2022 The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year

By ZAC MILBANK

Top-of-the-table North Adelaide has dominated selection in the 2022 The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year with as many as six players, and coach Jacob Surjan, recognised for their outstanding form throughout the minor round.

Earning a rest for the first week of Hostplus SANFL League finals, the minor premiers admirably defied the external predictions of a slide out of the top five this season to win a competition-high 13 home-and-away matches.

As such, the Roosters supplied the entire centreline with Harrison Wigg and Will Combe starting on the wings, sandwiching Magarey Medallist Campbell Combe in the centre square.

Magarey Medal hopeful Aaron Young is listed at half-forward, next to premiership spearhead Keenan Ramsey, who was selected at centre-half forward after booting 35 goals for the season.

Roosters vice-captain Cameron Craig was recognised as a vital cog in defence after being chosen to hold down the full back position.

Surjan, now in his third season as senior coach at Prospect, did an admirable job of retooling the playing list in conjunction with Football Manager Darryl Wintle before enabling his new-look outfit to mesh sooner than expected in 2022.

Seeking to guide his side into its second Grand Final in three seasons, Surjan in July had his contract extended until the end of 2025 such is the high esteem he is held in at Menzies Crescent.

Adelaide skipper Matthew Wright creates history by becoming the first Crows SANFL player to be named captain of The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year.

Wright, 32, is the club’s longest-serving SANFL captain, tossing the coin for the Crows in 59 of his total 125 SANFL games since making his debut for the Roosters in 2007.

Named in the forward pocket, Wright booted 28 goals during the minor round before adding an impressive five-goal haul against Norwood in the Qualifying Final.

Adelaide also had ruckman Kieran Strachan selected on the interchange, as back-up to Norwood bigman Harry Boyd who will start at the first bounce.

Boyd, who averaged a competition-best 146 Champion Data ranking points, is one of three Redlegs chosen along with fellow Shepparton recruit Nik Rokahr (rover) and emerging defender Jack Heard (centre-half back).

Fellow finalists Glenelg – Lachie Hosie (forward pocket), Matthew Snook (half-forward flank), Darcy Bailey (interchange) – and Sturt – James Battersby (interchange), Casey Voss (half-back flank) and Guy Page (back pocket) – also had three players listed in the final 22.

Ken Farmer Medallist Daniel Menzel was a natural fit at full forward having kicked an eye-catching 51 goals in the minor round as he joined fellow Eagle Riley Knight (ruck rover), one of the Magarey Medal favourites after averaging 29.3 disposals.

Central District’s ultra consistent Travis Schiller will form part of the midfield battery from the interchange while intercept-marking defender Rhett Montgomerie earned a debut selection in the back pocket.

South Adelaide’s sole representative is rebounding defender Joey Haines on a half-back flank.

Sturt captain James Battersby is the most capped player with five selections while 11 players have been chosen for the first time.

Port Adelaide and West Adelaide were the two clubs without a player listed.

Players who played fewer than 12 of the 18 minor round games were not considered for selection.

The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year was selected by SANFL’s Matthew Duldig, Sean Toohey, Zac Milbank and Daniel Joyce, The Advertiser’s Andrew Capel, Football Budget editor Peter Cornwall, and Channel 7’s Mark Soderstrom and John Casey.

FORWARDS
Lachie Hosie (Glenelg, 1st selection), Daniel Menzel (Eagles, 2nd), Matthew Wright (C) (Adelaide, 1st)
HALF-FORWARDS
Aaron Young (North, 1st), Keenan Ramsey (North, 1st), Matthew Snook (Glenelg, 4th)
CENTRE
Harrison Wigg (North, 3rd), Campbell Combe (VC) (North, 3rd), Will Combe (North, 1st)
HALF-BACKS
Casey Voss (Sturt, 2nd), Jack Heard (Norwood, 1st), Joey Haines (South, 4th)
BACKS
Guy Page (Sturt, 1st), Cameron Craig (North, 2nd), Rhett Montgomerie (Central, 1st)
1ST RUCK
Harry Boyd (Norwood, 1st), Riley Knight (Eagles, 2nd), Nik Rokahr (Norwood, 1st)
INTERCHANGE
Travis Schiller (Central, 4th), Kieran Strachan (Adelaide, 2nd), James Battersby (Sturt, 5th), Darcy Bailey (Glenelg, 1st)
COACH
Jacob Surjan (North)