NORTH Adelaide kept its perfect SANFL Under 18s record in tact on Saturday, booting the first nine goals of the game to set up a 21-point victory over South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium. The closest contest of the weekend made for our featured Match of the Round; we note the top performers from that clash, before taking a look around the grounds at each other result.

SCOUTING NOTES

By: Micah Hann

SOUTH ADELAIDE:

#6 Angus Bradley 

Bradley started strongly, winning plenty of the ball early, going into quarter time with a game-high 12 disposals. He repeatedly won first possession at stoppage but wasn’t able to find a great deal of time and space, forcing him to rush the ball to boot at times, which limited the effectiveness of some of his disposals. His work defensively was impressive, as he recorded 9 tackles and caught his opponent holding the ball on a couple of occasions.   

After the Panther’s conceded the first nine goals of the game, Bradley was able to finally stop the rot, kicking two quick goals in succession in the second term. His first came on the back of a fumble from North Adelaide at centre half back. Bradley quickly recognised his side had regained possession and ran hard towards goal, where he was able to get on the end of a long kick and toe-poke one through from the goal square. His second came less than two minutes later, where he was able to pounce on a loose ball inside forward 50 and finished classily from 40m out.

His third came off the back of some impressive ball movement from the half back where Bradley was able to read the long kick inside forward 50 and run into an open goal. In the most courageous act of the day, Bradley collided with an opposition player as he went back with the flight of the ball. He quickly bounced straight back up and laid a heavy tackle on a North player attempting to run the ball out from half back. It was a relatively complete performance from Bradley, whose speed, tackling and attack on the football will likely draw some attention throughout the year.  

#9 Jaiden Magor 

It wasn’t the most ideal start for Magor, whose turnover by foot coming out of defensive 50, quickly turned into North Adelaide’s fourth straight goal to start the game. Things didn’t get any easier for him, after he was crunched twice within 15 seconds late in the second term. The second was a late hit after a mark that resulted in a 25m penalty. Magor made the most of that opportunity, kicking long to find teammate Jack Delean, who marked and kicked truly.  

Magor has started to build a reputation for being able to draw free kicks, and this game was no different, as he managed to draw more free kicks than any other player on the ground. This was the catalyst for one of his best moments of the day. After being awarded a free kick at a stoppage at half back, Magor hit a lace out ball to a teammate in the middle of the ground, kick-starting a chain of ball movement that resulted in a South Adelaide goal.

Magor really started to work into the contest in the second half, winning first possession and firing out handballs to teammates outside the contest. He started to win more of the football on the outside, covering the ground nicely to take some uncontested marks. His effectiveness by foot improved as he worked himself into the game and he capped off a pretty strong second half with a long goal from outside 50m, late in the last quarter.  

#10 Jack Delean 

It was a pretty quiet first half for Delean with very few opportunities coming his way inside forward 50, as North Adelaide dominated the territory battle. He made the most of a deep forward entry from Jaiden Magor to mark uncontested just 15m out and converted truly. His forward 50 pressure earned him a holding the ball free kick and a shot on goal from the boundary, which he narrowly missed. Delean showcased his aerial ability, taking a couple of impressive contested marks, one of which lead to his third behind for the day when he uncharacteristically pushed a relatively routine set shot to the left hand side of the goal post. Delean showed off his class in the last quarter, nailing a set shot from 35 out on a reasonable angle for his second of the day.   

#17 Charlie Duncan 

Duncan found a fair bit of the football across half back through the early part of the game. As the game wore on, he pushed up through the midfield and flashed some moments of class as he executed cleanly to deliver by foot to teammates. After winning a free kick inside 50, Duncan converted a nice set shot from 35m out on a 45 degree angle to give South Adelaide a sniff in the last quarter. Moments later, he intercepted a North Adelaide exit from defensive 50 and quickly squared the ball to Koby Cockshell who ran on to kick a goal. Duncan was one of the better performers for South Adelaide on the day and demonstrated some real class with some of his ball use.  

#25 Kyle Marshall  

South’s defence was under a fair bit of pressure early in the first term and there was little Marshall could do to stem the flow. He was pretty solid by foot as he sought to rebound the ball from defensive 50 and had a nice intercept mark, which was very unlucky to be paid as a free kick to North. He won his only true one on one contest in the second quarter, reading the entry inside forward 50 much better than his opponent to take a nice intercept mark. Marshall took a number of opportunities to run off his opponent and create some overlap run in an effort to rebound from the back half, displaying impressive speed and athleticism for a key position defender.  

