2025 SANFL U18 State Academy announced

By ZAC MILBANK

A 34-player squad has been announced for the 2025 SANFL U18 State Academy to begin in November. 

Set to span 15 weeks either side of the Christmas break, the SANFL U18 State Academy will include training sessions at Nazareth College and Adelaide Football Club’s facility at West Lakes.

A new feature of the program introduced for 2024 will be a three-day camp to Port Hughes on the Yorke Peninsula.

Together with traditional football training and gym sessions, players will also be afforded the opportunity to take part in Yoga and Sports Psychology amongst other educational units.

SA U18 Boys Coach and Academy Manager Tony Bamford will again oversee the program with SANFL staff including Head of Talent Brenton Phillips, Heath Younie and Tom Debenedictis.

Talented midfielders Dyson Sharp (Central), Harley Barker (Sturt) and Sam Cumming (North) are expected to be ones to watch throughout 2024.

Bulldogs utilities Aidan Schubert and Matt LeRay are among the talls attracting attention, together with Mitchell Marsh (West), Elliott Duffield (South) and Eagle Logan Hughes, who kicked the match-winning goal in the SANFL U18 Grand Final.

Nine bottom-age players, who are eligible for the 2026 AFL Draft, have been selected including promising Panthers ball magnets Kodah Edwards and Archie Van Dyk, as well as Kevin Sheehan Medallist Dougie Cochrane.