Peter Sumich’s 2023 season ratings, part III: Every Fremantle Docker and West Coast Eagle ranked

Peter Sumich continues his must-read worst-to-best ratings countdown of Fremantle and West Coast’s players for season 2023, with today’s third part featuring those ranked 35-21. CATCH UP ON PART I (players 64-51) | CATCH UP ON PART II (players 50-36) 35: Ethan Hughes (Fremantle) Average rating: 4.35 Games played: 20 Solid year. He is Mr Reliable down back and wing at times. No fuss about him and is in Freo’s best 22 at the moment for next year. 34: Brandon Walker (Fremantle) Average rating: 4.5 Games played: 14 Very good up until he got injured. He seems to handle the small opposition forwards well as a backman, he just needs to find a bit more of the footy. 33: Josh Treacy (Fremantle) Average rating: 4.59 Games played: 17 Looked like he was going to have a great year after his first few games, but he just flattened out and was just okay for the rest of the season. He is still learning his craft up forward and in the ruck so next year will show us where he really is at as a player. 32: Jamie Cripps (West Coast) Average rating: 4.67 Games played: 12 Indifferent year, some good and some average games. He needs to move on quick and get into an elite pre-season, ready for 2024. 31: Tom Cole (West Coast) Average rating: 4.75 Games played: 12 Injured early in the season, but when he came back into the side he was very good holding up in the back half. He is in the best 22, so a solid pre-season for him is a must. 30: Sam Switkowski (Fremantle) Average rating: 4.77 Games played: 22 I liked his season, he worked very hard on his performance each week and the injection into the midfield was a good move, because he gave his team the speed it needed around the contest when he got the ball. His defensive work was elite, he should build into a good pre-season, ready for next year. 29: Matthew Johnson (Fremantle) Average rating: 4.78 Games played: 18 Will he become an A-grade player? I think he can, but he still has a lot of work to do. Hopefully he keeps a level head and puts in the hard yards to become this player. The key to this is the people around him at the club driving him, like his line coach and senior players. 28: Bailey Williams (West Coast) Average rating: 4.83 Games played: 23 He had a slow start to the season, then got going in the ruck and was the biggest improver for the club. Looking from the outside, I think ruck coach Ryan Turnbull has done a great job in teaching Bailey the art of rucking. I’m looking forward to seeing him have another solid year in 2024. 27: Elliot Yeo (West Coast) Average rating: 4.9 Games played: 10 Could not get on the park enough to play some consistent footy. Injuries shut him down for most of the year, so a solid pre-season where he works on his body is the only way to get a 20+ game season out of him. 26: Jake Waterman (West Coast) Average rating: 4.91 Games played: 11 Great start to the year, playing up forward, kicking goals and creating them. When he started to play in the ruck at times, his natural forward game started to suffer. He got injured and sick after that, which finished his year. Jake has become a very important player in the future of the club. 25: Alex Witherden (West Coast) Average rating: 4.91 Games played: 22 Solid year. He was under the pump down back and did his job, playing some good defensive games. He needs help and hopefully gets it next year. As always, his skills were elite. 24: Michael Walters (Fremantle) Average rating: 5 Games played: 20 Good year, but had moments where his form was down. His body is the key for him – he must stand up next year at 33 years old. 23: Jye Amiss (Fremantle) Average rating: 5 Games played: 21 Yes, he is my favourite player, he is going to be a star. I don’t like putting pressure on this kid, but I think he can handle anything – goals, goals, goals next year. 22: Jayden Hunt (West Coast) Average rating: 5.09 Games played: 23 Didn’t have a great start to the year, but warmed to the task. As the season went on, he was one of the better players for West Coast. It was his first year at the club, so he will look forward to a fresh start in 2024 after a very tough year. 21: Dom Sheed (West Coast) Average rating: 5.2 Games played: 15 Another senior player who was way off the mark with his fitness and desire to perform at the elite level early in the year. After being challenged mid-season, he found his mojo and looked a different player, who was hungry for the contest and started to work himself into games with his elite work rate. He must have an A-grade pre-season or he will fall into the same trap again. ON THURSDAY: THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES WITH PLAYERS 20-11

Peter Sumich’s 2023 season ratings, part III: Every Fremantle Docker and West Coast Eagle ranked

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