2025 SANFL U18 State Academy announced

By ZAC MILBANK

A 34-player squad has been announced for the 2025 SANFL U18 State Academy to begin in November. 

Set to span 15 weeks either side of the Christmas break, the SANFL U18 State Academy will include training sessions at Nazareth College and Adelaide Football Club’s facility at West Lakes.

A new feature of the program introduced for 2024 will be a three-day camp to Port Hughes on the Yorke Peninsula.

Together with traditional football training and gym sessions, players will also be afforded the opportunity to take part in Yoga and Sports Psychology amongst other educational units.

SA U18 Boys Coach and Academy Manager Tony Bamford will again oversee the program with SANFL staff including Head of Talent Brenton Phillips, Heath Younie and Tom Debenedictis.

Talented midfielders Dyson Sharp (Central), Harley Barker (Sturt) and Sam Cumming (North) are expected to be ones to watch throughout 2024.

Bulldogs utilities Aidan Schubert and Matt LeRay are among the talls attracting attention, together with Mitchell Marsh (West), Elliott Duffield (South) and Eagle Logan Hughes, who kicked the match-winning goal in the SANFL U18 Grand Final.

Nine bottom-age players, who are eligible for the 2026 AFL Draft, have been selected including promising Panthers ball magnets Kodah Edwards and Archie Van Dyk, as well as Kevin Sheehan Medallist Dougie Cochrane.

Glenelg’s Koby Moir will be looking to display his run and carry in the 2024 SA U18 Academy. Picture – Peter Argent

2025 SANFL U18 State Academy

Player (*Denotes bottom age) Height (CM) SANFL club
Dougie Cochrane* 194 Central District
Jack Gordon* 184 Central District
Matthew LeRay 188 Central District
Cameron Nairn 186 Central District
Joshua Reichelt 180 Central District
Aidan Schubert 196 Central District
Dyson Sharp 188 Central District
Luke Candy 183 Glenelg
Harry Franz* 192 Glenelg
Koby Moir* 186 Glenelg
Sam Cumming 184 North Adelaide
Ethan Herbert* 198 North Adelaide
Taj Murray 200 North Adelaide
Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier 181 North Adelaide
Noah Daw 192 Norwood
Jim Kelly 179 Norwood
Fergus Myall 192 Norwood
Bayln O'Brien 185 Norwood
Will Prescott 180 Norwood
Elliott Duffield 192 South Adelaide
Kodah Edwards* 182 South Adelaide
Archie Van Dyk* 186 South Adelaide
Angus White* 182 South Adelaide
Harley Barker 187 Sturt
Jett Dahlitz 186 Sturt
Louis Kellaway 182 Sturt
Kale Matthews-Hampton* 186 Sturt
Noah Roberts-Thomson 180 Sturt
Blake Thredgold 193 Sturt
Mitchell Marsh 189 West Adelaide
Jack Cook 180 Woodville-West Torrens
Logan Hughes 192 Woodville-West Torrens
Jevan Phillipou 181 Woodville-West Torrens
Lachlan Sands 178 Woodville-West Torrens