WAFL Team of the Year 2023

THE WAFL Team of the Year for 2023 has been announced with players from nine clubs represented and it ranges from a West Perth great being named for a ninth time, a Claremont champion for an eighth and then eight players making it for the first time.

It's a varied mix in the WAFL Team of the Year for 2023 with eight players making the side for the first time with another seven making it for a second time, six for a third and then there's Swan Districts' Jesse Turner named for a fifth occasion, West Perth's Tyler Keitel for a seventh, Claremont's Jye Bolton for an eighth and West Perth's Shane Nelson for a ninth.

The Team of the Year is selected after each week during the home and away season there was a Team of the Week announced, and the players who featured the most in those throughout the year put themselves in the box seat for final selection.

In total, there were 440 spots in the Teams of the Week available throughout the season and 153 different players earned selection at least once throughout the year.

All 10 clubs had at least one player to earn at least two selections in the sides throughout the season with Subiaco, Swan Districts and Peel Thunder all having 18 players who made it at least on one occasion.

Claremont had 17 players make it at least once, South Fremantle 17, East Fremantle 15, East Perth 15, Perth 15, West Perth 13 and the West Coast Eagles seven.

From those selections, it was the Subiaco players who earned selection the most taking up 60 of the available 440 spots throughout the season. East Fremantle was next on 58, Claremont 51, East Perth 51, Swan Districts 48, West Perth 45, South Fremantle 44, Peel Thunder 43, Perth 32 and West Coast eight.

Two players earned selection 11 times during the season from the 18 games each player could have played, and they were Subiaco ruckman Zac Clarke and Claremont's Jye Bolton. Two other players earned selection 10 times and they were Swan Districts' Jesse Turner and West Perth's Shane Nelson.

Two more players earned a spot nine times and they were East Perth's Hamish Brayshaw and Swan Districts' Aidan Clarke with Oliver Eastland (Claremont), Matthew Jupp (East Fremantle), Liam Hickmott (Subiaco) and West Perth pair Luke Meadows and Tyler Keitel.

Stefan Giro (Subiaco), Angus Schumacher (East Perth) and Milan Murdock (East Fremantle) were selected seven separate times and then the nine players who earned a spot six times all made the final 25 of the Team of the Year too.

They are Kyle Baskerville and Cody Leggett from East Fremantle, Angus Scott, Mitch Crowden and Nick Robertson from East Perth, Jacob Blight from Peel Thunder, Perth's Jack Avery, and South Fremantle duo Toby McQuilkin and Chad Pearson.

That left two more spots to be filled in the final 25 which was chosen out of those who were selected five times throughout the season and the last two positions went to Subiaco's Ben Sokol and East Fremantle's Cam Eardley.

As always, there are hard luck stories and the players who made the Teams of the Week five times but just missed out were Bailey Rogers and Callan England (Claremont), Karl Worner (Peel Thunder), Charlie Thompson and Jack Cooley (Perth), Tom Blechynden (South Fremantle), Taj Schofield and Angus Dewar (Subiaco), and Zac Guadagnin (West Perth). 

As for the final team for 2023, the back-line features key defensive pair Jupp and Blight with McQuilkin and Avery filling the roles as third and fourth defenders who are versatile, and then Bolton and Baskerville the attacking backmen.

Robertson from East Perth earned a spot on the bench as well while Pearson and Eardley are both emergencies highlighting what a strong defensive group there was in the WAFL in 2023.

The ruck position was hotly sought after too with Zac Clarke ending up just pipping Eastland but both are in the final 22 while the three starting on-ballers are Schumacher, Hickmott and Nelson. 

Murdock and Meadows back them up on the bench while they can switch out with Crowden, Aidan Clarke and Brayshaw who earn positions starting on the ground in the forward-line.

There are two genuine wingmen selected too with Turner and Giro starting on the ground with East Perth's Scott backing them up.

Keitel and Sokol were battling it out for the Bernie Naylor Medal throughout the season and were naturals as the two spearheads in attack with Leggett from East Fremantle providing another goalkicking option.

