STILL two years away from being eligible for the AFL Women’s Draft, 16-year-old South Adelaide forward Shae Archbold has wasted no time in her debut South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season. The medium-tall forward stands at 173cm and being born on New Year’s Day is set to maximise her Under 16s status when her draft year rolls around. As the equal oldest when 2024 does swing by, Archbold will have a couple of years of League action under her belt.

Only eligible to play at SANFL Women’s level from this year due to age restrictions, Archbold has already slotted 10 goals in five games, hitting the scoreboard in four of them, and multiple goals in three of them. Her four-goal haul on the weekend against West Adelaide took her to the top of the SANFL Women’s goalkicking. What might be most impressive about that is her ability to convert goals in multiple ways. She can take a contested mark – be it on a lead or in a pack, as well as play the role of crumber where she can snap around her body.

Straight away the weapon that stands out most for Archbold is her cannon of a left boot that can penetrate 40-plus metres with ease. Few players her age can hit that distance, let alone with her doing it often off a step or two. The unique weapon is not the only aspect that catches the eye, with her marking unsurprisingly a strength, averaging just under a contested mark per game. This keeping in mind she is 16-years-old competing against senior and far more experience bodies.

An additional tick in Archbold’s favour is her ground level work and defensive pressure. Few marking tall forwards will lay around five tackles per game (4.8) with Archbold laying seven on the weekend to go with her four goals from 10 touches. She does not need a lot of the ball to have an impact, so the South Adelaide talent can work hard defensively, even when the game might not be going her way.

SHAE ARCHBOLD

Height: 173cm
DOB: 01/01/2006
Club: South Adelaide
State: South Australia

ROUND 5 VS WEST ADELAIDE: (2022 AVE)

Disposals: 10 (10.8)
Marks: 3 (2.8)
Contested Marks: 2 (0.8)
Tackles: 7 (4.8)
Goals: 4 (2.0)
Behinds: 2 (1.2)

QUARTER BY QUARTER VS WEST ADELAIDE:

FIRST QUARTER:

Archbold started her day with a free kick midway through the first term, earning a set shot from 35m out. The distance was never going to be a problem for the teenager and she slotted it home with ease. Though not a huge first quarter, she remained involved and lead up well to try and compete at the ball.

SECOND QUARTER:

The second term was another case of Archbold making the most of her chances. Her second goal came from a clever pickup off the deck and immediate snap off her left. Though only 15m out, she was clean, clever and potent with a split second of time and able to make it look easy. Six minutes later it was her turn to lead and she marked well, turned around and made no mistake, making it three goals to half-time.

THIRD QUARTER:

The third term was where she got even hungrier to win the ball from a defensive standpoint. It started with a chance in the opening couple of minutes, but Archbold looked to pull up a bit with potential cramp, and she uncharacteristically tugged her shot to the right, one she would normally make. After recovering and getting back into it, she had a chance at the seven-minute mark to try and snap around her body, but the defence was onto her and quickly dragged her down as she only just got boot to ball. She could not be held down for much longer though, laying a great tackle inside 50 at the 16 and a half minute mark, before taking a courageous back with the flight mark 30 seconds later. With a slight angle 30m out, Archbold made no mistake and brought her total to 4.1 at the final break.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Firing off a quick handball at half-forward to a teammate who was facing the goals in the opening minute, Archbold worked hard in the final quarter to continually present inside 50. She showed her unselfish side at the eight and a half minute mark where she handballed to Tahlita Buethke in the goalsquare to kick a major. She should have had her fifth with a few minutes left, snapping off her left around the body at the top of the goalsquare, and the goal umpire even signalled as such. But upon review from the field umpire, the ball was deemed to be touched, and she was awarded her second behind for the day. Right up until the final siren, Archbold remained competitive at ground level, scrapping for every hardball she could get.

CLOSING THOUGHTS …

Shae Archbold is an Under 16s talent who has massive upside as a medium-tall forward. Though there might be others who are more athletic, she can create separation on the lead through her smarts, and she has safe hands and one of the most reliable boots you will see. As one of South Australia’s many talented 2006-born stars, the South Adelaide prospect should be considered for the AFLW Academy as a bottom-ager next year, and certainly for her top-age year should her development continue as such, which indicates the high level at which the teenager is already performing, and should play at role in South Australia’s upcoming AFL Under 18 Championships.