SANFL v VFL – A Review
On Saturday, representative teams selected from the VFL and the SANFL, respectively, played what turned out to be a ripping game – quite possibly the best game of Gather Round. Sadly, it will have likely been the least-watched of them all.
After six lead changes, the VFL pulled off the win by just five-points, defeating the SANFL 15.13 (103) to 98 (14.14). If you have time (and a 7plus account), the recording of the game is well worth a watch – and if not, perhaps this review will convince you to watch next year’s SANFL v VFL game, or to check out what the state leagues have to offer this season.
Why Should I Care?
If you already follow the VFL or the SANFL, you probably already care. If not, perhaps the high scores and narrow final margin are enough of an answer for you. If not, read on.
Professional sport is a funny thing. On one hand, playing a contact sport comes with real danger, and the players deserve to be compensated in proportion to what fans are willing to pay. Then, too, when sport is a full-time job, the top players are able to approach the limits of what the human body can do, which is incredible to watch. On the other hand, there are real trade-offs between professionalism and the romanticism that often attracts people to sport in the first place. Sometimes, it can seem like players are just there for the pay cheque. Loyalty between players and clubs is often less important than money. And of course there’s the AFL administration itself, trying to squeeze every cent it can out of the game (Wildcard Round, anyone?) and making decisions based on optics at the expense of the sport’s long-term health. Granted, caring about state league footy, particularly the VFL, may make you even angrier at the AFL administration. But there are plenty of positives, too.
No state league player can plausibly be accused of just turning up to collect a pay cheque. They are paid, but most of them could make more money in local footy. Some do, understandably, move to local footy when they conclude they aren’t likely to be drafted. But others stay because they love their club and their teammates and because they want to keep playing at the highest level they can. As for the appeal of the SANFL v VFL game specifically, it features the top players from each league setting out to prove their league is the stronger one.
As far as supporter experience goes, the state leagues have something to offer there as well. The smaller venues make it easier to get close to the action. Supporters of AFL clubs often complain about the constant music and announcements at AFL games; while there may be music and announcements at state league games, they’re quieter, and it’s easier to have conversations during the breaks. During the week, since the media barely pays attention to the state leagues, there are no clickbait headlines or efforts to create drama. Certainly, it’s possible to tune out the AFL media, and a bit more coverage of the actual state league games would be welcome. But there’s still something to be said for watching a game knowing that no one will try to get fake drama out of it for clicks. Yes, the game is slower-paced at state level than at AFL level. But it’s still footy, with players giving it everything they have, and with less of the weirdness that surrounds the professional game. I was going to say the professionally run game, but, well, the word “professional” has two meanings, and the complimentary one isn’t suited to the way the AFL operates.
Setting the Scene
The selected teams for each side were as follows:
SANFL
B: Cooper Murley (4), Will Coomblas (19), Oscar Clavarino (23)
HB: Jonty Scharenberg (3), Zac Becker (24), Luca Whitelum (16)
C: Frank Szekely (1), Tom Lewis (12), Matt Allen (22)
HF: Sam Conforti (5), Tom Scully (27), Tom Emmett (17)
F: Lachie Hosie (20), Liam McBean (10), Max Beattie (6)
R: Amos Doyle (25), Baynen Lowe (13), Oliver Davis (14)
INT: Finn Heard (21), Kobe Ryan (9), Jed McEntee (11), Aaron Francis (18), Martin Frederick (7)
VFL
B: Luke Parks (12), Ryan Eyers (25), Jackson Voss (13)
HB: Louis Pinnuck (9) [C], Jesse Clark (38), Riley Bonner (26)
C: Kye Declase (24), Dom Brew (2), Jack Billings (15)
HF: Jack Riding (37), Mitch Podhajski (32), Jed Hagan (3)
F: James Tarrant (28), Hugh Dixon (29), Jaidyn Stephenson (14)
R: Brayden Crossley (35), James Bell (4), Zac Foot (10)
INT: Hugo Hall-Kahan (6), Charlie Clarke (8), Jackson Hately (16), Corey Ellison (30), Harvey Hooper (23)
Liam McBean (Glenelg) captained the SANFL, and Louis Pinnuck (Werribee) was the VFL captain. Interestingly, the Werribee captain, Dom Brew, also featured in the state team, but Pinnuck’s captaincy rewarded him for being last year’s Frank Johnson medallist – the VFL’s best player against the SANFL. Sturt’s Martin Mattner coached the SANFL side, while Frankston’s Jackson Kornberg coached the VFL side. 9 of the VFL players had previously played for the state team, and 11 of the SANFL players had represented their league before.
