Ninyette named M&J Chickens Player of the Round

Cody Ninyette has been name the M & J Chickens Player of NAIDOC Round, after what was a standout performance.

Ninyette had a relatively quiet first half of the 2018 season compared with what he was able to produce in 2017, but his form has come to life in recent weeks and then he took things up another gear in Saturday's win against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval.

The 20-year-old ended the afternoon kicking five goals to go with 21 possessions, five tackles, four marks and four entries inside the forward 50.

Ninyette started the game strongly with three goals in the first quarter to help the Demons to a fast start. He then went on to add a fourth goal in the third quarter and his fifth during the last term as he ensured he delivered a strong performance for the whole four quarters.

Ninyette has now kicked five goals twice in his last three matches this season and is in some stunning forward-line alongside Bennell in a Perth team making a genuine run for the finals.

The Kelmscott product came through the colts at Perth and played some impressive football across 28 games in 2015 and 2016 where he kicked 33 goals in that time.

He made the step up to senior football late in the 2016 season playing three reserves matches and kicking eight goals, and then kicking four goals from two league appearances.

Ninyette was then a permanent member of the league team in 2017 and he went on to be the leading goalkicker for Perth for the season kicking 28 goals in his 18 matches, highlighted by his still career-best of seven in the last game of the season against East Perth.

Ninyette had a solid start to the 2018 season kicking 10 goals across his first nine matches, but he then booted five goals in Round 11 against East Fremantle on the same afternoon teammate Bennell kicked seven.

Then he delivered another five-goal haul in Saturday's win against Swan Districts and there's every reason he could find himself in the AFL system by the end of 2018.