SANFL Under 18s and Under 16s

[Bluedemon]

Torrens University SANFL U16 Semi-Final Match Wraps


Sturt 11.6 (72) d Central District 5.9 (39)
Sturt booked its spot in the Torrens University SANFL U16 Grand Final after defeating Central District by 33 points at Thebarton Oval.

The Double Blues took an 11-point lead into the quarter-time break after a high-scoring start to the Second Semi-Final, with Sturt’s Blake Thredgold and Bulldog Dougie Cochrane both kicking two goals.

Sturt’s accuracy continued into the second quarter as it booted 3.1 to Central’s 1.3 to establish a 21-point break at half-time.

Sturt’s Gill Wakelin kicked the only goal in a tight third term, reflective of the strength of both sides.

The Double Blues made a fast start to the final quarter with Noah Mennillo kicking truly before Cochrane nailed his third in quick reply to keep Central’s hopes alive.

However minor premier Sturt proved too good as they ran out victorious, led by Jett Dahlitz (26 disposals, ten marks and nine rebound-50s) and Noah Roberts-Thomson (24 disposals, ten clearances and a goal).

Dyson Sharp impressed for the Bulldogs with 26 disposals and eight tackles, while Dougie Cochrane finished with three goals and 23 disposals.


West Adelaide 12.12 (84) d North Adelaide 9.9 (63)
West Adelaide remain in the premiership hunt after defeating North Adelaide by 21 points in the First Semi-Final at Hisense Stadium.

The Bloods booted the first two goals of the contest via Joseph Raphael and Patrick Amber and established a seven-point lead at the first change.

However, five goals in the space of ten minutes, including two from midfielder Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier, saw the Roosters pull away to an 11-point lead at the main break.

The Bloods got the better of the third quarter by kicking four unanswered goals, two to forward Lucas White, and took a slim five-point lead into the last.

West continued to get the better of the clearances and inside 50s, despite North’s hit-out advantage, with the likes of Amber and Gus Downs strong at the coalface.

White booted the final two goals of the game to finish with five in a match-winning display, helping the Bloods progress to next weekend’s Preliminary Final against Central District.

West’s Josh Goldie finished with 22 disposals and a goal, with teammate Downs managing 18 disposals and eight clearances.

Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier did all he could for the Roosters, accumulating 31 disposals to go with nine marks and three goals.

[Bluedemon]

Under 16's
Saturday 9th September
Preliminary Final
Central District v West Adelaide (Elizabeth Oval - 11:00am)


Under 18s
Saturday 9th September
Preliminary Final
Central District v Sturt (Elizabeth Oval - 1:20pm)

[Bluedemon]

Torrens University SANFL U16 Preliminary Final Match Wrap


Central District 13.8 (86) d West Adelaide 6.6 (42)
An eight-goal haul to Aidan Schubert helped Central District defeat West Adelaide by 44 points at X Convenience Oval to progress to the Torrens University SANFL U16 Grand Final next Sunday.

After a tense beginning, Bulldog Schubert broke the stalemate at the ten-minute mark of the first quarter, then nailed two in as many minutes to give the home side an 18-point advantage at the first change.

Patrick Amber got the Bloods on the board just 26 seconds after the break, then Jonty Klemm kicked truly to close the margin.

Schubert kicked his fourth to stem the flow, but not before a run of three Bloods’ goals in four gave the visitors their first lead of the game.

Bulldog Hayden Henke slotted his first before the half-time siren and Central entered the main break with a one-point lead.

It was the Leray and Schubert show in the third quarter as Central ran riot, with Matthew Leray and the unstoppable Schubert nailing three each.

West simply had no answers for the Bulldogs, who controlled the term with their kick-mark game and put the Bloods’ defence under immense pressure.

Ahead by 37 points at the last change, it was going to take a monumental effort for the Bloods to mount a final charge, and Schubert swiftly extended the margin by slotting his eighth.

Central was a clear winner and will now turn its attention to Sturt, in next Sunday’s Grand Final at Adelaide Oval.

Prolific Central midfielder Dyson Sharp finished with 33 disposals and nine clearances, while Dougie Cochrane (29 disposals and 13 marks) and Joshua Reichelt (27 disposals and seven rebound-50s) also stood tall.

For West, Jaylen Sochacki accumulated a team-high 34 disposals and Amber finished with 23 disposals and seven clearances.

[Bluedemon]

Torrens University SANFL U18 Preliminary Final Match Wrap


Central District 4.6 (30) lost to Sturt 11.9 (75)
Sturt cruised to a comfortable 45-point win against Central District in the Torrens University SANFL U18 Preliminary Final at X Convenience Oval.

Busting out of the blocks by slamming on the first three goals of the game, the Double Blues were rarely troubled as they led at every change en route to booking a berth in next Sunday’s title-decider.

