IN round five of the 2025 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) under 16s campaign, the South Broken Hill pair of Will Stephens and Campbell Day played their first games for North Adelaide at this level in 2025.
The pair donned the North Adelade jumpers against Central District at X Convenience Oval Elizabeth, in an Easter Thursday afternoon fixture that started at 3pm.
Stephens has previously played two games as a bottom-ager for the Roosters in 2024, while Day was making his debut in the SANFL underage competition.
It was a tough opening stanza for the duo, as North went down to the Bulldogs by 41 points, 14.11 (95) to 8.6 (54), after being 21 points in arrears at the long interval.
For both, they were playing their first competitive game of the ’25 season.
Stephens played both under 17s and a handful of reserves games for the Roos in the BHFL during ’24, being a member of the Senior Colts grand final team that went down to North Bulldogs, gaining a mention in the best players in that season decider.
Day played for both South and a couple of games with Wentworth in the neighbouring Sunraysia Football League competition during the 2024 season.
“Both this pair are in the GWS Academy in Broken Hill,” North Adelaide under 16s coach Jake Lynch confirmed.
“Will, who played a couple of times last season has added upper body strength and was stronger in the contest.
“He took a couple of nice contested marks and was good at protecting the ball drop.
“Will missed a portion of the ’24 campaign with a broken collar bone.
“Campbell is a raw defender who wants to learn.
“He will grow in his role as he adapted to the speed and physicality of SANFL underage football.”
Silver City footballers have a rich history, which goes back to pre-World War I days of travelling down to Adelaide and making a name for themselves in the SANFL competition of our national football code.
Both these Willyama High School students are expected to receive more opportunities in this program across the course of the 2025 season.
