ROUND 3 of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) brings along with it another edition our scouting notes, focusing on the top draft-relevant performers from around the competition this weekend. In this instalment, we turned our attention to the prospects running around in the Under 18 competition, with a heavy focus on State Academy based talent and others who may push for selection along the line. A bunch of top-end juniors plied their trade in senior grades over the weekend, so also get a look-in.

Please consider that each set of notes showcases the opinions of our scouts individually, and there are only so many players we can keep an eye on each week.

—

South Adelaide vs. Central District

By: Tom Wyman

South Adelaide:

#4 Max Clifton 

The inside midfielder stood up for the Panthers, who were without skipper Nick Kraemer for much of the contest. Clifton was a constant presence around the contest from the outset, showing a nice burst of speed to break away from the opening bounce. Later on, he completed a quick one-two before kicking long inside-50 to set-up a Phoenix Spicer goal.

Although his toughness in-tight and strong tackling was once-again terrific, Clifton also had a strong influence around the ground. His clever knock-on in the second term helped generate a promising inside-50 entry for South. Clifton backed his strength and speed when he took on the man on the mark after electing to play-on, ultimately gaining a few vital extra metres. Whilst his field kicking was hot-and-cold, he showed good penetration by foot. A regular contributor for the Panthers, Clifton was again prolific against the Bulldogs, concluding the outing with 25 disposals, two marks, seven tackles, five clearances and seven inside-50s.

#9 Jason Horne 

The clash between South Adelaide and Central District featured a handful of the state’s best bottom-aged talent, and 2018 SA Under 16 skipper and MVP, Horne stole the show. Horne lined up against fellow under-ager Austin McDonald at the opening bounce but also spent time on Lewis Cowham throughout the contest. Despite being a year-younger than the majority of players out there, Horne showed signs of his prodigious talent and looked a cut-above at times.

Highlights of his game featured a series of textbook roves, a terrific contested mark in a heavily crowed pack, and three last quarter goals. His foot skills were neat throughout the match and he wasn’t afraid to attempt risky inboard passes. Like many of his teammates, his tackling was excellent. Horne collected 26 disposals, eight marks, six tackles, four clearances and four inside-50s to go with his second bag of three goals at Under 18s level.

#15 Liam Hamilton

Medium-forward, Hamilton kicked a game-high five goals in the 76-point triumph, showing both skill and goal sense at ground level, and strength in the air. He dribbled home the game’s first goal after just 19 seconds and, just moments later, kicked the Panthers’ third with a neat right-foot snap. His positioning and ability to judge the flight of the ball better than his opponents allowed him to take eight marks, all of which were uncontested. He concluded the outing with 18 disposals and could have even kicked more if not for three behinds.

#18 Zac Dumesny (League)

The utility produced his best performance since making his League debut in Round 1. Throughout the day, Dumesny found himself in acres of space, often taking a mark with no Bulldogs opponent in sight. Able to play a roll in all three zones, Dumesny spent time as the link-man across half-back and along the wing at X Convenience Oval. In the opening term, he found veteran midfielder Joel Cross with a well-placed left-foot kick to his advantage. Shortly after, he took a mark from a short Cross kick and, this time, used his trusty right boot to centre the ball to the hotspot, 35-metres out from goal. He continually showed great footy intelligence to find open space and used the ball with trademark efficiency.

In the second term, Dumesny’s composure was evident when he resisted pulling the trigger on a long kick downfield and chose to handball to an open teammate rather than blaze away. Whilst a couple of his kicks didn’t reach their intended target, his field kicking was largely impressive and helped South retain possession. In the third term he found himself alone inside 50, marked the centring-ball from Beau McCreery, and converted the regulation set-shot from short range. It was another encouraging performance from Dumesny, who appears to have cemented his spot in the South Adelaide League side thanks largely to his clean skills (kicking at 91 per cent efficiency for the season), versatility and smart running. Dumesny finished with 19 disposals, ten marks, a goal and three inside-50s.

