Binningup product Clay Hall makes long-awaited AFL debut for West Coast

Binningup product Clay Hall tasted victory in his long-awaited AFL debut against Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Friday night. Starting as the substitute and activated in the second term after Harry Edwards suffered a concussion, the 19-year-old gathered five disposals and laid a tackle as the Eagles mounted a late comeback to beat the Suns by 10 points. Pulling on the blue and gold for the first time in the AFL saw Hall become the fifth second-generation Eagle, with his father Derek playing two games for the club in 1993, as well as 74 with Geelong. His debut also came alongside a milestone for the club’s other Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault junior Brady Hough, who made his 50th AFL appearance on the night. Taken in the second round of last year’s national draft, Hall made a big early impression at the Eagles but hopes of an early debut were scuttered by a preseason ankle injury. He had produced a strong season for the club’s reserves side in the WAFL, averaging 18.8 disposals and 3.8 tackles across his 13 games. In his pre-match press conference, interim Eagles coach Jarrad Schofield — a one-time Harvey Bulls player who celebrated his first AFL win as coach on the night — said the whole club was “excited” about Hall’s potential. “With Clay, it was trying to get him to be patient over a period of time, because he works so hard on his game, he can see all his mates around him getting opportunities and he’s had to do that, be patient,” he said. “Over the last four to six weeks, we got him to explore playing a little bit outside on the wing, instead of just being purely inside. “He has a really good profile with his running, he covers the ground really well (with his) speed and power, and when he goes inside, he plays tough football.”