AFL Croweaters descend on Adelaide for Gather Round

By PETER ARGENT

South Australia’s AFL stars will be heading home in droves this weekend as Gather Round descends on Adelaide for the second year in succession.

Impressively, there are 94 players on AFL lists from the SANFL competition, and a further 15 talents from SANFL programs, predominately coming into our competition from interstate, to get another opportunity at the top level.

As expected, the two local sides Adelaide and the Port Adelaide have recruited the most SANFL talent, with the Crows having 15 players and Port Adelaide currently having 13 South Aussies on their list.

Of the interstate clubs, 2023 premiers Collingwood have nine players with a Croweater connection, including members of last year’s Grand Final team Oleg Markov and Beau McCreery.

The flag-winning Melbourne side in 2021 includes South Australian talent Kozzie Pickett, Harrison Petty, Tom Sparrow and Alex Neal-Bullen, while South Adelaide premiership junior, former Crows star, Simon Goodwin was the Demons’ AFL premiership coach.

In Geelong’s title-winning side of 2022, players from SANFL include Tyson Stengle, Glenelg 2019 premiership forward Brad Close from Mount Gambier and Northern Territory talent who played league football at North Adelaide, Brandan Parfitt.

Perhaps one of the unique journeys is that of Victorian Lachlan Murphy, who played his 100th AFL game against Geelong in the Round 2 AFL clash.

Murphy came to the Crows’ SANFL program, after winning Northern Knights best and fairest in their 2016 TAC Cup campaign.

Moving to South Australia to join Adelaide’s SANFL development squad, he played every game in the 2017 season and was rookie listed to the AFL program at West Lakes for 2018. That year he was named in the Crows’ AFL Round 1 side.

See below for a comprehensive guide to all the South Australians on an AFL list.

#7 Riley Thilthorpe – Goodwood (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#10 Luke Pedler – Kingston (SA)/Prince Alfred College (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#12 Jordan Dawson – Robe (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Sydney

#13 Taylor Walker – North Broken Hill (NSW)/NSW-ACT U18/ Norwood (SANFL)

#15 Brayden Cook – Happy Valley (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#17 Max Michalanney – Glenunga (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

#20 Mitchell Hinge – Mundulla (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)/Brisbane

#21 Chris Burgess – Flinders Park (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)/Gold Coast Suns

#26 Harry Schoenberg – Mintaro-Manoora (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#29 Rory Laird – Kenilworth (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#30 Wayne Milera Junior – Ingle Farm (SA)/Central District (SANFL)

#31 Billy Dowling – Walkerville (SA)/St Peter’s College (SA)/North Adelaide U18 (SA)

#32 Darcy Fogarty – Lucindale (SA)/Rostrevor College (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#33 Brodie Smith – Henley (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#35 James Borlase – Unley (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#4 Lachlan Murphy – Diamond Creek (Vic)/Ivanhoe Gramar (Vic)/Northern U18/Adelaide (SANFL)

#9 Lachie Neale –  Kybybolite (SA)/St Peter’s College (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)/Fremantle

#11 Lincoln McCarthy – Bordertown (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)/Geelong

#32 Darcy Fort – Sth Barwon (Vic)/Geel U18/Werribee (VFL)/Foots (VFL)/Cent Dist (SANFL)/Geelong

#33 Zac Bailey – Southern Districts (NT)/Prince Alfred College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

#19 Corey Durdin – Golden Grove (SA)/Central District (SANFL)

#29 George Hewett – Broughton-Mundoora (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)/Sydney

#31 Harry Lemmey – Flagstaff Hill (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#33 Lewis Young – Mitcham (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Western Bulldogs

#36 Sam Durdin – East Murray (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)/North Melbourne/Glenelg (SANFL)

#43 Ashton Moir – Plympton (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#9 John Noble – Plympton (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#15 Nathan Kreuger – Victor Harbour (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)/Geelong

#21 Oscar Steele – Goodwood (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#24 Jakob Ryan – Brighton Districts & Old Scholars (SA)/Sacred Heart College (SA) Glenelg (SANFL)

#31 Beau McCreery – Cove (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#36 Harvey Harrison – Golden Grove (SA)/Tyndale Christian College (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#37 Oleg Markov – Gepps Cross (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)/Richmond/Gold Coast

#12 Josh Carmichael – Imperial (Vic)/Merbein (Vic)/Waratah (NT)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#40 Ash Johnson – Halls Creek (WA)/Claremont (WAFL)/North Wang (Vic)/Scotch OC (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#2 Sam Draper – Reynella (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#26 Kaine Baldwin – Henley (SA)/Westminster College (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#27 Mason Redman – Millicent (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#40 Tex Wanganeen – Sturt U16 (SA)/Prince Alfred College (SA)/Xavier College (Vic)

#11 James Aish – Payneham Norwood Union (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)/Brisbane Lions/Collingwood

#18 Tom Emmett – Payneham Norwood Union (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#32 Michael Frederick – Portland (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#36 Brennan Cox – Woodville South (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#40 Jack Delean – Reynella Football Club (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#1 Rhys Stanley – Berri (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)/St Kilda

#18 Tyson Stengle – Portland (SA)/LeFevre HS (SA)W-WT (SANFL)/Rich/Adel/W-WT (SANFL)

#19 Phoenix Foster – Central Eyre United (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