#21 Matthew Roberts

Whilst fellow bottom-ager, Horne stood-out with his stoppage nous and scoreboard impact, Roberts was equally brilliant around the ground, gathering another 27 disposals to back-up his 32-touch effort in last weekend’s loss to Glenelg. Roberts’ foot skills were typically clean all day, with his damaging left-foot picking out targets which many players would be hesitant to even attempt.

Whilst he wasn’t as dominant at the stoppages as last week, his lightning-fast, clean hands were a highlight. Roberts ran all day, but more importantly, he ran into the right spots, allowing him to accumulate 11 marks. He leads the Under 18s competition in total marks and has an innate ability to rack up disposal-after-disposal. Roberts is already one of the most prolific on-ballers in the league and will only further improve as he gains more exposure against top-aged talent. He finished with 27 disposals, 11 marks, two tackles, two clearances, two inside-50s and two rebound-50s.

#23 Phoenix Spicer

The silky-smooth Spicer produced a terrific performance on the wing and up forward. His one-touch pickups and general cleanliness at ground-level was breathtaking at times, and his run-and-carry proved vital to the Panthers’ strong scoring. He snapped two back-to-back goals in the first quarter to extend the Panthers lead. The first came from a close-range and the second from further out, but both highlighted his terrific goal sense.

His aforementioned clean hands, elite agility, and ability to find separation on outside of contests allowed him to send the ball inside 50 on eight occasions. His tackling pressure was also encouraging. Spicer collected 23 disposals three marks, four tackles and eight inside 50s in what was a complete performance from the Morphetville junior.

#35 Tom Highmore (League)

Highmore was again impressive in his backline role. For a 22-year-old in just his third League match, his intercept marking was a standout. Highmore was opposed to former-Power forward John Butcher at times and restricted the big-man to just one goal. Highmore combined well with prolific-defender Joseph Haines and Central District found it difficult to penetrate the forwardline with the pair controlling the airways all-day. His foot skills under-pressure were also excellent and he provided plenty of rebound from defence. Highmore finished the contest with 19 disposals, eight marks and three rebound-50s.

Others:

Panthers skipper, Kraemer was heavily involved early, laying a couple of strong tackles after getting wrapped up himself. However he was forced off under the blood rule after he laid a tackle deep in defence. He briefly returned, breaking away from a stoppage and gaining an inside-50, however he sat out the second half, likely as a result of the earlier knock.

Liam Nye was another Panther to boot multiple goals, rounding out the contest with three majors. His ability to find space allowed him to take nine marks, but Panthers coaches would have been impressed with his tackling intensity and willingness to apply plenty of defensive pressure. Cooper Rogers was also prolific, collecting 20 disposals, eight tackles and five clearances. His quick and clean hands in-tight stood out on a couple of occasions.

Jaiden Magor produced arguably his best performance at Under 18s level, having dominated for the Panthers Under 16s in their two games earlier in the year. An All-Australian at the Under 15 National carnival last year, Magor won seven clearances, laid seven tackles and kicked two goals. He could have had as many as five if he had converted a number of other chances. Magor looks to have a long right-foot kick and will certainly be one to watch climb up the ranks over the coming years.

>> SOUTH ADELAIDE TEAM PAGE

Central District:

#13 Austin McDonald

Against a talented South Adelaide midfield, 16-year-old McDonald didn’t get his hands on the ball as often as the opening two matches. However, to his credit, he didn’t drop his head despite the lop-sided result and his defensive work around the stoppages remained excellent for the entirety of the match. McDonald spent the game slogging it out on-ball against the likes of Horne, Roberts, and Clifton and laid several strong tackles to force stoppages. Despite his age and smaller stature, the Barossa product showed he is more than willing to do the hard stuff, even when his side is being well beaten. McDonald finished with ten disposals, one marks, seven tackles and two inside-50s.

