11 (47) winners.

The only negative was a nasty injury to vice-captain Tallan Ames, who has broken ribs and a punctured lung and has so far been unable to fly home.

Ames may be forced to travel home on a train this week and will be unavailable for Swan Districts' clash with Perth on Saturday.

He was hurt in a contest with the NEAFL's former Richmond forward Cleve Hughes.

Coach Bill Monaghan said the win was another fillip for WA, who registered a drought-breaking win over Victoria last year and are due to host fellow powerhouses South Australia in Perth in 2015.

"We talked about how we want WA to be the No.1 footballing State, so every opportunity we get - whether that's through State footy or Foxtel Cup - we want to be proud of our competition," he said. "We ticked that box and I think the result was probably the way most people predicted it.

"In the end, our performance was very strong and most people thought we even performed at a level above what they were expecting."

WA featured 15 players making their interstate debuts and conceded the first two goals of the game, but quickly took control of the contest and led by 17 points at quarter time.

It was a cakewalk from there, with the Black Swans kicking 14 goals to three after the first break to run away with the game.

South Fremantle full-forward Ben Saunders kicked five goals, while his Bulldogs teammates Ashton Hams and Ryan Cook were also prolific.

Hams won the Simpson Medal after playing his role across half-back to perfection, gathering plenty of touches and using the ball well with his left foot.

He was far from a lone hand in a WA side that had winners all across the ground.

"I thought Hams and Cook were probably the two best and the next 10 you could come up with 10 different orders," Monaghan said.

"You could have probably had all 23 in the best players in some people's eyes, so the evenness of the performance was really pleasing."

Monaghan had previously been a member of the WA coaching staff under senior coaches John Dimmer and Brian Dawson, but this was his first time in the lead role.

"I was really pleased with the way the players embraced the concept of State footy and to work with the most talented players in the competition was really good as well," Monaghan said.

Claremont midfielder Luke Blackwell sustained a cork just above a knee but is confident he will be cleared to play against Subiaco next Monday.

• SCOREBOARD *

• GOALS - WA: *Saunders 5; Schloithe, Hampson, Boekhorst, Cook, Rodda 2; Davis, Notte, Hams, Stephen. * NEAFL: *Ellis, Vandenberg, Ilett, Hughes, Dunne, Klemke.

• BEST - WA: *Hams, Cook, Ames, Boekhorst, Nelson, Saunders, Stephen, Manning. * NEAFL: *Ilett, O'Dwyer, Brabazon, Grayson

• INJURIES - WA: *Ames (broken ribs), Blackwell (cork).

• CROWD: *500 (approx) at Blacktown International Sportspark.

• SCOREBOARD *

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