NORTH Adelaide picked up its fourth SANFL Under 18s win on the trot, defeating Norwood by 19 points in their Round 6 clash. The Roosters were in control all match, transitioning the ball quickly across Norwood Oval to come away 11.14 (80) to 9.7 (61) victors.

Among the most notable prospects afield were seven state Under 18 squad members, several local father-son candidates, and a range of bottom-agers to monitor. We took note of some of the standout talent from Saturday’s fixture in our Round 6 featured match.

NORWOOD:

#5 Jacob Newton
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 20/03/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 7 clearances, 3 goals

Arguably Norwood’s most impactful player overall, Newton lifted in the second half to put his side in with a shot. The midfielder also spent time forward and bridged the margin with two goals in term three, showcasing his penetrative left-foot kicking while also tackling hard and punching above his weight aerially. He was his usual self around the contest too, driving his legs to the outside.

#7 Ned Bowman
Forward/Midfielder | 186cm | 12/09/2006

Stats: 12 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 3 goals

The high-flying Bowman again proved to be one of Norwood’s best avenues to goal, booting three majors and mixing his time through midfield. He showed a knack for the mercurial, snapping an excellent snap goal in term three and leaping for a strong pack mark during the fourth quarter. Bowman also worked hard to provide an option at half-forward and launch the ball deep inside 50.

#12 Jack Michalanney
Wing | 187cm | 20/04/2006

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 6 tackles

An Adelaide father-son candidate (son of Jim, brother of Max), Michalanney has some similar traits to his elder sibling. He found a home on the wing and impressed with some tough defensive work, dropping back to pluck intercept marks at the top of his reach and laying plenty of effective tackles. He was also quite composed with ball in hand and used it particularly well by foot on the move.

#15 Noah Daw
Tall Defender | 191cm | 13/07/2007

Stats: 4 disposals, 2 marks, 2 rebound 50s

Daw showed arguably some of the most promising signs of his state squad teammates but unfortunately had his day cut short just before half time with what looked like a nasty shoulder injury. Before he went down, the defender snapped up a couple of clean intercept marks and looked stylish when kicking on the rebound, taking on risky options but making them work.

Others:

Jake Hill and Darcy Speyer matched Newton’s effort of 19 disposals, while Jim Kelly was also productive with 18 through midfield. Wingmen Jeff Rozenbilds and Riley Kirchhofer kept busy while ruckman James Van Wyk (31 hitouts) was a physical force and Jay Polkinghorne popped up with two final quarter goals.

NORTH ADELAIDE:

#14 Samuel Cumming
Midfielder | 184cm | 27/07/2007

Stats: 32 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles

Cumming has stuffed the stats sheet all season and again filled his boots in Round 6, leading all comers with 32 disposals. He accumulated possessions in all areas of the ground and was a reliable figure at stoppages, proving strong in contested situations. The only thing missing for the bottom-ager was a finishing touch in front of goal, registering three minor scores in a prolific outing.

#18 Louie Montgomery
Defender | 184cm | 24/04/2006

Stats: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 7 inside 50s

Montgomery is the type of player you want to feed the ball as much as possible, and he found a fair bit of it on Saturday. The Port Adelaide father-son prospect positioned aggressively off half-back, overlapping and launching the ball into dangerous areas. Montgomery’s athleticism shone through with a few aerial attempts, including an intercept mark to relieve pressure before quarter time.

#20 Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier
Midfielder | 181cm | 11/04/2007

Stats: 29 disposals, 9 marks, 8 inside 50s

Another bottom-ager who has excelled in North Adelaide’s midfield this season, Oudshoorn-Bennier racked up possessions at will. He did so through sheer work rate, waxing well with teammates and consistently providing an outlet to spark the Roosters’ transitional play. His flat, driving kicks were a real feature throughout the day, particularly going inside 50.

#25 Evan Bradley
Small Forward | 174cm | 17/01/2006

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

It was a relatively quiet day from Bradley, though he still produced some promising moments. The small forward pounced on a ball over the back to hit the scoreboard in the opening quarter, and worked up the ground nicely to help the Roosters link inside 50. Another of his highlights was a crucial shepherd to allow Hugh Payze to safely run into goal during term four.

Others:

Tom Tasker was among the productive members of North’s midfield, booting two late goals to go with his 23 disposals. Port Adelaide father-son prospect Oliver Francou was also resolute, notching seven clearances, while Lachlan Faulkhead booted three goals and Payze filled his boots with 22 touches, 10 marks and a goal.