#15 Lewis Cowham

Along with McDonald, the tough on-baller once again battled tirelessly in the Bulldogs engine room. At times he played a lone hand in the midfield as the talented South youngsters gained control. He found himself at the bottom of several packs, constantly trying to get the ball going his side’s way. His strength overhead was also on display in the second term when he took an excellent contested, one-on-one grab. The small midfielder was easily his side’s most prolific player, accumulating 21 disposals to go with three marks, five tackles and eight clearances. He also showed a nice turn of pace on a couple of occasions, to supplement his strong numbers.

#31 Corey Durdin (League)

In what was a rough outing for the Bulldogs, who remain winless in season 2020, it was difficult for the small forward to assert himself on the contest. Yet despite his forwardline role, Durdin showed a real eagerness to get involved up the ground when much of the play was unfolding in the Panthers’ attacking half of the ground. He picked up his first meaningful touch of the game by providing an option out of defence, taking an easy mark and switching the play with a neat short kick. Later in the opening term, he gathered a loose ball in the middle of the expansive X Convenience Oval and gave off a simple-but-effective handball to the running David Haydon, who sent the Bulldogs into attack.

Later, the talented Durdin got himself into the perfect crumbing position and was the beneficiary of a Dumesny spoil. But he would have benefitted from showing a bit more composure when his hurried kick forward was easily intercepted by a South Adelaide defender. Durdin took a good mark from a centring ball in the third term and played on immediately, kicking long to the advantage of teammate John Butcher in a one-on-one. When around the ball Durdin wasn’t afraid to crack in hard, however he was bumped off it on a couple of occasions. He showed why he is viewed as one of SA’s best draft prospects when he won a tough one-on-two marking contest, managing to bring the ball to ground and force a kick forwards. Although he did make a couple of errors by foot, it was a tough game for the Bulldogs forwards, who struggled to hit the scoreboard after recording just 20 inside-50s for the match. Durdin finished with 11 disposals, four marks and three inside-50s.

Others:

Shay Linke was one of the Bulldogs’ best on what proved to be a difficult trip to Noarlunga. He worked well with Cowham and McDonald in the middle, collecting 16 disposals, a game-high 12 tackles, six clearances and four inside-50s.

Leek Alleer also showed some nice signs, with his extreme athleticism a focal point. Alleer used his 196cm frame and explosive leap to take three strong contested marks and he also led his side with five inside-50s. Ruckman Wyatt Ryan was effective, winning 27 hit-outs and providing a strong aerial presence around the ground.

>> CENTRAL DISTRICT TEAM PAGE

—

North Adelaide vs Glenelg

By: Ed Pascoe

North Adelaide: 

#9 Jamison Murphy

It was another typical game from Murphy, using his smarts and size at stoppages to advantage, while showing his mix of contested ability and defensive ability in tackling with intent. Murphy again showed a cool head at stoppages, often cracking in hard and often making the right decision by hand and foot when in possession. The one aspect Murphy could improve is his scoreboard impact, which he almost did -taking a strong lead-up mark, but missing the set shot. Murphy was one of North Adelaide’s best players, finishing the game with 26 disposals, eight tackles and six clearances.

#21 Tariek Newchurch

Newchurch had some close company and found it tough to get going in the early stages, pitted against Glenelg’s Hagan Wright. It wasn’t a good day in front of the scoreboard for Newchurch but he was still able to show off his dazzling speed and agility, and make it clear if given an inch, he can potentially take a mile. Newchurch started to come into the game more late in the piece once Wright was moved off him and he had a great bit of play, taking on fellow speedster Nasiah Wanganeen and winning that dual to show just how quick he is. Newchurch finished the game with 14 disposals and two behinds, but the main stat was 0 tackles which he would want to improve to become a complete package as a small forward going in future.

