AFL

Youngsters Impressing

Thursday 4th February 2010

Author: LMSC

Photographer:

The West Coast Eagles are getting more confident in their young roster as the deadline for the new 2010 season approaches fast.

With the team coming through an intra-club practice match this week relatively unscathed, some early season standouts are already starting to appear with youngster Chris Masten one of those that appear poised for a breakout year.

Masten was one of the club’s best performers in the intra-club game, and with another pre-season under his belt and some lingering injuries behind him, the 20 year-old is being talked up by his coaches as he enters his third year of AFL football.

Eagles senior assistant coach Peter Sumich says Masten’s performance in Wednesday’s game was well discussed by the coaches, with all seemingly very impressed

“(Masten) looked sharp running away from packs, whereas over the last probably 12 months with that groin injury he hasn’t done that,” Sumich said after the match.

“So to come through that game and look sharp is a bonus for us.”

Masten appears to have been moulded into another important cog in the Eagles’ emerging midfield brigade, lead by premiership on-baller Daniel Kerr, Sandover medallist Matt Priddis and youngsters Brad Ebert, Luke Shuey and Scott Selwood.

Shuey was restricted to just two thirds of Wednesday night’s intra-club match, and was also another standout performer having the better of is opponent Kerr.

The 19 year-old has been eased into this year’s preseason after missing major parts of last year with an ongoing list of injury complaints including knees, groin and hernia problems that put a dampener on his debut 2009 season.

“At this stage we weren’t going to play him (in the pre-season). But we might change late,” Sumich said of Shuey.

 “It depends what John (Worsfold) and the fitness guys are thinking. We’ll be very careful with him over the next month or so.”

Shuey’s opposite number Kerr, who is also working his way back to top class football after his own injury ailments in 2009, started slowly but was able to break the game open late with a performance Sumich described as outstanding.

“The way he does play - he’s an impact player - it’ll take him a little while, probably a few games to get that going,” Sumich said.

Other winners on the night included ruckman Nick Naitanui, premiership forward Ashley Hansen, Brad Ebert, Andrew Embley and Matt Priddis.

West Coast will officially begin its pre-season campaign against Essendon at Subiaco Oval in the NAB Cup opener on February 12.