South Aussie Select

Less than a week remains until the 2026 AFL Draft and Woodville-West Torrens defender Mitch Harris has little idea when he will have his name called inside the top 10.

South Australia's ''rapid riser'' of this year's Draft crop has been tipped to be selected as early as pick No.4 to Melbourne whilst also possibly landing at Sydney with pick No.6.

Speaking on the South Aussie Select podcast, the 196cm backman said he was excited to be joining No.1 contender Dougie Cochrane as the two Croweaters invited to Melbourne for the first round of the Draft on Thursday November 19.

Harris, who opted to pursue Australian Football despite a promising basketball future, spoke to 16 of the 18 AFL Clubs whilst being sidelined by an ankle injury for the AFL National Combine last month.

Likening his game to Brisbane Lions premiership captain Harris Andrews and emerging Geelong defender Connor O'Sullivan, Harris revealed that he spent a large portion of junior career playing as a midfielder before a sudden growth-spurt in his 16th year.

This, together with time spent as point guard in bastketball, has ensured he has become adept at distributing the ball nicely by foot whilst also reading the drop of the Sherrin to either take an intercept mark or get a timely fist in a marking contest.

The avid Crows fan knows he's a long shot to still be on the board come Adelaide's first selection at No.15 but he is well-prepared to start his career interstate having lived in the boarding house at Prince Alfred College.

Originally from Kadina at the top of Yorke Peninsula, Harris loves nothing more than getting his hands dirty while helping during harvest on the family farm, much like his no-frills style of play with the Eagles in the AAMI Talent League and Hostplus SANFL League this year.

Perspective is something South Adelaide's Archie Van Dyk has a very firm grip on in life.

Each time the Panthers midfielder steps on to the field, his boots display the initials of two of his closest friends.

Khai Cowley, who tragically passed away in a shark attack, shared a love of Port Adelaide with Van Dyk while Tom Landrigan passed from an aggressive form of cancer.

On the latest edition of South Aussie Select, the 18-year-old declared he has more than enough inspiration as he continues to play in their honour.

And it's also why his frustrations due to a troublesome back injury - which effectively wiped out the first half of his 2026 campaign - pale in comparison.

Revealing he's had a sudden growth spurt to reach 190cm this year, the big-bodied ball magnet has modelled his game on Crows captain Jordan Dawson while also idolising two of his Power favourites in Connor Rozee and Ollie Wines.

The Port Noarlunga product gained plenty from his two Hostplus SANFL League appearances late in the season while also putting all of his impressive attributes on display whilst claiming the Bob Lee Medal as best afield in the 2026 Reserves Grand Final.

An extremely keen surfer who has taught himself how to play guitar, Van Dyk has been tipped to be selected in the second or third round of this month's AFL Draft.

Ethan Herbert is a top-of-the-class student in more ways than one.

The emerging North Adelaide ruck loves nothing more than studying the best bigmen in the AFL, particularly their craft at the centre bounces.

And as an avid Crows fan who attends every home match at Adelaide Oval, he has enjoyed watching the sudden rise of Lachlan McAndrew in 2026.

Fremantle star Luke Jackson is another he has observed closely, aiming to emulate the Melbourne premiership player with his exceptional clean hands at ground level.

Off the field, Herbert - preparing for his Year 12 exams at St Peter's College - has his sights set on reaching an ATAR in excess of 95 so he can pursue a degree in Law and Commerce.

It sums up the high-achieving AAMI SA U18 vice-captain, who relished going head-to-head with highly-rated Victorian ruck prospect Harry Van Hattam at the AFL National Championships.

Working closely with Roosters U18 coach Nick Liddle, Herbert has also been refining his craft as a tall marking option inside attacking 50m.

It is this flexibility which he hopes will ensure he has his name called at the AFL Draft on November 19-20, potentially by his beloved Crows in the mid 30-40s region.

Dougie Cochrane is set to be in unique South Australian company but you wouldn't know it.

The athletic utility is poised to become just the sixth Croweater to be chosen with the first pick in the AFL Draft, joining the likes of Jason Horne-Francis (2021) and Bryce Gibbs (2006).

But the laidback 18-year-old is often smiling and laughing as he waits to almost certainly join Port Adelaide at the AFL Draft on November 19.

Speaking on the South Aussie Select podcast, the 195cm talent declared his knee is ''tracking along well'' as he gets a headstart on pre-season training at Alberton.

In a wide-ranging chat, Cochrane tells of how he dealt with the frustration of missing the majority of the season following his knee surgery, learning plenty about coaching and development in his role as vice-captain of the AAMI SA U18 team.

The son of former North Melbourne and Power utility Stuart Cochrane also speaks openly about the inspiration he has drawn from his father, who has been bravely battling leukemia.

Declaring his dad is the ''most brave person in my life'', Dougie revealed he thought there were times during his childhood that he might pass away.

