North Adelaide Roosters 15.9 (99) defeated Woodville-West Torrens Eagles 12.7 (79)

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Matt Balmer’s scouting notes on the possible 2016 draftees:

WWT Eagles:

#26 Jake Comitogianni- Was remarkably poor in the Under 18 championships by foot but was much better in the Reserves Grand Final. Didn’t touch the ball in the first quarter, but worked into the game after that. Was the Reserves Co-Magarey Medallist after a stellar year for the Eagles. Hasn’t been invited to the state combine and more of an outside chance to be selected.

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#27 Brennan Cox– Started up forward in a role that he had done for most of 2016 for the Eagles. Cox was quiet up forward and went into the ruck and competed well. He did look a a touch slow at times and I do think he plays his best footy in defence- A roll that he did in the Under 18 championships for South Australia.

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#43 Tyson Stengle– Looked off the pace for most of the afternoon, playing as a small forward. Just the six disposals. Has some really good glimpses and may be worth a pick in the National Draft come November.

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South Australia also held their U17 Futures game as a curtain raiser to the contest, with plenty of players worth jotting down for 2017.

SANFL Red 16.9 (105) defeated SANFL Blue 6.9 (45)

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Matthew Grundy’s scouting notes:

SANFL Red:

#6 Robert Irra– As One of the few top multicultural prospects next year, Irra really stood up for the red team. Irra played as a small defender and also got up the ground onto the wing at times to great effect. Irra impressed with his run and carry, as well as his ability to bring others into the game. His disposal still needs work but has shown a great awareness for the game. He is aligned with the Port Adelaide Next Generation Academy.

#16 Mitch Crowden-A rguably the best midfielder on the ground with his ability to find the football and his work rate being first class. He is only small at 173 cm, but has shown that it doesn’t matter as this year he has regularly been in the top disposal winners. He found plenty of the ball as he worked hard at every contest and broke tackles which were laid on him. His kicking at times can be poor but generally does good things with the ball by foot. He will be one to watch next year as he will be looking to secure a spot in the South Australian midfield come Under 18 championships time.

#19 Cole Gerloff– After impressing in the knockout competition Grand Final for Prince Alfred College, Gerloff has once again taken center stage. Gerloff impressed  in the midfield, showing great foot skills as well as a strong work ethic around the ground. He is already built (80kg) and with one more year of development to come who knows how good he could be. His kicking technically is very sound and he has great penetration when he kicks through the ball. He made very few mistakes with ball in hand which is good to see from a midfielder in a game where the pressure could’ve got to him. One thing I found is that he wasn’t fast with ball in hand and I feel it may have hurt him at times.

#25 Hugo Barry– An interesting player but has shown a lot of potential. Hugo Barry is a 190 cm key forward who has an ability to swing into the back line. One thing that stood out for Barry was his marking. He is one of the best marks I have seen from SA in a while but has struggles with the skills side of the game currently. The Prince Alfred College student also showed lots of composure with ball in hand. Barry has a nice little side step and often loses opponents with his agility. He was the leading goal kicker on the ground with three majors but could’ve ended up with five or six the way he was playing. He’s only small for a key forward at 190 cm but has enough tricks to beat his man. One to watch as we head into 2017.

#26 Darcy Fogarty– The best on ground for the reds was easily the most talented player on the ground. Fogarty was a beast as he moved out of the forward line into the midfield. He provided some toughness which intimidated opposition midfielder as they feared for their safety. He is surprisingly athletic for a player of his size as he can take runs down the ground and shove opponents off him. He did fade in and out of the game but when he was on the teamed pilled on goal after goal. He has some real Jake Stringer about him as he can play as that undersized key forward then play him in the midfield where his strength and speed is unmatched. A top prospect for 2017 and will be leading from the front as SA attempt to win another nation title.

#27 Nathan Kreuger– At 194 cm Kreuger played as a rebounding half back flanker and even had stints up on the wing and the forward line. He is the modern half back, as he can take the ball and go for a run. He was energetic every time the ball went near him and teammates looked for him on the rebound. His preffered left foot was great as he didn’t blaze away with ball in hand. His overhead marking was a let down as he dropped some marks he should’ve taken. This game for Kreuger should put him in good stead for the Under 17 All Stars game on Grand Final day.

#42 Lachlan Pascoe– After an injury interrupted year, Pascoe has final recovered and will be looking to be drafted next year. The son of Norwood premiership forward Andrew, Lachlan impressed with his composure and kicking. Pascoe spent most of his time in defence where he used his kicking to great effect but did pinch hit up forward at times. In defence Pascoe was brilliant as he intercepted and stayed composed, allowing him to use his kicking to cut the game open. In the forward line he provided a great marking target who can kick goals consistently. He has already played at SANFL League level this year but now will be looking to play for South Australia in the Under 18 championships next year. Like Kreuger, he will also be featuring in the Under 17 All Stars game on Grand Final day.

SANFL Blue:

#6 Stefan Giro– The reigning U18 Maccas Cup MVP was one of the few players from the Blues who can hold their head up high. He was easily their standout midfielder for the day as he was in everything. He had the ball on a string and unlike many other ball winners, he used it extremely well. His kicking was excellent over a variety of distances which was good to see. His elite endurance was on full display today as he covered the ground well and provided some zip in the midfield. He’s one of the unlucky players to miss out on state selection this year but looks likely to be a crucial member of the South Australian midfield next year.

#15 Alex Martini– The Glenelg ball winner played a great game for the Blues. After being one of Glenelg’s best players this year, Martini has gone to a whole new level this year and it showed in the game. He was impressive with his great skills and toughness around the contest. Like Giro, Martini showed that he can use the footy as well as he can find it as he set up his teammates on many occasions. He very tough in the contest and doesn’t get tackled easily as he has strong hips. He also showed he is a force in the air with quite a few good marks in the air. He is one who has impressed so far but will need to step up again for next year.

#16 Jackson Edwards– One of Adelaide’s few father-son prospects, Edwards was prolific today. The skinny Glenelg midfielder was in everything today for the Blues as he cut up the opposition with his great vision and his damaging kick. He has an extremely damaging right leg which he uses to hit pin point passes to players in dangerous spots. He used his hands extremely well in congestion often finding the open man. His kicking though damaging can be inconsistent but can improve under an elite system. The son of Tyson has all the skill and footy smarts of his old man which should have Crows fans excited.

#20 Brodie Carroll– The rebounding defender from Norwood is a player who has put his name on the map with this strong game. The Norwood half back was exceptional today being a rock in defence. He has a fearless approach when attacking the football and created plenty of rebound with ball in hand. He has an efficient kicking action which doesn’t look too pretty. He is only slight at the moment but with a year of development, Carroll could hear his name called out in 2017.

#28 Ryan Falkenberg– One of the more impressive tall prospects from South Australia. Ryan showed a lot of promise out of the back half as a key defender. He has great foot skills and has a team first attitude which is refreshing at this level. His kicking was very effective as he doesn’t waste the football and often starts offensive plays from the back half. He is only a kid in terms of size but has the footy smarts of a veteran. He did fade away in the second half but has shown enough to get clubs excited for next year.

#43 Callum Coleman-Jones– The AFL Academy’s leading ruck prospect really stepped it up for this game. His mobility and marking were on show as he was named best on ground for the Blues. He showed a lot of potential with his speed and ability to win the footy on the ground as he won the ruck convincingly. His kicking this year has been a knock on him but has significantly improved compared to the beginning of the year. Up forward he provided a target who can take strong contested marks. Coleman-Jones looks likely at this stage to be one of the first ruckman taken next year but with some more improvement on his kicking who know how good he could become.