Ammo on SANFL radar
A DOMINANT display across halfback for the BFL in this year’s interleague game has earned Geelong Amateur big man Wade McSparron a trial with SANFL club South Adelaide at the end of the month.
The Panthers, who finished a game outside the top five in 2019, sent one of their interstate talent scouts to the much-hyped clash with the GDFL in May.
Following an eye-catching display, McSparron’s name was put forward as a player of interest.
Having formed part of a rock solid defence at Ammos in recent seasons, McSparron was a key plank for the BFL and led his team superbly, gathering 22 possessions, seven marks, four inside-50s and 10 rebound-50s, as well as registering a game-high 103 fantasy points.
South Adelaide coach Jarrad Wright told the Geelong Advertiser he was confident the club had identified a player with plenty of upside.
“I haven’t viewed the game, but it is coming through entrusted networks that we have gone through before,” Wright said.
“The talent identification has been pretty strong through these eyes, so there is certainly some trust there and there was enough in the way he has played to say he has upside.
“I think being a strongly built and sized player they are not always easy to find, so we will get him down and put him through his paces in our environment.
“It will certainly be a change of scenery in terms of where has been playing and the level but it will give him an understanding of where he is at as well.”
McSparron made his senior debut as a teenager in 2015 and has since established himself as a lock in the Ammos backline.
Wright said the emerging tall would be given all the tools to take his game to a new level if both player and club were happy to commit.
“We have had some conversations with Wade and he is going to come over on November 25 for a week to train and look at the surroundings and then we will both make a decision from there,” he said.
“He has got to look at whether he wants to move his life over to South Australia and try to develop himself even further, so if the decision is made that we are keen to get him across it won’t be coming in to try out, he will be here for the year and we will work with Wade.
“Hopefully his football develops and he can play some senior football at South Adelaide.
“From our intel and the network we have around Australia, he is a bit of a late committer to football and a late developer, but certainly this year he has shown some really good ability with his football and he has informed us he is keen to commit and improve his football further at a professional level.”
South Adelaide has links to Geelong, with former South Barwon premiership captain Anthony Biemans moving to the Panthers from Port Adelaide at the end of 2017.