RISING STARS: Top 21 SFL players under 21
The Mercury canvassed the views of coaches and league insiders to find the best young talent in the SFL. Here are 21 of the best under-21 players in the competition >>
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WHILE the Tasmanian State League is filled with a host of the state’s next crop of footy stars, some of the best young players in the state are plying their talents in some of the state’s lower leagues.
Over the past few years a host of young star footy players have decided to leave the TSL and step down a level to play in local competitions such as the Southern Football League and the Old Scholars Football Association.
The decision behind these moves is often attributed to three main reasons: the lower time commitment that these leagues ask of its players, the desire to play with mates at a lower level, and the bigger pay cheques that the lower leagues can often stack up favourably compared with the TSL.
While a hot news item is the current state of Tassie footy, the Southern Football League is enjoying an abundance of young talent and the Mercury decided to canvas SFL coaches and insiders to give you 21 of the best young players aged 21 and under in the SFL.
Jye Bearman (New Norfolk) 19 years old
Local boy Jye Bearman is a well-built midfielder that has the ability to go forward and heavily impact the scoreboard, highlighted by his eight goals in round one.
The young midfielder is as evasive as they come and a hard player to bring down.
Bearman is the reigning best and fairest winner at the club at the age of just 19 and recently represented the SFL against the NWFL.
Bearman also represented Tasmania at an underage level.
Eagles coach Josh Clifford said Bearman was a game changer for his side.
“He’s a powerful and quick athlete that can turn a game in five minutes. He’s the sort of player that can pop up and kick three or four goals in a couple of minutes and change a whole game,” he said.
Jake Bearman (New Norfolk) 21 years old
Just like his brother Jye, Jake is a well-built midfielder that is hard to stop.
Jake thrives on contested footy and winning the ball at the coal face and has proven to be a hard man to bring down.
The midfield bull is often seen at the bottom of packs using his stocky frame to win the footy.
“Jake is a strong inside mid that is really strong around stoppages and winning contested footy,” his coach Josh Clifford said.
Josh Farrow (New Norfolk) 21 years old
Farrow is an athletic tall defender that moves extremely well for his size and rarely gives his opponent an inch.
The solidly built key defender is the vice-captain of the Eagles and often shut downs their opponent’s best key forward.
New Norfolk’s coach Josh Clifford said Farrow was one of the best defenders in the competition and a rock in his side’s defence.
“Josh rarely gets beaten one on one and is a very reliable defender,” he said.
“He’s a great athlete for his build and he’s a very tough matchup for his opponents.”
Brock Daniels (Hobart Tigers) 21 years old
Daniels is a medium sized utility that plays a lot taller than his height suggests and the young Tiger has had a great start to his 2021 campaign.
Daniels only played his first year of senior footy in 2020 but the young gun is already solidifying himself as one of the best young players in the SFL.
Daniels was recently chosen to represent the SFL against the NWFL but was unavailable due to work commitments.
After playing his junior footy for Lauderdale, Daniels then joined the Tigers where he started off in the U19 competition and won the U19 association best and fairest.
His coach Alex Gilmour said he hasn’t seen many kids like Daniels in local footy.
“He’s close to the best 20 or 21 year old I’ve seen at local footy in terms of the SFL and Old Scholars,” Gilmour said.
“I was speechless when I first saw him at training when I came to the club.”
“He has all the attributes. He’s good by foot, good by hand, is great overhead for his size, he’s the overall package,” he said.
“I can play Brocky in a bunch of different roles wherever the team best needs him.
“While he’s currently a utility I think he’ll end up as an inside mid and be an extremely good player.”
Joel Poke (Sorell) 20 years old
Poke is well built defender that has the ability to shut down his direct opponent while providing dash off half back.
Poke is from Smithton in the state’s North West and is a product of the Tassie Mariner’s program.
In his first year at the Eagles the strong defender has made an immediate impression on his coach.
“Joel is a big bodied defender, is super fit, and great at winning his own footy. He’s also very good overhead,” Eagles coach Tim Castle said.
The young gun recently represented the SFL side against the NWFL and his coach said it was great reward for effort.
“Joel is a very consistent half back flanker that’s shutting down his direct opponent and also giving lots of drive off half back.”
Nic Baker (Sorell) 20 years old
The former AFL draft hopeful and former Tassie Devils co-captain is one of the stars of the SFL and one of the best young talents in the state.
The rangy midfielder and rebound defender is an elite talent that decided to take a step back from the TSL this year and make the move from Lauderdale to Sorell.
The young star has the ability to play anywhere on the ground and his coach was full of praise for the young gun.
“Nic is just an elite standard footballer to say the very least,” Eagles coach Tim Castle said.
