Around The Leagues: Haiden’s homecoming for centenary clash, new Bomber’s link to Albany & our own flyin’ Ryan

The Advertiser brings you Around the Leagues, taking a look at football stories of players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Haiden’s homecoming for centenary celebrations Decorated South Fremantle midfielder and 2017 Sandover medallist Haiden Schloithe is heading back home to play for Katanning Wanderers on Saturday. Schloithe will pull on the Tigers colours in a special appearance, as his home club celebrate 100 years this weekend. The Tigers will mark the milestone the centenary with a home game at Quartermaine Oval against Wickepin in a spicy top of the table clash. It has been more than a decade since Schloithe has played for Katanning in the Upper Great Southern Football League. He last played for Katanning in 2010 when he kicked 48 goals in 19 games before embarking on a glittering WAFL career for South Fremantle. He played 200 league games for the Bulldogs from 2011-2022 and after retiring from the WAFL signed with Perth Football League outfit North Fremantle for 2023. The 29-year-old has played six games and kicked nine goals for North Fremantle in B-grade with his side sitting seventh on the ladder with three wins and four losses. Schloithe will be part of a strong Katanning league side that boasts plenty of former WAFL talent. Ex-Hawthorn and South Fremantle midfielder Kade Stewart leads the Tigers midfield while Mitchell Banks (South Fremantle), Laurence Collard (South Fremantle), James Laurino (South Fremantle) and Liam Hansen (Peel Thunder) have all played league footy at WAFL level. Schloithe is a five-time WJ Hughes Medal winner as South Fremantle’s best and fairest league player to go with a premiership in 2020 and life membership. He will play under a game permit for the round eight fixture and ATL understands the appearance will be a one-off for the 100-year anniversary. New Bomber’s link to Albany Emerging key position player Jaiden Hunter was drafted by Essendon in Wednesday’s AFL mid-season draft. Hunter began this season playing WAFL reserves for Perth but shot into draft calculations in recent weeks with 11 goals in three league games. The 194cm product was taken by the Bombers with pick No.8 and the 21-year-old will fly east this weekend to begin his AFL career. In 2020 Hunter was an 18-year-old aspiring to be picked up in the national draft after a strong year playing colts for Perth and impressing at the State draft combine. He was unfortunately overlooked and then spent the past two years sidelined with elbow and ACL injuries that affected his chances of getting a chance at the highest level. The Albany Advertiser did a story with Hunter, now 21, back in 2020 in the lead-up to the draft. An Applecross junior, Hunter played in the PSA competition for Aquinas but spent several years coming to Albany on school holidays to spend with his mum Toni Hunter and brother Matt Lehaney. Lehaney is still living and working in Albany and proudly was watching on the live stream to see his brother get picked up by the Bombers. Claremont on the pearl coast Broome was the location for Claremont’s regional WAFL fixture last Saturday. Bathed in sunshine and with humid conditions, the Tigers clashed with East Fremantle in the round seven fixture. Great Southern players Declan Mountford (North Albany), Anthony Davis (Borden), Tyron Smallwood (Royals and Albany) and Talon Delacey (North Albany) all made the trip north. The Tigers kicked led at half-time but the Sharks finished 18-point winners in the end. Davis was outstanding in a losing affair, collecting 21 disposals and nine marks across half-back. He was joined in the best players by skipper Mountford who also finished with 21 touches and seven inside-50s while laying a game-high 13 tackles. Smallwood and Delacey also had impact for the Tigers, combining for four of their side’s nine majors. From 14 possessions Smallwood kicked 2.1 and Delacey had nine disposals to also return 2.1. First blemish of the season for Gibson Gibson who were the winners of the preseason footy tournament at the Borden X Cup, have lost their first game of 2023. Playing in the Esperance District Association, Gibson won their first four games of the season. However Esperance got the better of the Tigers in round five last Saturday, kicking five goals to three after half-time on their way to an 11-point triumph. Ravensthorpe star and former Claremont utility Jordan McAllister was in action for Gibson, kicking a goal while Mt Barker product Cameron Quenby and Bremer Bay’s Josh Bertola also featured for the Tigers. Ex-Claremont midfielder Patrick Jannings also plays for the Tigers and has been a key part of their strong start to 2023. Both Gibson and Esperance have a win-loss record of 4-1 after five rounds of the season. Flyin’ Ryan takes to the sky Royals junior Ryan Lazar reeled in a huge grab for Claremont in the WAFL colts competition on Saturday. Lazar soaked above an opponent to reel in the spectacular mark against East Fremantle at Revo Fitness Stadium as the unbeaten Tigers continued their brilliant form in 2023. Coming up the ground to receive a rebound 50 on the wing, Lazar launched himself at the back of his Sharks opponent to get a brilliant ride – going almost horizontal on his return to the ground. He finished with 13 touches and two goals, and was one of five Great Southern players to feature in the win for the Tigers. Former Railways and Royals junior Ryley Valli was best-afield with 31 disposals in the 35-point win. Seb Ballard (Mt Barker), Clay Michael (Railways) and Lucas Ravenhill (North Albany) were also part of the Great Southern contingent. Got a footy story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com