WAFL colts: Jacob van Rooyen, Eric Benning, Angus Sheldrick and more power Claremont to third consecutive grand final

Claremont colts coach Matt Angus has hailed gun forward Jacob van Rooyen a big-game player after his semi-final heroics against minor premiers Swan Districts at Revo Fitness Stadium on Sunday. Draft hopefuls van Rooyen, Angus Sheldrick and Eric Benning powered the Tigers into their third consecutive WAFL colts decider. Van Rooyen was the dominant forward on the ground with 4.4, while midfield bull Sheldrick booted three goals after a corky forced him into attack. Benning did his job in the ruck on return from a calf injury, after half-time especially, to finish with 15 possessions, 15 hit-outs and seven inside 50s. Claremont trailed by as much as 21 points early in the second half before coming home with a wet sail, kicking the last three goals of the match to prevail by nine - 11.14 (80) to 11.5 (71). All of van Rooyen’s four majors came in the second half, taking his season tally to 30.14 from eight matches. “He gets the job done against the competition’s best teams,” Angus said. “In my opinion he’s the best forward in the competition and we’re really confident that he’ll become a very good AFL player. “He was sensational again, Eric Benning was really good as well and we had a lot of other good performers. “Kendyll Blurton was outstanding in the midfield, I think he had seven tackles in the second half, and Jacquin Ciminata was another catalyst with eight tackles. “Our captain Sean Williams and the back seven defended really well all day, George Graham is in really good form at the moment.” The win means Claremont’s State 19s representatives will get to play in the AFL grand final curtain-raiser at Optus Stadium next Saturday against South Australia before featuring in their own decider the following weekend at the same venue. However classy half-forward Max Mumme suffered a suspected broken arm. Swan Districts, who were well serviced by James Sullivan (four goals) up forward and the Hewett brothers - Elijah (26 disposals and six inside 50s) and Ben (17 and 10 tackles) - in the midfield, get a second chance against East Fremantle in next Sunday’s preliminary final. The fast-finishing Sharks ended East Perth’s season in straight sets with a hard-fought 17-point win at Leederville Oval on Saturday. East Fremantle booted four goals to one in the final term of the 7.11 (53) to 5.6 (36) result after only three across the first three quarters. AFL Academy jet Jack Williams (two goals) stood tall in the second half, while fellow WA player Josh Browne had a game-high 30 disposals. Kale Paton kept WAFL colts leading goal-kicker Jye Amiss goalless in a game-defining performance. The Royals sorely missed midfield ace Kade Dittmar who was out with concussion, but will be free to play in the WA v SA 19s clash next week. Link-up forward Ethan Regan started the game well for East Perth but suffered a nasty concussion late in the match which will rule him out of State duties. James Tunstill and Kalani Brooks worked hard in the Royals’ engine room and bottom-aged defenders Jedd Busslinger and Reuben Ginbey did some good things.