EGT Young Talent Time: Brothers in arms, bottom-aged Dog stars, Neon Leon and moreMonday, September 8, 2025 - 12:55 PM - by Denholm Melrose

Each week we are shining the spotlight on some of the young WA talent that has been in brilliant form at WAFL level in the lead up to November’s AFL draft.

Whether its WAFLW, Hart Sport Rogers Cup, Sullivan Logistics WAFL, EGT WAFL Colts top-agers, bottom-agers or Futures, there is talent bursting at the seams and in this week’s edition of Young Talent Time, we take a look at some of the under 18s talent who caught our eye and impressed during the second week of the WAFL Finals Series.

Banfields combine to down Falcons and advance to prelim

Sons of West Coast legend Drew - Charlie and Harper Banfield - were excellent on Sunday morning as the Claremont Colts side booked a spot in next Sunday's EGT WAFL Colts Preliminary Final against East Fremantle.

Charlie led the way, just as he has the last few weeks through a rich vein of form, collecting 25 disposals and laying six tackles, while bottom-ager Harper won 21 disposals, laid six tackles, took seven marks and kicked a goal.

The pair are both eligible for the West Coast Eagles as father-son prospects, Charlie this year and Harper in 2026.

Star in the making takes Bulldogs to Grand Final

Whilst Fred Rodriguez and Toby Whan have dominated headlines for South Fremantle this year as top WA draft talents, South Fremantle also have a 17-year-old who isn’t draft eligible until next year and might be just as good.

Lucas Robinson won WA’s MVP honour at the Under-16s National Championships last year and proved on the weekend why he is so highly rated, dismissing the wet and muddy conditions en route to a game-high 35 disposals, 12 tackles, seven marks and two shots on goal.

Robinson played six Colts games this year at an average of 27.3 disposals and 6.3 tackles per game and hit the scoreboard in half of those outings. He will feature on AFL Grand Final Day later this month during the curtain-raiser Under 17s Futures Match, where top talent from across the country hope to star and boost their draft stock.

Van Rooyen household bursting with talent

Whilst you likely know of Jacob van Rooyen, Melbourne Demons spearhead, you might not know that he is one of three football talents in the family who are in serious form at WAFL level as well.

Sam, the younger brother of Jacob, was the WAFL Reserves competition’s leading goal-kicker this year, and booted a bag of five against Swan Districts on the weekend to send his team into the Grand Final at Optus Stadium on Sunday, September 21.

That makes it 39 goals for the year for Sam, including 18 in his last three games and 16 in a row without kicking a behind.

Meanwhile the youngest of the trio, Benji, who was a member of the State18s squad that competed at the AFL National Championships earlier this year, is a 16-year-old bottom-age talent playing for Claremont’s Colts team.

Benji is outrageously already 203cm and wins hit-outs for fun in the Colts. He averaged more than 30 per game this season and added 35 to his total in the Tigers’ win on the weekend to go with 15 disposals and four tackles.

With another year of growth and development, the towering talent could be anything in his top-age season next year.

Kickett to me! ‘Neon Leon’ earns National Combine Invite

Talk about a meteoric rise! Swan Districts’ small forward Leon Kickett has been rewarded for a brilliant back half of the season with an invite to the AFL National Draft Combine where he’ll get to strut his stuff in front of recruiters aplenty in Melbourne in October.

To be invited to the National Combine, a player must receive significant interest and nomination from enough AFL clubs, so it’s a testament to Kickett’s talent that he is on his way to Victoria.

Kickett made his WAFL league debut against West Coast in Round 19, kicking his first goal at the level as well, before slotting another two majors against Peel Thunder the next week. He then returned to his Colts side where he booted four goals in a final against West Perth, proving his talent even further.

Kickett joins seven other WA talents at the AFL National Draft Combine, while six more were invited to the WA State Draft Combine.

Who else caught the eye?

Sam Swadling won 28 disposals despite West Perth’s loss in the Colts First Semi-Final, as he finishes a prolific season in the colts.

Bottom-ager Harvey Spawton-Guy booted three goals for the Falcons as well.

Toby Whan earned 27 disposals and kicked a goal in the Bulldogs’ Colts win, while WA under-18s skipper Fred Rodriguez also hit the scoreboard from his 20 possessions.

Taj Longmuir, son of 83-game AFL player Troy, booted two goals for South Fremantle also.

Young Talent Time - presented by EGT
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