Central managed to engineer five more inside 50 entries despite having 103 fewer disposals and 68 fewer marks but were unable to translate it into scoreboard pressure while kicking just one goal each quarter.

The Double Blues, who came into the game with great momentum after conjuring a great comeback against the Eagles in the First Semi-Final, led by 21 points at half-time before kicking the first four goals of the third term to push their advantage out to 45 points.

Sturt ruck Fraser Greaves (16 disposals, six marks and 15 hit outs) earned plenty of plaudits from his coaching staff while Brodie Maloney also caught their eye.

Solidly-built Blues midfielder Ned Atkinson has an impact with 22 disposals and 18 marks while Loch Rawlinson (13 disposals, three goals) and Tom McCourt (23 disposals, 11 marks) were also influential.

In their last game for the season, the Bulldogs were well led by big man Jayden Matz, while Seb Wauer found plenty of the ball to tally 26 disposals, five marks and four clearances.

Tom Giles (22 disposals, 11 marks) and Beau Ryan also did their best to stem the tide but the visitors were too strong as they booked a berth in the Torrens University SANFL U18 Grand Final against South Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

[Bluedemon]

Under 16s
Sunday 17th September
Grand Final
Sturt v Central District (Adelaide Oval - 9:20am)


Head to Head Games in 2023
Round 5 - Unley Oval
Sturt 14.17 (101)
Centrals 3.3 (21)


Round 6 - Elizabeth Oval
Centrals 17.9 (111)
Sturt 10.9 (69)


Round 17 - Unley Oval
Sturt 8.8 (56)
Centrals 12.6 (78)


2nd Semi-Final - Thebarton Oval
Sturt 11.6 (72)
Centrals 5.9 (39)

[Bluedemon]

Under 18s
Sunday 17th September
Grand Final
South Adelaide v Sturt (Adelaide Oval - 12:00pm)


Head to Head Games in 2023
Round 8 - Flinders University Stadium
South 10.11 (71)
Sturt 8.8 (56)


Round 9 - Unley Oval
Sturt 6.7 (43)
South 9.11 (65)


Round 14 - Flinders University Stadium
South 12.10 (82)
Sturt 9.6 (60)

[DOC]

A lot of our boys played in the victorious u/16 team in 2021.

Rare air for us if we can do it.

[shoe boy]

Good luck to the SA Lads Sunday.

[Dutchy]

Congrats to the Dogs with an upset win in the 16s to win the flag.

[Jim05]

Not a great day for Sturt so far. Let’s hope that changes for the main event

[am Bays]

Congrats to the Dogs with an upset win in the 16s to win the flag.

Watched it live

This game was the poster child for how a group of kids of who play “we” club footy (spread support system) beat a bunch of me college individual kids

Sturts goals came by and large from individual free lance footy

Central paint the fence spread to move the ball systemically via the wings was exceptional

Three examples stood out

Centrals 3rd goal in the 1st qtr came from
Millar sitting 40 m out in front and took the Sturt dump out from defence easy chest mark -Sturt ball watching hanging wide for easy kick

3rd qtr Centrals midfielders hold their width for the outside lateral corridor release chain chain goal

4th qtr 3 Individual Sturt players chase the loose ball 20 m out from their goal. Two could easily have spread from the easy loose ball get but no they chase the stat, Sturt player dumps it out, last clear disposal , Sturt moves off the mark rather than waiting for the play on call 25 m luckily Dogs player only kicks a point.

College footy creating dumb “me” footballers since cocky was an egg

Yes I know central had college kids and not all Sturt kids are at college either but the reality is Norwood, Bays, North and Sturt have more college kids in their programs than the other four and by Christ it stood out today.

[Dutchy]

Dogs are really well drilled team, especially on the big ovals, their strength in the air is very hard to defend. Sturt looked completely out of sorts.

Every club except South and Centrals have large %'s of college kids on their lists these days and these 2 clubs (add Sturt here also) benefit greatly by having their country zones on the city fringe. Still need to do the work though and both clubs who won today have some great systems in place so its well deserved.

[Bluedemon]

Dogs are really well drilled team, especially on the big ovals, their strength in the air is very hard to defend. Sturt looked completely out of sorts.

Every club except South and Centrals have large %'s of college kids on their lists these days and these 2 clubs (add Sturt here also) benefit greatly by having their country zones on the city fringe. Still need to do the work though and both clubs who won today have some great systems in place so its well deserved.

I was working at the game, Centrals were very composed and came out the blocks strong kicking 3 goals to none in the first qtr set things up.

[Bluedemon]

Central win 2023 Torrens University SANFL U16 Premiership


Central District 9.7 (61) d Sturt 5.11 (41)
Central District defeated Sturt by 20 points at Adelaide Oval to claim the club’s first Torrens University SANFL Under-16 premiership.

