SANFL Team of the Year: Six North Adelaide players, plus the coach, highlight elite 2022 side

Six North Adelaide players and their coach have dominated the SANFL Team of the Year. See the full elite side.

Minor premier North Adelaide’s midfield strength has been recognised in The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year.

The Roosters feature a competition-high six players in the elite side, including the entire centreline.

2020 Magarey Medallist Campbell Combe, who is a contender to win his second medal this year, has been selected as centreman, with teammates Harrison Wigg and Will Combe patrolling the wings.

Another Magarey Medal contender, former Port Adelaide and Gold Coast AFL utility Aaron Young, has been named on a half-forward flank, alongside teammate Keenan Ramsey, who kicked 35 goals, while defensive standout Cameron Craig also is in the team.

Jacob Surjan has been picked as coach after steering North to its first minor premiership since 1989.

Aaron Young from the Roosters has been named on a half-forward flank in the SANFL Team of the Year. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz

The Roosters, who finished the season with a competition-best 13-5 win-loss record, will play Adelaide in Sunday’s second semi-final at Adelaide Oval after the Crows thrashed Norwood by 55 points in the qualifying final.

Fellow finalists the Crows, Norwood, Glenelg and Sturt, along with Woodville-West Torrens and Central District, also have multiple players in the team.

The Redlegs, Tigers and Double Blues each have three and Adelaide, the Eagles and Bulldogs two.

South Adelaide has one representative, rebounding defender Joey Haines, while Port Adelaide and wooden spooner West Adelaide were the only clubs without a player in the star-studded line-up.

Players who played fewer than 12 of the 18 minor round games were not considered for selection.

Crows SANFL skipper Matthew Wright has been named captain after guiding his team to second spot at the end of the minor round and kicking 28 goals, primarily from a forward pocket.

Crows SANFL skipper Matthew Wright has been named captain. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz

Eagle Riley Knight made The Advertiser’s 2022 SANFL Team of the Year. Picture: Dean Martin

The 32-year-old bagged another five majors in the qualifying final.

He is the first Crow to be named captain of the team of the year.

There are 11 debutants in the side.

They include Wright, Young, who has been named at half-forward for team balance despite lining up in the centre square for North for most of the season, Ramsey, Will Combe, Norwood trio Harry Boyd, Nik Rokahr and Jack Heard, Glenelg’s Lachie Hosie and Darcy Bailey, who was recast from a small forward to rebounding backman, Central’s Rhett Montgomerie and Sturt’s Guy Page.

The Advertiser's 2022 SANFL Team of the Year.

Key defender turned ruckman Boyd led the SANFL in Champion Data ranking points, averaging a whopping 146 in his 18 games.

The top six Magarey Medal fancies – Knight, Young, Rokahr, Campbell Combe, Wigg and Snook – were all selected after their stunning seasons.

Former Geelong and Sydney AFL forward Daniel Menzel – a star for the Eagles in last year’s grand final – made the team for the second time after winning his first Ken Farmer Medal as SANFL leading goalkicker in the minor round.

Menzel, who has overcome four knee reconstructions to keep playing, kicked 51 goals – eight more than nearest rival Hosie.

Sturt midfielder James Battersby is the most capped player in the side, being picked for the fifth time.

The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year was selected by The Advertiser’s Andrew Capel and Peter Cornwall, the SANFL’s Matthew Duldig, Zac Milbank, Sean Toohey and Daniel Joyce and Channel 7’s John Casey and Mark Soderstrom.

2022 THE ADVERTISER SANFL TEAM OF THE YEAR

FORWARDS

Lachie Hosie (Glenelg, 1st selection), Daniel Menzel (Eagles, 2nd), Matthew Wright (C) (Adelaide, 1st)

HALF-FORWARDS

Aaron Young (North, 1st), Keenan Ramsey (North, 1st), Matthew Snook (Glenelg, 4th)

CENTRE

Harrison Wigg (North, 3rd), Campbell Combe (VC) (North, 3rd), Will Combe (North, 1st)

HALF-BACKS

Casey Voss (Sturt, 2nd), Jack Heard (Norwood, 1st), Joey Haines (South, 4th)

BACKS

Guy Page (Sturt, 1st), Cameron Craig (North, 2nd), Rhett Montgomerie (Central, 1st)

1ST RUCK

Harry Boyd (Norwood, 1st), Riley Knight (Eagles, 2nd), Nik Rokahr (Norwood, 1st)

INTERCHANGE

Travis Schiller (Central, 4th), Kieran Strachan (Adelaide, 2nd), James Battersby (Sturt, 5th), Darcy Bailey (Glenelg, 1st)

COACH

Jacob Surjan (North)