SA country footy champions – Part 1

In the first of a series of articles, we look at who among our community football leagues across the State have taken out 2024 premiership honours.

By PETER ARGENT

Two Wells secured a fourth successive flag in the Adelaide Plains competition, this year defeating Angle Vale by a massive 62-point margin, after only three points separated the combatants at half-time.

Big man Jakob Thomson, who won the Plains Producer medal as the best and fairest footballer in the competition a week earlier, was best on the ground in the Grand Final, with his efforts including a seven-goal haul.

Team-mates Ned Seccafien, Noah Barnett, skipper Dylan Wise, Luke Barnett (three goals) and Shannon Slattery were all important contributors for the victorious Roosters.

Former Brisbane, North Adelaide and Barossa District footballer Leigh Ryswyk was Angle Vale’s best followed by big man Jaydn Goodfellow and the well-travelled Andrew Wright, who previously had enjoyed premiership success at Gawler Central and Risdon Lions.

In an epic decider, Willaston, despite kicking one less goal, defeated Angaston by three points, to lift the Grant Burge Cup for the first time in 25 years.

Played at Tanunda Oval in windy conditions, the final scoreboard read Willaston Donnybrooks 11.14 (80) defeating the Angaston Panthers 12.5 (77).

Donny’s skipper and former Crows SANFL player Tyson Irlam led from the front collecting the Hurn Medal, as best on ground for his three-goal performance playing in the midfield.

Young guns, Barracker iPerform Rookie of the Year Heath Growden and ruckman Saxon Evans produced impressive efforts, along with veterans Ash Fry and the 41-year-old Shaun Childs at full back. Joshua Waldhuter, Zac East and 2011 Mail Medallist Sam Walton were also important for the victors.

Dylan Tuckwell, Angaston captain Jack Miles, along with recruits Ethan Kwaterski and key marking forward Gavin Shephard stood up for the Panthers.

Nuriootpa and state country midfielder Nick Gregurke won the BLG’s top individual honour with 23 votes, the Schluter Medal, from Tanunda playing coach Sam Colquhoun (17) and Willaston recruit, Justin Hoskin (16).

Eudunda Robertstown was looking for a first flag since its amalgamation and was within a point of BSR at half time (2.2 -14 to 2.3 -15), before the Tigers took the title away with eight goals to three in the second half at Blyth Oval.

Coached by Matt Longbottom, Brinkworth-Spalding Redhill kicked the only two goals of the third term and then six to three in the final stanza to tally 10.5 (65) to the Southern Saints 5.7 (37), earning a comfortable 28-point title-winning triumph.

A former Eagles and Port Magpies player returning to his foundation club, Jackson Lee, was best on ground, while Alex Morgan was a key in attack with three important majors.  Southern Saints midfielder Blake Launer, who played SANFL league footy with the Adelaide Crows and Central District, collected the Mail Medal in 2024.

It is certainly a dynasty at the BSR Tigers in the NEFL, having won the past five premierships and seven of the last eight flags since 2017 and losing to the Blyth-Snowtown Cats in the 2019 decider.

Playing the Grand Final at home at the Port Broughton Town Oval, the Broughton-Mundoora Eagles, who finished third at the end of the minor round, defeated minor premiers, Orroroo by four goals.

The Eagles got out of the blocks strongly kicking 4.5 to one goal in the opening term and were 22 points up at the long interval.

Coming across from the Nuriootpa Tigers this season, Aaron Laverty was best on ground for the Eagles, followed by senior players Kane Bowley, Dylan Hewett and forward William Hewett.

Bodhi Sims and Ben Geytenbeek were noteworthy, while Charlie Dickeson, who also played underage footy for North Adelaide at stages this season, played in both the Eagles colts’ and A-grade flags on the same day.

Will Combe, Best on Ground in the SA Country vs WA Country match, won the Mail Medal playing for Crystal Brook in the NAFA in 2024.

Moonta Demons gained redemption for their 2023 Grand Final loss to Kadina, defeating the CMS Crows by 101 points on home turf in the 2024-decider.

Moonta kicked 21.15 (141) to the Crows’ 6.4 (40) in a clinical display.

The Demons also had emphatic victories in the other major round games, defeating CMS by 51 points in the qualifying final and minor premiers CY Cougars by 68 points in the second semi-final.

Mail Medallist Ryley Maitland was best on ground, closely followed by a former medallist Dylan Mansell with a five-goal haul, local lad Tom Hancocks, SANFL-experienced Matt Appleton, big man Matthew Altmann and First Nations talent Malcolm Karpany.

Better performers for the well beaten Crows were Jacob Hickman, Henry Facy, George Litster and veteran Adam Jolly.

Ryley Maitland from Moonta was the comfortable winner of the YPFL Mail Medal with 32 votes.

Former West Adelaide and Geelong listed footballer Zac Bates (CY Cougars) – was runner up with 19 votes, one ahead of team-mate Luke Trenorden.

Matt Promnitz, the Northern Zone coach, led his Prop-Risdon Lions to another Spencer Gulf Football League title on September 14, defeating cross town rivals the Solomontown by a comfortable five goal margin,

Prop-Risdon, booting 15.7 (97) to the Cats’ 9.13 (67), went through the minor round undefeated, before dropping the second semi final to the Cats.

They rebounded with a win over Ports Bulldogs in the preliminary final, before charging home in the decider.

Nicholas Kraemer was outstanding in the final, along with the consistent Tyler Eckert, captain Shaun Edwards and the athletic Michael Hobbs.

Joel Palmer, one of the great servants of SA country football in the Mid North at club, Zone and state country football also enjoyed the euphoria of premiership success again.

There was a tie in the Madigan Medal count, with Lions Anthony Oliphant and Nicholas Kraemer both finishing on 22 votes.

Kraemer won the medal in his first year in the Spencer Gulf competition, after also wining the Robran Medal for the Northern Zone’s best player in the Country Championships and Oliphant’s extraordinary effort, where he polled 22 votes from just 11 games before injury.