SADA 2025 Winter Season Preview

24 July 2025 (updated 28 July 2025)

By Daniel Bryant

Words and odds below are the opinion of the writer and not SADA as a whole. No actual bets will be taken!

PREM A – Paradise Knights on course again

On paper, the Prem A season looks like it will be all about the Paradise Knights once again but they may find the going a little tougher this time.

Paradise Knights won all 20 matches last season and have retained their three big guns in Danny Porter, Karl Schaefer and Aaron Delvendiep, who would have finished in the top 3 spots of the new Ron Miller MVP Award had it been running. If new recruit Ben Hooper gels in the side, and Porter and Schaefer play every match as they did last season, they may be capable of not only going back-to-back but having another unbeaten season.

Any slips in their form or line-up though and there are teams capable of pouncing as at least five teams below them have strengthened their squad. 

Suvners will go into the season with plenty of confidence after their superb finals series that saw them win two pressure-filled matches before eventually succumbing to the Knights in the Grand Final. Furthering the case for  the boys from down south is the addition of Andrew Conroy to their side after the demise of the All Nighters. They are yet to take on the Knights with their best line-up and now their best line-up just got better.

Parafield Bulls Hitters, formerly the Paradise Pigs, have pulled a recruiting masterstroke by adding one of the state’s best players in Scott Hallett, as well as current state player Alex Brackstone to their squad. If the new pair play every week alongside big hitter Gary Kennedy and state captain Mark Edwards, they have the firepower to not only challenge the Knights but win the title.

Cobras Gold were arguably the surprise packets of the 2025 Summer Season by finishing second after the regular season on the back of recruiting Luke Bottrell and Paul Linke. This season they have also added Joe Covino from the former Pigs, and with reliable leader Adrian Spain they will be in the mix for a third successive finals appearance.

Bin Chickens, formerly MVPs, are capable of returning to the form from 2024 that took them all the way to the Winter Season title. Captain Adam Leek has been in some of the best form of his career recently and may be ready to spoil Porter and Schaefer’s stranglehold on the league’s top averages. If Lleyton Pugh gets back to his 2024 self, watch out for the new Chooks.

Toon Squad were minor premiers in the 2024 Winter Season less than a year ago but were found short of players in their first final and the same issue of player availability plagued their 2025 Summer Season. This season, reigning Dennis Nolan Medal winner Kosta Koutrikas will sure up their numbers and make them a stronger side. And if they get Aaron Sims back regularly, anything is possible.

Outsiders and Cobras Black will start the season as the… err… outsiders. Rhys Gurd has departed the Outsiders and new skipper Kevin McMahon has recruited Luke and Dave Hall, along with a fresh face from the Southern Darts League. Cobras Black are stacked with up and comers in darts, with master recruiter Jacques Wadey adding another teenager this season in Daniel Hibbert from the Loonies.

Speculative Prem A Winter Season 2025 odds

Paradise Knights $2.50
Suvners $5
Parafield Bulls Hitters $5
Cobras Gold $12
Bin Chickens $15
Toon Squad $15
Outsiders $31
Cobras Black $51

PREM B – Contenders aplenty in Premier B

Premier B shapes as the most wide-open contest for a SADA premiership even though it has another reigning champion who went through last season undefeated. 

The Usual Suspects dominated last season including proving their big game capabilities by winning their two finals comprehensively to claim the Prem B title. They would have gone up to Prem A had SADA not opted for a reduction in Prem A teams to add a third division. The Suspects will face tougher opposition this season but with the same five players for the third season in a row, there’s every chance they’ll be right up there again come finals time.

The Black Knights will renew rivalries with the Usual Suspects having beaten them two seasons ago in the Winter 2024 Grand Final which earned them promotion to Premier A. Back in Premier B now, the Black Knights have retained Terry Smith (captain), Costa Mavris and Sotiri Vassiliou from their winning season, and have the additions of Paul Bell, Diesel Owen, and Roger Lee.

Dart Vaders look set for their best season yet after two finals appearances in the past two seasons. The Vaders have brought Kevin Burckett in to their regular line-up, who has averaged better than 19 in his handful of SADA matches, to give them four pretty highly rated players. Vaders captain Pete Russo takes his darts recruiting seriously and with Burckett joining Geoff Matthews, Sam Zacharopoulos and himself, he may have found the winning formula.

The Blackhawks will be back looking to go one better after their runner-up finish last season. Whether captain Mark Deacon settles on five players or continues to switch between a squad of six as he did late last season will be an interesting watch. Word is John Powell will continue to be a regular after joining the Blackhawks with six games to go and rocketing himself into 3rd on the league averages list.

The Rebels will have momentum on their side to start the season, after all five players spent this week in Queensland as part of the SA Ladies state team. If they can translate that form to SADA they will again be right around the mark to make finals as they did last season. 

The Hornets were on the borderline between staying in Premier B and joining the new Premier C so will no doubt have their eyes on making the finals to avoid any possibility of relegation. With reigning Peter Gibson Medallist Alan Towns and last season’s 5th best average player Ian King in their side, they are capable of giving all the Prem B sides a run for their money.

Speculative Prem B Winter Season 2025 odds

The Usual Suspects $3.50
Black Knights $4.50
Dart Vaders $5
Blackhawks $7
Rebels $21
Hornets $21

PREM C – Dingoes stand out in Premier C

The new Premier C has a clear favourite win promotion to Premier B next year but there will be sides looking to make it as hard as they can for the super-experienced Dingoes to go up.

Last season, the Maid of Auckland Dingoes finished at least four and a half wins better off than all of their competitors for this season. In Lee Cole, the Dingoes had clearly the best player in Premier B and he will no doubt be even more dominant (if that’s possible) in Premier C. And if Alan Widen and the rest of the Dingoes find their best form as well, the Dingoes are capable of winning the league even without Cole.

DartsHolics had a case of close but not quite in so many of their matches in their first season but we can see them getting plenty more of those third leg wins in their second season. Jacky Fong is likely to be second to only Lee Cole in the league’s averages, and that star power will mean they are competitive in every match they play. Look for the rise of the likes of Ryan Lam and Raphael Ling, who look ready to be 16+ average players this season.

The Dartaroos have a new name – Madhouse – and although they managed just the one win last season and none the previous season, we are confident this will be their breakout season. Lachlan Stock has joined the Madhouse and averaged better than 18 in his two SADA games so far, threw two 180s in the handicap singles, and dominated a recent WADA satellite league. Teaming up with Madhouse captain Alex Brow, they are sure to be a force in Premier C.

The Lion Kings may be new to SADA but they are no strangers to success as four of their squad were part of a WADA premiership in that league’s top division last year. They may not have the firepower across the board to match the top side in Premier C this season but it would not be a shock to see them make the finals. 

The Loonies showed plenty of potential last season without being able to get any consistency in their game. Mick Coombs makes them a very competitive side when he plays and there will be more wins from Caitlynn Ainsworth this season who has excellent technique and has matched it with some of the best players in Prem B. If they front up every week, they’ll be in with a chance of making finals.

The Hustlers season wasn’t helped by captain Ron Andrews being forced to switch to throwing left-handed and the off-season has been equally unkind by losing their highest average player to work commitments. Under new skipper Simon Krieg, we are sure we will see the green shoots for the Hustlers future. If he can get them to the finals, it would be a huge achievement. 

Speculative Prem C Winter Season 2025 odds

MOA Dingoes $1.70
DartsHolics $6
Madhouse $8
Lion Kings $15
Loonies $21
Hustlers $31