Yorke Peninsula Football League season 2023 preview and players to watch
The Yorke Peninsula Football League will kick-off the 2023 local SA footy season this weekend. See every club’s premiership tally, our full preview, predicted ladder and players to watch.
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The Yorke Peninsula Football League will kick-off the 2023 local SA footy season this weekend, weeks earlier than the rest of the state’s competitions.
With major additions entering the league this year including Jarrad Redden and Dylan Aldridge, the 2023 YPFL campaign is set to be one of the most exciting yet.
Ahead of the weekend’s games, we’ve previewed the competition, made three big calls for the year ahead, picked five players to watch and predicted the league ladder.
2022 grand final: Moonta 8.8 (56) d CMS Crows 3.4 (22)
Mail Medallist: Murphy Short (CMS Crows)
2022 leading goalkicker: Ben Edwards (CMS Crows) – 74
Major ins: Jarrad Redden (Woodville-West Torrens to Southern Eagles), Dylan Aldridge (Prop/Risdon to Moonta)
Major outs: Ben Edwards (CMS Crows to Birchip-Watchem) Terrel Rigney (Ardrossan to Ingle Farm), Jordan Serle (Kadina to Prop/Risdon), Alby Price (Paskeville to Broughton Mundoora)
Clubs:
ARDROSSAN
Nickname: Kangaroos
Founded: 1924
Premierships: 12. 1926, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1989, 2004
BUTE
Nickname: Roosters
Founded: 1892
Premierships: 17. 1909, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1929, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1991, 1993
CENTRAL YORKE COUGARS
Nickname: Cougars
Founded: 1997
Premierships: 1. 2007
CMS CROWS
Nickname: Crows
Founded: 1993
Premierships: 6. 1999, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2021
KADINA
Nickname: Bloods
Founded: 1878
Premierships: 25. 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1921, 1922, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1940, 1946, 1948, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1984, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2017
MOONTA
Nickname: Demons
Founded: 1876
Premierships: 14. 1901, 1904, 1929, 2932, 2937, 1938, 1947, 1949, 1960, 1963, 2005, 2016, 2018, 2022
PASKEVILLE
Nickname: Magpies
Founded: 1910
Premierships: 24. 1912, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1951, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1985, 1987, 2001, 2014, 2015
SOUTHERN EAGLES
Nickname: Eagles
Founded: 1994
Premierships: 4. 1995, 2008, 2009, 2019
WALLAROO
Nickname: Bulldogs
Founded: Circa 1865
Premierships: 30. 1889, 1892, 1896, 1897, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1905, 1907, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1945, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1976, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000
Moonta has added Spencer Gulf star Dylan Aldridge to its squad for 2023 after achieving a premiership win over CMS Crows in the 2022 grand final behind a dazzling display by former West Coast forward Malcolm Karpany.
While the Demons look set for another big run, CMS is also well-primed despite losing star forward Ben Edwards to Victoria.
The Crows have retained Mail Medallist Murphy Short and will look to forward Troy Goldsworthy to fill Edwards’ boots.
Southern Eagles could take a major step towards competing for a flag after adding star Woodville-West Torrens ruck and premiership player Jarrad Redden in the off-season, while Kadina should also be around the mark again despite losing gun midfielder Jordan Serle, with Jake Von Bertouch having a season under his belt.
Ardrossan has been active in recruitment but lost mid/forward Terrel Rigney at the start of the off-season, which has served to pile-on to the loss of Sam Jacobs – now at Flagstaff Hill- a year ago, while CYC, Wallaroo and Bute (2022 wooden spoon) remain relatively unchanged after last season.
Paskeville may also fail to top its sixth spot 2022 effort after losing runner-up best and fairest Alby Price to Broughton-Mundoora in the Northern Areas Football Association.
THREE BIG CALLS
Von Bertouch leads Bloods to flag
Jake Von Bertouch booted two less goals than Ben Edwards last season in one less game and should be just as damaging this year with a season of experience at Kadina.
Buddying up with Woodville-West Torrens premiership player Angus Poole yet again this year, Kadina may well be set to take the next step.
Ardrossan competes for finals
While the loss of Rigney will not help matters, the Kangaroos have still added some handy players to their troops including St Peters OC’s Tom Ferguson and North Adelaide prospect Sam Dukalskis.
Jaden Grosser, a goalkicking midfielder/forward from Westminster OS, should also combine well with star player Sam Pfeiffer this season.
Aldridge to win Mail Medal
Fresh off of a starring season for Proprietary/Risdon in the Spencer Gulf FL and with multiple games for Port Adelaide in the SANFL under his belt, Dylan Aldridge could have a major campaign for Moonta.
The star goalkicker, who can also play through the middle, should fit the Demons like a glove and will work exceptionally well with Karpany up front.
PREDICTED LADDER
1. Moonta
2. CMS Crows
3. Kadina
4. Southern Eagles
5. Central Yorke Cougars
6. Ardrossan
7. Wallaroo
8. Paskeville
9. Bute
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
MURPHY SHORT
(CMS Crows)
The dominant onballer won his second straight YPFL Mail Medal last season and should be set for another big year at the Crows.
If Short can fire through the middle again this season, CMS will be hard to beat despite the loss of Ben Edwards.
DYLAN ALDRIDGE
(Moonta)
Arguably the best player in the Spencer Gulf FL last season, Aldridge can dominate up front or pinch-hit through the middle.
Aldridge gained SANFL experience for Port Adelaide last season and should fit with Karpany and Moonta seamlessly this year.
JAKE VON BERTOUCH
(Kadina)
The former Woodville-West Torrens star had a strong debut season in the YPFL alongside Kadina local Angus Poole last year but look for him to reach another level this season.
The dominant big fell just short of taking the leading goalkicker crown and will again be almost impossible for opposition defenders to stop.
JARRAD REDDEN
(Southern Eagles)
The triple Woodville-West Torrens premiership player has joined another Eagles outfit for season 2023 and has seriously boosted his new club’s grand final chances.
A dominant ruck who can move forward and hit the scoreboard, Redden should be one of the YPFL’s most impactful players this year.
TYLER ANDREWS
(Moonta)
Andrews had an interrupted 2022 season but was still one of the competition’s standouts when he played, the hard-running midfielder providing the explosiveness and efficiency Moonta needed to put its premiership run together.
If the 2019 Mail Medallist can stay on the park this season he will only add to the multitude of weapons the Demons have at their disposal.
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