SOUTH Australia has ended its Under 18 title defence on a positive note after beating Vic Country by a single point in Ballarat on Wednesday. The Croweaters overcame an inaccurate start and early Victorian onslaught to get over the line via a minor score off the boot of captain Kodah Edwards.

After Vic Country’s run of four goals put South Australia down by 30 points early in term two, spearhead forward Jack Slattery put the visitors on his back to head into the main break just six points in arrears. The second half was headlined by several lead changes, as Xavier Ladbrook missed a crucial chance to snatch victory for the Big V.

The result sees South Australia end its carnival with an even 2-2 record, while Vic Country sits at 1-2 with a single game to go – against Vic Metro on July 19. Metro, currently undefeated at 3-0, has been confirmed as the new champion after Wednesday’s outcomes.

VIC COUNTRY 3.1 | 8.2 | 10.6 | 11.8 (74)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1.8 | 6.8 | 7.12 | 10.15 (75)

GOALS:
Vic Country: A. Elliott 4, C. Templeton 2, E. Drever, C. Hanegraaf, L. Macumber, J. O’Brien, A. Sousa
South Australia: J. Slattery 4, Ka. Edwards 2, C. Bradford, Ko. Edwards, T. Garrett, J. McNicol

BEST:
Vic Country: C. Walker, E. Drever, A. Elliott, N. Williams, K. Nicholls, G. Kennedy
South Australia: J. Slattery, J. McNicol, S. Tassone, M. Webb, E. Herbert, M. Harris

VIC COUNTRY:

#1 Cody Walker (Bendigo Pioneers)
Midfielder | 184cm | 26/01/2008

Stats: 35 disposals, 5 clearances, 5 rebound 50s

Walker rarely plays a bad game, but this was among his absolute best. Returning to the fold after a shoulder injury sustained in game one, the midfielder crashed and bashed his way to a game-high 35 disposals and 18 contested possessions. He made an immeasurable difference to Vic Country’s midfield, dominating at the centre ball-ups and using his burst speed to escape to the outside. Walker hunted the ground ball with repeat efforts and surged it forward relentlessly, while combining nicely with teammates by hand. He can be scrappy at times, but showed improvement in his kicking with a couple of searing passes, including one which set up the game-winning opportunity.

#3 Gus Kennedy (Dandenong Stingrays)
Defender | 187cm | 21/02/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 7 marks, 5 rebound 50s

It seemed like Kennedy racked up more ball than the numbers suggest, with the powerful defender helping dictate play across the back half. He was consistently in position to help his side maintain possession, shifting angles with short passes but also flicking the switch to attack when possible. Kennedy got busy on the intercept and looked to launch counterattacks quickly, using his speed and strength to take on the opposition. He’s at his best when being aggressive.

#4 Ethan Drever (GWV Rebels)
Midfielder | 188cm | 10/07/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 marks, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

Playing in home conditions, it was another outstanding performance from Drever. His growth this year has been phenomenal, and on Wednesday he continued to show different elements to his game. Usually a clean and powerful inside ball winner, Drever dipped into his running tank to cover plenty of ground and amass 19 uncontested possessions. He maintained his explosive speed through the corridor, but also used it to surge from contest to contest or find pockets of space. The rising prospect was dangerous with his ability to combine and carry on the attack, and slotted a classy running goal in the opening quarter – which has become a key feature of his game.

#5 Noah Williams (Geelong Falcons)
Defender | 177cm | 22/01/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s

Williams was back to his best, getting his hands on the ball more readily in a creative role off half-back. He was among his side’s main distributors, very much looking for his favoured left side and backing his skills to pick off aggressive targets. Williams also used his speed and dare on the overlap, venturing high up the ground to generate quick transitions. His willingness to defend and compete were bonuses which balanced out his more attacking style of play.

#12 Charlie Hanegraaf (Geelong Falcons)
Midfielder/Forward | 187cm | 10/11/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal

Another returning midfield member, Hanegraaf made his presence felt. He handled the ball cleanly under pressure and showed poise to distribute the ball out of congestion, using his strong frame to absorb pressure. Given the Vics’ midfield depth, he spent time up forward and found a couple of scoring chances in the second term, slotting a classy snap goal. Hanegraaf also covered the ground well to find space ahead of the ball and balance out his work inside the contest.

#14 Archie Elliott (GWV Rebels)
Forward | 182cm | 10/08/2008

Stats: 9 disposals, 6 marks, 4 inside 50s, 4 goals

Elliott kicking goals at Mars Stadium is nothing new, and he did so with aplomb on Wednesday. The GWV Rebels forward managed only nine disposals, but produced eight score involvements and six scoring shots among them. He slotted a pair of set shots to get his side going in the second term and had no trouble converting from tough angles, judging his home conditions perfectly. Elliott also ventured higher up the ground as the match wore on, using his speed to surge back towards goal.

#19 Darcy Szerszyn (Dandenong Stingrays)
Defender | 188cm | 20/05/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 marks, 3 rebound 50s

Szerszyn was made to withstand plenty of pressure inside defensive 50 and stood up to the task. Often playing taller than his height suggests, he split several one-on-one contests and read the play well to collect nine intercept possessions. Although, he perhaps could have been more authoritative with his spoils, which sometimes landed in dangerous positions and kept the play alive for SA. Otherwise, Szerszyn was rock solid and showed his athleticism in the air, as well as when joining the attack. He continues to hit his stride after an injury impacted start to the year.

