SANFL

He's been a big influence behind West Adelaide's early-season resurgence. Bloods tall forward Tom Scully is used to being described as big given he measures in at a towering 203cm and now he's casting an imposing shadow across the Hostplus SANFL League. Booting eight goals in his opening three games, the 21-year-old also caught the eye with his three-goal effort for the West End State Team earlier this month. The latest guest on SANFL's Checkside Chats podcast, Scully revealed he has put on an extra 4-5kg onto his frame whilst the presence of late addition and football manager Chris Burgess has also played a role in his hot start. But the former Port Adelaide spearhead reserved his biggest praise for new coach Nathan Bassett, declaring he has ''already turned the club around.'' Admitting he lacked competitiveness during his stint with the Power, he was unable to play an AFL game, Scully said he would be well-placed to make the most of a second opportunity at elite level should it arise. The Advertiser's Andrew Capel also comes into the studio to review and preview the Hostplus SANFL League season after the opening three rounds.

It's redemption time for the West End State Team. Even though debutant Oliver Davis wasn't part of the outfits which succumbed to the VFL and WAFL last year, the South Adelaide vice-captain is well aware of what's at stake against the Vics from 2.40pm at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday. Originally from Clarence in Tasmania, the 23-year-old joins SANFL Media's Zac Milbank and The Advertiser's Andrew Capel to chat about his opportunity to represent his new State in the midfield alongside Magarey Medallist Tom Lewis, his ambitions with the Panthers in their 150th year and his flourishing career as golf course greenskeeper. Milbank and Capel also discuss the balance of the West End State Squad whilst also reviewing the opening two rounds of the Hostplus SANFL League.

Tune in to the latest edition of SANFL's exclusive podcast, Checkside Chats, to learn about the Bachar Houli Foundation. SANFL's Multicultural Participation Officer Amer El Hosni explains the Foundation's Mission and Vision whilst detailing how it operates in South Australia. BHF is providing opportunities for boys and girls from the Muslim Community to further themselves on and off the field in an elite environment. Two such examples are Zain Baroudi and Ayman Ismail, who have been South Australian members of the BHF Academy whilst also playing at SANFL clubs Glenelg and North Adelaide respectively. Ayman has been selected in the BHF's National Academy which will include regular training sessions in Melbourne before heading to Dubai later this year for a cultural experience.

Woodville-West Torrens might be coming from fourth spot to defend its SANFL U18 crown but star duo Jevan Phillipou and Jack Cook are up for the challenge. As the Eagles prepare to face Central District in Saturday's First Semi-Final, Phillipou and Cook declared they are excited to tackle the Bulldogs in a Grand Final rematch, after edging out their rivals last year. Starting at 1.30pm, it will be the second contest of a salivating SANFL U18 double-header at Unley, with minor premier Sturt to host the vastly-improved West Adelaide in the opener from 11am. Phillipou and Cook return to the Under-18 line-up after featuring as regulars in the Eagles' Hostplus SANFL League team in the second half of the minor round. Prior to that, Cook relished the chance to vice-captain the SA U18 team to its first national title since 2018 while Phillipou was forced to sit on the sidelines with a broken arm. Ironically, both of their fathers - Tim Cook and Sam Phillipou - were members of South Australia's victorious U17 Teal Cup winning team in 1991. Both players will be aiming to put their best foot forward during the major round as they also have one eye on testing themselves as the AFL Combines in October.

They are the queens of the Hostplus SANFLW League. South Adelaide has well and truly stamped itself as the dominant force in South Australian women's football, claiming its fourth title from six grand finals against Woodville-West Torrens. And now, best-on-ground Emma Charlton and acting captain Tiffany King detail the secrets to the Panthers success. Triple premiership coach Rick Watts has been a huge driver behind the success as has special motivational tools, such as one revealed on the bus journeying to the title-decider. Emma, just 17, details her hopes for the future such as following sister Teah into the AFLW while Tiffany, a sports psychologist, hasn't given up on her elite football dream.

