The Spencer Gulf’s top 40 footballers of 2024 ranked
The Spencer Gulf is home to some of SA’s top local footballers so we’ve drawn from the region’s two leagues and ranked the top 40 players of 2024. See who made the cut.
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The Spencer Gulf is a region filled with top SA country footy talent and season 2023 has been no exception.
Based on this season’s form and through consultation with league insiders, we’ve combined the best players from the Spencer Gulf Football League and Whyalla Football League to rank the region’s top 40 footballers of 2024.
Here are our rankings from no. 40 to 1.
40. OLEH TRUS
(South Whyalla)
A young gun for South Whyalla, Trus will be one to watch in SA country footy for years to come.
Trus is a hard runner who wins plenty of the footy, can hit the scoreboard and also set up teammates with his delivery.
Has five best player nods and two goals in seven A Grade games.
39. JONATHON HAYES
(Solomontown)
An exceptional leader of Solomontown, Hayes is in the midst of another solid season for the Cats after a strong 2023 campaign.
The strong and talented onballer is relentless in the contest and classy with ball in hand, always making the correct decisions.
Has three best player appearances in eight games.
38. TERELLE MCKENZIE
(West Augusta)
A star utility who can also perform up front as a goal threat, 19-year-old McKenzie will be one to watch as he continues to perform at a high level in the SGFL.
McKenzie is a tall and strong player who takes big marks and is efficient by foot.
Has five best player nods and 11 goals in his nine games so far.
37. DARCY PUDDY
(Port)
Puddy had a strong 2023 season for Port and looks set for another solid year.
A hard worker who always creates space with ball in hand through the middle, Puddy can hit teammates with pinpoint disposal by foot or with creative handballs.
Has four goals from the middle so far this year and also played interleague.
36. JORDAN FORBES
(Weeroona Bay)
A consistent star in the Whyalla FL, Forbes has been strong again in season 2024.
A tireless runner who can impact the contest with his ability to find the footy at a high rate and deliver to teammates efficiently.
Has three best player nods and a goal in six games.
35. CODY PETTIFORD
(South Whyalla)
Pettiford has again been a standout player for his club this season.
A pacy player with excellent foot skills, Pettiford is able to damage opposition across the flanks or in midfield.
Has five best player nods and 11 goals in five games.
34. LAWSON COLLINS
(Port)
An emerging player who remains one of Port’s best, Collins always accumulates plenty of the footy and is a smooth user when in possession.
Collins can play around the ground in various roles for his side and is one of the competition’s most effective players with the ball.
Has three best player performances and four goals in nine games.
33. SAM ELLIS
(Central Whyalla)
Central Whyalla’s captain remains as one of the top defenders in the Whyalla FL.
A strong and assured presence at the back, Ellis leads by voice and by example in the contest, locking down some of the region’s best forwards regularly.
Has three best player performances in seven games.
32. KOBE BUCKLEY
(North Whyalla)
Buckley spends most of his time in the midfield for North Whyalla but can also move up front and boot goals or create for others.
Strong on the ball and fearless in the contest, Buckley wins a number of important possessions for his side.
Has four best player mentions and nine goals in seven games.
31. JACKSON TAYLOR
(Central Whyalla)
A talented onballer who works hard in the contest, Taylor has been one of Central Whyalla’s most consistent players this year.
Plays a hard-nosed style of footy to win plenty of the ball for his side and distribute accurately to teammates.
Has four best player mentions in seven games.
30. TYSON WEBBER
(Solomontown)
A quick and skilled player who hits the contest hard, Webber has been one of Solomontown’s standouts in 2024.
Works hard in the contest and covers ground well to accumulate high disposal numbers and damage teams with his disposal.
Has five best player mentions and six goals in nine games.
29. BLAKE NEWSHAM
(South Whyalla)
A reliable player on or behind the ball, Newsham has had another strong start to the Whyalla FL season.
Is a tireless worker in the contest who finds plenty of the ball and creates for his side with damaging disposal.
Has four best player nods in seven games.
28. MARCO CAPUTO
(Solomontown)
A consistently dangerous forward who knows his way around goal inside 50.
Caputo is one of the best Cats players one-on-one and applies great pressure to defenders to create goalkicking opportunities for himself and others.
Has 28 goals and four best player mentions in nine games.
27. ANTHONY OLIPHANT
(Prop/Risdon)
A dangerous player around the ground, Oliphant has been a key to his side’s early success in 2024.
