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Important SN update for SouthlandEagle shocked that “absolute star” teammate wasn’t on an AFL list before 2025
SEN • July 2nd, 2025 6:51 pm
West Coast’s Clay Hall is beginning to really hit his straps as an AFL footballer.
The 20-year-old had perhaps the best of his eight games yet in Saturday’s loss to Collingwood as he collected 22 disposals, four marks and four tackles which earned him the Round 16 Rising Star nomination.
Another youngster that caught the eye in the honourable loss was key forward Jobe Shanahan with the 18-year-old showing some elite signs above his head in his first AFL game.
Hall wasn’t shocked to see Shanahan make an immediate impact on debut after his arrival at the club at pick 30 in last year’s draft.
“We knew what we were going to get from Jobe as soon as he got to the club,” Hall told SEN Afternoons.
“He's one of those players that whenever he flies for a ball, it just looks a lot nicer than anyone else who flies for it.
“He has a great attitude towards footy. He works incredibly hard, whether that's in the gym, getting his touch done and working on his diet.
“He's been unreal with that stuff, but as you know, key forwards can sometimes take a little bit longer to debut. I'm sure he would have liked it closer to the start of the season. You've just got to be patient and show resilience, and your time will come, and his time came on the weekend.
“He showed why he should be at that level.”
Another Eagle that’s recently landed at the club is mid-season draftee Tom McCarthy.
The 24-year-old who was taken with pick No. 1 in the mid-season draft has quickly found his feet at the top level, averaging 30 disposals and six rebound 50s a game across his two appearances so far.
Hall couldn’t believe that a player of such talent wasn’t on an AFL list until halfway through this year.
“He's an absolute star,” Hall said.
“To think that he hasn't been on a list for that long is ridiculous.
“Some people take a little bit longer than others, as I touched on with key position players and that before.
“But to come in in your first two games and just impact our ball movement the way he has done has been quite ridiculous, to be honest.
“He's just the same as Jobe, they're just incredible people. That'll keep them in great stead at the footy club for a long time.”
Hall and the Eagles next face the Giants at Optus Stadium on Friday night.
