South West AFL Watch: Hough blankets Sydney Star in season-best West Coast performance

Brady Hough blanketed Sydney star Tom Papley in West Coast’s best performance of the season on Saturday. The Harvey product showed his versatility by holding the gun small forward — who he is 13cm taller than — goalless as the Eagles went down to the Swans by 26 points at Mount Barker in South Australia as part of the league’s Gather Round. Hough gathered 12 disposals of his own while using the ball in good fashion, operating at a disposal efficiency of 75 per cent. The 21-year-old was set for a role as the team’s third tall defender over the summer but the selection committee has so far opted to use converted ruckman Callum Jamieson in that role, giving Hough the licence to play on smaller opponents. Dunsborough’s Reuben Ginbey was also solid for the Eagles, gathering 16 disposals and laying six tackles. Busselton’s Jye Amiss booted one goal and Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault junior Ethan Hughes gathered 14 disposals in Fremantle’s controversial 10-point loss to Carlton, which was all but decided when Blue Matt Cottrell was paid a mark in front of goal in the final minute despite the ball deflecting off James Aish. Amiss’ defensive pressure was again a feature, laying five tackles to go with three last week. Busselton’s James Tunstill made his first appearance for the season as the substitute in Brisbane’s 70-point victory over North Melbourne on Friday, picking up five disposals and applying two tackles after being activated in the fourth quarter. Binningup product Clay Hall continued his push for a senior debut with 22 disposals as West Coast’s WAFL side suffered an 88-point defeat to South Fremantle.