The 2024 game was decided by a 14-point margin in favour of the SANFL, and the 2025 game was an 11-point win to the VFL.
The Game Itself
The score progression shows that the SANFL side led at every change, but the game was close throughout, and the VFL side came away with the win:
SANFL 5.4 7.9 12.10 14.14 (98)
VFL 3.3 7.8 11.11 15.13 (103)
The first five minutes or so were among the scrappiest of the game. After that, play became generally fast and open on both sides. While the SANFL side should probably have held a bigger lead at quarter time, the final score is a good reflection of the overall play. Anyone who didn’t know that the teams were representative sides likely wouldn’t guess that they were each was composed of players from multiple different clubs – eight clubs for the SANFL side, 15 for the VFL side. Each set of players combined well.
The SANFL side got off to a strong start in all respects but goalkicking, with the first three scores being behinds to South Australia. The first VFL inside 50 didn’t come until 5:29 into the first quarter. And then good defence by Jonty Scharenberg (Glenelg) and Aaron Francis (Norwood), who seems rejuvenated by his SANFL career after stints at Essendon and Sydney, sent it back out almost immediately. But despite the SANFL dominating the possession count, it was Victoria who kicked the first two goals through Mitch Podhajski (Coburg) and James Tarrant (North Melbourne VFL).
Tarrant was a late in for Brodie McLaughlin (Box Hill), who last year led the VFL goalkicking playing for Williamstown. McLaughlin was unable to play because of problems arising from the foot injury that put an early end to his bid for an SSP spot at Hawthorn. Particularly given that McLaughlin kicked 4.0 against the SANFL last season, it was great for the VFL to see Tarrant stepping up with an early goal. He finished with 2.1, which, in a game decided by five points, is more than enough to make him worthy of his place in the side. And Podhajski led all comers for scoring, finishing with 4.1.
It was Kobe Ryan (West Adelaide) who finally kicked the SANFL’s first goal of the game, after receiving a handball from Lachie Hosie (Glenelg). Tom Scully (West Adelaide – not to be confused with the former Melbourne, GWS, and Hawthorn player) had an impressive first quarter, kicking two goals against Luke Parks (Williamstown), one of the VFL’s top defenders. Scully’s second goal came from a remarkable round-the-corner kick on the run as he evaded a tackle attempt. After that first quarter, though, the Vics tightened up on him defensively, with some good efforts by Parks. Scully finished with a total of 3.1 for the game. He was still the SANFL side’s leading goalkicker for the game, but preventing him from continuing to get off the chain as easily as he did in the first quarter was important to the VFL’s victory.
While I’m talking about forwards, I should mention Jed Hagan (Tasmania), who, just over 14 minutes into the 2nd quarter, ran into the path of the oncoming Oscar Claverino (South Adelaide) and took a knee to the ribs as he marked the ball. Hagan had already kicked two goals; this shot resulted in only a behind. But that shouldn’t detract from the quality of the mark, which showed the kind of toughness that people come to the footy to see. He got his ribs strapped and wasn’t able to return to the game after halftime, but he’d played his role with 2.1 and a mark that belongs on any highlights reel for this game.