Covers ground as well as anyone on his side and is strong in the contest and reliable with the footy.
Has five best player nods and three goals in nine games.
26. MICHAEL HOBBS
(Prop/Risdon)
Currently the leading goalkicker in the Spencer Gulf FL, Hobbs has been one of the top Lions so far in 2024.
A strong player who makes smart leads, can take big marks and finish goals from anywhere.
Has 29 majors and four best player nods in eight games.
25. ELLIOTT MCNAMARA
(West Whyalla)
McNamara has only played four games so far this year but remains one of the most dangerous players in the WFL.
A versatile star who can impress in the contest or up front, McNamara has great skills and always makes the right decisions.
Has three goals and one best player nod in four games and also played interleague.
24. CLIFFORD PICKHAVER-TUPE
(Central Whyalla)
Pickhaver-Tupe has again been dominant in the centre this season.
A tireless worker who can also move up the ground and hit the scoreboard, the Central Whyalla star is composed under pressure and disposes efficiently.
Has four best player mentions in six games so far.
23. CALEB WILLIAMS
(Central Augusta)
A standout in the contest and behind the ball, Williams has picked up where he left off last season.
One of Central Augusta’s most reliable players and a hard worker, Williams is a clean user and a calming influence in possession.
Has six best player mentions in nine games so far.
22. DAMIEN COYNE
(West Whyalla)
A star midfielder for West Whyalla through a number of years, Coyne has been highly productive for the club so far in 2024.
A strong player who is tough and explosive on the ball, Coyne has been a mainstay in the WFL’s teams of the year and could be on his way again in 2024.
Has three best player nods and five goals in seven games.
21. CALEB RITTER
(South Augusta)
Ritter has been a star in the Spencer Gulf FL this season despite South Augusta’s challenging start, performing on and behind the ball so far.
One of the best distributors in the competition, Ritter damages opposition with his disposal and has no issue making contests in the air or at ground level.
Has six best player nods in nine games.
20. TOM EDWARDS
(Port)
Providing a toughness around the ground and strong run and carry, Edwards has been one of the major standouts for Port in the 2024 SGFL season.
Also skilled by hand and foot and a solid decision maker under pressure.
Edwards has five best player performances and three goals in nine games.
19. CLAY CROMPTON
(Roopena)
While he only has four games to his name so far this year, Crompton has played brilliantly for Roopena.
Is a clean and strong player who can boot goals from anywhere and also has a strong pair of hands.
Has three best player nods and seven goals in four games this year and will be integral for his side come finals time.
18. COOPER HUISH
(Central Whyalla)
One of Central Whyalla’s top players for a number of years, Huish has starred so far this WFL season.
A versatile asset who can dominate through the middle and around the ground, Huish is one of his side’s best users of the footy.
Has five best player nods and a goal in seven games and was among the WFL’s best in interleague.
17. COOPER PROMNITZ
(Prop/Risdon)
One of the most promising young stars in the Spencer Gulf, Promnitz has been a major part of Proprietary/Risdon’s success so far this year.
A great distributor of the footy, Promnitz is an agile player who brings a reliable field kick to the side and makes quick decisions.
Has four best player nods and nine goals in eight games.
16. MAX ZBIERSKI
(Weeroona Bay)
Zbierski has the ability to play a number of roles around the ground for Weeroona Bay and has been his side’s most valuable player in 2024.
An excellent user of the footy with a big tank who can cut off opposition with intercept marks and damage with disposal by foot.
Has five best player appearances and a goal in six games.
15. JORDAN SERLE
(Prop/Risdon)
A key signing for Lions last season, Serle has injected class and courage in the contest for his side.
A big-bodied and explosive player who is a standout through the middle and up front, Serle is a reliable target in the air and a brilliant user of the footy who can also boot goals.
Has five best player nods and nine goals in nine games.
14. KYLE CROMPTON
(Roopena)
Crompton has been a force for the Roos since his return from a successful tenure with Glenelg during which he won the 2022 reserves Magarey Medal.
A ball magnet and a clearance machine in the middle, Crompton’s tackle pressure and elite ball use makes him one of the best players in the Whyalla FL.
Has three best player performances and two goals in three games and would be ranked higher with more 2024 appearances.
13. CHARLIE RYAN
(West Augusta)
The West Augusta captain is his club’s reigning best and fairest and has shown why so far this season.
A workhorse through the midfield, Ryan’s run and carry and ability to find teammates efficiently makes him a standout in the SGFL.