#45 Brad Close – North Gambier (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#3 Brandon Parfitt – Nightcliff (NT)/NT Thunder (NEAFL)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#40 Mitch Hardie – Leeton-Whitton United (NSW)/Canberra (NEAFL)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#10 Charlie Ballard – Mitcham Hawks (SA)/Sacred Heart College (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#12 Sam Day – Mitcham Hawks (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#13 Jack Lukosius – Henley (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#23 Sean Lemmens – Salisbury (SA)/Port Adelaide (SANFL)

#7 Nick Holman – Kyabram (Vic)/Murray U18/Carlton/Central District (SANFL)

#21 James Tsitas – Grovedale (Vic)/Geel U18/North Ballarat (VFL)/Geelong (VFL)/ Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#36 Will Rowlands – Southern Districts/Northern Territory Academy/Norwood (SANFL)

#50 Jy Farrar – Halls Creek (WA)/Hale School (WA)/North Wang (Vic)/Scotch OC (SA)/Adelaide (SANFL)

#10 Jacob Wehr – Balaklava (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#13 Isaac Cumming – North Broken Hill (NSW)/North Adelaide (SANFL)/WSU (NEAFL)

#21 Leek Aleer – Angle Vale (SA)/Central District (SANFL)

#12 Will Day – PHOS Camden (SA)/Sacred Heart College (SA)/West Adel (SANFL)

#20 Chad Wingard – Imperials (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Port Adelaide

#26 Bodie Ryan – Brighton Bombers (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#27 Will McCabe – Hamley Bridge Football Club (SA)/Tanunda (SA)/ Central District (SANFL)

#7 Jack Viney – North Adelaide U16s/Ashburton (Vic)/Carey Grammar (Vic)/Oakleigh U18/Casey (VFL)

#28 Will Verrall – Christies Beach (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#30 Alex Neal-Bullen – Plympton (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#32 Tom Sparrow – Bridgewater Callington (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#35 Harrison Petty – Wudinna United (SA)/Rostrevor College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

#36 Kysaiah Pickett – Port District (SA)/Prince Alfred College (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#37 Kade Chandler – Western United (SA)/Prince Alfred College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)

#23 Shane McAdam – Halls Creek (WA)/Scotch Old Collegians (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Adelaide Crows

#21 Callum Coleman-Jones – Unley (SA)/Scotch College (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Richmond

#22 Taylor Goad – Willunga (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#23 Tom Powell – Unley (SA)/Scotch College (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#32 Toby Pink – Tantanoola (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#15 Dylan Stephens – Red Cliffs (Vic)/Walkerville (SA)/St Peter’s College (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)/Sydney Swans

#1 Connor Rozee – South Augusta (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#3 Ryan Burton – PHOS-Camden (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)/Hawthorn

#7 Jase Burgoyne – Port District (SA)/Henley HS (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#18 Jason Horne-Francis – Christies Beach (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)/North Melbourne

#24 Jordon Sweet – Tea Tree Gully (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)/Western Bulldogs

#25 Brandon Zerk-Thatcher – Imperials Murray Bridge (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Essendon

#32 Thomas Scully – Lockleys (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#34 Lachie Jones – Bute-Paskville (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#39 Hugh Jackman – Crystal Brook (SA)/Rostrevor College (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#40 Kyle Marshall – McLaren Districts (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#41 Jed McEntee – Mitcham (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#44 Jackson Mead – SMOSH Westlakes (SA)/Henley HS (SA)/W-West Torrens (SANFL)

#15 Willie Rioli – St Marys (NT)/Xavier College (Vic)/Glenelg (SANFL)/West Coast

#26 Matthew Coulthard – South Adelaide/Port Noarlunga (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#28 Kane McAuliffe – Central Augusta (Spencer Gulf Football League) (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#34 Jack Graham – Tea Tree Gully (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#37 Liam Fawcett – Pooraka (Adelaide Footy League) (SA)/Central District (SANFL)

#31 Rhyan Mansell – North Launceston (Tas)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#7 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera – Marion (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#17 Isaac Keeler – South Augusta (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#18 Jack Hayes – Brinkworth Spalding Redhill (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#25 Mattaes Phillipou – PHOS Camden (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#36 Riley Bonner – Goodwood (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)/Port Adelaide

#44 Callum Wilkie – Walkerville (SA) /North Adelaide (SANFL)

#4 Brodie Grundy – Unley (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)/Collingwood/Melbourne

#9 Will Hayward – Walkerville (SA)/St Peter’s College (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

#10 Aaron Francis – Loxton North (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)/Essendon

#19 Peter Ladhams – Modbury (SA)/Norwood (SANFL)/Port Adelaide

#32 Jaiden Magor – Myponga-Sellicks (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#34 Matty Roberts – Langhorne Creek (SA)/St Peter’s College (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)

#16 Luke Edwards – Henley (SA)/Glenelg (SANFL)

#30 Harry Barnett – Goodwood (SA)/West Adelaide (SANFL)

#36 Loch Rawlinson – Mitcham (SA)/Sturt (SANFL)

#25 Caleb Poulter – Ardrossan (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)/Collingwood/Footscray (VFL)

#30 Lachlan McNeil – South Clare (SA)/Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

#35 Caleb Daniel – Edwardstown (SA)/South Adelaide (SANFL)