The ruck battle between Brayden Crossley (Southport) and Amos Doyle (Sturt) was great to watch. Crossley is widely considered the best ruckman in the VFL – except, oddly enough, by the selectors for the VFL Team of the Year. Out of the three games he’s played this season and the 18 games he played in 2025, there have been a mere five occasions in which he did not lead the hitouts. Little wonder, then, that he’s been selected for the state representative side three years running. But Sturt’s Amos Doyle, who made his representative debut in this game, has a similar record. Out of two games so far this season and 18 games in 2025, he too led the hitouts all but five times – and on one of those five occasions, he was still joint leader, with a teammate equalling him. So I was very interested to see their clash. Doyle got on top early and ultimately won the hitouts 26 to 24. Doyle also managed four clearances, while Crossley had one. Their hitout numbers ended up being close, but it’s Doyle’s 2.1 that decide the contest in his favour, with Crossley not hitting the scoreboard. Being the dominant ruckman while up against a player of Crossley’s calibre definitely makes Doyle one of the SANFL’s best for the game. His first goal did come from a kick that was not exactly a textbook example of good kicking style, but the stats sheet doesn’t record how pretty a kick for goal was, only if it went through or not – and this one went through!
The South Australian midfield was on top early. Baynen Lowe (Norwood) was particularly good in the first half. 2025 Magarey medallist Tom Lewis (Sturt) was the most dominant midfielder over the course of the whole game, including an 11-disposal last quarter as he tried to get his side over the line. But the VFL midfield stepped up in the second half, with Dom Brew (Werribee), Harvey Hooper (Giants VFL), and Jackson Hately (Essendon VFL) all having strong second half performances. Hooper was Port Melbourne’s captain before a move to Sydney took him to the Giants’ VFL side. I would say that his performance in this game reminded Port Melbourne supporters how good he is, but there was never any danger they’d forget.
One moment in the fourth quarter illustrated the importance of noticing when an umpire has paid advantage and not automatically stopping to wait for the free kick. Corey Ellison (Frankston) was awarded a free kick for being held without the ball. VFL teammate Charlie Clarke (Port Melbourne) started to play on, thought better of it, turned to return the ball to Ellison – and realised the umpire had already paid advantage, leaving him with no choice but to take the shot. The SANFL players were waiting for the free kick to be paid, and although one noticed him playing on in time to attempt a smother, Clarke was just barely fast enough to get his kick away for his second goal of the game.
At 26:11 in the fourth quarter, with the VFL leading by 11, Matthew Allen (Glenelg) kicked his second goal of the game to put the SANFL side within 5 points. Some great defensive efforts by the VFL players sealed the win for their side in the desperate last few minutes, including a mark inside defensive 50 by Jackson Voss (Frankston), another one to Pinnuck, and a spoil by Parks.
In Conclusion
Riley Bonner (Casey) won the Frank Johnson medal for best VFL player after collecting 32 disposals, 11 rebound 50s, and 6 inside 50s. He stood up well when the SANFL were getting repeat inside 50s and was a deserving winner. Other top performers for the VFL include Mitch Podhajski with his 4.1 and Dom Brew with 19 disposals, nine tackles, and two goals. Jack Billings (Footscray) and Zac Foot (Southport) are worthy of mention as well.
Tom Lewis won the Fos Williams medal for best SANFL player for his disposals, seven tackles, and five inside 50s. Probably the best performer in the game across all four quarters, he was the clear front-runner for the medal. I’ve already mentioned Doyle’s excellent game in the ruck. Scharenberg was a strong performer in defence throughout, finishing with 22 disposals. Luca Whitelum (Central District) also worked hard in defence as the VFL side increasingly dominated territory in the second half. Midfielder Oliver Davis (South Adelaide) deserves mention as well.
In the end, there was very little separating the two sides. The VFL side was very slightly more accurate in kicking for goal and was also more polished in the dying stages of the game. It was another great contest between two representative sides that were very evenly matched, and we can hope to see a game of similar quality again next season.