Being a rookie list player without senior experience, Clouston was eligible to play for his State and demanded a spot with his excellent form for the Suncoast Lions over the first half of the season.
While several of his younger teammates struggled to adapt to the tempo against the skilful West Australians, Clouston looked right at home.
He took a number of strong marks playing on a wing and was a consistent contributor in the 24.20 (164)-14.7 (91) defeat.
Queensland stunned WA with a six-goal opening quarter, but it only served to galvanise the slick Sandgropers into action and they eventually careered away to 73-point win.
Clouston was the most familiar with the impressive new Tony Ireland Stadium as he had trained there with the Lions during their Community Camp in Townsville in February, and he started brightly along with a number of his teammates.
The Maroons’ midfield broke even in the opening quarter and their tackling pressure had WA on the back foot, with some quality work around goal seeing the home State post an unlikely 6.1-2.8 quarter time lead.
WA responded with a dominant 8.4-1.2 second quarter and were more efficient in front of goal in the third as Queensland tried to go blow-for-blow.
Trailing by 39 points at the final break, the Maroons looked like being swept aside as WA added five goals in 13 minutes, before Matthew Payne went on a hot streak with four goals in 12 minutes.
It got the margin back to 47 points, but the effort took its toll and WA added four goals in the last eight minutes to put a strong exclamation mark on their victory.
Maroons coach Jason Cotter had no complaints.
“They were probably a 10-goal better side so it was a fair result,” he said. “They ran in waves and used the ball well.
“They knew to run because they would get the service of the delivery to them. We were caught flat footed and still watching the guy with the ball, while their direct opponents were off and gone.”
Former Lions premiership player Aaron Shattock provided the highlight of the game, taking a spectacular mark sitting on top of a pack midway through the second term.
Shattock, David Lillico, Ash Evans and Kent Abey were all solid contributors alongside Clouston.
Queensland’s best players were rover Payne, who had 25 possessions and five goals, and defender Wade Dickson, who subdued WA’s dangerous forwards when he went onto them.
WA’s goalsneaks – Ian Richardson (five) and Hayden Ballantyne (three) - kicked eight goals between them, although it was 36-possession utility Jarrod Kayler-Thomson who did most of the damage.