#22 Lam Simon

One of many NGA talents for Adelaide, the bottom-age defender grew as the game went on, showing plenty of scope for improvement and raw natural talent with his ability to read the play and intercept. It wasn’t smooth sailing to start the game for Simon, despite getting to the right spots he wasn’t quite holding his marks, but was good to see him try and butter up any missed opportunities. It wasn’t until the second half where his intercept game really started to click, taking some very strong marks and getting to some good spots. Simon finished the game with 16 disposals and eight marks, and will hopefully continue to improve his game.

#25 Blayne O’Loughlin

The bottom-age talent who is also tied to Adelaide’s NGA was outstanding down back with his confidence and skills real features, especially with the amount of pressure put on the North defence. Often tasked with the kick-ins, he didn’t miss many of his kicks with his long left boot. Kick-ins can often pad stats, but he still won plenty of the ball with his rebounding ability and even with his intercepting – where he would often quickly play on and hit targets with ease. O’Loughlin finished the game with 28 disposals (team high) and eight marks in a composed and mature defensive display.

>> NORTH ADELAIDE TEAM PAGE

Glenelg:

#8 Hagan Wright

Wright had the tough task of manning up livewire forward, Newchurch and he did a terrific job – not only limiting his influence, but also providing rebound to try and make Newchurch accountable. Wright showed great attack on the ball and made that his focus first and foremost, and wasn’t afraid of having a run with the ball to drive it forward. Wright was later moved into the midfield and looked great with his burst from stoppages, and although he looks like a natural midfielder, he has added a string to his bow with the ability to shut down the other clubs’ dangerous small forward. He finished the game with 27 disposals and seven marks.

#13 Luke Pedlar

Pedlar continues to impress this year with his contested game and ability to hit the scoreboard, and that much was evident again against North Adelaide. Pedlar is a hard player to stop with his strong marking ability and power out of stoppages a real highlight, and he had two fantastic bits of play which also showed his strong work-rate.

The first was a good smother which he would later recover and kick forward, following that up laying a big bump on the opposition. Just when you thought he might have done enough, he continued to run forward to take a strong mark and then capitalise on his hard work with a nice goal. The second was a great chase to bowl over his opponent and then he would continue again to receive the ball and power away from congestion, leaving the opposition in his wake before delivering a good kick down the line.

Pedlar may lack some consistency by foot, but his work-rate and impact couldn’t be questioned with a strong performance, winning 18 disposals while also laying six tackles and kicking three goals.

#22 Lewis Rayson

Another terrific game for the quick bottom-age talent, who just continues to win the ball at ease either down back or running the ball on the wing. He has shown a good mix of getting back and setting up play, but also getting forward and finding targets inside 50. Rayson has a lot of tricks; he showed he could intercept mark with a few very courageous marks, and his trademark speed and class was on show with a blistering run and then bullet pass inside 50 to teammate, Lucas Schultz. Rayson finished the game with 35 disposals and 11 marks in a best-on-ground performance, and he certainly looks a prospect for the 2021 draft.

#25 Luke Edwards

The potential Crows father-son prospect has been playing his role for Glenelg perfectly, playing mostly forward which hasn’t been his main position these last few years. He has been able to not only lead up at the ball well and take marks, but also get up the ground to help with Glenelg’s link-up play where he can use his smarts and composure. Edwards wasn’t able to hit the scoreboard himself, but set up plenty, not messing around in getting the ball inside 50. Edwards finished the game with 24 disposals, eight marks, and four tackles and although he hasn’t had the biggest impact you would expect from him going into this year, he is playing his role perfectly for what the Tigers need in their side right now.

Others:

Wanganeen made the wing his own, showing off his great agility, clean hands and composure. He has had a great start to the season, and had 21 disposals with a quieter last quarter when the game was already won. Xavier Robins was again a cool head in defence. The rebounding left footer was trusted with the kick-ins, which he did well and also impressed with his ability to intercept mark. He finished with 24 disposals and six marks.

