SA U16 Team defeated by Victoria Country

By ZAC MILBANK

South Australia succumbed to Victoria Country by one point in the deciding match of the 2024 Marsh U16 AFL National Championships at Southport’s Fankhauser Reserve.

Needing to remain undefeated to claim this year’s title, the Croweaters conceded a behind in the 24th minute of the final term after scores were locked at 9.10 (64) each, handing the crown to the boys from the Victorian bush.

With Victoria Metro defeating Western Australia in the early match on Friday, it left the door ajar for Victoria Country to claim the title by matching SA’s 2-1 win-loss record and defeating the Croweaters in their one head-to-head battle.

Despite SA boasting a far superior percentage than any of their opponents after their three matches, percentage is only used to decide the overall champion if three teams are locked on the same win-loss record.

SA and Victoria Country both ended with a 2-1 win-loss record, with Victoria Metro and Western Australia both finishing with a 1-2 win-loss tally.

After trailing by nine points at half-time, SA came out in very positive fashion in the third quarter, slamming on six goals to take a handy 21-point advantage into the final change.

Croweater forward Angus White booted three of the six majors within this burst, two from excellent tackles which earned a free kick for holding the ball.

SA teammates Jermaine Miller and Cain Florance also booted their second majors after hitting the scoreboard in the opening quarter but unfortunately for the Croweaters, they could only manage three behinds in the fourth stanza.

Central District’s Dougie Cochrane again performed strongly to earn SA’s Most Valuable Player award, together with Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player at the Championships.

Cochrane, the son of Port Adelaide and North Melbourne midfielder Stuart Cochrane, is ineligible to be taken as a father-son in the 2026 AFL Draft by either the Power or Kangaroos as his father didn’t play 100 games at either club.

Victoria Country  2.4  4.8  5.10  9.11 (65)

South Australia  2.3  3.5  9.7  9.10 (64)

BEST – SA: Cain Florance, Dougie Cochrane, Angus White, Ethan Herbert, Jack Gordon, Zackariah Young

GOALS – SA: Angus White 3, Jermaine Miller, Cain Florance 2, Koby Moir, Jacob McNicol

SA MVP – Dougie Cochrane (Central District)

KEVIN SHEEHAN MEDAL – Dougie Cochrane (Central District)

At Fankhauser Reserve, Southport