FALCONS BENEFITTING FROM EMERGING GROUP

THE returns of Shane Nelson and Kody Manning has had a significant impact on West Perth getting back on the WAFL winner's list the past two weeks, but so has the continued emergence of a host of players including Luke Meadows, Dean Munns and Joel Leeson.

West Perth's season was teetering on the edge at 1-4 heading into the Anzac Day Round clash with Swan Districts, but Nelson returned and delivered 29 possessions and 13 clearances as the Falcons came away with a hard fought 23-point victory.

West Perth then headed to Kulin to take on Claremont on Saturday and took out a gritty and thrilling seven-point victory with Manning making his return for his first game since Round 2 and contributing two goals from 19 possessions.

But there has been more to West Perth's improved form the past two weeks than just those two premiership stars coming back into the line-up.

With increased opportunities to be important players so far in 2016, Trent Manzone, Drew Rohde, Tyler Keitel, Aidan Lynch, Blake Wilhelm and Ben King have all played some impressive football for West Perth.

And then there's Luke Meadows who delivered just about a best on ground performance on Saturday in Kulin finishing with 33 possessions and eight marks as he helped to fill the role of Andrew Strijk off half-back who went forward and kicked four first half goals.

Meadows has now made 34 league appearances for the Falcons after making his debut in Round 22, 2013. He has shown an ability to play good football forward, back and in the middle at times the last two years, and now in 2016 he has taken his game to another level.

The 21-year-old is averaging 17 disposals a game this season but is equally capable of racking up the ball as playing stopping roles like in Round 4 when he held East Fremantle's Brock O'Brien to seven touches.

West Perth coach Bill Monaghan is impressed with the form of Meadows continues to show and now wants to see it more consistently.

"He found heaps of it and he's a really strong kid. He attacks the footy hard and everyone here has great respect for what Luke does," Monaghan said.

"But he's only a 30-game player and 21 years of age so he's going to have ups and downs, but again we think he is starting to build some good consistency in his game. But as for all young players, the challenge is to do it on a weekly basis.

"It's not a matter of playing well this week and not so good next week, so that's his challenge and we'll keep throwing huge challenges to him down back or in the midfield or even up forward. A couple of weeks ago he played a defensive role on Brock O'Brien and we rated him as nearly our best player. He is really important to our team."

Another player to get his chance over the past two weeks has been midfielder Dean Munns who made his debut in the win over Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval.

Having graduated up into the reserves in 2015, he had a strong season as a ball-winning and hard tackling midfielder. He started 2016 strongly again to earn his chance for a league debut.

After a good debut in the win over Swans, he backed up on the trip to Kulin against Claremont by getting the big tagging role on Tigers on-baller Jye Bolton who had been averaging 29 disposals the previous four weeks.

Munns held him to just the 10 touches and no influence on the contest in West Perth's win and Monaghan was delighted in his effort even if Claremont didn’t necessarily think highly of his performance.

"Dean Munns did and in important job for us on the weekend. Whilst he only had eight touches and in some ways Claremont scoffed at us for playing a kid who only had eight touches, he kept their prime ball mover to 10," he said.

"Jye Bolton has proven to be an outstanding WAFL player and Munns has now done a couple of good jobs for us. It's important to have those young kids come in and play their role to help the team and allow the guys with the best foot skills and the best runners to be used in the areas where they can be most effective."

Another player in impressive form in recent weeks is Joel Leeson who has come to West Perth in 2016 following 49 games and 53 goals previously at Perth.

Following a year out of the WAFL in 2015, he wanted another crack at a new club and he is fitting in nicely now in a role at half-forward where he can use his elite kicking skills to good effect.

He kicked three goals in the win over Swan Districts and then four all in the second half against Claremont on Saturday. Monaghan is pleased with his form but more so for the more ball that is getting into the forward-line the past two weeks.

"Joel has slowly been improving this season like Max Duffy and Keegan Knott even though he's unfortunately been relegated to the reserves over the last two weeks," Monaghan said.

"We had only been averaging about 35 inside forward 50s a week over the first five games so it wasn’t easy to play in the forward-line, but we've averaged 55 the past two weeks. Obviously the more supply you get in there the greater chances guys have to kick goals. Joel has been fantastic and kicked seven over the last two weeks.

"We'd like to think when Matt Johnson gets back up and running, when Corey Chalmers gets up and running and Keegan Knott gets form that we've got a good blend with our small forwards. We do need to get the ball there and move it in a certain way for those guys to be effective though."