State 18s squad member Riley Holder again looked good with his lead-up work, proving to be a great target going forward for Glenelg. He finished the game with 14 disposals, eight marks, and one goal. Schultz has also been a handful up forward all season, and that continued again as he kicked some sensational goals to show his forward craft and smarts. He finished the game with 14 disposals, seven marks, and five goals.

>> GLENELG TEAM PAGE

—

Norwood vs. WWT Eagles

By: Tom Cheesman

Norwood:

#1 Cooper Murley

Murley continued his impressive start to the 2020 season with another standout performance. He collected 29 disposals, seven clearances, six tackles and five inside 50s. He was tough at the contest and more than willing to work hard and spread on the outside. The AFL Academy prospect is proving to be one of the most hard-running midfielders in the competition, using his explosive pace to push forward and impact the scoreboard. He kicked two goals on Saturday, including a brilliant running goal from a stoppage midway through the third term. Murley could use his burst of speed away from stoppages more frequently to get to the next level, but the bottom-ager has time to develop this feature of his game.

#6 Michael Cavallaro

Cavallaro played well for the Redlegs, finishing with 21 disposals, seven marks and four inside 50s. It was evident that he has a great football IQ as he often got involved in switches of play and linked up with teammates to carry the ball forward. Although he is small for an Under 18, his height was never an issue throughout this contest because he always gets himself to the right positions. His right-foot kick is very reliable and it was clear that teammates sought to give him the ball whenever possible to capitalise on this.

#21 Jack Saunders

Saunders was the best midfielder on the ground, which says a lot given the likes of Poulter, Murley and Schofield were playing. He continually read the ball off the hands of the ruckmen, used quick hands and laid strong tackles to impact the stoppages. A brilliant smother in the first quarter highlighted Saunders’ commitment to the contest from the outset. He also used run-and-carry to transition the ball into attack and give the Redlegs’ forwards one-on-one opportunities. His kicks were not always accurate but he always followed them up and never gave up on any contest. He finished with 25 disposals, nine tackles and seven clearances.

#25 Matthew Dnistriansky

Dnistriansky continued his role as Norwood’s designated kicker in the defence, collecting 16 disposals, six rebound 50s and three inside 50s. His booming right-foot kicks often cleared the Eagles’ defensive setup and launched the Redlegs into attack. He showed that he is not one-dimensional either, regularly hitting the contest hard and laying two strong tackles. It would be great to see Dnistriansky get some more midfield minutes as the season progresses so that he can show more of that side to his game.

#30 Finn Heard

Heard was brilliant up forward, providing a strong presence and clunking ten marks (four contested). His set-shot goal kicking was an issue however, as he had ten shots that resulted in five goals, four behinds and one wobbler that did not make the distance. Heard kicked multiple goals from beyond the 50-metre arc, so he showed he has great range and actually looked more comfortable kicking from a longer distance. He has kicked ten goals from three matches and leads the SANFL Under 18 goal kicking alongside Glenelg’s Schultz and Sturt’s Morgan Ferres. There is no doubt that Heard has a bright future and may have caught the eyes of AFL recruiters over the past couple of weeks.

Others:

It might have gone under the radar given some of the midfielders’ performances in this game, but Ronald Carbine was very solid down back. He repeatedly repelled the Eagles’ attacks and laid a number of important tackles, finishing with 12 disposals, six tackles and five marks. Classy left-footer Xavier Tranfa was consistent through the midfield, kicking two goals to go with 18 disposals and six inside 50s.

>> NORWOOD TEAM PAGE

WWT:

#3 Taj Schofield

Port Adelaide father-son prospect, Schofield has great agility and showed that in the first two and a half quarters of Saturday’s match. He always hunts the footy and is very composed with ball in hand, highlighted by a clever side-step in the first term, and a clean pick-up and snap goal in the third term. Unfortunately, Schofield limped off the field with what looked to be an ankle injury midway through the third quarter and did not return to the game. The Eagles’ midfield struggled significantly from this point onwards, demonstrating how important Schofield is to their side. He finished with 17 disposals and five clearances.