“I’d say his marking and his contested footy are two of his strengths.”
“He’s 6 foot 2 or 3 and can play midfield, halfback or forward and there’s no ceilings to his attributes,” he said.
‘Nic’s knowledge of the game for a young bloke is extensive and he’s just an all-round footy talent.”
Mitch Anderton (Sorell) 20 years old
Anderton is a hard running midfielder that is very good overhead for his size.
The young midfielder is another young star who left Lauderdale to try his hand at the SFL in 2021 and has started the season in fine form until recently succumbing to an ankle injury.
“Mitch is a great contested midfielder that has the ability to play inside and out and before he got injured he had been performing at an elite level for us,” Eagles coach Tim Castle said.
Jeremiah Perkins (Sorell) 20 years old
Perkins is a local Sorell boy that previously played for Lauderdale before returning to the Eagles in 2021.
Perkins is an athletic, lightly framed midfielder that has the ability to go forward and have an impact on the scoreboard.
“His speed and agility are definitely strengths of his and he’s been kick bags of goals for us lately,” Eagles coach Tim Castle said.
“His marking is a big strength of his which helps when he goes forward.”
Ethan Brock (Huonville Lions) 20 years old
The 2020 William Leitch Medalist has solidified himself as a star of the competition in the last few seasons.
While not huge in stature, the livewire plays well above his height and often takes strong high-flying marks usually taken by much bigger forwards.
The elusive and highly skilled forward won the club’s best and fairest in 2020 in their premiership year to go along with his William Leitch Medal win.
Huonville co-captain Callum Rawson had nothing but praise for his young teammate.
“Ethan is an exciting target for us up forward. He oozes flair and creativity and can work over his opponents both in the air and on the ground and has an uncanny knack of knowing where the goals are,” Rawson said.
“He joined us in 2019 and has been a crucial element in our forward line structure ever since.”
Jack Howarth (Huonville Lions) 20 years old
The hard running Lions midfielder has quickly established himself as a vital part of the lion’s engine room and one of the league’s most consistent young players.
Having spent his junior footy at the Kingborough Tigers, Howarth made the move to the Lions in 2019 where he started off as a wingman before moving into the role of an inside midfielder with the ability to hurt teams on the outside.
Howarth is a rare combination of a ferocious attack on the footy while being able to hurt teams with his precise ball use.
“Jack had a breakout year for us in 2020 and was crucial in us securing the premiership,” Lions co-captain Callum Rawson said.
“He’s a hard tackler, a great gut runner, has a beautiful right shoe and he’s broken open games for us on multiple occasions,” he said.
Bailey Gordon (Cygnet) 20 years old
Gordon previously played at the Tigers in the TSL before heading to the Port in 2021 to play with his brother Jackson and the young star has quickly made a name for himself as one of the best midfielders in the competition.
The strong midfielder has the ability to win the footy on the inside while also hurting teams on the outside with his run and carry.
Gordon recently represented the SFL against the NWFL and his coach at the Port was full of praise for the young star.
“He’s a very good competitor that does a lot of extras and is really fit,” Cygnet coach Thor Boscott said.
“Hes a great contested footy player that has a very high work rate and his ability to win the footy and run with the footy is at a very high level.”
Toby Cowen (Cygnet) 21 years old
Cowen is an exciting line breaking wingman that loves to break open the game with his run and carry.
The local boy is only lightly framed but that doesn’t stop him from winning his own footy among bigger body midfielders.
Cowen has represented the SFL on numerous occasions and his form this season earned him another spot in the SFL’s representative team two weekends ago.
Cygnet coach Thor Boscott said the speedy wingman was a great talent.
“His ability to take the game on and run and carry the footy is elite.
“His polish is very good and he's a very competitive player that hunts the footy.”
Jordan Lane (Cygnet) 19 years old
Lane is a big bustling ruckman-forward that had the recent honour of being co-captain of the SFL representative side against the NWFL.
Lane was born and raised in the Huon Valley and played his junior footy for Cygnet and Kingborough while also representing the state with the Tassie Devils.
The Huon Valley product often provides his onballers first use of the footy while also being able to go forward and impact the scoreboard.
“He’s a great tap ruckman and loves to hunt the footy too,” Cygnet coach Thor Boscott said.
“He works hard and always provides a contest and he’s been going forward and kicking some goals which has been great.”
James Zeitzen (Cygnet) 19 years old
Zeitzen is a wirey swingman that has the ability to impact the scoreboard as a forward or go down back as a stingy defender.
After a fantastic 2020 in defence, Cygnet coach Thor Boscott has used Zeitzen predominantly as a forward this year and said the flexibility and competitiveness Zeitzen brings is a weapon for his side.
