2022 Kia Australia WA State Squad NamedWednesday, April 20, 2022 - 1:45 PM - by Rachael Osborne

The West Australian Football Commission is pleased to announce the players in the squad who are up for selection to represent the state in the 2022 Kia Australia WAFL State Team. 

With the opportunity to don the famous Black and Gold, 35 of WAs most talented footballers have been selected from WAFL clubs.  

Western Australia is scheduled to play South Australia at Optus Stadium on Sunday 15 May, with a strong desire to reclaim the Haydn Bunton Cup after losses in 2019 and 2021. 

With a strong coaching team, including, Head Coach Cam Shepherd, Midfield coach Beau Wardman, Backline coach Adam Pickering, Forwards coach Garry Moss and Bench Coach Mark Tilbury, the team is very well placed to perform at their best.

Head Coach Cam Shepherd spoke of his team following their selection in the state squad.

“We have defenders who have it in their DNA to defend first and foremost and we’ve also added players who provide speed and rebound and that’s a winning combination,” he said.  

“Through our midfield we have guys who are physically strong and can hunt the footy, while also enabling balance on the outside with speed and flair,” 

“Our ruckmen are physically combative with our opponents and our forward line consists of three to four key pillars who will work seamlessly with our smaller players to provide pressure and great ability to hit the scoreboard.”

Shepherd said there are a lot of big names and new names to look out for in the line-up.

“We have a great mix of experience in our list, we have the experienced guys like Kitchin, Jupp, McInnes and some really bold young guns in Martinis, Pegoraro, Thorne and Florenca to name a few.”

Executive Manager of WAFL and Talent, Scott Baker, said the players selected in the 2022 squad have proved themselves with strong pre-season and Round 1 form.

"The coaches have had a very keen eye over preseason, going to games, observing players and what skills and attributes they can bring to the team,” he said. 

“It’s never an easy decision with the immense talent in WA and the players should be very proud of their achievement in being named in the squad. 

It is a fantastic accomplishment to represent the state and I’m excited to see their talent develop and be on show for the game against South Australia in May.”

The squad will train together over the coming weeks with the final team selection on 11 May, ready for the game at Optus on 15 May 2022.  
 

Full squad list: