By Peter Ryan
The proliferation of academy and father-son prospects at the top end of the draft pool has increased the likelihood that the No.1 pick will not land at the club that picks him for just the second time in the national draft’s history.
Gold Coast’s Zeke Uwland, the Brisbane Lions’ Daniel Annable, Sydney pair Max King and Noah Chamberlain are all potential top-10 picks. All five AFL recruiters this masthead spoke to on the condition of anonymity placed the Queensland pair among their top-five picks at the very early stages of 2025.
Early predictions suggest Gippsland Power midfielder Willem Duursma and Calder Cannons ruck-forward Cooper Duff-Tytler will be picked up early in this year’s AFL draft.Credit: Getty
Of course, if they are to join the club they have trained with as part of the academy, those clubs will need to match any bid made by other clubs under tougher rules introduced ahead of this year’s draft.
Available in the open pool, and with the potential to be the No.1 pick, are Gippsland Power midfielder Willem Duursma and Calder Cannons ruck-forward Cooper Duff-Tytler.
Duursma is the younger brother of Essendon wingman Xavier, North Melbourne forward Zane and Carlton AFLW player Jasmine. Duff-Tytler was an outstanding junior basketballer who decided to focus on football and has impressed recruiters with his skill.
On current ladder positions, West Coast, Essendon and Hawthorn hold the top three picks, with one of the Bombers’ two first-round picks tied to Melbourne and Hawthorn’s first pick tied to Carlton in 2025.
The Bombers could inflict further misery on the Demons if they upset them in Gather Round. Richmond have picks four and six while Essendon holds pick five.
The good news for Bombers’ fans is that their NGA prospect Archie Sweid is in good form with the Calder Cannons.
West Australian Cody Curtin, brother of Adelaide’s Dan, is also considered a mover, having starred in one early match this season before being quieter in his second match.
Oakleigh Chargers pair, midfielder Sam Grlj and ruckman Louis Emmett, are also considered top prospects, although it remains rare for clubs to take ruckmen at the top of the national draft.
Melbourne premiership player Luke Jackson, who now plays with Fremantle, was the exception to that rule when the Demons took him with pick No.3 in the 2019 national draft.
Central Districts’ midfielder Dyson Sharp divides opinion and Sandringham’s Archie Ludowyke has been a staple among the draft pool’s best prospects.
Good old Collingwood
Against the Blues last Thursday night, Collingwood fielded the oldest team in the history of the AFL/VFL as they continue to strive full-tilt for a flag. Only three players in the team – including competition superstar Nick Daicos – were under 25.
The record surpassed Geelong’s 2022 premiership team, which was the previous oldest team ever to take the field. Unlike Collingwood, that Cats team had seven players under 25. Eighteen of the 23 premiership players are still on the Cats’ list.
Pendlebury and Sidebottom have played more games together than any other pair in the game’s historyCredit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Three years on, four players from that team have retired – Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins, Zach Tuohy and Isaac Smith – and Brandan Parfitt, who replaced the injured Max Holmes in the team, was delisted at the end of 2024.
However, the unusual list profile means that many Collingwood players remain uncertain of their future beyond this season.
Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Jeremy Howe, Mason Cox, Brody Mihocek, Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Tom Mitchell are out of contract at season’s end. Jack Crisp and recent recruit Tim Membrey are the only Magpies who have already turned 30 who have a deal for 2026.
Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Howe were all in excellent form against the Blues, while Mihocek and Elliott played crucial roles inside their team’s forward 50 metres. Pendlebury has played 407 matches, just 25 short of equalling Brent Harvey’s AFL games record.
For Mihocek, who signed his previous two extensions before entering the year out of contract, being out of contract at the end of this season is an unfamiliar position.
The valuable premiership forward, who has kicked 236 goals in 140 games for the Magpies since making his debut in 2018 as a 25-year-old rookie, wants to play on in 2025 but knows the club will be in no rush to lock down those premiership veterans early in the season.
At 32, he is the sixth-oldest player on the list, but remains a player who is vital to their structure with his willingness to provide a contest and, apart from a blip against the Blues, kick straight.
Brody Mihocek is a highly regarded forward.Credit: via Getty Images
He said his body was feeling strong and the birth of his baby boy, Arthur, has him finding new ways to recover as he embarks on another season as a battering ram.
“I have been quite lucky to get two- or three-year contracts, and now I honestly just want to play,” Mihocek said. “There is no real thought to [next year]. I love the club and want to keep going.”
It means the Magpies have the flexibility to shift their list profile depending on the performance of the veterans.
At the other end of the list, only four players aged under 25 are out of contract at the end of this season, with Ed Allan, Jakob Ryan and three players chosen in last year’s national draft contracted until 2026. They have played three matches between them so far. Tew Jiath, Ned Long, Harvey Harrison, Harry DeMattia, Beau McCreery and the injured Reef McInnes have signed until 2027. Nick Daicos is locked in until 2029. Finlay Macrae, Oscar Steene, Wil Parker, Iliro Smit and Charlie Dean are the youngsters out of contract at the end of the season.
If the Magpies do want to secure top-end talent in the draft next season, they might have to look at trading one of their heart-and-soul players or a player in contract.
Collingwood could receive an end-of-first-round pick if free agent Brayden Maynard decided to leave (or was not offered a contract matching his ability). They are keen to retain high performing ruckman Darcy Cameron beyond his contract, which ends in 2026, but they will need to assure him he will be fairly compensated, as opposition clubs are monitoring him.
Was it really a choice?
Collingwood Football club might be an attractive destination for many Australian youngsters dreaming of a career as a professional athlete, but the Magpies are no match for the NBA.
Florida’s Alex Condon played in the NCAA Championship finalCredit: AP
And that’s why it looks like they will miss out on securing basketballer Alex Condon, who was part of the Florida Gators US national college basketball championship winning team.
The Magpies had an agreement with Condon that he would be added to their category B rookie list if and when he decided his tilt at a basketball career was over.
However, his brilliant form with the Gators which culminated in Tuesday’s win, has him almost certain to be drafted to the NBA, either this year or next.
If that happens, well, we doubt Collingwood list manager Justin Leppitsch would have powers of persuasion good enough to make him a Magpie.
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