#20 Andrio Sousa (Dandenong Stingrays)
Wing | 179cm | 11/08/2008

Stats: 14 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal

It was a typically energetic game from Sousa, who played with the right kind of intent all day. He provided width on the outside and looked to drive the ball forward quickly, using his speed and evasiveness to take ground. His ability to connect the ground was terrific, and he even snuck forward late in the third quarter to mark uncontested and slot his only goal.

#22 Klay Nicholls (GWV Rebels)
Defender | 187cm | 15/05/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 5 marks, 6 rebound 50s

With the ball pinging around from end-to-end, Nicholls played a key role in keeping his side from being completely overrun. Like Szerszyn, he played above his height to impact in the air. A couple of his 12 intercept possessions were strong one-on-one marks where he pushed off and extended well overhead. Nicholls also joined the attack, mopping up and rebounding the ball with minimal fuss.

#34 Clancy Snell (Gippsland Power)
Key Defender | 197cm | 21/08/2008

Stats: 15 disposals, 11 marks, 4 tackles

Vic Country dominated the airways and maintained possession deep in its back half, with Snell central to both facets. He was often a reliable outlet on the switch, finding space on the open side to launch attacks. His mobility and foot skills were terrific in those instances. Snell also rose for several strong intercept marks and held his ground one-on-one, able to impact both deep and high up the ground. No key defender in this year’s crop can quite match his well-roundedness.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

#4 Jacob McNicol (Glenelg)
Midfielder/Forward | 178cm | 28/06/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 marks, 7 inside 50s, 1 goal

Slick and stylish in the forward half, McNicol was often the player to make the final kick heading inside 50 for SA. While his end product can be inconsistent, he produced eight score involvements including several well weighted passes to leading forwards. McNicol’s ability to cover ground and use his leg speed on the attack made him a threat all day, accumulating possessions and connecting the final third. He ended his day with a classy goal in the final term.

#5 Sam Tassone (North Adelaide)
Defender/Midfielder | 180cm | 12/02/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 marks, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s

It was an industrious day for Tassone, who spent time in midfield but thrived in his natural role off half-back. His running power was a highlight, often positioning at the back of packs to either latch onto crumbs or receive and take off. Tassone used all of his speed and smarts in those instances to kickstart counterattacks and link up with teammates. While relatively lightly built, he also produced a couple of great defensive moments, including intercept marks and a terrific rundown tackle.

#6 Jake Eime (Central District)
Defender | 182cm | 29/06/2008

Stats: 18 disposals, 3 marks, 5 rebound 50s

After a relatively subdued opening half, Eime lifted his output to run out the game strongly. Stationed in his usual post down back, the Central District speedster showed plenty of dare to take metres and play a direct brand of footy. He ran aggressive patterns on the overlap and consistently put speed on the ball to become a key playmaker as the play slingshotted from end-to-end.

#19 Memphis Webb (North Adelaide)
Midfielder | 183cm | 04/06/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 clearances, 3 inside 50s

Webb took over as his side’s main clearance winner on the inside, showing a clean set of hands and good poise to work the ball out of stoppages. While other SA mids tended to dump the ball out by foot, Webb remained calm and picked out deliberate targets. That kind of combination play also translated to the outside, where Webb would shift into space and get involved in waves of possession. Most of his best work was done by hand, winning 12 contested possessions.

#27 Archie Van Dyk (South Adelaide)
Midfielder | 190cm | 28/07/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 4 clearances, 4 inside 50s

We finally got a glimpse of Van Dyk at the final time of asking, and he acclimated well despite coming in off significant time on the sidelines. The tall midfielder hardly fumbled throughout the day, using his frame and hands to impact in close quarters. He extracted the ball cleanly and stood tall to absorb pressure before dishing out to teammates. Not blessed with a great deal of speed, Van Dyk otherwise tended to blast long kicks out of congestion, but was near-flawless by hand.

#34 Jack Slattery (Woodville-West Torrens)
Key Forward | 192cm | 27/09/2007

Stats: 12 disposals, 5 marks, 4 goals

Just when Vic Country looked like kicking away to an ominous lead, Slattery caught fire with three consecutive goals to keep his side afloat in term two. He singlehandedly kept SA in the game, able to convert his chances while teammates squandered theirs. Whether marking strongly on the lead, recovering at ground level or crumbing off hands, Slattery found several avenues to goal. He’s a tough matchup and plays a little like Logan Morris, being an effective undersized key forward.

#38 Mitchell Harris (Woodville-West Torrens)
Key Defender | 195cm | 01/07/2008

Stats: 10 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles

Harris was at his brave best behind the ball, producing several gutsy aerial efforts. He combined athleticism with bravery to crash packs and go back with the flight of the ball, notching seven intercepts among his 10 possessions. His ability to impact aerial contests and recover the ball saw him snuff out danger all day. He was particularly noticeable in the final quarter where he rose to take a couple of outstanding marks, putting his body on the line each time.

#39 Ethan Herbert (North Adelaide)
Ruck | 199cm | 01/11/2008

Stats: 20 disposals, 6 marks, 14 hitouts, 6 clearances

Herbert was finally handed the reins as South Australia’s primary ruck and he excelled. Despite giving up a bit of height, he just about broke even in the hitout count and set himself apart on the follow-up. Boasting terrific craft to outbody his opponent and extract the ball at ground level, Herbert won six clearances and dished the ball out effectively. Herbert also caught the eye with a terrific intercept mark up on the wing, reacting quickly and extending well to clunk the ball overhead.