WAFL TEAM OF THE YEAR 2023

BACK: Toby McQuilkin (SF), Matthew Jupp (EF), Jack Avery (P)
HALF-BACK: Jye Bolton (C), Jacob Blight (PT), Kyle Baskerville (EF)
CENTRE: Jesse Turner (SD), Angus Schumacher (EP), Stefan Giro (S)
HALF-FORWARD: Aidan Clarke (SD), Tyler Keitel (WP), Mitch Crowden (EP)
FORWARD: Cody Leggett (EF), Ben Sokol (S), Hamish Brayshaw (EP)
RUCK: Zac Clarke (S), Liam Hickmott (S), Shane Nelson (WP)
INTERCHANGE: Oliver Eastland (C), Nick Robertson (EP), Milan Murdock (EF), Luke Meadows (WP)
EMERGENCIES: Angus Scott (EP), Chad Pearson (SF), Cam Eardley (EF)

BACK POCKET – TOBY MCQUILKIN (South Fremantle)
He burst onto the scene with South Fremantle late in 2021 and had a terrific finals series and then put together a strong first full season in 2022, and went to another level again in 2023 even with the Bulldogs missing finals for the first time since 2015. He was given a lot of the biggest defensive jobs each week by coach Todd Curley on a whole host of forwards of varying sizes and experience, but stood up well whatever the job. His attacking side was in full effect too averaging 19.7 possessions and 4.6 marks a game to book a place in the Team of the Year for a second straight season.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

FULL-BACK – MATTHEW JUPP (East Fremantle)
The East Fremantle captain's reputation only continues to grow year after year and he was just about a lock all throughout 2023 as he led the Sharks to the minor premiership as he secured a place in the Team of the Year for a third straight season. Not only did he lead East Fremantle to finish the season two games clear on top of the ladder, but he captained the WAFL State Team as well in 2023 for the first time as he now focused on trying to win that first flag for the Sharks since 1998. He was brilliant at full-back all season long averaging 14.6 touches and 6.5 marks while rarely beaten by an opposition forward highlighted by holding Ben Sokol goalless in Round 20.

Times named in 2023: 8
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2021, 2022)

BACK POCKET – JACK AVERY (Perth)
The 21-year-old had played 22 games over the previous two seasons finding his feet at league level with Perth, but he took his game to the next level in 2023. The Demons back-line was often under siege throughout a season where they managed to only win two games, but he stood up well defensively with some big roles where he could use his 190cm frame. Where he truly excelled, though, was in the ball winning ability he had and the way he could set up play coming out of the back-line, and use his run to great effect. He would end up averaging 24.1 possessions and 7.6 marks a game with his ability to take intercept marks another strength as he booked in a place in the Team of the Year.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

HALF-BACK FLANK – KYLE BASKERVILLE (East Fremantle)
Going back a couple of years and he virtually swapped roles with teammate Cam Eardley who slotted into a role he's made his own at half-back, and then he went into the midfield. He would become one of the best ball winners in the competition following the move but the Sharks had plenty of on-ballers in 2023 so he ended shifting back to that half-back role. Whether he was in the midfield or coming off half-back in 2023, he played tremendously to be his team's highest ball winner and averaged 23 possessions a game while his tackling became one of his great strengths. He ended up making the Team of the Week six times to lock in a second straight Team of the Year appearance.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

CENTRE HALF-BACK – JACOB BLIGHT (Peel Thunder)
On the back of a season in 2022 where Peel did make it to a first semi-final, coach Geoff Valentine went on the hunt for a key defender to add to his WAFL playing stocks, and his signing from Claremont proved to be one of the best recruiting moves in all of the competition this season. He did a terrific job in the key defensive role alongside AFL premiership defender Joel Hamling for a lot of the season, and they have been a terrific double act instrumental in Peel earning a finals double chance. On top of his defensive work, he averaged 16.0 possessions and 6.1 marks a game to lock away a place in the Team of the Year 25 games into his WAFL career.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

HALF-BACK FLANK – JYE BOLTON (Claremont)
The Claremont champion reached a significant milestone in 2023 by getting to 150 games with Claremont in Round 20 that saw him earn life membership of the Tigers as his legacy continues to grow since his arrival in 2016. His resume is remarkable with two Sandover Medals, four Simpson Medals, and three fairest and best awards with his 2023 season right up there with any other he's produced. He spent a lot of it across half-back but still played through the middle and ended up averaging 29.6 disposals including 30 or more 10 times and making the Team of the Week on 11 occasions to secure a spot in the Team of the Year for an eighth straight time.

