2023 West End State Squad Reduced

By ZAC MILBANK

Sturt’s Patrick Wilson won’t play in Friday’s Kia State Game after deciding to accept a two-match ban from the SANFL Match Review Panel.

Wilson, who was originally named in the reduced 26-man West End State squad, has opted to take an early guilty plea for striking Adelaide’s Kieran Strachan on Saturday, ruling him out of lining up for the Croweaters at Adelaide Oval.

His absence comes on top of North Adelaide’s Harrison Wigg (ankle) and South Adelaide’s Mitch O’Neill (shoulder) being ruled out with injury, with the final 23-man team to be announced via the SANFL website on Thursday.

To be coached by Norwood premiership mentor Jade Rawlings for the first time, South Australia still boasts a formidable midfield brigade featuring the likes of Magarey Medal favourite Mitch Hardie, clearance-winner Brett Turner and tackling-machine Tom Lewis.

North’s Frank Szekely and Sturt’s Martin Frederick will provide plenty of dash on the wings while the ruck duties are set to be shared by Jack Oatey Medallist Harry Boyd and goal-kicking bigman Connor Ballenden.

It will be the 98th time South Australia has met Western Australia, with a remarkable 49-48 win-loss record in favour of the hosts.

The Kia State Game will begin at 3:10pm on Friday, May 19 as a curtain-raiser to the Port Adelaide v Melbourne AFL match.

South Australia will be looking to claim its fourth Haydn Bunton Junior Cup in succession, having defeated WA on the previous three occasions in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

The match will be streamed live and free on SANFL Now and the AFL Live Official App and AFL.com.au, as well as a live radio broadcast on 1629 SEN SA and the SEN App.