THE 2024 Under 16 National Championships have been run and won, with a pair of final day deciders making for drama-filled action across Pools A and B. Vic Country clinched the former title via golden point on Friday, after the Swans Academy took out the latter with their win over Tasmania. We recap the carnival with a look at the records, results, and Most Valuable Players (MVPs) of all 10 teams.

>> CLICK on the links for recaps & Scouting Notes on ALL 15 games

POOL A

Champions: Vic Country
Kevin Sheehan Medal: Douglas Cochrane (South Australia)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MVP: Douglas Cochrane (Central District)
Record: 2-1, 124.0%

Results:
def. Western Australia 10.8 (68) to 8.10 (58)
def. Vic Metro 12.8 (80) to 6.12 (48)
def. by Vic Country 9.10 (64) to 9.11 (65)

How it happened:

South Australia was a golden point away from going through the carnival undefeated, but came unstuck at the hands of eventual champions, Vic Country in a final day decider. The Croweaters were otherwise flawless. They maintained their dominance over Western Australia at home with a resolute 10-point win in Round 1, before arriving on the Gold Coast with a dominant first half performance against Vic Metro. The latter result ended up being a 32-point win, after posting 10 goals to one before half-time.

VIC METRO

MVP: Lachlan Hicks (Western Jets)
Record: 1-2, 84.5%

Results:
def. by Vic Country 7.7 (49) to 8.17 (65)
def. by South Australia 6.12 (48) to 12.8 (80)
def. Western Australia 11.11 (77) to 7.13 (55)

How it happened:

Vic Metro inadvertently helped Vic Country clinch the title by beating Western Australia by 22 points on the final day. That game was a corker, with Metro keeping the Sandgropers scoreless to half time, only to concede five goals within eight minutes of term three. Despite the onslaught, they held firm for their only victory of the carnival. Aside from that, Metro was dominated in the first half by South Australia before evening up the scoreboard, and they added fourth quarter consolation goals upon conceding bragging rights to eventual champion, Vic Country in game one.

VIC COUNTRY

MVP: Cody Walker (Bendigo Pioneers)
Record: 2-1, 98.0%

Results:
def. Vic Metro 8.17 (65) to 7.7 (49)
def. by Western Australia 9.6 (60) to 13.9 (87)
def. South Australia 9.11 (65) to 9.10 (64)

How it happened:

Wil Malady was the hero for Vic Country as they pinched the title from South Australia by golden point on Friday. The Vics trailed by 21 points heading into the final break but poured in four unanswered goals to win after regulation time. Their game one triumph over Vic Metro was much more convincing despite a final quarter lapse, though Western Australia bested them on the Gold Coast. Country had a sniff early in term four, only 14 points adrift with the momentum, but could not quite pull through.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

MVP: Lucas Robinson (South Fremantle)
Record: 1-2, 97.6%

Results:
def. by South Australia 10.8 (68) to 8.10 (58)
def. Vic Country 13.9 (87) to 9.6 (60)
def. by Vic Metro 7.13 (55) to 11.11 (73)

How it happened:

Western Australia was competitive across all three games, with its sole win holding up quite well in hindsight. The Sandgropers beat Pool A champion Vic Country in game two, but went on to lose to Metro on Friday despite their scintillating third quarter run of five goals in eight minutes. Game one saw WA go down by just 10 points to South Australia on the road, which has been a fixture of sparse success in recent times for the state. Still, much like the Under 18 side, there was a lot to like despite the results.

POOL B

Champions: Sydney Swans Academy
Alan McLean Medal: Matthew Owen (Lions Academy)

BRISBANE LIONS ACADEMY

MVP: Matthew Owen
Record: 2-1, 101.2%

Results:
def. Suns Academy 10.11 (71) to 7.7 (49)
def. by Tasmania 4.14 (38) to 11.7 (73)
def. Giants Academy 8.13 (61) to 5.16 (46)

How it happened:

The Lions Academy certainly had their chances to kick big scores across the carnival, ending up with a combined goalkicking total of 22.38. Game one saw them take home bragging rights against the Suns on home turf, but their start on the Gold Coast yielded a 35-point loss to Tasmania having scored 4.14. The script was flipped in game three as the Giants Academy posted 0.7 in the first quarter, before the Lions went on to secure a 15-point victory to finish with a positive 2-1 record.

