THE final round of South Australian National Football League (SANFL) action is here, with a host of young talent looking to impress for what could potentially be the final time on the field this year.

Bloods midfielder Bailey Chamberlain has been forced to wait patiently for his League debut after being named in the selected side for several weeks without managing to make the final cut. However, the draft hopeful from Roxby Downs has been named on the wing for West Adelaide’s final game of the season. Joining him in the senior side is defender Jye Sinderberry, who is also in line to make the step up to League level after spending time in the reserves and under-18s throughout the season. Strong overhead for his size, Sinderberry has been named on the half-back flank for the Bloods’ Friday night clash with Norwood at The Parade.

Promising key forward Luke Young will lead the Bloods forward-line into battle for one last time in 2020 when they take on the Redlegs at ACH Group Stadium in the under-18 competition, The Faulkner-brothers, Ed and Thomas, will also front-up for West Adelaide, alongside promising bottom-aged midfielder Cade Kennedy and hard-nosed defender Edward Van den berg.

Norwood teenager Daniel Fairbrother has performed well at senior level since debuting several weeks ago. Although he has been excluded from the Redlegs League side due to personal reasons, the defender has been included in the club’s under-18 squad. With the Redlegs well-placed ahead of the under-18 finals series, Fairbrother will reunite with midfield trio Jack Saunders, Cooper Murley and Henry Nelligan. Dominant key forward Finn Heard and defenders Alastair Lord and Michael Cavallaro will also front-up for the Redlegs, who boast an impressive core group.

Woodville-West Torrens teenager Ben Jungfer has retained his place in the Eagles side as they look to continue their winning ways against the Bulldogs before tackling the finals series. The Northern Territory native and Sacred Heart College product performed well on debut last week, winning 19 disposals and looking comfortable against seasoned campaigners.

The Eagles won’t risk potential top ten draft pick Lachie Jones, who suffered a slight ankle injury in the resounding victory over West Adelaide last round. Woodville-West Torrens have named a strong under-18s side for their clash with the Bulldogs. Currently sitting in third place on the ladder with eight wins, the Eagles’ league-high percentage sees them perched narrowly above the Roosters and Panthers, who will go head-to-head in a tantalising match-up at Prospect Oval.

Despite playing in the All Schools Grand Final with Henley High School during the week, Taj Schofield, Jase Burgoyne and Zac Phillips will all be expected to play a major role, as will Caleb Poulter, who returns to the side after spending a couple of weeks with the reserves.

Victorian Jack Toner has been named on the bench for Central Districts when they take on the high-flying Eagles at their native Elizabeth Oval. Lachlan Grubb will again play with the Bulldogs reserves, who sit at the top of the ladder approaching the finals. At under-18s level, imposing ruckman Wyatt Ryan, highly-impressive 16-year-old Austin McDonald and smooth-moving on-baller Luigi Mondello will do battle for the final time this season, missing out on a finals berth despite victory over Glenelg last weekend.

Sturt wingman Josh Shute could play his first League game in the famous double blue when the club locks horns with Glenelg at the friendly confines of Peter Motley Oval. However, James Borlase will not feature at any level this round, after leading Prince Alfred College to victory during the week. The Double Blues under-18s will be without ball-magnet Tom Powell for their ACH Group Stadium encounter with the Tigers. In his absence, Mani Liddy and Will Spain will look to continue their strong seasons as the side readies itself for finals football.

Glenelg have promoted speedster Xavier Robins to the reserves after he impressed upon returning to the SANFL ranks in the loss to Central Districts. He joins fellow draft-hopefuls Cooper Horsnell, Luke Edwards, Hagan Wright and school-mate Riley Holder in the squad. Following a standout showing in the All Schools competition with Prince Alfred College, Harry Tunkin will look to back it up at under-18s level, alongside Cooper Beecken, Harry McInnes and Nasiah Wanganeen.

In the final match of the home and away season, the Panthers will host fellow finalists North Adelaide. South Adelaide young gun Jason Horne will miss the match with a calf strain, but defender Tom Highmore has been named to return to the side after he missed last round with a minor thigh issue. With the Panthers under-18s required to beat the Roosters in order to qualify for the finals, utility Zac Dumesny has returned to play his first under-18s game of the year. Named on the interchange bench, he joins the likes of match-winning forward Brayden Cook, impressive bottom-aged midfielder Matthew Roberts, ball-winner Max Clifton and forward-flankers Liam Nye and Liam Hamilton in the selected side.

The Roosters have thrown their support behind the tall defensive duo Karl Finlay and Dyson Hilder, who have both spend considerable time at League level this season. The white-hot North under-18s have named a settled side for their must-win clash. James Willis, Matthew Borg and Jayden Davison will do much of the heavy-lifting in the midfield, with the likes of Kyle Brazell and Zyton Santillo looking to wreak havoc on the wings and up forward. Crows Academy duo Lam Simon and Blayne O’Loughlin will hold back the fort in defence, leaving the dangerous Tariek Newchurch, strong-marking key forward Leo Coates and talented small Kallis Freer to impact the scoreboard in attack. The ruck combination of Adam Heath and Isaac Keeler is also set to play a major role in what shapes up as a thrilling contest.

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FIXTURES

League:

Norwood vs. West Adelaide | Friday September 25, 7:40pm @ Coopers Stadium
Central Districts vs. Woodville-West Torrens | Saturday September 26, 2:10pm @ X Convenience Oval
Sturt vs. Glenelg | Saturday September 26, 2:20pm @ Peter Motley Oval
South Adelaide vs. North Adelaide | Sunday September 27, 2:15pm @ Flinders University Stadium

Reserves:

Norwood vs. West Adelaide | Friday September 25, 5:00am @ Coopers Stadium
Central Districts vs. Woodville-West Torrens | Saturday September 26, 11:15am @ X Convenience Oval
Sturt vs. Glenelg | Saturday September 26, 11:40am @ Peter Motley Oval
South Adelaide vs. North Adelaide | Sunday September 27, 11:35am @ Flinders University Stadium

Under-18s:

West Adelaide vs. Norwood | Saturday September 26, 11:00am @ ACH Group Stadium
Woodville-West Torrens vs. Central Districts | Saturday September 26, 11:00am @ Prospect Oval
Glenelg vs. Sturt | Saturday September 26, 1:25pm @ ACH Group Stadium
North Adelaide vs. South Adelaide | Saturday September 26, 1:25pm @ Prospect Oval