Bulldogs captain Dyson Sharp capped off a sensational season by being named best-on-ground after he gathered 27 disposals, six marks, five tackles and six clearances as his club won its first flag in that age group since the U17s saluted in 2004.

In perfect sunny conditions, both sides struggled for space in a highly-contested start, before Bulldog Jaden Pasin kicked the first goal of the day at the 11-minute mark.

Central forward Justin Miller found himself in the right place at the right time to mark a quick kick from stoppage 20 metres from goal, and he duly converted.

The Bulldogs’ pressure was high and they continually used the ball well, with prime movers Sharp and Josh Reichelt finding plenty of possessions.

Central tall forward Aidan Schubert got on the end of a sublime Matthew Leray inside-50, and he made no mistake, giving the Bulldogs a 19-point lead at quarter time.

Sturt’s first goal of the game came courtesy of a Gill Wakelin set-shot at the 11-minute mark of the second term, then Ryan Davies dribbled through another to further reduce the margin.

The Double Blues started to turn the tide at stoppages, ruckman Blake Thredgold asserting himself on the contest and midfielders Harley Barker and Louis Kellaway getting their hands on the ball.

With the game opening up, Jermaine Miller snapped the quick reply for Central, but Sturt’s Noah Mennillo responded just as swiftly and the Bulldogs led by just six points at half-time.

Bulldog Schubert and the Double Blues’ Wakelin both kicked their second goals early in the third term as the pressure ramped up from both sides.

A textbook crumb and snap from Angus Mills put Sturt ahead for the first time, but it was short-lived as goals to Kaleb White and Matthew Leray restored the Central advantage to eight points at three quarter-time.

The Central District backline continued to stand up by rebounding with precision and the likes of Leray and Hayden Henke worked tirelessly to find space on the wings.

Schubert brought up his third to give the Bulldogs some more breathing space, and Dougie Cochrane’s set-shot goal all-but sealed the deal.

Reichelt used the ball efficiently from half-back and finished with a game-high 29 disposals, as the likes of Jack Gordon (22 disposals and nine marks), Cameron Nairn (21 disposals and 10 marks) and Henke (20 disposals and nine marks) stood tall throughout.

Thredgold toiled valiantly for the Double Blues, winning 32 hit-outs and taking three contested marks and Jett Dahlitz worked hard for his 23 disposals and seven marks.

[Bluedemon]

South win 2023 Torrens University SANFL U18 Premiership


South Adelaide 10.11 (71) d Sturt 10.9 (69)
South Adelaide hung on to win its first Torrens University SANFL U18 premiership by edging out Sturt by two points in a thrilling title-decider at Adelaide Oval.

With star midfielder Sid Draper shining to win the Alan Stewart Medal as best afield, the Panthers just managed to hold off the Double Blues to win their first flag in this age group since claiming the 1994 U19 flag.

Leading by 11 points at three quarter-time, Mark Clayton’s charges were under pressure when Sturt’s Loch Rawlinson launched a 50m set shot which bounced through despite four players standing in the goal square.

And after three consecutive misses on goal, it wasn’t until a piece of Draper brilliance sparked the match-winning goal to Dakota Sterzl in the 19th minute of the final term.

Gathering the loose ball at half-back, Draper – who made his Hostplus SANFL League debut this year – took three bounces through the corridor before passing the ball to Clay Shadforth, who handed off to Sterzl to goal on the run from 35m on the run.

Despite the testing conditions in the 28C heat, Sturt refused to concede as Jayden Adams kicked truly in the 23rd minute.

The Double Blues’ Luca Slade then goaled from close range along the ground with just eight seconds left on the clock.

And despite his best attempts to boot the ball straight back to the centre circle, the final siren sounded before the umpire could restart the play.

Draper collected 21 disposals, four clearances, three tackles and a goal while fellow midfielder Phoenix Hargrave was also an important contributor with 18 disposals, five clearances and a major.

Kangaroo Island product Zak Kier read the ball beautifully in the air to take 11 marks with his 17 disposals while key forward Noah Howes slotted three goals, including the first of the match in the opening minute.

Slade, the son of Central premiership rover Matthew Slade, was Sturt’s highest disposal-winner with 25 possessions, six marks and three clearances while Ned Atkinson, the son of Magarey Medallist Brodie Atkinson, collected 19 disposals, five clearances and a goal.

Rawlinson and Jasper Maher each booted two goals for the Double Blues, who had climbed from fourth spot to the last game of the year.

[DOC]

The long term plan for our juniors is certainly paying dividends. Very satisfying.

I think at least two are AFL bound in this draft and I would expect another 3 to play league football with us next season.

Hats off to Sturt who just made the finals on percentage and came so close. The most even competition I can remember.