NORTH Adelaide became the first team to defeat Norwood in the 2025 SANFL Under 18s season after claiming a 21-point win in Port Pirie on Saturday. The Roosters and Redlegs are now among the four teams locked in with 2-1 records after three rounds of action, with Sturt boasting the best percentage.

A heavy wind advantage helped North kick out to a 39-point advantage at three-quarter time having been reigned back to within a goal at the main break. While Norwood piled on four goals to one in the final term, it proved too little and too late as the result was all but a formality.

Eight members of the SANFL’s Under 18 preseason state squad took the field at Memorial Park and we took note of how each of them fared, along with a few other standouts from either side.

>> ROUND 3: Eagles claw to victory in Grand Final rematch

NORTH ADELAIDE:

#1 Ethan Herbert | Ruck
Stats: 16 disposals, 26 hitouts, 6 clearances

North’s mainline ruck, Herbert was challenged by the mobility and energy of Norwood’s Sam Ainsworth but began to get on top after half time. Some of his ruck craft was terrific, able to hit to advantage and use his size to outmanoeuvre his opposite number. Herbert also imposed himself with booming clearances to generate score assists, and took a couple of clean intercept marks to lock the ball into North Adelaide’s attacking half during term three.

#5 Taj Murray | Key Forward/Ruck
Stats: 11 disposals, 6 marks, 7 hitouts, 1 goal

Murray could easily have come away with a bag of three or four goals if not for inaccurate set shot conversion and a few dropped marks. The mobile tall forward had no real trouble finding separation inside 50 and looked sharper coming out of half time, where he stuck a pack mark and went on to slot his only goal for the game. He had several more gettable opportunities from similarly slight angles but just couldn’t find his radar in windy conditions.

#14 Sam Cumming | Midfielder
Stats: 21 disposals, 3 clearances, 2 goals

Cumming once again went about his business as North’s most prolific and polished ball winner. He started out with a terrific set shot goal from the boundary on the wrong side for a right-footer, going on to compound his scoreboard impact with another conversion over the mark in term three. While not a massive weapon, Cumming’s kicking pierced the wind and he was not afraid to use both feet. He was also brave overhead and worked hard to impact around the ground when he couldn’t win the stoppage ball. Another well-rounded performance from one of South Australia’s finest.

Others:

Charlie Dickeson led all comers with 28 disposals through midfield, also racking up six clearances, six inside 50s and a sensational goal from the boundary. Port Adelaide father-son candidate Ben Francou (21 disposals, eight clearances) was also a threat at the contest and kicked a massive goal from the centre square in term three. Lachlan Faulkhead was the Roosters’ most dangerous scoring avenue, booting 3.3, while Hamish Collins brought the game to life with his speed and a brilliant running goal in the same quarter.

NORWOOD:

#3 Will Prescott | Forward/Midfielder
Stats: 14 disposals, 2 marks, 2 goals

Prescott showed off a few of his tricks on Saturday, looking to make something happen with each possession. He nabbed a brilliant dribbled goal in the opening quarter, making use of a chaos ball inside 50 to snatch it from an opponent and finish the job. He continued to be dangerous when the ball hit the deck – displaying a nifty sidestep – and went on to bag a second major with his wheeling snap in the fourth quarter.

#6 Bayln O’Brien | Utility
Stats: 16 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles

O’Brien was used in just about every role imaginable on Saturday, starting with his base as a defender. His toughness and ability to compete aerially was evident with a couple of intercept marks there, before eventually finding himself ahead of the footy and even rucking for a few centre bounces. The top-ager competed hard wherever he went but will likely feature on Hamish Collins’ highlight reel having been made to chase the speedster into goal during term three.

#8 Jim Kelly | Midfielder
Stats: 18 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Kelly was a fast starter for Norwood, getting his hands on the ball frequently before half time. He swooped on the opening centre bounce and looked classy in possession when afforded time and space. The Redlegs looked to give him that with a move to the wing, though Kelly’s polished accumulation began to slow as the pressure gauge lifted.

#15 Noah Daw | Tall Defender
Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 5 rebound 50s

While other magnets shuffled around him, Daw was a relative mainstay in the Redlegs’ defence. He had little trouble finding the ball in and around defensive 50, looking comfortable – if not casual – in possession. That led to some uninvited pressure as Norwood looked to work the ball out of tight spots, sharing it around willingly. Kicking into a stiff breeze was tough on the rebound, but Daw impacted aerially with a couple of contest splits and well-timed spoils.

#21 Fergus Myall | Tall Forward/Defender
Stats: 9 disposals, 3 hitouts, 4 rebound 50s

Myall showcased his versatility by operating at either end of the ground. He found limited opportunities up forward and was made to search for his possessions, but the going was a little easier once move to defence. There, Myall showcased great mobility for a tall player and looked smooth with ball in hand, running it out and unleashing long kicks on his favoured left foot. While low-possession compared to the other state academy members, there’s some upside there.

Others:

Redlegs skipper Darcy Speyer led from the front with a team-high 24 disposals and five clearances. His ability to drive his legs out of the contest was useful in the early stages. Micah Kretschmer and William Fanning (both 19 disposals) were among the key playmakers out of defence, while ruck Sam Ainsworth (17 disposals, 20 hitouts, seven clearances) had a big day against stiff opposition.

NORTH ADELAIDE 4.5 | 4.9 | 10.14 | 11.16 (82)
NORWOOD 2.1 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 9.7 (61)

GOALS:
North Adelaide: L. Faulkhead 3, J. Casey 2, S. Cumming 2, H. Collins, C. Dickeson, B. Francou, T. Murray
Norwood: W. Prescott 2, M. Stevenson 2, J. Jervis, H. Lake, H. Pearce, D. Speyer, J. Thompson

BEST:
North Adelaide: S. Cumming, C. Dickeson, H. Collins, B. Francou, L. Faulkhead
Norwood: H. Pearce, D. Speyer, J. Thompson, M. Kretschmer, S. Ainsworth