BY LENNY FOGLIANI

After nine rounds in the home-and-away campaign, the Simply Energy WAFL Colts Finals series starts this weekend.

The Claremont Football Club will be aiming to win its 17^th Simply Energy WAFL Colts premiership, and sixth premiership since 2009.

A host of young players will be aiming to make a name for themselves during this finals campaign, with one player worth keeping an eye on being Joel Western, who is raring to go for another finals campaign.

“I’m bloody excited! I love playing finals footy, it’s just an awesome feeling and everyone’s up and about. Everyone around the club is lively and obviously winning the premiership is the major goal of this year so everyone will be focused for it,” Western said.

He was a key member of Claremont’s Grand Final triumph over Peel Thunder in last year’s Grand Final with 23 possessions and six tackles.

“I mentally prepared myself for it. I’ve been lucky enough to play in a couple of Grand Finals before, so it wasn’t like my first, so I wasn’t really starstruck by it. I was able to settle in pretty well and have a really good start. I think it just had to do with my preparation leading up to the game and I love playing in big games. They mean a lot to me and the Club as well. I just found it to be a great opportunity to shine and to put my best foot forward to help us win the game,” Western said.

“Since there’s only four or five of us in the squad at the moment that actually played in that grand final from last year, so not many carry-over players. Since I’m one of the leaders of the team, and I’ve got to experience that, I want to share the motivation and bring all the other boys up to realise what we are in for, and hopefully we can share another flag this year,” he said.

Claremont’s Talent Manager Jordan Smith was glowing in his assessment of Western, especially his leadership credentials.

“From a standards point-of-view, his talk around the group, his intensity and just really taking charge of to be honest. That was the thing that struck me most, was Joel’s ability to really take charge of his own development and also the development of others as well. So he was really proactive in that period when we went through the phase where coaches and staff weren’t allowed to be running sessions for the players, or it was small group training. Joel was actually taking charge of a lot of that and organising sessions off his own bat with the group, and with groups of players… It’s not something you always see with a 17-year-old kid, is him organising sessions off his own bat and bringing the group along and almost putting them on his shoulders in a sense really and that pre-season period which was great to see from a young kid,” Smith said.

The Subiaco junior helped instigated a fundraiser, “Mullets for Mental Health,” with team-mates Tom Lawson, Riley Torrijos, Sam Alvarez, Jake Willson, Logan Guelfi and Campbell Rogers as well as school mates, to help raise much-needed funds for mental health research.

“I actually drove it, set it up myself. I stumbled across it. I asked a bunch of mates if they wanted to join in, and I made a team for us. We’ve got about 12 boys on it, some from Claremont, some from school. We’ve raised about a tally of $5000 now so it’s still growing, so we’re doing bloody well,” Western said.

The talented youngster spent pre-season with the senior squad – an experience that should hold him in good stead.

“With having the opportunity to train with the senior squad, to see the standards that they train at, and so that’s on the track – the intensity they train with, you know just ticking all the boxes, leaving no stone unturned I suppose and really brought those experiences back and started impressing those on our Colts, and the boys really relished the experience of learning off someone who had been learning off the best,” Smith said.

Western is also a member of Fremantle’s Next-Generation Academy, where he has learnt many valuable lessons.

“When I get to train [with Fremantle], ‘Sonny’ Michael Walters teaches me so much. He’s taught me a lot that I’ve brought into this season to do with like bodywork and just demanding the footy and leadership,” Western said.

And he also credits former Docker Tendai Mzungu for helping him with his footy.

“Having Tendai by my side, I can message him whenever I have problem with anything to do with my game or if I have any problems off-field, yeah, he’s a really good help,” Western said.

With Claremont taking on Subiaco at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday, the stage is set for Western to have a big impact in the finals.