“His ability to go back and forward is great for us and at the moment he’s having a great year up forward for us,” Boscott said.
“His skills are very good and his marking is very impressive.
“It’s a luxury knowing we can move him down back when we need and we know he’s going to always compete and get the job done.”
Sam Lewis-Johnson (Brighton) 20 years old
Lewis- Johnson is a hard working midfielder that has the ability to be an impactful forward.
The young gun won the Robert Beakley Medal in 2018 playing for Clarence and his move to the Robins in 2021 has provided the youthful side with vital leadership and top end talent.
Lewis-Johnson is an all-round midfielder that can win his own footy while also possessing the ability to be damaging on the outside with his pace and agility.
Robins coach Jacob Howard said the young gun had been a great addition to his side.
“Sam’s been playing really well. One of the main reasons he stepped back from TSL was to enjoy his footy again and he’s having a lot of fun which is translating into his form on the field which is great for him and for us,” he said.
Joel Millhouse (Brighton) 20 years old
The co-captain of the Robins is a tough half back flanker/midfielder that has the ability to play both roles extremely well.
The local Brighton product played his junior footy at the Robins and after spending some time at Glenorchy he returned to the Robins in 2020 where he won the clubs best and fairest in his first year back at the club.
Millhouse is a well-built footballer that thrives on contested footy and has good hands above his head.
“Joel is a very honest footy player that’s very hard at the footy and is tough as nails,” his coach Jacob Howard said.
“He’s coming off a best and fairest and his form this season has been outstanding.”
Riley Hooker (Dodges Ferry) 21 years old
Hooker is one of three brothers down at Shark Park and the barrel-chested young gun is an inside midfielder that loves to play an aggressive and competitive brand of footy.
The big bodied midfielder is in his third year at the club and his coach David Hunt was full of praise for the competitive beast.
“He’s ultra-competitive and aggressive at the footy and just loves the contested side of SFL footy,” Hunt said.
“He rests forward and he’s good overhead and uses his body really well and he’s put in a lot of work and it’s a credit to him.”
Fletcher Hooker (Dodges Ferry) 17 years old
While his two older brothers are bigger bodied players, Fletcher is a lighter framed midfielder that is excelling in his first season of senior footy at just seventeen years of age.
Hooker won the 2020 U16 Robert Beakley Medal in the STJFL and in 2021 has stepped up to senior footy where he has competed well against much bigger bodies.
The classy youngster has started his senior footy off as a half forward flanker/pinch hit midfielder and has shown great composure under pressure and the ability to mark well above his head for his size.
Hooker was recently the vice-captain of the U18 SFL representative side and was awarded best on ground honours in their game against the NWFL.
Dodges Ferry Coach David Hunt had nothing but praise for the teenager.
“Fletcher has exceeded all expectations. He’s a classy player that can play on a flank or on the ball.
“He’s a running machine, he’s good mark for his size, he’s a great kick, and his composure really stands out for his age.”
Jack Dolliver (Dodges Ferry) 17 years old
Dolliver is a lightly framed classy utility that has shown great signs since stepping up to play senior footy with the Sharks in the past month.
Dolliver recently played in the U18 SFL representative side which was a reward for the classy teenager’s season to date.
Sharks coach David Hunt was wrapped with Dolliver’s progress after stepping up to play senior footy as a seventeen year old.
“Jack is definitely worth a mention as one of the many young stars in the competition.
“I’d say his strengths are his composure and his ability to mark the ball overhead for his size.
“He was one of our best players in his first senior game which is a great effort for such a young player.”
The Dodges Ferry local is also a keen basketballer and is currently in the Hobart Charger’s development squad.
Jake Williams (Claremont) 21 years old
The Magpies captain is excelling in his first year at the club where he has provided much needed leadership and experience for the youthful and inexperienced side.
Williams is a strongly built midfielder that came through the Tassie Mariners program and he has been a shining light for the struggling Magpies so far this season.
“Jake has elite skills and his composure and awareness under pressure and in traffic is amazing,” Claremont coach Paul Allison said
“He’s also worked really hard on his fitness and has a big engine and he’s been a great leader being captain in his first year at the club,” he said.
Sheldon Smith (Lindisfarne) 20 years old
Smith is an athletic big-bodied wingman that can turn a game on its head.
The young wingman stands at 6’3 and is a great runner for his size and has the skills to finish off his hard work.
Smith’s coach at the Two-Blues said the young gun had the potential to be a star of the competition in the coming years.
“Sheldon is a freak and when he wants he can turn a game on its head,” Lindisfarne coach Michael Cassidy said.
“His contested footy is a strength of his and we encourage him to run and carry the footy every time he gets it,” he said.
“With his size and skills I think he can become one of the best midfielders in the comp.”
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