#7 Caleb Poulter

Big-bodied midfielder, Poulter was a shining light for the Eagles in their loss, collecting 29 disposals, eight marks, five tackles and two goals. He was incredibly dangerous when playing up forward, creating havoc both in the air and on the ground. Poulter’s marking ability was on show on Saturday, as he was rarely out-marked and was frequently a go-to option for his side coming out of defence. His disposals can be rushed and wayward at times, but his left-foot kick is terrific whenever he has time to compose himself before delivering to a teammate. A nice goal from 50 in the third term showed that his kick has great range too.

#31 Jase Burgoyne

Another Port Adelaide father-son prospect, Burgoyne showed some promising signs throughout the match. The bottom-ager was clean with ball in hand and took a couple of nice intercept marks at half-back. He has a light frame, so once he gains more strength he should have confidence to go for those intercept marks more regularly throughout matches. His disposal was a bit casual at times, but this is something he will tidy up with more experience. Burgoyne finished with 27 disposals, five marks and seven rebound 50s.

>> SANFL League Rd 3 Player Focus – Lachlan Jones
>> WWT EAGLES TEAM PAGE

—

West Adelaide vs. Sturt

By: Michael Alvaro

West Adelaide:

#2 Harvey Bock

It was a tough day for the Bloods’ defenders, but Bock stood up regularly as a leader inside defensive 50. He competed well on the last line, reading the play intelligently to come off his opponent at the right time, while also proving strong in one-on-one contests. His kick-first approach also came to the fore, entrusted with the kick-ins and constantly looking to gain meterage with his penetrating boot. There was plenty of mopping up for Bock to do, and he also contributed with a couple of handy intercepts. A final term move into the middle brought about a nice steal and clearance, with that strength again becoming evident.

#6 Bailey Chamberlain

The prime mover through West Adelaide’s midfield again racked up the most disposals, gathering 20 to go with six tackles, five clearances, and four marks on a day where he faced stiff opposition. Chamberlain was made to work hard for his contributions; often seen shifting back into defensive 50 to help out his under-siege teammates, and producing a sound short kicking game in that third of the field. He started the game well too, booting forward the first centre clearance as Westies’ stoppage anchor, while also tackling hard going the other way.

With his kicking working up to scratch, Chamberlain also proved his effectiveness by hand, dishing off cleanly to teammates on the outer when afforded little space. He will perhaps find himself in that outside, handball receive role while running through the state squad, but has been forced to be more of an extractor at SANFL Under 18s level. His energy and pace were consistent through the day in what was another solid shift.

#32 Thomas Rundle

Rundle was arguably West Adelaide’s most threatening forward, having shown promising glimpses when afforded the opportunity. His work on the lead was sound, marking strongly at full flight and getting good separation from his direct opponent. His first of three goals came after he clunked a terrific mark, sinking the resultant set shot, and a similar pattern earned him a second goal in the first half. Rundle continued to present well and judge the ball smartly in flight, with a couple of would-be grabs taken off him at the umpire’s discretion. His third goal was slotted from 40 metres on a tight angle, capping a performance which yielded 12 disposals and eight marks (two contested).

Others:

Tenacious small midfield pair Cade Kennedy (17 disposals, nine tackles) and Lachlan De Cesare (13 disposals, eight tackles, five clearances) again worked hard through the engine room for Westies, burrowing in to win the hard ball and applying good pressure at the contest. Hamish Dunkin was kept busy in the back half, accumulating 15 disposals and seven marks, while Tyrell Sgroi booted three goals having poured on some smothering tackling pressure inside forward 50.

