THERE are few more accomplished junior talents in South Australia than West Adelaide’s Will Patton, who made a strong start to the season in his opening SANFL Under 18 outing on Saturday. The defender had his hands full as Westies went down by 42 points to North Adelaide, but stood tall in a composed performance on the last line. He’s our Round 2 Player Focus.

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South Australia, West AdelaideTall Defender

Will Patton

Height: 192cm

Weight: 79kg

DOB: 04-01-2005

2023 SANFL Under 18s Round 2
West Adelaide 4.4 (28) def. by North Adelaide 10.10 (70)

Player Focus: #33 Will Patton (West Adelaide)
Stats: 27 disposals (18 kicks, 9 handballs), 6 marks, 3 tackles, 7 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER:

Patton made a prolific start to proceedings and took little time to nab his all-important first touch, helping mop up the first centre clearance which went North Adelaide’s way. He looked relatively free to roam and do his own thing down back, playing a friendly role alongside Jack Oates – who also filled his boots behind the ball.

Much of Patton’s work saw him set up his next disposal, wheeling onto his favoured left side and kicking short, before continuing his run and demanding the ball back. He was generally clean in those instances and neat in his ball use, kicking to advantage more often than pinpointing a target as the wind wreaked havoc.

His intercept ability was also showcased both in the air and at ground level, as Patton peeled off to impact from contest to contest and remained composed in possession. Though he knew where the ball would be, he wasn’t always as urgent defensively but lived up to his role as the general in Westies’ back half. He was credited with a team-high 10 touches to quarter time.

SECOND QUARTER:

North Adelaide kicked away with the wind in term two and there was little Patton could do to stop the onslaught. His second quarter started in horror fashion, turning over a kick-in which was slotted straight back over his head by Charlie Raff. 

Patton would recover, positioning well for an intercept mark inside defensive 50 and mopping up a second time shortly after as he looked to kick the Bloods out of danger. In an overall quieter quarter, the defender ticked his way up to 15 touches but was a little less penetrative on the rebound.

THIRD QUARTER:

In a clear contrast to his opening effort in term two, Patton brilliantly won a one-on-one battle on the wing to kick off the second half; disposing of his opponent with ease before twisting past another and delivering a pass forward – albeit a wobbly one.

Patton’s method of chipping and chasing meant he continued to rack up possessions on the last line, boosting his numbers and efficiency rating as Westies looked to carve a way out of its back half. Though, it was tough going at times.

Patton was positive in his willingness to move the ball on quickly, even beginning to switch the play and fan the ball from side to side. A well weighted kick-in which cleared two North Adelaide forwards on the defensive 50 arc was among his best touches, as he rolled up to 19 disposals at the last break.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Patton got back to his busy best in the final term, finishing strongly in a 25-minute period where his side was again held goalless. Again looking to be more expansive with his disposal, the wind hardly aided some of his overcooked passes, but Patton continued to be Westies’ designated kicker.

The 18-year-old clunked a couple of strong intercept marks before coming unstuck with those kicks, but can be relatively pleased by how he ran out his first competitive game for the season. Overall, Patton’s composure in tight spots and under waves of pressure helped his side stay in the fight, but he could hardly help the scoreboard.