SANFL release U18, U16 & U14 fixture

The SANFL has released the fixture for its U18, U16 and U14 boys seasons.

All Round 1 U18 matches will be held at Mount Barker’s Summit Sport and Recreation Park, which has hosted three AFL Gather Round matches over the past two years.

Norwood will kick off its U18 campaign on Saturday, March 15 against South Adelaide at the Adelaide Hills-based venue, with the Redlegs match the fourth SANFL U18s game to be played on that day.

All at the Summit ground, Sturt will play the Eagles from 10am, followed by Central District V Glenelg at 12.30pm, West Adelaide V North Adelaide at 3pm and South V Norwood at 5.30pm.

Norwood’s U18s have the Bloods at Hisense Stadium in Round 2, and a trip to North Adelaide’s Regional Zone of Port Pirie in Round 3. The Redlegs U18 and U16s made the Regional trip to Port Pirie in Round 1 last season.

The Redlegs first home game at Norwood Oval comes on Anzac Day with a game against Glenelg.

Norwood’s U16s have a Bye in Round 1, before taking on West Adelaide at Hisense in Round 2 on March 22.

The SANFL U14s season runs across seven rounds, between early March and mid-April, with the Redlegs kicking off the season on Saturday, March 1 against Glenelg at Hisense Stadium.

See the full fixtures by clicking the links below.

Positioned in the heart of Sturt’s regional zone, the Summit at Mount Barker will also host other matches across the SANFL U18, U16 and U14 seasons this year.

SANFL Chief Executive Officer Darren Chandler said the League was pleased to have the opportunity to access the pristine Mt Barker setting for a number of SANFL matches this season, including several Hostplus SANFL Women’s League matches and for community football use.

“Oval access across the metropolitan area is a critical issue for our SANFL Clubs, so having the opportunity to utilise the Summit oval, particularly in the early months of the year, is a positive step forward to unlocking available green space,” Mr Chandler said.

Mount Barker Council Mayor David Leach was excited to host the games in his region.

“We’re thrilled that the talented young footballers from Sturt and across the state will be able to play at their best on our national-standard AFL oval in Mount Barker.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the future of South Australian football emerging at the Summit.”

Maximising player availability has again been a key focus in the SANFL U18 and U16 fixtures, with an early season start and a number of bye weekends to ensure players with college commitments, or who live in regional areas, have more opportunity to represent their SANFL clubs during the minor round.

Now entering the fourth season of successfully introducing bye rounds for the U18 AFL National Championships and Inter Col weekend, midweek matches will again be another measure to ensure the state’s best footballers are showcased in both competitions.

Introduced for the first time in 2023, a full round of mid-week evening matches will form an innovative feature of the SANFL U18 and U16 fixtures.

The SANFL U18 and U16s will conclude with a double-header Grand Final at Adelaide Oval as curtain-raisers to the Hostplus SANFL League Preliminary Final on Sunday September 14.

By Zac Milbank SANFL and Josh Teakle NFC