GLENELG has clawed its way to a five-point win over Sturt in Round 2 of the SANFL Under 18 season, thanks to consecutive late goals from Anders McShane.

The Bays led Sturt for much of their low-scoring encounter at Thebarton Oval on Sunday, but found themselves seven points in arrears with six minutes left to play. Enter McShane, who capped off a fine display from midfield to boot two majors and clinch his side’s first win of the year.

We highlighted the performances of each state academy member afield, before taking a look around the grounds.

SCOUTING NOTES

Glenelg:

#1 Lucas Camporeale

Playing on the opposite wing to twin brother Ben, Camporeale racked up 16 disposals and six marks on the outside. The bottom-ager is tied to Carlton as a father-son prospect for next year, and has already impressed at state level in last year’s Under 16 National Championships. On Sunday, he dropped back to good effect and drove the Bays forward in transition, looking best when unleashing his raking left foot kicking.

#9 Bowen Payne

Another of Glenelg’s wing rotations, Payne got better as the game wore on and ended up with 25 disposals, seven marks and five inside 50s. He fanned the ball forward and from side to side on his favoured left foot, looking best when able to take the game on in space and unleash long kicks. Though not always pinpoint, Payne put speed on the ball and even played above his 179cm standing with a couple of nice overhead marks.

#10 Eli Redman

Redman was another of the Bays’ state academy members to put up strong numbers, compiling 18 disposals, seven marks and six inside 50s. He provided bursts of run between the lines and like many of his fellow Bays across the last few years, looked to play an attacking brand with ball in hand.

#15 Bodie Ryan

Ryan is the cousin of 2022 Collingwood draftee Jakob, and shares plenty of similarities with the former Tiger. The top-ager was super impressive in defence, reprising a similar role to his cousin and showing plenty of class. He mopped up both aerially and at ground level across the last line, proving clean and composed in most instances before delivering sharp kicks on the rebound. His intercept marking ability shone and Ryan’s statline of 26 disposals and five marks was indicative of that.

#25 Harry Francis

Another Tiger who seemed to grow in confidence as the game wore on, Francis began to take over the airways once able to hold onto his marks. He clunked seven for the day (four contested) and won 14 hitouts in a ruck-forward rotation, but couldn’t quite translate his impact to the scoreboard. Glenelg staff would be pleased by how the 195cm Francis lifted after dropping his share of grabs early, to eventually become one of his side’s more prominent talls on the day.

Others…

McShane was the hero of the day for Glenelg and filled his booted with a game-high 33 disposals, seven marks and two goals. Defender Ben Dewhirst (27 disposals, six rebound 50s) and wing Ben Camporeale (24 disposals, seven marks) also put up good numbers, while forward Archer Rouvray joined McShane as the Bays’ second multiple goal kicker.

Sturt:

#25 Loch Rawlinson

Playing on both sides of midfield, Rawlinson led all comers for Sturt with 23 touches and five clearances. The small onballer showed his smarts when peeling forward on a couple of occasions, sneaking into the hole for uncontested marks and shots on goal. The top-ager bagged two majors, including Sturt’s first, but his best came in the second term with a 50-metre roost at full tilt.

#30 Luca Slade

Slade put up handy numbers in a losing effort, spending plenty of time through midfield and trailing Rawlinson closely for 22 disposals and seven marks. The versatile top-ager was solid at the contest but didn’t always look balanced when breaking to the outside and could have added touches of polish to his disposal. Nonetheless, he looms as a key piece for the Double Blues once again this season.

#41 Ted Newman

Accumulating plenty of possessions from behind the ball in the face of 53 Glenelg inside 50s, Newman played a pretty classical half-back’s game. The top-age rebounder kicked with 18 of his 20 disposals and notched up 11 rebound 50s, using the ball well by foot and providing productive overlap run in transition.

#60 Fraser Greaves

With a size advantage over both Glenelg rucks, Greaves won a game-high 19 hitouts and laid five tackles at the contest. He clunked three marks for the day with one being contested, taken one-on-one against Francis in a clean effort. Dropping behind the ball in term three, he got into a couple of nice positions to intercept and show a bit outside of his ruck craft.

Others…

Wingman Connor Mills was one of four Double Blues to tick up over 20 touches, joining a trio of state academy members in doing so. Declan Gladigau backed up a promising Round 1 outing with 17 disposals and a goal, while Henry Maerschel took eight marks in the back half.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Central District opened the round with a second consecutive win, downing South Adelaide by nine points at X Convenience Oval on Saturday. The Bulldogs could hardly hit the side of a barn door in their 6.20 (56) to 6.11 (47) victory, but hit the front in term four after trailing at every break and took the win.

Liam Fawcett put up an eye-catching state line for the victors, posting 27 disposals, 14 marks and three goals. Trent Tattoli (27 disposals, nine marks) and Tom Giles (27 disposals, 11 rebound 50s were also busy, while Hawthorn father-son candidate Will McCabe booted a goal and took six marks. Meanwhile, Phoenix Hargrave (25 disposals, 10 marks) fronted another losing effort for the Panthers.

North Adelaide was Saturday’s other victor, though far more comprehensively in a 42-point road win over West Adelaide. The Roosters kept Westies goalless at one end of the ground and led at every break to land on the weekend’s biggest winning margin.

Star midfielder Kane McAuliffe racked up 34 disposals and nine clearances, with the likes of Henry Wicks (32 disposals) and Tom Tasker (29) also busy. Charlie Raff booted a game-high three goals. Meanwhile for the Bloods, Jack Oates (30 disposals, 10 marks) and Will Patton (27 and six) stood tall for a combined 17 rebound 50s.

In Sunday’s second fixture, Norwood bested Woodville-West Torrens by 15 points in what was a result consolidated at the death. The Redlegs held a two-goal margin for much of the match and despite being pushed all the way, had enough left in the tank for their second win of the season.

Darcy Emerson led all comers for Norwood with 26 touches, while Jacob Newton (24) put in another strong shift and Jack Michalanney (brother of Max) notched 21. Jedd Thomson and Kade Herbert were strong ball winners for the Eagles, both hitting the 30-mark in a losing effort.