WAFL defeat West End State Team in 2025 KIA State Game

The West End State team has had its colours lowered for the first time in seven years after succumbing to the WAFL by 30 points in the KIA State Game at Adelaide Oval.

Aiming to retain the Haydn Bunton Junior Cup for the sixth time in succession, the Croweaters’ inefficiency with ball in hand proved pivotal as the sprightly Sandgropers pounced in the 100th meeting between the Nullarbor rivals.

Claiming victory against the SANFL for the first time since triumphing at Adelaide Oval in 2018, the WAFL grabbed a stranglehold on the contest during the third quarter, banging on 5.4 to the hosts’ 1.1.

Losing tall forward Connor Ballenden to a rib injury in the second term left SANFL a rotation short for the second half but the damage was being done as the WAFL went at an impressive 82 per cent disposal efficiency.

Despite SANFL winning the clearances 32-29, the WAFL’s supreme work-rate was illustrated by having 47 more disposals and 17 more marks as they chalked up five more scoring shots from four less inside 50s.

Debutant midfielder Mani Liddy had a memorable match from a personal point of view, collecting the Fos Williams Medal as SANFL’s best player after finishing with 20 disposals, three clearances and three tackles.

Lachie Hosie made the most of his opportunities to boot half of SANFL’s goals with a haul of 4.2 while Matt Allen was constructive with his 15 disposals and a goal.

WAFL’s Milan Murdock was prolific in racking up 27 disposals en route to winning the Simpson Medal for the second year in succession.

The West End State team started strongly, engineering the first eight inside 50s of the match and banging on the opening two goals of the game to captain Liam McBean and his Bays sidekick Lachie Hosie.

But the Sandgropers slowly began to settle, with their first inside 50 entry for the match – amazingly not coming until the 11th minute of the first term – resulting in a set shot goal to former Port Magpie Taj Schofield.

Despite fielding an inexperienced line-up, the WAFL displayed plenty of poise in the opening half to accumulate 44 more disposals and 20 more marks than the hosts.

Crucially the WAFL’s disposal efficiency in the opening half was at a high 80 per cent, compared to SANFL’s 70.

SANFL threatened to edge ahead again when Matt Allen and Hosie booted the opening two goals of the second stanza but the visitors responded again with Ryan Borchet kicking three goals in a row from close range.

This gave WAFL an unlikely three-point advantage at the main change despite trailing the inside 50 count by 13 to 25.

WAFL  2.1  5.2  10.6  13.8 (86)

SANFL  2.3  4.5  5.6  8.8 (56)

BEST – SANFL: Liddy, Hosie, Allen, Hilder, Lukac.

GOALS – SANFL: Hosie 4, McBean 2, Allen, Rowe.

FOS WILLIAMS MEDAL – Mani Liddy

SIMPSON MEDAL – Milan Murdock

UMPIRES – Ben Williams (SANFL), Harrison Hughes (SANFL), Lachlan Fahey-Gilmour (WAFL)

At Adelaide Oval