Fremantle Next Generation Academy prospect Toby Whan roared back to form on Saturday, combining 41 disposals with four goals for South Fremantle in the WAFL Colts competition.
It was a compelling reminder to AFL scouts of his prodigious talent as a powerful left footer, with his eye-catching speed and excellent ball-winning capability the features of a jaw-dropping performance.
The statement performance will do wonders for his draft stock, having averaged just 15 disposals, three tackles and three marks at the National Championships for an underperformed Western Australian outfit.
It meant he received only a State Combine invite, but he remains firmly on AFL Draft radars.
“Coming into the 'champs', I was pretty keen and excited off some pretty good form and at the start of champs I was a bit average,” Whan conceded.
“Throughout 'champs', I dropped off a bit, which wasn't nice and underperformed quite a bit compared to what I was hoping and what other people probably expected of me.
“My main improvement with (coach Mark Webb) was shifting a bit faster to the ball instead of waiting and reacting to the ball moving, which would give me more of a chance to impact and win the footy, so a bit more hunt and speed.”
In between the modest National Championships, the 184cm prospect has averaged 29 disposals, three tackles and a goal at WAFL Colts level in 2025.
Whan has formed an excellent one-two combination with Fred Rodriguez for South Fremantle, with Rodriguez a first-round prospect after taking out Western Australia's U18s MVP.
The pair's skillsets complement each other well, with Rodriguez renowned for his contest work and Whan for his running capacity and skills by foot.
Their relationship extends off-field, which has helped propel Whan's footy to new heights in 2025.
“We've known each other for a while but become closer with footy in the last three years,” Whan said.
“I'm definitely close with him.
“Early on, we were calling each other our work wives.
“We've got our friends outside of footy, but during footy, I definitely compete with him, so we're good mates.
"Lately we've got a system pre-training – 30 rights, 30 lefts, 30 train tracks, 30 ground balls, that's the first thing we do on the training track, which wakes you up and gets your feet moving and then we can go into the more in-depth stuff.
“Pre-training, we're always there early and make sure we're working on specific craft, which will benefit each other.”
As well as Rodriguez, Toby has his older brother, Jacob, to lean on, who was also part of the Dockers NGA and the Western Australia U18s squad – though he didn't play an U18s National Championships game due to injury.
The pair have trained together extensively and Toby has been given a first-hand view into the importance of persistence given the adversity his brother was confronted with in his top-aged year.
Whan noted the impact of his brother on his venomous kicking, his decision-making with ball in hand having matured across the past 18 months.
“The biggest thing I've looked to (Jacob) for is his kicking,” Whan said.
“He's a simple kick, but when he needs it, he can take it on.
“Last year and the year before, I was trying to belt the cover off it, and he's just really fluent, smooth and kicks it perfectly, so I was looking at him with how he kicks it, which has helped me get better.
“Early on, I was always wanting to get the handball and hit someone lace out and then sometimes it would look good, but sometimes it would be a mongrel punt, but now I'm working more on my contest work.
“So I will either get first hands on it and then I'm looking to give and put someone in a better position.
“When it's there, I'll definitely take it, and if it's at a stage of the game where we need to take it on, I want to be the bloke that will start that and not just lob it down the line and be too scared.”
Viewed widely as one of the better players to not feature in the AFL's Academy, Whan was still afforded the opportunity to train with the Dockers in pre-season, given he is part of the club's NGA.
Given the chance to train as a high forward/winger with South Fremantle in pre-season, given it is viewed as his most likely initial position at senior level, to use his endurance, Whan was with the Dockers' midfield group, leaning on Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw.
The AFL lifestyle is a stark difference from his current life as a bagel chef in Western Australia, but having finished his schooling last year, he has more time than most to dedicate to footy, while maintaining balance, and set up his life for next year and beyond.
“It was a big eye-opener,” Whan said of his week at Fremantle in January.
“The first day we were down there, it was a big session for the boys, they hit (about) 17kms, which is huge, and then they're into the gym after that, so it was definitely full on.
“But the next few days were lighter and focusing on the craft side of things, which was huge for me.
“They were doing the basics and mastering that and not getting outside the box too much and making sure they're good at the simple things.”