GOLD COAST SUNS ACADEMY

MVP: Archie Hill
Record: 1-2, 71.4%

Results:
def. by Lions Academy 7.7 (49) to 10.11 (71)
def. by Giants Academy 5.2 (32) to 9.16 (70)
def. Northern Territory 9.10 (64) to 9.8 (62)

How it happened:

Gold Coast’s carnival began in Brisbane with a 22-point loss to the Lions Academy, relinquishing bragging rights for another year. The carnival then shifted to home turf, though things didn’t get any easier as the Giants Academy dismantled the Suns to the tune of 38 points at People First Stadium. It meant the hosts had one last chance to claim victory, and they pulled through (just), in a two-point win over the Northern Territory, who surged home with a wet sail in term four.

GWS GIANTS ACADEMY

MVP: Charlie Harper
Record: 1-2, 104.3%

Results:
def. by Swans Academy 7.11 (53) to 10.9 (69)
def. Suns Academy 9.16 (70) to 5.2 (32)
def. by Lions Academy 5.16 (46) to 8.13 (61)

How it happened:

GWS drew a tricky hand in hindsight, having to play the home team (Gold Coast), and eventual top three Pool B sides in Sydney and Brisbane. Game one saw the Giants go down to eventual champions, the Swans by 16 points in Canberra. Game three was similarly competitive, but GWS was made to rue an inaccurate 0.7 start against the Lions. In between those fixtures, the Giants knocked off Gold Coast in convincing fashion, dismantling the Suns’ ball movement and owning field position in the 38-point win.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

MVP: Kalen Russell
Record: 0-3, 66.0%

Results:
def. by Tasmania 7.3 (45) to 9.6 (60)
def. by Swans Academy 4.3 (27) to 11.13 (79)
def. by Suns Academy 9.8 (62) to 9.10 (64)

How it happened:

After a trio of losses in excess of 100 points last year, the Northern Territory was much more competitive this time around despite going winless. They can count themselves extremely unlucky not to have snatched victory with a final quarter surge against Gold Coast, falling short by two points. Game one saw the NT up at half-time against Tasmania too, only to go down by 15 points in Melbourne. In between, they suffered their heaviest loss (52 points) to eventual champion, Sydney.

SYDNEY SWANS ACADEMY

MVP: Conrad Blackwell-Smith
Record: 3-0, 164.3%

Results:
def. Giants Academy 10.9 (69) to 7.11 (53)
def. Northern Territory 11.13 (79) to 4.3 (27)
def. Tasmania 8.11 (59) to 7.4 (46)

How it happened:

Sydney took out the Pool B title on Thursday after beating Tasmania in what was effectively a Grand Final at Fankhauser Reserve. The Swans had an average score of 69 points but were strong enough to win two games by under three goals, against Tassie and the Giants in game one. Their biggest margin of victory was 52 points against the Northern Territory, which was comfortably the most one-sided result of the lot having kicked five goals to nil in the first half. In the other games, they trailed at one break each.

TASMANIA

MVP: Ewan Dillon
Record: 2-1, 126.1%

Results:
def. Northern Territory 9.6 (60) to 7.3 (45)
def. Lions Academy 11.7 (73) to 4.14 (38)
def. by Swans Academy 7.4 (46) to 8.11 (59)

How it happened:

Tasmania was one of the most even and talented sides in Pool B, which showed as the Devils set up a Grand Final against Sydney. They battled all the way against Sydney but came up short after half time to leave with a 2-1 record. Previously, Tasmania ran out the stronger side against Northern Territory in game one, having trailed at the main break. Things went much more smoothly against an inaccurate Lions Academy outfit, who kicked 4.14 as Tasmania notched up a comfortable 35-point victory.

>> THROWBACK: 2023 AFL Under 16 National Championships