Times named in 2023: 11
Previous Teams of the Year: 7 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

WING – STEFAN GIRO (Subiaco)
The Subiaco wingman also spent time on the ball throughout the season, but it was when out in space when he could truly use his running ability when he shone the most. Had a terrific first season with the Lions winning the fairest and best award, but what he wanted was some team success and he was instrumental in Subiaco finishing up the 2023 season in second place. Went on to average 23.5 possessions a game including 30 or more on three occasions while also kicking 13 goals along the way including three against Perth in Round 15 to book in a place in the Team of the Year for consecutive seasons.

Times named in 2023: 7
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

CENTRE – ANGUS SCHUMACHER (East Perth)
It turned out to be quite the season for the smooth moving, big bodied East Perth midfielder. He started the season on fire with the Royals to lock in a place in the WAFL State Team and went on to win the Simpson Medal for that game in Adelaide. He continued his hot form back with East Perth in the WAFL and over the first 10 games of the season he was averaging 28.7 possessions including five games with 30 touches or more. He couldn’t quite keep that form going, but was still tremendous overall with 26.8 disposals a game including 10 goals to lock in a place in the Team of the Year for a second straight season.

Times named in 2023: 7
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

WING – JESSE TURNER (Swan Districts)
Through nothing but sheer hard work, he's turned himself into the fittest and hardest running player in the competition in recent years, and he's made the wing his own at Swan Districts. He was already the reigning fairest and best winner and made the Team of the Year in four of the previous five seasons, but he continues to find ways to improve. There was significant improvement in his contested marking and overall contested ball winning ability in 2023, and his kicking especially going inside-50 was at career-best levels. He ended up the league's leading possession winner with 29.3 a game with 10 matches of 30 or more touches while earning Team of the Week nods 10 times to book in another Team of the Year slot.

Times named in 2023: 10
Previous Teams of the Year: 4 (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022)

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – AIDAN CLARKE (Swan Districts)
The Swan Districts hard man made a blistering start to the season with 38 possessions and a goal in Round 1 before tearing a hamstring the next week, and being sidelined over the next month. However, once he returned he picked right back where he left off and ended up averaging 28.3 disposals a game while kicking 12 goals. Not only did he continue to win the hard ball, but his left boot was mighty damaging and in the end he was named to the Team of the Week nine times from the 13 full games he played to book in a place in the Team of the Year for the first time of his 65-game career with the black-and-whites.

Times named in 2023: 9
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

CENTRE HALF-FORWARD – TYLER KEITEL (West Perth)
At the end of the day, he'll be disappointed West Perth missed finals in 2023 after last year's premiership but it was still a year that he will remember fondly on a number of fronts. He kicked a career-best 10 goals back in Round 2 against West Coast while also kicking six in Round 17, and five on another four times to end up kicking 57 goals to claim the third Bernie Naylor Medal of his career. He also celebrated 150 games along the way to earn life membership of the Falcons and locked away a spot in the Team of the Year for the seventh time over the past eight seasons.

Times named in 2023: 8
Previous Teams of the Year: 6 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022)

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – MITCH CROWDEN (East Perth)
He was one of the most sought after recruits over summer with several WAFL teams clamouring for his services after his time at Fremantle came to an end. He had a superb 2022 season as a hard at it, damaging midfielder at Peel and then was able to take his game to another level again in 2023 once he settled in at East Perth. Split his time between playing to his great strengths as that hard-at-it midfielder but also getting out to run and use his raking left boot. Also proved himself a more than handy option forward to kick goals. Ended up averaging 25.3 possessions a game and kicking 13 goals to lock away a place in the Team of the Year.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

FORWARD POCKET – CODY LEGGETT (East Fremantle)
What a ride it's been for the 27-year-old to now be trying to take part in the first WAFL Grand Final of his 106-game career and to be named to the Team of the Year for the first time. Going back to the start of his league career at Perth in 2014 and he spent a lot of time as a dangerous half-forward who could go into the midfield with the Demons before ending up settling as one of the best set up players in the competition off half-back. His long kicking was a feature and he ended up arriving at East Fremantle in 2020 in that role, but when he returned from injury last year, he did it as a forward and that's where he has been in 2023. He's proven himself one of the smartest and most dangerous forwards in the league kicking 34 goals in 13 games including matching his career-best of seven in Round 19 against his old team Perth. But he also had hauls of six and two of five along the way.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

