UNFLAPPABLE South Australian defender Sam Colquhoun carved Western Australia to shreds with a game-high 32 disposals, to lead his state to a decisive 50-point victory at Simonds Stadium on Friday.
South Australia's precise ball movement and overlap run proved too difficult to handle in round four of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, as it won 12.12 (84) to 4.10 (34).
Colquhoun has been one of the most outstanding performers of the carnival and he dazzled recruiters with a best on ground display on Friday.
The 17-year-old has a unique ability to think through all sorts of scenarios and consider 'what-if' situations by continually moving to contests.
Colquhoun owned the defensive half of the ground, with his 31 touches including 24 uncontested possessions and a staggering 17 handball receives.
South Australia managed to set up a steady flow of players to stream through the corridor, as they ran with purpose to create and support for teammates.
Using such an aggressive style of play allowed the Croweaters to dictate terms from the outset, with forward Matthew McDonough capitalising on some crisp inside 50 entries to boot six goals.
The team had a strong support cast with James Aish (25 disposals, seven inside 50s), Matthew Scharenberg (24) and Trent Dumont (21) all impressing.
For Western Australia, Dayle Garlett (six inside 50s) was exciting for periods of the game - highlighted by a goal tucked from deep in the left forward pocket - and Sean Lynch (22) toiled away, while Nicholas Rodda (17) was valiant in defence.
But Western Australia had few players who won their positions, as South Australians made a strong statement with a convincing win.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA 0.2 1.5 2.7 4.10 (34)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 3.2 4.5 7.9 12.12 (84)
GOALS
Western Australia: Garlett, Paparone, Shaw, Simpson
South Australia: McDonough 6, Mayes 2, Kennedy Spina, Stark,
BEST
Western Australia: Garlett, Paparone, Hogan, Jones, Rodda
South Australia: Aish, Colquhoun, Scharenberg, Mayes, McDonough, Grundy, Toumpas
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
