A first taste of league football has left young gun Koby LeCras eager to contribute to a change in fortunes at West Perth this season.
The 18-year-old was part of an improved but frustrated Falcons team still looking for their first win after losing to South Fremantle at home in round four on Sunday.
“It was good, obviously a great experience,” he said of his league debut on his birthday. “A different level from colts.
“It’s good to get out there with the boys. We didn’t win but we’ll come back next week against Peel.”
LeCras, whose father Brent and uncle Mark played in premierships at West Perth and West Coast Eagles respectively, finished with six disposals and three marks, including a standout mark against the Bulldogs’ Jacob Sax in the second term.
Commentator and former State coach Michael Broadbridge, who had seen the AFL Academy representative play for Aquinas College, praised the one-grab effort.
“That’s a quality contested mark by a young man against a seasoned defender,” Broadbridge said.
“His use of the body there, his protection of the drop zone was elite.
“You don’t see that too often.”
LeCras, who wears the same number 20 his father wore in his 159-goal career at the Falcons, said he had done “a fair bit of work” on his marking with the State under 18s.
That included working on contested marking with fellow Falcon product and State teammate Harvey Spawton-Guy.
“I’m lucky enough to play with Harvey, and he’s really good with that,” LeCras said.
“We try to challenge each other through training.
“Yeah, I do lots of marking stuff with him.”
LeCras said work rate was the strength of his game when asked.
“Getting up the ground and ripping back as well,” he said.
The young forward was joined in the West Perth rooms after the game by his family, including dad Brent, who played six games for North Melbourne and 141 for the Falcons.
His father, a premiership legend also of the Cervantes Football Club, presented him with his guernsey before the game.
His uncle Mark, a 2010 All-Australian, was also at the game, supporting his nephew from the Whinnen-Dempsey Stand.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-perth-football-club/wafl-2026-koby-lecras-debuts-for-west-perth-in-front-of-father-brent-lecras-and-uncle-mark-lecras–c-22199813