The SA U18 team is flying. And a key feature of the Croweaters' performance at the 2025 Marsh AFL National Championships has been their unselfish nature of play. Sitting with a 3-0 win-loss record after victories against the Allies, Victoria Metro and Western Australia, SA can win its first title with a win against Victoria Country in Melbourne on Sunday June 29. Tune in to the latest edition of Checkside Chats to hear from SA U18 coach Tony Bamford about what makes the Class of 2025 so different while also hearing in-depth player-by-player analysis. Bamford discusses the progress of plenty of players, including captain Dyson Sharp, tall forwards Aidan Schubert, Cameron Nairn and Mitch Marsh, as well as Richmond father-son prospect Louis Kellaway.

It's every footballer's dream - kicking the winning goal after the final siren. But whether it becomes reality is another story. Not for Glenelg forward Kaitey Whittaker though, as she calmly slotted through her set shot to give the Tigers their first win of the Hostplus SANFLW League season in the club's 100th SANFLW appearance. Tune in to the latest edition of Checkside Chats to learn how the 21-year-old managed to soak up the pressure against the Bulldogs at Stratarama Stadium. Whittaker also tells of how her footy journey began in Darwin before packing up her bags an 18-year-old to pursue life as a professional footballer in Adelaide. Idolising Port Adelaide's Gemma Houghton, Whittaker - also known as Bling Bling due to her love of gold jewellery - is embracing the opportunity to also train alongside Houghton at Alberton whilst plying her trade at Brighton Road.

South Adelaide's Jaslynne Smith loves to fly under the radar but that comes to an end on Sunday when the triple Panthers' premiership defender becomes the first SANFLW League player to reach the magical 100-game milestone! Since her first game in Round 1 of 2017, the 24-year-old has been an ultra consistent member of South's back six, only missing one match due to illness. And even then, she only withdrew minutes before the first bounce! Jas chats with SANFL's Zac Milbank about playing with the boys at Kenilworth, before moving to mighty Morphy Park to learn from the likes of Ebony Marinoff. South's No.35, who played her first four SANFLW games with West Adelaide, will reach her magical milestone against Sturt at Thomas Farms Oval on Sunday morning.

The quality of recruits flowing into the Hostplus SANFL League continues to catch the eye. So there is no better way to analyse their arrival than by tuning in to the latest episode of Checkside Chats to get an in-depth preview of the Hostplus SANFL League with Andrew Capel. The veteran sports journalist from The Advertiser joins host Zac Milbank to cover player movement at each of the ten clubs whilst dissecting the likely Powerade Breakthrough Players in 2025. Round 1 kicks off on Friday March 28 so this is the ideal way to get the latest information heading into what promises to be a fascinating season of the Hostplus SANFL League.

Tune in to a special edition of Checkside Chats courtesy of APM Employment Services to learn about how the Croweaters fared at the AFL Open championship in Brisbane. SANFL Media's Zac Milbank sits down with APM SA Inclusion Coach Dave Couzner and Novita SA Wheelchair Football All-Australian Trevor Jarrett. Couzner, also the CEO of Woodville-West Torrens Football Club, tells of vital support APM Employment Services provides to the SA Inclusion team and as major sponsor of the APM SANFL Inclusive League, which now boasts more than 150 players. APM Employment Services helps thousands of Australians with a disability, injury or health condition find work whilst the football pathway plays a vital role in assisting the mental well-being for the players from seven clubs, with another to be added from Broadview in 2025. Jarrett speaks openly about how he started playing Wheelchair football while also flagging his interest in potentially coaching the Novita SA Wheelchair team in the future, as he has done successfully with the Eagles in the Novita SANFL Wheelchair Football League.

Ben and Lucas Camporeale might be able to finish off each other's sentence but they are also keen to forge their own identities as their footy careers begin to flourish. The Glenelg twins, sons of Carlton premiership great Scott Camporeale, certainly have their similarities but once you scratch the surfaces, their differences also become evident. Tune in to the latest edition of Checkside Chats to find out how they have driven one another to the point they are in the frame to be chosen as father-son selections by the Blues in November.

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