Clay Hall Expresses Delight Over Elijah Hewett's WAFL Comeback
West Coast Eagles midfielder Clay Hall has voiced his immense satisfaction at seeing teammate Elijah Hewett back in competitive action, following another off-season marred by injury setbacks. The explosive 21-year-old, who has managed only 34 games across his first three AFL seasons due to persistent physical issues, faced a calf problem early in the summer before a fresh quad injury sidelined him just before round one.
Hewett's Steady Progress in WAFL Matches
The Eagles opted not to rush Hewett back into the senior side immediately after he successfully navigated a WAFL practice game last week. He followed this up by appearing in the official season opener for the reserves, a 65-point loss to Perth on Saturday, without any apparent issues. Hall remarked, "I am so glad Hewy's back on the park. He's obviously had a few years of some really serious injuries that have taken him out, so just to be able to go out and play footy with him, one of my good mates, is great."
Hall emphasized Hewett's impact, noting, "He's one of those players that can pop up every now and again and make people go 'wow'. We love Hewy and what he brings to the team. I hope he doesn't stay down here for too long, as with any of the other boys trying to get back into the side."
Bailey Williams Shines Under New Ruck Rules
In the same match, Bailey Williams delivered an impressive performance, marking his fourth consecutive WAFL game after a summer interrupted by a groin problem. Williams won 34 hit-outs and kicked two goals against the Demons. Hall believes the new ruck rules perfectly suit the 201cm tall player, stating, "I think he can really push for an AFL call-up if he keeps jumping the way he is at the moment. He's so predictable, he doesn't go for anything silly. Whatever us mids want, he puts it there."
Hall also praised Williams' leadership growth, adding, "He's also grown so much from a leadership point of view, telling us some patterns that will put us in good stead to either get the ball to our forwards or set up repeat stoppage."
Hall's Versatility and AFL Aspirations
Despite spending much of the summer training on the wing, Hall played exclusively as an inside midfielder in the loss to Perth, leading his team with 26 disposals and five tackles. He clarified that discussions with West Coast's coaches about earning a senior spot have not confined him to a single role. "There's no reason I can't go out onto that wing or potentially come into the side as a tagger," Hall explained.
He models his game on influential players, saying, "Guys like Harley Reid, Tom McCarthy, Tim Kelly, when they go inside, they're so damaging with their ball use. I'd love to be a bit like that. On the defensive side, I model my game a bit on Jack Graham, I just love how tough he is and think that I could really be someone like that in the future."