FULL-FORWARD – BEN SOKOL (Subiaco)
The Subiaco spearhead proved himself one of the best pure goalkickers in the competition once again in 2023 leading the Lions' attack, and being instrumental in them finishing up in second position. Ended up kicking 47 goals for the season and it was only two goalless outings in the final two rounds against South Fremantle and East Fremantle that saw him slip behind Tyler Keitel in the Bernie Naylor Medal race. But along the way during the season, he kicked a career-best eight goals against West Coast along with another couple of five-goal hauls to have now kicked 327 goals in 147 WAFL games to make the Team of the Year for a third time.

Times named in 2023: 5
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2018, 2019)

FORWARD POCKET – HAMISH BRAYSHAW (East Perth)
What a season it was from the East Perth co-captain where not only did he continue to enhance his reputation as one of the best and most consistent on-ballers in the competition, but he also spent plenty of time forward where he proved himself tremendously dangerous and an impressive goalkicker. Finished the season with 26.4 possessions a game including six games with 30 or more disposals while also kicking 25 goals along the way including three separate hauls of three while still spending a lot of time in the middle. That saw him named to the Team of the Week nine times and to be a lock in the Team of the Year for a second straight season.

Times named in 2023: 9
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

RUCK – ZAC CLARKE (Subiaco)
The big man with 110 games of AFL experience behind him returned to the WAFL with Subiaco in 2023 for the first time since the 2018 premiership, and didn’t take long to make his stamp once again as the league's No. 1 ruckman. That's where he was back in 2018 at Subiaco and he put together a dominant season for the Lions with his tap work sublime but so was his ability to be more than handy around the ground both with his marking ability but to set up his running brigade at the Lions. Ended up averaging 18.3 possessions, 41.9 hit outs and 4.5 marks a game to make the Team of the Week 11 times in 18 matches to book in the spot as the ruckman in the Team of the Year.

Times named in 2023: 11
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2018)

RUCK ROVER – LIAM HICKMOTT (Subiaco)
Coming off cementing his place in the Subiaco side in 2021 and becoming a premiership player, he had a standout 2022 season becoming a regular starting on-baller and earning selection in the Team of the Year as a result. He has now gone up another level again in 2023 consolidating himself as one of the best midfielders in the competition where his in-and-under work remains a strength, but he's also becoming greatly improved on the outside and is becoming more damaging with his possessions. Averaged 25.6 touches a game including six matches with 30 disposals or more while only having under 20 three times, and made the Team of the Week eight times to lock in back-to-back Team of the Year selections.

Times named in 2023: 8
Previous Teams of the Year: 1 (2022)

ROVER – SHANE NELSON (West Perth)
He might be 30 years of age and have nothing left to prove with a career already having seen him play in two premierships with West Perth and win five fairest and best awards for the Falcons, but he had as good a season in 2023 as any other of his remarkable career to be one of the first picked in the Team of the Year. It's a ninth straight time for him making the Team of the Year too with the 226-game West Perth great averaging another 28.9 possessions a game including eight games of 30 touches or more and he never had few than the 20 he had in Round 10 highlighting the remarkable consistency he continues to show.

Times named in 2023: 10
Previous Teams of the Year: 8 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

INTERCHANGE – LUKE MEADOWS (West Perth)
He was coming off a brilliant 2022 season with West Perth capped off not only with the first premiership of his career but also winning the Simpson Medal from the Grand Final win against Claremont. The 2023 season didn’t turn out how anyone at West Perth hoped missing out on finals, but he couldn’t have done any more and got better and better the longer the season went. Could still well be the most damaging and physically imposing midfielder in the competition, and ended up averaging 25.9 possessions per game while kicking 13 goals and earning his position inside the Team of the Year for a third time of his 136-game WAFL career with the Falcons.

Times named in 2023: 8
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2016, 2022)

INTERCHANGE – OLIVER EASTLAND (Claremont)
It's remarkable to think that early on in his career the only way he got an opportunity in the Claremont league side going back to 2017 was as a key forward and pinch-hit ruckman when he's now consolidated as a standout big man in the competition. He was vying for the No. 1 spot in the league all season long alongside Zac Clarke and it can't be overlooked that he got the better of their two battles this season. He had the best season of his 96-game career by averaging 18.4 possessions, 35.4 hit outs and 4.2 marks to be instrumental in everything Claremont did and to make the Team of the Year for a first time.

