South Australia defies the odds to be on verge of first national title in seven years at AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships
A group of young South Australians are on the verge of making history just like some of the biggest names of this generation did, writes Andrew Capel.
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No Cochrane, no Phillipou, no Thredgold, no problem.
Despite missing three of its best players, South Australia has stunningly swept all before it at this year’s AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships to be within one win of claiming its first title since 2018.
After narrowly beating the Allies in round one by seven points on the road, the Croweaters thrashed Vic Metro by 61 points in round two and Western Australia by 76 points in round three at Alberton Oval to have one hand on the cup.
Brilliantly led by top-five AFL draft prospect Dyson Sharp, SA will secure the Australian under-18 crown if it beats Vic Country in its final game at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Sunday, regardless of other results for the rest of the carnival, which runs until July 20.
The last time SA won the title was when it fielded an all-star line-up, which featured three top-five picks at the 2018 national draft - Jack Lukosius (No. 2 to Gold Coast), Izak Rankine (No. 3 to Gold Coast) and Connor Rozee (No. 5 to Port Adelaide).
What has made the 2025 team’s three-from-three winning record so impressive is that it has done it without three of its prime movers - 2026 No. 1 draft contender Dougie Cochrane (a tall utility from Central District), midfielder/forward Jevan Phillipou (Woodville-West Torrens) and key defender Blake Thredgold (Sturt) - because of serious injuries and the fact the state finished bottom of Division 1 last season.
“We’re exceptionally pleased with the players’ resilience to have been able to cope with losing those key players early and then stand up and deliver in high pressure environments and play some really exciting football,’’ SA under-18 coach Tony Bamford said.
In its three games, SA has scored 299 points while conceding only 155.
Prior to the carnival, the Croweaters’ backline - missing Thredgold and having other defenders also battling injuries - was expected to be its biggest weakness.
But it has held firm, with North Adelaide’s Bryce Sanders and Norwood’s Noah Daw among those to have played key roles.
“Our back six have been really competitive, which is a credit to them, but they acknowledge that our midfielders are playing really well and our forwards are defending well, which has made their jobs a bit easier,’’ Bamford said.
The stars have shone brightly for SA, with highly-rated captain Sharp leading from the front in the midfield and his fellow AFL Academy members, midfielder/forward Sam Cumming and wingmen Harley Barker and Matt LeRay, also standing tall.
Central product Sharp - a hard-as-nails midfielder - has been spectacular, averaging 160 Champion Data ranking points in his three games.
But there have been plenty of surprise packets, with Bamford naming the previously unsung Sanders, Sam Ainsworth and Mitchell Marsh as key contributors in his team’s success.
“We’ve been unbelievably impressed with Bryce playing as a key defender, Sam as a lead ruck, albeit being a little bit undersized for the position, and Mitch, who’s a beautiful mark and left-foot kick,’’ he said.
“They are players in each part of the ground who have been able to stand up and play well for the team while also having the chance to show their weapons.’’
While Bamford said plenty of Croweaters had enhanced their draft standings by producing excellent carnivals, he said much of the team’s success had come because of a “strong, team-first mentality’’, within the group.
He said he first noticed the strong connection among the players during state academy training last year.
“This group is really close and their connection is high,’’ Bamford said.
“The players understand their roles in the team and have been able to produce results off the back of it.
“And I dip my hat to the leadership group (Sharp and vice-captains Cumming and Jack Cook), who have done a remarkable job in keeping the boys on track and committed.’’
In a strong pointer to the draft, 10 Croweaters have averaged more than 80 ranking points during the championships.
Apart from Sharp, who Bamford described as a “born leader and consistently high performer’’, Bulldogs key forward/ruckman Aidan Schubert has enjoyed a stellar carnival, averaging 145 points, while Redleg Ainsworth (102) has also topped the century.
Next in line are Sturt midfielder/half-back Louis Kellaway (99), who is a Richmond father-son prospect, Central medium forward Cameron Nairn (99), who bagged seven goals against WA, West Adelaide’s Marsh (91), Rooster Cumming (88), Sturt’s Barker (85), Bulldog LeRay (83) and Glenelg playmaking half-back Luke Candy (81).
Bamford said Schubert’s draft stock had risen considerably by the “strong, competitive streak’’ he had shown and his ability to play equally well up forward and as a second ruck.
He described Ainsworth’s championship campaign as “unbelievable’’ after the former key defender only started rucking this season through necessity at Norwood.
“He’s a ripper,’’ Bamford said.
The SA coach refuted suggestions that this year’s AFL draft crop might not be overly strong, saying “there’s good players in every draft and this year is no different, it’s just a matter of how deep it goes’’.
Bamford said while Sharp was SA’s standout prospect, he believed his team boasted “another 10-to-12, maybe more’’ players who possess AFL attributes.
“At this point you could throw a blanket over a heap of them but the last third of the year - when the boys go back to play for their clubs, either at league, reserves or under-18 level, will give recruiters a better idea of who’s ready and who’s not quite ready,’’ he said.
“But at the moment our players are putting their best foot forward.’’
Now a national title is within their grasp.
“It will be exciting for our players to play at Marvel Stadium under the roof on Sunday, a good experience for everyone,’’ he said.
“They’ve done so much hard work to get to this point, so I just hope they put on a good display, which I’m confident they will, and if it all pans out they’ll have a really good memory for the rest of their lives.’’
NUMBERS GAME
23
Consecutive minor round wins for Sturt in the SANFL, including the last 13 rounds last season and first 10 this year.
16
Port Adelaide’s half-time score against Sydney - its lowest since Round 7, 2022 against St Kilda in Cairns when it scored only 10 (1.4) in the first half, before winning by a point.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“To be fair, the scoreboard was flattering.’’ - Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley on the 19-point loss to Sydney.
“It’s not time to isolate, it’s time to come together.” - under-fire Carlton coach Michael Voss after his side was booed from the MCG following its 11-point loss to North Melbourne.
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Originally published as South Australia defies the odds to be on verge of first national title in seven years at AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships
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