Sturt win 2025 SANFL U18 Premiership

By ZAC MILBANK

Sturt’s supreme efficiency catapulted it to its first SANFL U18 premiership in eight years with a stunning 57-point triumph against West Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. 

The Double Blues led at every change and appeared in control of the contest with its neat use of the ball by hand and foot as the Bloods wasted inside 50 entries.

Westies amazingly had 12 more inside 50 entries for the match but only managed two goals for the title-decider as the minor premier piled on the scoreboard pressure with 8.6 to 1.6 in the second half.

Coached by Scott Prebble and captained by Sam White, the Blues’ kicking game held sway as they maintained possession with 56 more marks and 69 more kicks.

Key Sturt defender Blake Thredgold was a fitting winner of the Alan Stewart Medal as best-on-ground, hauling in 12 marks to go with 14 disposals as he dictated terms across half-back.

SA U16 leadership group members Harvey Chapman (21 disposals, nine marks) and Taj Garrett (25 disposals, 12 marks) continued to show great maturity after playing key roles for the Double Blues in defence and on a wing respectively.

Richmond father-son prospect Louis Kellaway was rock solid with 17 disposals, seven tackles, eight marks and a left foot snap goal while Noah Mennillo was a constant danger inside 50 for Sturt with six shots on goal (2.4) from his 17 touches.

Exciting Langhorne Creek product Griffin James showed off his talent with the first goal of the game as he bounced it through from the scoreboard pocket inside the opening five minutes.

But he topped it off with an eye-catching running goal from further out in the same pocket eight minutes into the third quarter to give Sturt an ominous-looking 20-point lead.

West Adelaide, hoping to win its first U18 flag since 2014, was struck by its inability to get any fluency with its ball movement despite the sunny conditions.

Lucas White led the Bloods with 21 diposals and four marks while Hamish Illman collected 17 disposals and took eight marks.

Harper Ryan, the younger brother of Bloods’ League star Kobe, finished with 13 disposals and six marks.