South Aussies selected in 2024 AFL and AFLW Academies

By ZAC MILBANK

Nine of South Australia’s brightest young talents have been selected in the 2024 AFL and AFLW Academies.

Smooth-moving South Adelaide midfielder Sid Draper and father-son trio Tyler Welsh, Ben Camporeale and Lucas Camporeale have been named in the AFL Academy headed up by former Collingwood star Tarkyn Lockyer.

Woodville-West Torrens forward Welsh, the son of former Crow Scott Welsh, is aligned to Adelaide under the father-son rule while Glenelg’s Camporeale twins – sons of Carlton premiership wingman Scott Camporeale – are eligible to be nominated by the Blues ahead of the 2024 AFL Draft.

Coming off a winning campaign at the 2023 U18 AFL Girls National Championships, SA’s emergence as a genuine producer of top-end female talent is underlined by having five players listed in the AFLW Academy.

Central District SANFLW premiership pair Jasmine Evans and Charlotte Riggs will be joined by fellow Bulldog Georgia McKee, who was sidelined by a knee injury this season.

Glenelg’s Poppy Scholz is coming off a berth at centre half-back in the 2023 The Advertiser SANFLW Team of the Year while Sturt’s India Rasheed enjoyed an outstanding national championships after being named SA’s MVP and at half-forward of the All-Australian line-up.