Has seven best player performances in nine games.
12. OLIVER EBERT
(Port)
Joining Port from Edwardstown ahead of the 2024 season, Ebert has been a superstar for his new side this year.
A tireless worker through the middle, Ebert is one of the most skilled players in the Spencer Gulf and can damage opposition with his disposal and ability to hit the scoreboard.
Has four best player mentions and eight goals in nine games and booted five goals in a brilliant display against the Whyalla FL.
11. MASON MUNZBERG
(Solomontown)
A standout ruckman in the Spencer Gulf, Munzberg’s brilliant work in the middle has been a major factor in Solomontown’s strong run this year.
The Cats star has no trouble providing his mids with top drawer service and can also have an impact in front of goal and in the air with strong marking ability.
Has four best player appearances and three goals in eight games.
10. TYE STARKEY-TRELOAR
(Solomontown)
A dominant inside player throughout his SGFL career, Starkey-Treloar has been at his best so far this season.
Wins plenty of his own ball and deals to teammates efficiently while under pressure and applies consistent pressure to the opposition through his tough approach.
Has five best player nods and a goal in six games.
9. THOMAS FAULKNER
(Port)
A dominant big man who can perform in the ruck, at the back, or move up to have an impact in the forwardline, Faulkner is one of Port’s most important players.
Faulkner has clean hands and can take big marks around the ground, and is also impressive by foot.
Has four best player nods and three goals in nine games so far in 2024.
8. CLAYTON MESECKE
(Roopena)
A superstar through the middle for Roopena who can also move up front to hit the scoreboard, Mesecke has been a standout player in the Whyalla FL.
Relentless in the contest, Mesecke wins his own footy and bursts from congestion to propel his team forward and is also a strong target on the lead.
Has nine goals and five best player mentions in seven games.
7. JARRAD PARISH
(Roopena)
The former Glenelg SANFL League player has been a star for Roopena this season.
A key defender during his time with Glenelg, Parish has applied his trade around the ground for the Roos and has done consistent damage up front with his strength, clean skills, disposal and finishing ability.
Has five best player nods and 16 goals in six games.
6. COREY DAVEY
(Solomontown)
Winner of two consecutive Mail Medals in the Spencer Gulf FL, Davey is in the midst of another strong year with Solomontown.
The big-bodied midfielder has dominated on the ball since his return to the Cats from the Crows’ SANFL side and can also play a number of other roles around the ground.
Is a fantastic athlete who disposes efficiently by hand or foot and has four best player nods and 13 goals in eight games.
5. RIAN SMOKER
(West Whyalla)
Smoker has been at his best this season as West Whyalla launches a grand final push.
One of the most talented players in the WFL, Smoker is an impressive athlete with the ability to win the ball in the contest and hit any teammate by foot or hand and can also takeover a game across the forwardline.
Has 20 goals to go with his six best player mentions in seven games so far.
4. JACK LUDERS
(Roopena)
A star key position player who can produce top drawer performances around the ground, Luders has been dominant for Roopena after joining from Goodwood Saints.
A strong player with great skills overhead and by hand and foot, Luders impacts the game in a number of ways and has also been dangerous in front of goal.
Has six best player nods and seven goals in six games.
3. TYLER ECKERT
(Prop/Risdon)
The Lions champion has been a star so far this year after yet another impressive season in 2023.
A versatile player who can take control of a game in the centre and also boot goals or provide elite run and ball-use off of the backline, Eckert has been a standout in the SGFL for years.
A running machine with high footy IQ, Eckert has six best player nods in nine games and also has 10 majors.
2. MYLES MCNAMARA
(West Whyalla)
McNamara’s performance through the middle for the Dragons has made him a top player in the Spencer Gulf again this season and the standout in the Whyalla Football League.
A skilled and speedy player who is composed under pressure, McNamara is a ball magnet who finds space with ease and distributes to opponents efficiently by hand or foot.
Has seven best player performances in seven games so far.
1. NICK KRAEMER
(Prop/Risdon)
The standout player of the SGFL’s top side so far this year, Kraemer has been a star for Prop/Risdon and in interleague in 2024.
A bull in the contest who has no issue winning the contested footy for the Lions, Kraemer is an excellent decision maker under pressure and can also impact the scoreboard with efficient finishing.
Has 12 goals and seven best player nods through his nine games so far and was the SGFL’s best against the Whyalla FL.
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