Second Eagle handed Rising Star nomination against Pies
It may have taken 14 rounds for West Coast to get their first Rising Star nomination, but young midfielder Clay Hall has made it two nods in three weeks for his efforts against Collingwood.
In further signs the Eagles are beginning to trend in the right direction, Hall joined Tyrell Dewar in the race for the game's young star award.
The 20-year-old has had to bide his time during 2025 but showed his clean skills and decision-making as the bottom-placed Eagles pushed league leaders Collingwood for four quarters in a 29-point loss.
Matched up against the likes of Nick Daicos, Steele Sidebottom, and Scott Pendlebury, Hall collected 22 disposals and made the most of them, using the ball with an impressive 77 per cent efficiency.
Hall also had three clearances.
The Peel Thunder product, who grew up in the South West, debuted in round 21 last year with an impressive pedigree, being a Colts premiership player and the son of former Eagles and Geelong player Derek Hall.
'It feels good,' Hall, who's averaging 29 disposals in six WAFL games this year, said.
'It's always nice to get a little bit of personal recognition, but ultimately that's not what I'm here for.
'It's just nice to see the team starting to build some chemistry and starting to stamp our brand, which is really nice. 'We're building something great at this club which I'm really excited for.'
Hall wasn't the only Eagle to impress in round 16, with debutant Jobe Shanahan catching the eye of Essendon great Matthew Lloyd.
Lloyd suggested Richmond would regret allowing the 18-year-old to slip to pick 30, where West Coast were all too eager to pounce on the young swingman.
'Just the way he moved you thought 'gee, they've got one here',' he said on AFL All Access.
'I really liked the mobility of him. His foot skills were sensational.
'So, it's going to be a watch over the next 10 to 15 years because Richmond selected a number of forwards before him and Shanahan blew out.
'I've sort of followed his career a bit because he would play Essendon VFL when he was in the under-18 competition. He was kicking fours and fives at VFL level as an under-18 player.
'He has a beautiful kicking technique as well.'
The Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal at the 2025 AFL Awards. OR/R1: Sam Lalor (Richmond)
R2: Connor O'Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
R3: Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
R4: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
R5: Archie Roberts (Essendon)
R6: Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
R7: Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne)
R8: Hugo Garcia (St Kilda)
R9: Nate Caddy (Essendon)
R10: Cooper Lord (Carlton)
R11: Angus Clarke (Essendon)
R12: Ed Allan (Collingwood)
R13: Dan Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
R14: Tyrell Dewar (West Coast Eagles)
R15: Finn O'Sullivan (North Melbourne)
R16: Clay Hall (West Coast Eagles)
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