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Talented footballers play in grand final for South Fremantle by Jackson Clark 23 September 2013
I
t was a big week for two talented young Indigenous footballers in Western Australia. Jordan Comeagain and William Rioli represented South Fremantle in the weekend’s WAFL Colts Grand Final against Claremont. Both men share many similarities as former members of the TalentEd program, by Starwin Management, which aims to promote up and coming young stars involving them in a number of sporting and educational programs. The pair met at a small luncheon for TalentEd participants and Blue Rock Talent clients and have since become teammates at the Bulldogs. Comeagain, originally from Mullewa, has played 14 games this season in the Colts for South Fremantle. He has averaged a little over ten disposals per game and was giving the opportunity to play a game in the reserves earlier in the season. He originally played in the Great Northern Football League before coming to Darwin for the TalentEd
William Rioli is playing for South Fremantle Image: AFL
camp in June 2012. After completing a pre-season with Northern Territory Football League side Southern Districts, he took up the option to play with South Fremantle. William Rioli joined a long list of Riolis to have represented South Fremantle when he made his debut for the club this season. He has played three games in the reserves and booted 10.3 and seven games in the Colts for an accurate return of 26.5. His uncanny ability to find where the goals are is
perhaps is best trait as a footballer. Rioli often plays deep in the forward line as a crumbing player and rarely wastes an opportunity in front of goal. Despite this, he always remains team orientated and his vision and skill execution results in many scoring assists from the talented forward. Rioli has caught the eye of a couple of AFL clubs and this has resulted in an invitation to the AFL State Screening Combine later in the year. Rioli is a big game performer which was showcased
in the NTFL grand final where he kicked five goals and was awarded the Chaney Medal for best on ground. There is no disputing that Rioli knows where the goals are and the grand final on the weekend gave him another opportunity to showcase his talents to AFL recruiters. After meeting at the Christmas lunch last year, the boys have resumed their friendship while living in Perth and were hoping to be premiership teammates after the weekend. Standing in their way is a Claremont side that finished the minor rounds on top of the ladder with a win-loss record of 18-2. South Fremantle finished in second with 15 wins and five losses so it’s fitting that the two best performed teams of the minor rounds will face off in the big dance. South Fremantle earned its spot in the grand final after an upset 23-point win over Claremont in the Second Semi Final. The Bulldogs have the added luxury of a week’s rest but the Tigers will be hoping that their performance a fortnight ago was a once off.
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