>> WEST ADELAIDE TEAM PAGE

Sturt:

#13 Bradley Jefferies

While he didn’t quite set the game alight, Jefferies was again one of Sturt’s better midfielders on the day and returned another performance of over 20 disposals. The bottom-ager possesses a good balance through midfield, able to flick out releasing handballs, while also looking sound on the ball in open space. In fact, he looked far more assured in his disposal when granted time on the ball, able to gain better penetration in his kicking and hit targets. That kind of effectiveness lacked for Jefferies at times in congestion as he lost his footing, although he did snap through a terrific third term goal to cap off a solid outing.

#15/21 Mani Liddy

One of the premier midfielders in SA, Liddy pulled off some breathtaking moments throughout another consistent outing, with his poise in traffic and strength at the contest both clearly evident. On two seperate occasions, Liddy would be seen leaping to gather the ball, keeping his arms up while being tackled, and releasing a deft handball to his running teammates, which is exactly the kind of play which sets him apart. He also shrugged opponents off with ease, or snatched possession from their grasp through sheer tenacity, helping Sturt take over the game from midfield.

Liddy seemed to spend a touch more time up forward on Saturday, where he was able to find space regularly and make things happen inside attacking 50, despite not finding the big sticks. His output lifted after a three-quarter time scuffle which saw him change to jumper number 21, responding with the first two centre clearances of the final term. That kind of hunger was matched by Liddy’s smarts in this appearance, highlighted by some shrewd underground handballs, terrific vision around the stoppages, and rare efficiency by hand. He finished with eight clearances from 22 disposals.

#18 Tom Powell

Powell was far and away the best afield, setting himself apart with an unmatched ball winning ability, and consistent impact on the contest where it mattered most. The balanced midfielder is one of the finest exponents of the handball in this year’s crop, and would have run very close to 100 per cent efficiency in that area – something he has been known to achieve on recent form. But what was perhaps most pleasing about Powell’s game on Saturday was the added dimensions to his craft; showcasing his improved work on the spread, and aptitude in running with the ball, and a higher output by foot.

While Powell’s agility and awareness at the contest remained, it was clear that the confidence he gained throughout a dominant third term allowed him to better take the game on with some daring dash away from the contest and sharp disposal on the end of it. He was nothing short of dominant in against the relatively small Westies midfield, collecting a monster 39 disposals, 14 clearances, and eight inside 50s. All the pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling into place, with Powell’s potential being met after long stints on the sideline last year.

#19 Zabien Parker-Boers

The medium-sized forward booted an incredible seven goals for the Double Blues, adding to his tally across the day and finishing strongly with four majors in the final term. Parker-Boers showed good awareness in his positioning forward of the ball, first sighted latching onto a long ball over the back inside 50. His work rate to get up the ground was noticeable, but the top-ager looked far more lively closer to goal, where he made the most of his opportunities. Whether it was converting snaps around the corner, set shots from intercept marks, or finishes on the run, Parker-Boers thrived amid Sturt’s dominance to put in a breakthrough performance.

Others: 

Usual suspects Will Spain (21 disposals, six tackles, six clearances) and Malachy Carruthers (20 disposals, six marks) were again solid contributors for Sturt in a big win, plying their trades through midfield and off half-back respectively. Morgan Ferres had a few nice moments up forward, showing his strength to mark well on the lead and in one-on-one situations, while booting one goal. Jacob Lochowiak was also lively in the front half, booting two goals and applying great physical, tackling pressure.

>> STURT TEAM PAGE

—

SANFL League Player Focus:
Rd 1 – Corey Durdin
Rd 2 – Riley Thilthorpe
Rd 3 – Lachlan Jones

AFL Draft Watch:
Kaine Baldwin
Bailey Chamberlain
Corey Durdin
Luke Edwards
Taj Schofield
Riley Thilthorpe

Marquee Matchups:
Kaine Baldwin vs. Denver Grainger-Barras
Corey Durdin vs. Braeden Campbell
Luke Edwards vs. Connor Downie

>> July Power Rankings