Taj Murray, Mitchell Marsh, Louis Kellaway and all the standouts and stats from SA v Allies under-18 carnival opener
The AFL national under-18 carnival kicked off on Sunday – and it was two towering key forwards who stole the show. See all the standouts and stats from the SA v Allies clash.
A trio of talls have elevated their standings in this year’s AFL draft pool with huge performances in the first match of the under-18 national championships.
Allies ruck-forward Taj Murray (202cm) and South Australian key forwards Aidan Schubert (198cm) and Mitchell Marsh (191cm) were among the standouts in the first match of the tournament in Sydney on Sunday.
Murray showed some nice tap work in the ruck and was also pushed forward to kick four goals.
Schubert and Marsh also finished with four goals apiece, playing key roles in helping South Australia to a seven-point triumph, 12.11 (83) to 11.10 (76).
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE KEY STATS AND STANDOUTS
An AFL Academy member this year, the athletic Murray played junior football for the Nightcliff Tigers in the Top End but has been boarding at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide and playing for North Adelaide in the SANFL under-18s this year.
He showed his aerial capabilities, agility and foot skills as he hit the scoreboard in multiple ways, including a nice dribble goal from a tight angle in the forward pocket during the third quarter.
The 18-year-old also kicked a set shot from long range during the third term after taking a mark on the lead.
Schubert – from Central District – was prominent throughout the contest, taking some strong contested marks when forward and kicking two goals in a hot first quarter before also spending some time in the ruck.
Marsh – who has emerged after a hot start to the season for West Adelaide in the SANFL under-18s – presented well, competed hard in the air and booted one goal in each quarter.
Marsh is the son of 1998 Adelaide premiership player Ben, but is not eligible to join the Crows as a father-son given his dad played only 48 senior games for the club.
Brisbane Lions Academy midfielder and top-five draft prospect Daniel Annable was the leading disposal winner on the ground with 26 touches, showing plenty of class throughout the match and giving his all to try and get his side over the line in the last quarter.
Gold Coast Suns Academy trio Dylan Patterson (23 disposals, three clearances), Beau Addinsall (17 disposals, seven clearances) and Koby Coulson (25 disposals) also found plenty of the footy for the Allies.
South Australian captain and top-10 draft prospect Dyson Sharp collected 17 disposals and five clearances playing a mix of midfield and deep forward roles, while Sturt bolter Noah Roberts-Thomson caught the eye with 17 disposals and seven score involvements through the middle.
Western Australia hosts Vic Country in the second match of the championships on June 7.
Young forward Mitchell Marsh booted four goals and took eight marks in an impressive showing for South Australia in the 2025 Marsh AFL National Championships - U18 Boys opener today 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FukRWWtjOu
— AFL (@AFL) June 1, 2025
SCOUTING NOTES
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Louis Kellaway
16 disposals, 3 clearances, 4 score involvements
The Richmond father-son prospect showed some nice work around clearances at times, used the footy well going forward and displayed some nice defensive actions. The tough inside midfielder is the son of former Tigers champion Duncan.
Noah Roberts-Thomson
17 disposals, 4 marks, 7 score involvements
A player who has been climbing up club draft boards, Roberts-Thomson was again good with his grunt work through the middle, including his hard running. The Sturt product is a cousin of former Sydney star Lewis Roberts-Thomson.
Matthew LeRay
14 disposals, 7 marks, 7 score involvements
The boy LeRay can run all day and showed that once again on one wing. The AFL Academy member took the game on and hit some daring kicks through the corridor. He sprayed one set shot on goal in the second quarter but also got back well to support his side’s defence.
Mitchell Marsh
11 disposals, 8 marks, 4 goals
One of the standouts from the match, Marsh finished with 4.2 and a game-high nine score involvements. The hybrid 191cm forward presented well on the lead and continually provided a contest in the air. He is the son of Ben Marsh, a 1998 premiership player for Adelaide.
Dyson Sharp
17 disposals, 5 clearances, 5 inside-50s
The South Australian captain and potential top-10 draft prospect didn’t have his best game but still had some good moments. He spent time playing as a deep forward in addition his minutes onball and was typically strong and competitive around the ball.
Aidan Schubert
13 disposals, 7 marks, 8 score involvements, 4 goals
Another big game for the Central District forward-ruckman, who had also bagged four goal hauls in two of his past four games in the SANFL under-18s. He flew for the footy and took some big contested marks when forward, while also lending a hand in the ruck at stages.
Sam Ainsworth
16 disposals, 20 hit-outs, 6 clearances
South Australia’s No. 1 ruckman throughout the game, Ainsworth battled well against the Allies pairing of Taj Murray and Isaac Waller. Ainsworth is developing nicely in the new role this year, having previously played in defence.
ALLIES
Beau Addinsall
17 disposals, 7 clearances, 6 score involvements
The Gold Coast Suns Academy midfielder was solid as usual, proving prolific with his clean hands around stoppages and winning a game-high seven clearances.
Dylan Patterson
23 disposals, 6 marks, 3 clearances,
The big-kicking Gold Coast Suns Academy member was one of the standouts for the Allies, taking the game on, providing plenty of run and showing good defensive intent. He spent time across halfback in the first half, before spending most of the second half on a wing where he worked hard both ways and found plenty of the footy.
Koby Coulson
25 disposals, 4 marks, 4 inside-50s
There has been plenty of talk about Gold Coast Suns Academy trio Addinsall, Patterson and Zeke Uwland. But don’t’ forget Coulson. An impressive player in his own right, the midfielder won lots of first possession, showed good composure in tight and ran hard to be a link-up player going forward.
Daniel Annable
26 disposals, 8 inside-50s, 7 score involvements
A consistent year continued for the classy Brisbane Lions Academy onballer, who was seemingly in everything and provided plenty of drive forward for his side with his run and carry and link-up play. He was particularly impressive in the final quarter as he tried to get his side over the line.
Max King
10 disposals, 3 marks, 2 behinds
The highly-rated Sydney Swans Academy member didn’t have a big day but did have some big moments. The talented 191cm utility played mostly as a forward and provided some good leads pushing up the ground. He took two big contested marks in the first half and found Murray with an inside-50 dart in the third quarter for a goal assist, but missed two shots on goal himself.
Taj Murray
9 disposals, 15 hit-outs, 4 goals
A towering 202cm tall originally from the Northern Territory, the mobile Murray was impressive in the air when forward and hit the scoreboard in multiple ways on his way to four majors for the game. The AFL Academy member also showed some good tap work during stints in the ruck, providing his midfielders with first use of the footy.
Kalani White
5 disposals, 1 mark, 1 intercept possession
A father-son prospect for Melbourne and Gold Coast Suns Academy member, White had a relatively quiet day. He spent time in defence, in the ruck and forward, but finished with only five touches and one behind in the third quarter.
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