AFL hopeful Kane Bevan among fresh-faced West Australian team to face South Australia

Mid-season draft hopeful Kane Bevan will get his best chance to put his hand up for an AFL berth after being named in the 32-man squad for this year’s State game. The West Perth midfielder is one of 12 potential debutants alongside Claremont spearhead Jaiden Hunter and Peel Thunder’s Scott Tuia to take on South Australia at Sullivan Logistics Stadium on Saturday, May 16. There are also 17 players from last year’s drought-breaking team that ended a six-year losing streak with a 30-point victory against South Australia at Adelaide Oval to reclaim the Haydn Bunton Jr Cup. South Fremantle skipper Chad Pearson is the most experienced member of the squad as he prepares to represent the Black Swans for the sixth consecutive year. He is one of four Bulldogs named in the squad alongside fellow premiership defenders Jamaine Jones, Noah Strom and Ethan Hughes. Pearson is joined by fellow regulars in Swan Districts wingman Jesse Turner and West Perth backman Zac Guadagnin who are both in line for their fifth state game. Peel Thunder coach Adam Read, who will lead the side for a second straight game after last year’s victory, said he felt they had struck the right balance of experience and fresh faces. “We feel that we’ve got great balance and experience in our squad including 17 players who featured in last year’s win at Adelaide Oval,” he said. “It’s great to be able to reward some new faces in the squad, including several who have played at the highest level, for their strong starts to the WAFL season. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for these guys to match it with the best of the best in state footy and represent Western Australia in front of a home crowd in what’s going to be an exciting triple-header of representative football at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.” East Perth are the most represented with seven players named including former Brisbane rookie Darcy Craven as well as last year’s winning captain Christian Ameduri. Reigning Sandover medallist Charlie Constable is unavailable for the clash after also sitting out last year’s game because of injury. West Perth and former West Coast player Connor West will return to the State side in his first season back in the WAFL. West played amateurs for Scarborough last year and was best-on-ground for the Perth Football League in their clash with Victoria. The State game is renowned as a perfect exhibition for WAFL players to showcase their skills to AFL recruiters, with Milan Murdock (West Coast), Archie May (Essendon) and Michael Sellwood (Western Bulldogs) finding themselves on lists in the past 18 months. The final team will be announced next week ahead of the bumper clash. WA STATE TEAM Callan England, Ollie Eastland, Jaiden Hunter, Zac Mainwaring (Claremont) Jarrad Jansen, Kyle Baskerville (East Fremantle), Corey Watts, Christian Ameduri, Scott Jones, Darcy Craven, Sam van Diemen, Harrison Macreadie, Stan Wright (East Perth), Scott Tuia, Jack Sears, Lachlan Tardrew (Peel Thunder) Austin Davis, Aaron Clarke (Perth), Chad Pearson, Noah Strom, Ethan Hughes, Jamaine Jones (South Fremantle), Jack Mayo, Stefan Giro, Galen Savigni, Ryan Borchet, (Subiaco), William Reidy, Jesse Turner (Swan Districts), Kane Bevan, Joseph Hinder, Zac Guadagnin, Connor West (West Perth)