#32 Koby Cockshell 

Cockshell was an absolute battering ram whenever the ball was in his area. He used his physical strength to impact every contest he was involved in and possesses the speed and endeavour to consistently chase and apply pressure around the contest. He got his first chance to hit the scoreboard in the third quarter where he was able to mark a rushed entry inside forward 50 in front of his opponent. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalise, as the wind dragged his shot from left to right and crashed into the goal post. Cockshell’s efforts to apply pressure were finally rewarded when he intercepted a squaring kick, gathered possession and delivered to a teammate in the goal square. Cockshell kicked a big goal for South Adelaide late in the last quarter, running inside forward 50 and converting from about 40m out to draw them within striking distance.  

#33 Will Verrall 

After spending the majority of the first half up forward, Verrall was injected into the ruck in the second half and South immediately reaped the benefits. Verrall was able to have a real influence, winning his fair share of hit-outs and following up strong to be a clearance threat at stoppage too. Verrall capped off his much improved second half with a nice contested mark which he converted for South’s first goal of the final term.  

NORTH ADELAIDE:

#5 Isaac Keeler 

Keeler looked to set the tone for his day nice and early, with a strong tackle on a smaller South Adelaide opponent. He seemed to have more of an influence on the game when he went into the ruck, where he was able, on more than one occasion, to take the ball out of the air and rush it forward by hand or foot. Keeler looks really comfortable in open play and had some nice moments where he was able to use the ball by foot to find a teammate in some space. Keeler’s athleticism allows him to get around the ground and he was able to accumulate a bit of the football, finishing with 20 disposals on the day.  

#7 Kane McAuliffe 

McAuliffe hit the scoreboard late in the first quarter with a booming kick from outside 50. His work inside the contest was sharp, and his strength through the hips allowed him to ride opposition tackles and get his disposal away unaffected. McAuliffe got his second goal from a downfield free kick after teammate Max Blacker was dealt with late. He nearly had his third just minutes later. After winning the ball over the back of the marking contest, his left foot snap rolled the wrong side of the goal post. McAuliffe split his time through the midfield and up forward, where he was lively every time the ball ventured inside the 50m arc. He had another three shots on goal in the last quarter, converting one of those to finish with three goals and four behinds on the day.  

#14 Billy Dowling 

Dowling has been the SANFL U18 competition’s leading possession winner over the first two rounds and he extended his lead at the top with a further 32 disposals this week. Dowling continued to show that he can he be productive both as a first possession winner on the inside and as an accumulator on the outside. His contested ball winning was consistent throughout the game, as he repeatedly won the ball below his knees, lifted his arms over tacklers and distributed to teammates cleanly by hand. His work rate is exceptional and he consistently ran to find space and present an option to teammates. His ball use was a little inconsistent at times but this didn’t prove too costly for his side.  

Despite playing primarily through the midfield, Dowling also spent some time in the forward half where he was lively when the ball was in his area. He’s been a goal kicker in the past two weeks and threatened the scoreboard on two occasions in this encounter, but was unable to reward himself with a major. His first opportunity came when he found time and space across half forward, with his long range shot sailing through for a behind. He had another chance to kick a goal part way through the third quarter when he won possession in the forward pocket, burst away from his opponent and attempted a check-side kick on the run, which went across the face for a minor score.  

Dowling had a few flashy moments, one of which came in the second quarter when he took an intercept mark on the last line of defence, played on and rebounded accurately by foot to a teammate outside defensive 50. Shortly after, Dowling marked on the wing and kicked a long ball onto the chest of a leading Jed Dignan, to give him a shot on goal. Dowling’s presence inside the contest and ability to spread and win the football all over the ground allowed him to have a consistent impact on the contest across all four quarters.  

#15 Luke Harvey 

Harvey was impressive across halfback, delivering a well-balanced performance for his side. His ability to intercept mark and willingness to leave his man to spoil a contest, highlighted his defensive endeavour. Harvey was a safe option to deliver the ball from defensive 50 and his ability to involve himself in North’s efforts to transition the football proved that he can also impact the game offensively. His best moment came in the middle of the ground when he intercepted a handball, created separation from his opponent and delivered a kick to hit up a teammate at centre half forward.  

#16 Harper Montgomery 

Montgomery was lively early and was able to find some space inside 50 where he took an uncontested mark and calmly slotted the goal from 35m out, directly in front. He added another in the second term with a nice bit of pressure to intercept a South kick across goals, which he quickly converted on his left. Montgomery worked hard up and down the wing, accumulating 27 disposals and using the ball tidily throughout by both hand and foot. 

#25 Max Blacker 

Blacker didn’t quite reach the same heights of his first two matches for this season, but still lived up to his reputation as a classy user by foot. He’s such a good decision maker and rarely makes a mistake with ball in hand. His work rate across the ground allows him to accumulate possessions and he demonstrated his ability to hit the scoreboard again, roving the ball off hands deep inside forward 50 and snapping a goal on his right boot to record his first for the day and sixth goal for the season.  

