SOUTH Australia will keep match fit ahead of its huge AFLW Under 18 Championships clash against Vic Metro in a fortnight when the Croweaters face a SANFL Women’s Under 23s side tomorrow. Streamed live via KommunityTV, the contest kicks off at 11am local time with the best Under 23s from the SANFLW getting a chance to put their hand up for selection as mature-age draft options.

The Croweaters took care of the Allies in their first game of the national championships by 78 points, but will face a red-hot Vic Metro in game two, with the unbeaten Metro to deny South Australia a third straight title if they get up. If the visitors win, then a victory against Western Australia is all that is required to take home the crown for a third successive year.

South Australia will use the exhibition match to try out some players who missed out in game one such as bottom-agers, Sophie Thredgold, Sarcha Taylor, Matilda Wilmore and Imogen Trengove. South Adelaide forward Shae Archbold is the sole top-age inclusion, getting her chance in the side after missing game one due to a plethora of key position options.

Croweaters’ skipper Violet Patterson is among five players to be rested from the team with AFLW Academy members Poppy Scholz and Jasmine Evans, hard-running wing Lily Baxter and intercepting defender Esther Schirmer also sitting the game out.

The South Australian Under 23s side – which is coached by Woodville-West Torrens mentor Narelle Smith – boasts a stack of talented prospects including competition leading goalkicker and premiership player Emily Brockhurst, Norwood finals star Kiana Lee, North Adelaide speedster Aprille Crooks and strong inside midfielder Zoe Venning.

Over-age duo Melissa Anderson and Lily Whitcombe are no stranger to the Under 18s cohort, having played alongside them last year – and in Whitcombe’s case in 2022 as well – and will look to get one-up on them in their respective matchups.

South Australia U18s:

B: Bianca Portaro (Eagles), Edwina Thornquest (Sturt), Sophie Thredgold (Sturt)
HB: Emma Kilpatrick (West), Shae Archbold (South), Laela Ebert (North)
C: Sophie Eaton (Central), India Rasheed (Sturt), Imogen Trengove (Eagles)
HF: Sarcha Taylor (North), Lucy Boyd (West), Eloise Mackereth (Glenelg)
F: Georgia McKee (Central), Charlotte Riggs (Central), Asha Dufour (West)
R: Chloe Tonkin (West), Ruby Ballard (West), Grace Martin (Eagles)
INT: Klaudia O’Neill (Eagles), Coby Morgan (Norwood), Matilda Wilmore (Glenelg), Monique Bessen (Sturt), Mikayla Antony (Central)

SANFLW U23s:

B: Audrey Holt (Eagles), Tess Gerhardy (Central), Christina Leuzzi (Eagles)
HB: Lily Whitcombe (Sturt), Georgie Pater (West), Julia Clark (North)
C: Laitiah Huynh (Central), Marlie Fiegert (Eagles), Georgia Swan (Sturt)
HF: Alisha Gepp (Sturt), Emily Brockhurst (South), Dakota Williams (Central)
F: Amelia Rusden (Norwood), Kiana Lee (Norwood), Mel Anderson (South)
R: Tess Huxtable (West), Zoe Venning (West), Aprille Crooks (North)
INT: Chloe Harding (Glenelg), Sarah Wright (South), Kayla Robran (Glenelg), Olivia Smith (West), Cher Waters (Eagles)