Times named in 2023: 8
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

INTERCHANGE – NICK ROBERTSON (East Perth)
The former Brisbane Lions tough nut who played 73 games in the AFL has now been back at East Perth for a fourth season, and without question his 2023 was the best and most consistent of those campaigns. A lot of that was due to his body allowing him stay out on the park on a regular basis, but also he settled into a role in the East Perth back-line and would prove tremendous. He did some strong defensive jobs and his presence and hardness was important, but so was his long-kicking and run and creativity out of the back-line. He ended up averaging 19.3 possessions a game to make the Team of the Week six times and lock in a place in the Team of the Year for the first time.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

INTERCHANGE – MILAN MURDOCK (East Fremantle)
The tenacious East Fremantle on-baller could well have been the best player in the competition before initially getting hurt in Round 9 against East Perth. Over the first eight games, he was averaging 26.6 possessions with his clearance and ability to work well in congestion brilliant. He's only played three games since and none since Round 14 thanks to a shoulder injury, but he was so good in those first eight games and even in his first two back in Rounds 12 and 13 that he's a lock to reach the Team of the Year for the first time having been named to the Team of the Week seven times this season from the 12 matches he played.

Times named in 2023: 7
Previous Teams of the Year: 0

EMERGENCY – CAM EARDLEY (East Fremantle)
It was yet another outstanding season from the 30-year-old who is now a life member at East Fremantle having reached his 150th game early in the campaign. He is now 165 games into his career with the Sharks and continues to be one of the best and most consistent players in the competition, and continues to thrive after almost three seasons now playing a role down back. He went there early in the 2021 season and has never looked back with his ability to set up play with his kicking skills and the run he provides outstanding, but so is his ability to take intercept marks and courageously put himself into contests to help his defensive teammates. Averaged another 23.3 possessions a game this season to earn a place in the Team of the Year for the third time in the past four campaigns.

Times named in 2023: 5
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2020, 2022)

EMERGENCY – ANGUS SCOTT (East Perth)
He has continued to be one of the hardest running, best ball winning and most consistent performers on the wing at East Perth since arriving from Casey in the VFL back in 2019. For the first time he was part of a team at the Royals that played finals as well in 2023 and he played a big part in them getting there by his performances on the wing as the biggest ball winner on his team with 26.8 possessions a game. His consistency was a highlight with five games of 30 or more touches but he never had less than 18 in a game to make the Team of the Week six times and earn a place in the final 25 of the Team of the Year for a third time in the past four seasons.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2020, 2021)

EMERGENCY – CHAD PEARSON (South Fremantle)
It's likely the only thing that stopped him earning a starting role in the Team of the Year was a knee injury suffered in Round 14 that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Up until that point he might well have been having the best season of his 113-game career with the Bulldogs and that's saying a lot considering the high standards he has set himself. The premiership defender took on bigger key defensive roles while still being outstanding setting up play out of the back-line, and that had him lock away a spot in the Team of the Year's final 25 for a third time.

Times named in 2023: 6
Previous Teams of the Year: 2 (2019, 2020)

PLAYERS OF THE ROUND

Round 1 – Max Walters (Subiaco)
Round 2 – Tyler Keitel (West Perth)
Round 3 – Ryan Borchet (Subiaco)
Round 4 – Brady Grey (Peel Thunder)
Round 5 – Jaiden Hunter (Perth)
Round 6 – Cody Leggett (East Fremantle)
Round 7 – Zac Clarke (Subiaco)
Round 8 – Nick Robertson (East Perth)
Round 9 – Talon Delacey (Claremont)
Round 10 – Dillon O'Reilly (East Fremantle)
Round 11 – Nathan Blakely (Swan Districts)
Round 12 – Jack Maibaum (Claremont)
Round 13 – Hamish Brayshaw (East Perth)
Round 14 – Harry Marsh (East Fremantle)
Round 15 – Liam Tedesco (East Perth)
Round 16 – Cam Eardley (East Fremantle)
Round 17 – Jesse Turner (Swan Districts)
Round 18 – Taj Schofield (Subiaco)
Round 19 – Jye Bolton (Claremont)
Round 20 – Matthew Jupp (East Fremantle)