#30 Kelsey Rypstra 

It was a quiet first half for Rypstra who was unable to capitalise on a set shot opportunity in the second quarter. His second opportunity was a much tougher shot from the boundary which also sailed through for a minor score. His work-rate really went up a gear in the third quarter as South threatened to close the gap. Rypstra covered the ground nicely and was able to win the ball deep in defence before turning to link up with a teammate and generating some run from the back half. He would’ve liked to have done better with his third shot on goal, pulling his snap from the pocket narrow, registering his third behind for the day.  

AROUND THE GROUNDS

By: Tom Wyman

LEAGUE:

After spending Round 1 in health and safety protocols, pick one fancy Harry Lemmey booted two goals from nine disposals and five marks in West Adelaide’s league defeat to Central Districts.

On the other side of the coin, over-ager Luca Whitelum had 11 disposals, two marks, two tackles, three inside-50s and a couple of behinds for the Bulldogs.

Another over-ager who has slotted into league football this year has been South Adelaide’s Isaac Birt, who gathered nine disposals, three marks, four tackles and three inside-50s.

Hugh Stagg had an equal game-high six inside-50s in Glenelg’s comeback win over Sturt along with 11 disposals, three marks and four tackles. Fellow 19-year-old Riley Holder had a few chances in-front of goal but finished with three behinds from 11 disposals, three marks and three tackles.

RESERVES:

Gun midfielder Adam D’Aloia made a seamless transition to reserves football after dominating the opening two rounds of the under-18 competition. Typically busy at stoppages, D’Aloia gathered 24 disposals, two marks, six tackles and six clearances in Woodville-West Torrens’ narrow win. Fellow draft hopeful Mattaes Phillipou joined D’Aloia in the reserves side and also had no trouble getting involved. The exciting forward/midfielder booted an important third quarter goal and also won 14 possessions.

Bulldogs on-baller Austin McDonald was one of his sides best in their 66-point defeat at the hands of the Bloods. Combative in the middle, he finished with 16 disposals, four marks, five tackles, five clearances and three inside-50s.

After having a taste of league football in Round 1, Sturt teenager Nick Sadler returned to the reserves side and played a serviceable role in the Double Blues victory. The on-baller gathered 13 disposals, four marks and three tackles.

UNDER 18s:

Riley Verrall was impressive for Norwood as the Redlegs recorded a comfortable win away from home. Accumulating 30 disposals, seven marks and five rebounds, his drive from the defensive-50 proved vital. Taj Rahui played his best game of the season, recording 21 disposals and two goals up forward. Phoenix Foster and Beau Baldwin each booted three goals while midfielders Tyson Walls (25 disposals, four marks and six inside-50s), Noah Hyde (28 possessions, nine marks and seven inside-50s) and Will Rowlands (25 disposals, four marks and two goals) were also among Norwood’s best performers.

Blake Hansen was inspirational despite the result, gathering 41 disposals, four marks and ten rebounds for Woodville-West Torrens in the tough loss. Callum Fairall (29 disposals, five marks and four clearances), Jedd Thomson (28 disposals, eight marks and five rebounds) and Brody Mair (26 disposals, five marks and six clearances) also found plenty of the ball for the reigning premiers.

Glenelg continued their outstanding start to the season with a 79-point win over Sturt at ACH Group Stadium. Missing star utility Jakob Ryan due to COVID and ball-magnet Ben Ridgway with concussion but re-gaining running machine Lachlan Scannell, the Tigers once again produced a well-rounded effort.

Charlie Hildyard was the leading ball-winner with 32 disposals, ten marks, three clearances and four inside-50s and worked hard from start to finish. Jake Walker amassed 27 disposals and had eight inside-50s, with Archie Lovelock, Will Trevena, Jake Pavia-Amato and Hayden Brokensha all getting plenty of the ball. In attack, bottom-aged swingman Ashton Moir was relentless, booting 4.5 in-front of goal from 20 possessions, while Jayden Davis kicked five majors to sit third in the league for goals.

Sturt’s Loch Rawlinson played a strong game in the midfield up against the talented Tigers unit, gathering 22 possessions, seven marks, four tackles and four clearances. Alex Holt and Kobe McEntee both had 20 disposals apiece while Cormac Dwyer and Chad Reschke both kicked two goals.

Central Districts kicked the first two goals of the game, but West Adelaide forward/ruck Tom Scully quickly diminished the Bulldogs hopes as the Bloods managed their second win of 2022.

Scully’s extra height and reach made him impossible to stop in attack as the Lockley’s product took nine marks (five contested) and booted seven straight goals from 14 disposals in a clear best-on-ground performance. Talented midfielder Kobe Ryan copped a heavy hit and finished the game with 12 disposals, four clearances and five inside-50s’s. Harry Barnett was solid in the ruck, winning 18 hit-outs while Max Downs kicked three goals.

Nash Haynes and Will McCabe both booted two goals for Central Districts, while Trent Tattoli was one of the Bulldogs best in the midfield, laying seven tackles.