Seniors and Colt’s Season Review

Subiaco’s 2025 season officially ended last Saturday, with the final round of matches for the Colts, Reserves and WAFL competitions wrapping up. While the WAFL side suffered a 40-point loss to Perth, the Reserves side defeated the Demons by 6 points, while the Colts won by 11.

The completion of Round 20 marks the end of a challenging year for the Lions in the Men’s competitions, both on and off the field. Subiaco finished 9th on the WAFL table with a record of 4 wins and 14 losses, while both the Reserves and the Colts missed out on finals by only a single win.

There are positives to be taken out of the season. 3 star Lions were among those that travelled to Adelaide to represent the state in a clash against the SANFL’s best, with Archer May, Taj Schofield and Ryan Borchet helping secure a win against the croweaters.

Back home, Subiaco also managed to produce victories against two eventual finalists. A Round 11 win against East Perth saw Subi dominate the game for the final 3 quarters to win by 10 points, while the Round 12 victory against East Fremantle, described by commentators on the day as one of the best games of WAFL in years, showcased Subiaco’s determination and resilience as they overcame a 3-goal deficit to win by a single point.

“The East Perth and East Fremantle wins were standout,” Coach Nigel Hamilton agreed. “But some of our best storylines of the year were in our young district players debuting. Charlie Burke, Hudson Walker, Xavier Hickey, Wes Walley, Sonny Siano, Kieren Douglas and Tyler Senge, just to name a few. Watching young players like Burke play was a high point of my year.”

Off the field, the season was fraught with challenges the club had to overcome.

“We didn’t get to see Jordan Lockyer or Luke Foley all year due to long term injuries, and Kyron Hayden decided over the pre-season to take time away and play some country footy this year.”

Archer May, one of the club’s most exciting new additions for the 2025 season, also couldn’t stick around.

“Archer May being drafted by Essendon in the mid-season draft was great for him, but at the same time a massive blow for us with him being part of what may have been a very potent forward line.”

In addition to that, Beau Wardman stepped down from his position as Senior Coach effective immediately just two days before the club’s Round 15 clash with Claremont. With six matches left in the Home & Away season, Subi’s Senior Assistant and Midfield Coach, and freshly inducted Life Member, stepped up to finish the job.

“Taking over the squad with 6 weeks to go meant we had to identify what was important and make those changes quickly,” Hamilton explained. “I remember saying to the players ‘I am going to give you a quick jolt into the direction we need to go’. Their buy-in on this was great to witness and the shift was clear to see. The challenge was we couldn’t keep on the same path, but with only 6 weeks to go we could only make the adjustments that were absolutely important.”

The Round 18 victory against West Perth, a closely fought and hard earned 2-point victory, was a defining moment for the entire group.

“After so much had happened on and off the field, it was a great win for the club,” Hamilton said. “It was the accumulation of hard work put in over the weeks leading up where we slowly improved each week to that point.”

While 2025 ultimately won’t be marked in the history books as one of the glory years, Hamilton is adamant that 2026 will be the beginning of a new chapter.

“Having been at the club for 13 years, through some of the most successful times, I know this club won’t be down for long,” Hamilton proclaimed.

“Already, the recruiting of players has commenced, and our loyal supporters can look forward to the introduction of some experienced talent, some players that left us coming back, new coaches and a rebuild of the hard-working, no-nonsense, ruthless club that we are.”

Reserves coach Thomas Lowndes has also seen that talent come through his side.

“We’ve got a large group of young men who’ve had a taste of senior footy this year and are hungry for more,” Lowndes explained. “That hunger will drive them through the summer to come back bigger and better, and fans will see them really put pressure on our established League players. That competitiveness of the younger players pushing up and senior players lifting to hold their spots is going to raise the standard across the whole club in 2026.”

“I think about Xavier Hickey putting his body on the line, going back with the flight against Claremont in pre-season. That’s how we build respect. That’s where we see the sacrifice that some of our young players are prepared to make. That’s the kind of stuff people remember long after the goals and possessions fade.”

“The most rewarding part of coaching the Reserves is seeing young players grow into themselves, not just as footballers, but as people. We’ve got 18 and 19-year-olds matching up against seasoned WAFL players at training and instead of shying away, they lean in, wanting to soak up every bit of experience. It’s also great working with players who move between League and Reserves, helping them rebuild form and confidence to step back up. To walk alongside that next generation of Subiaco footballers and watch them develop is pretty special.”

The Colts saw some success in 2025, finishing only a game out of finals and winning the last 3 games of the season, including a 54-point win over Peel.

“We showed some really good growth in the last four weeks,” Colts coach John Mansbridge said. “We played some great football and kept our finals aspirations alive, and it was a period where we were able to get up 12 first-year Colts.”

Mansbridge says the year was full of highlights both on and off the field, and couldn’t settle for just one.

“Wes Walley, Hudson Walker and Rydn Rae-Anthonysz playing in the AFL U18s National Championships was one of the best storylines,” he reflected.

“The Colts had a game in Albany this year (Round 15 against Claremont), and although the result wasn’t what we wanted we got to see some boys interact with each other away from a footy environment.”

“We had an ‘anything but a bag’ day where players were asked to bring their gear in anything but a bag. We had cereal boxes, washing baskets, a craypot…” Mansbridge chuckled.

The best storyline of 2025 however, for Mansbridge, started with a 1-on-1 meeting during pre-season.

“I remember having a conversation with Kyan Perera at the start of the year about his football. He started pre-season with stress fractures in his back, and our conversation was about how we would keep him on our list to assist him through his injury, with the understanding he will more than likely not play any Colts games this year,” Mansbridge explained. “He debuted in Round 17.”

Perera’s story speaks to the eagerness and ability brewing in Subiaco’s young talent.

“There is a group of exciting young men transitioning into our Senior program who will certainly work hard in order to make their Senior debuts. From a Colt’s perspective, we have had a large group of first-year Colts play this year that will benefit from the experience, and we will be looking to them to take this group further next year.”

There’s plenty to look forward to in 2026, but there’s still time to celebrate the achievements of 2025. Outridge Medal Night, which celebrates the Best & Fairest of the Senior and Reserves sides, is coming up on Friday 12th September, with the Taylor Medal for the Colts side following on Saturday 13th September. You can buy tickets here: https://www.intix.com.au/artist/subiaco-fc