WOODVILLE-WEST Torrens notched its fourth win of the SANFL Under 18s season on Saturday, holding firm to defeat South Adelaide by 14 points at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval. The Panthers kicked five of the last six goals to add respectability to the scoreboard, but remain planted to the bottom of the ladder after six rounds. We took note of how the eight state Under 18 squad members afield fared.

>> FULL SQUAD: 2025 South Australia Under 18s

Woodville-West Torrens 11.16 (82) def. South Adelaide 10.8 (68)

WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS:

#5 Jack Cook | Midfielder/Defender
Stats: 27 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 clearances, 5 inside 50s

As he tends to do most weeks, Cook led all comers and had little trouble racking up possessions in all parts of the ground. The tough and reliable ball winner handled the ball cleanly at ground level and was in constant motion to receive the ball off teammates, proving a trusted distributor by foot. That factor also saw him take some kick-ins, including a penetrative kick up the middle which set Zane Peucker off over the back. Cook’s vision with ball in hand was impressive and his quick bursts of speed were complimented by hard tackles which prevented South from doing the same.

#12 Zane Peucker | Midfielder/Forward
Stats: 25 disposals, 4 marks, 4 inside 50s

An addition to South Australia’s Under 18 squad, Peucker has some eye-catching traits with his speed and power. He started up forward but was soon sighted in midfield, looking to burst out of congestion and chain possessions through the corridor. His end product lacked at times but Peucker’s ability to break the lines was a threatening aspect of his play. That kind of raw potential is likely what has him poised for representative opportunities later this year.

Others:

Lachlan Sands continued his on-ball venture to feature prominently with 21 disposals and two goals, looking dangerous with his speed on the attack. Smalls Jamie Russell (19 dispsoals, two goals) and Joel Hill (21 disposals) injected energy to the contest at either end of the ground, while tall forward Jack Marks made an ominous start and ended up with a game-high three majors.

SOUTH ADELAIDE:

#1 Jesse Nye | Midfielder/Wing
Stats: 17 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles

The South Adelaide skipper started out on the wing before shifting on-ball, where a good spread of Panthers shared the pill between them. He held his width on the outside but found it a little more difficult to open up the play with bursts of speed from the inside. The diminutive left-footer showed good work rate to find possessions away from stoppage and he set up the Panthers’ opening goal via Elliott Duffield with his lateral pass from an anti-density free kick.

#2 Cain Florance | Midfielder/Forward
Stats: 15 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles, 1 goal

Florance made a steady start but began to work into the game during term two. The bottom-ager looked most lively up forward where he set up scoring opportunities and ended up posting 1.2 with his set shot goal in the fourth quarter. Florance was able to work into space and thrived off quick transitional play where he could carry the ball before finding a kick inside 50. He was fumbly at times but competed well overhead and took a strong mark off his bootlaces to earn his final shot at goal.

#3 Kodah Edwards | Midfielder
Stats: 19 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 5 clearances

Last year’s state Under 16 captain was part of an emerging midfield group and found several ways to contribute in a well-rounded performance. Edwards’ clean set of hands came to the fore after an early fumble at stoppage which allowed the Eagles to clear. He did well to lower his eyes when moving the ball on quickly during term three to hit up Florance, also having the final say as he ran into an open goal in the final quarter. Edwards’ touch and craft around the contest were solid.

#5 Angus White | Midfielder/Forward
Stats: 10 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

White looked the most dangerous of South Adelaide’s midfielders at times with his pace and power, displaying good core strength to drive his legs out of tackles. That was a trait unique to the bottom-ager amongst his peers, though he also ended up spending time on the wing and up forward. White nabbed a goal in the third quarter from an off-ball free kick and while he didn’t rack up a whole lot of possessions, proved his ability to be impactful on stoppage exits.

#7 Archie Van dyk | Midfielder/Defender
Stats: 18 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles

Van dyk is a natural accumulator and got better as the game went on in his first appearance since Round 1. He proved his ability to be clean on the inside but lacked the power to escape cleanly and that impacted some of his disposal. He began to use the ball more effectively after half time, particularly with a shift behind the ball where he could read the play and win his one-on-ones. Van dyk sparked a couple of nice transitional plays by forcing turnovers in the defensive 50.

#16 Elliott Duffield | Tall Defender
Stats: 18 disposals, 7 marks, 7 rebound 50s, 1 goal

The rock in South Adelaide’s defence, Duffield took on plenty of responsibility. He was trusted with the kick-in duties and was a key distributor off the last line, also reading the play well to win his own ball on the intercept. Duffield was a little loose on his direct opponent – particularly on the lead – but got his own back by sneaking forward for a couple of opportunities on goal. He slotted the first chance, waltzing inside 50 unmarked to post the Panthers’ opening goal. His booming kick over the back also made for an assist to Edwards in the final quarter.

Others:

Thomas Simpson topped the Panthers’ disposal charts with 23, including seven marks and five clearances from midfield. Ruck Max Savage also made his presence felt around the contest with 18 disposals and 23 hitouts. Harry Wadewitz (19 disposals, six marks) provided support for Duffield in defence, while Kody Shortridge bagged a pair of goals as a lively outlet up forward.

ROUND 6 RESULTS

North Adelaide 11.10 (76) def. Central District 10.10 (70)
Norwood 10.12 (72) def. by Glenelg 16.7 (103)
West Adelaide 7.3 (45) def. by Sturt 12.8 (80)
Woodville-West Torrens 11.16 (82) def. South Adelaide 10.8 (68)

>> Player Focus: Ben Francou (North Adelaide)

SANFL U18 LADDER

1. Sturt – 4-1-1, 58.7%
2. Woodville-West Torrens – 4-2, 53.0%
3. Glenelg – 4-2, 51.2%
4. Central District – 3-3, 51.5%
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5. North Adelaide – 3-3, 48.0%
6. West Adelaide – 2-3-1, 47.6%
7. Norwood – 2-4, 44.1%
8. South Adelaide – 1-5, 46.6%