Boasting an impressive natural leap, ability to read the play and a booming kick, there aren't many eye-catching attributes Cochrane doesn't have.

Stating his best spot is currently as a forward, Cochrane - who paid tribute to Central District for his development as a junior - also revealed his ambition to be a midfielder once he refines his craft in an elite environment.

He's spoken to as many as 16 AFL clubs and has little idea where he sits in the Draft order but that doesn't fuss Kodah Edwards as he continues to make a positive impression.

South Adelaide's dynamic midfielder was unable to test at the National Combine due to a bout of the flu but he recovered strongly to post personal best times in the 20m Sprint (2.906 seconds) and Agility Test (8.182 seconds) at the State Combine last weekend.

Speaking on the first edition of South Aussie Select for 2026, Edwards revealed his stint in the preseason with Port Adelaide was invaluable as he learned from Zak Butters to fine tune one of his key strengths - breaking away from stoppages.

An Essendon fan, the 18-year-old is confident he can eventually blossom into a clearance-winning midfielder but will likely start his AFL journey as a powerful high half-forward.

The WIllunga product got the perfect insight into this role while in his five Hostplus SANFL League games for the Panthers, in which he averaged 15 disposals, four marks and two clearances while looking comfortable against seasoned opponents.

Leadership has also been a strong suit for Edwards, who has performed roles as the AAMI SA U18 captain and South Adelaide's skipper in the AAMI Talent League this season.

A keen golfer who had his first job at the local course, Edwards is aiming to study teaching alongside whatever he achieves with his burgeoning football career.

Woodville-West Torrens' Imogen Trengove is a natural-born leader and all-round athlete.

Growing up in the country, Trengove played almost every sport under the sun, but the decision to give footy a go four years ago has well and truly paid off.

It was a massive 2025 campaign for the 18-year-old as she captained the SA U18 girls' side, was selected in the U18 All-Australian team and won the 2025 SANFLW Powerade Breakthrough Player Award.

On this episode of South Aussie Select, Trengove delves into growing up on the Yorke Peninsula, her ambitions to study medicine at university, and how she decided to pursue football ahead of other sports including tennis.

The countdown to the 2025 Telstra AFLW Draft is well and truly on.

In this episode of South Aussie Select, SANFL Talent Manager – Female Programs, Robbie Neill, and SANFL Talent Coordinator – Female Programs, Bek McMahon, provide an insight into South Australia’s draft prospects for 2025.

The duo reflects on the 2025 Marsh U18 Girls National Championships, the value of strong leaders within the playing group and gives a deep dive into some of SA’s best hopes for the AFLW Draft.

Neill and McMahon also chat about the new SANFL High Performance Centre and how the new state-of-the-art facility will benefit the SANFL underage programs.

Seven first-round picks and 14 selections overall.

It was a massive 2025 AFL Draft haul from a SANFL perspective as a record was set for most first-round choices from South Australia.

And for the last time this year, SA U18 coach Tony Bamford provides great insight into the Croweaters now training with their clubs at elite level.

Speaking on South Aussie Select, Bamford said Sam Cumming (Richmond) and Dyson Sharp (Essendon) would have excellent opportunities to thrive in their respective midfield units.

He was chuffed that three Bulldogs - Cameron Nairn, Aidan Schubert and Matt LeRay - all landed at Hawthorn, hinting that AFL clubs recruiting multiple players from the same club could become more common in future.

Adelaide fans will be eager to hear of his thoughts on Mitchell Marsh's fit with the Crows, likening his initial link up role to that of former Crow Tom Lynch, such is his impressive aerobic capacity.

He offers sage advice to Swans draftee Jevan Phillipou while hailing the standard of the Hostplus SANFL League in having three classy mature-agers - Latrelle Pickett (Melbourne), Billy Cootee (Sydney) and Angus Anderson (Collingwood) - selected.

Bamford also provides a look forward to the crop of 2026, giving listeners an idea of the players to watch next year including Dougie Cochrane, Kodah Edwards, Archie Van Dyk, Ethan Herbert and Gabe Patterson.

Could we see a late bolter suddenly becoming the first South Australian selected at the 2025 AFL Draft?

Now is the time to get the South Australian late mail with less than 48 hours remaining until the highly-anticipated roll call of the nation's best talent in Melbourne.

On the latest edition of South Aussie Select, The Advertiser’s Andrew Capel discusses the prospect of North Adelaide's Sam Cumming being the first Croweater taken, potentially by Richmond.

SA U18 captain and Larke Medallist, Dyson Sharp, has widely been thought of as the first SA player to have his name called, with the expectation he slips no lower than Essendon's choices inside the top 10.

Capel also provides excellent insight into this year’s Croweater crop, listing those who could be available for the Crows' first selection at No.16 and Port's opening call at No.49.