2025 SANFL Underage Fixtures Released

By ZAC MILBANK

A showcase of matches at Summit Sport and Recreation Park in Mt Barker will kickstart the SANFL Under-18 season, as each of the League’s boys underage fixtures have been released for 2025. 

In an exciting initiative to maximise the exposure of South Australia’s best talent, all four Round 1 SANFL U18 matches will be played at the Summit on Saturday March 15.

Beginning with the first contest at 10am and concluding with the final encounter at 5.30pm, the showcase at the Summit will provide AFL club recruiting staff with the opportunity to have an early view of players from all eight SANFL clubs at the same venue.

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 as the Double Blues make the most of the prized turf used for Gather Round AFL games in 2023 and 2024.

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.

Mayor of Mt Barker David Leach said:

“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.

After its successful introduction last year, the SANFL U14 competition will return for 2025.

Starting on Saturday March 1 and concluding on Tuesday April 15, the season will consist of seven minor round matches – allowing each team to play each other once.

No premiership points will be allocated for wins, ensuring the competition’s key focus remains on player development and identification.

Every SANFL under-age match will be streamed live and on demand on SANFL Now, with the SANFL U14 competition streamed for the first time in 2025.