Four Norwood players to Represent SA U18 & U20 Teams

South Australia’s finest talent under the age of 20 will be on display at Thebarton Oval tomorrow night (May 19) when the Torrens University SA U18 team confronts the SA U20 line-up.

Kicking off at 7pm, the clash will be another vital contest for the SA U18s ahead of the AFL National Championships while the U20 combination have an opportunity to shine in front of AFL scouts.

Norwood’s Logan Evans will represent SA’s U18 team, while Alex van Wyk, Tyson Walls and Harvey Pedler will each line up in the U20 side.

Despite still being eligible to play U18s, Evans made his SANFL debut for Norwood in Round 1 of 2023 and has run out in four League games this season, averaging 15 disposals as a defender.

Having moved onto the Senior Men’s squad from Norwood’s U18 this season Walls, Pedler and van Wyk have each played Reserves in 2023. Walls has averaged 19 disposals and four tackles, van Wyk 14 disposals and 22 hitouts, and Pedler 12 disposals and four marks.

Pedler will start in the back pocket, van Wyk in the ruck and Walls on the interchange for the U20 side, while Evans will play on the half back flank for the U18s.

Newly-appointed Torrens University SA U18 captain Will Patton, having returned from AFL Academy duty, will lead his team for the first time, starting in defence.

Fellow Academy members Jack Delean, Ashton Moir and Kane McAuliffe also return for the Croweaters, who will again be coached by SANFL’s Tony Bamford.

To be coached by Sturt reserves premiership coach Chris Trapp, the SA U20 combination will be captained by Eagles midfielder Adam D’Aloia with West Adelaide ball magnet Kobe Ryan as his deputy.

Several players boasting Hostplus SANFL League experience will be pushing their claims, including Glenelg’s Archie Lovelock and Lewis Rayson, West’s Cade Kennedy and Eagles pair D’Aloia and Will Pearce.

An MVP medal will be awarded to the best player for each team while the match will be exclusively live streamed with commentary on The Advertiser’s KommunityTV.

By Zac Milbank SANFL, and Josh Teakle Norwood FC

F: Patrick Weckert, Liam Fawcett, Jack Delean

HF: Jed Dignan, Ashton Moir, Loch Rawlinson

C: Trent Tattoli, Anders McShane, Luca Slade

HB: Callum Fairall, Will McCabe, Logan Evans

B: Alex Holt, Oscar Talbot, Will Patton

R: Taylor Goad, Kane McAuliffe, Tom Wheaton

INT: Tom Luck, Kade Herbert, Sid Draper, Sebastian Wauer, Bodie Ryan, Tyler Welsh, Jack Oates, Patrick Toole, Charlie Nicholls

F: Dylan Brown, Chad Reschke, Hugo Kittel

HF: Will Pearce, Shay Linke, Cooper Rogers

C: Will Francou, Adam D’Aloia, Nick Sadler

HB: Lewis Rayson, Zac Becker, Harper Montgomery

B: Charlie Fryer, Shaun Bennier, Harvey Pedler

R: Alex van Wyk, Cade Kennedy, Kobe Ryan

INT: Archie Lovelock, Jake Walker, Tyson Walls, Adam Deakin, Blayne O’Loughlin

EMG: Jacob Lochowiak, Owen Mulady