AFL Draft 2025: News, scouting notes, exclusive stats from U18 championships, Vic Country v SA, Allies v WA
A top-five draft prospect has claimed South Australia’s MVP award as the state made for a 4-0 campaign in the under-18 national championships, and a Victorian team took another hit.
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South Australia has won its first AFL under-18 national championships title since 2018 – despite the tournament being far from over.
The state scored a 34-point win over Vic Country at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, making for an unbeaten 4-0 tournament.
Every other team has recorded at least one loss so far, meaning South Australia cannot be topped as the championships wrap up over the next three weeks.
Captain and top-five draft prospect Dyson Sharp was awarded South Australia’s MVP award after impressing across the four matches, averaging 27 disposals, seven inside-50s, six clearances, five tackles and a goal a game.
However, he was not the only one from the state to elevate his standing in this year’s draft.
Athletic 198cm forward-ruck Aidan Schubert has shot up draft boards after averaging 17 disposals, seven marks and kicking 10 goals across his four games.
Mitchell Marsh – a 191cm marking forward – also put his name up in lights as he kicked 12 goals across the championships, including a bag of five majors against Vic Country.
Ruckman Sam Ainsworth, midfielder Louis Kellaway and wingmen Matthew LeRay and Harley Barker were among others to impress across the four games, while forward Cameron Nairn produced a seven-goal game in the side’s third match against Western Australia.
Sunday’s result made for a second-straight loss for Vic Country, which also went down to Western Australia by three points in early June.
Josh Lindsay (27 disposals) and Willem Duursma (24 disposals) were among Vic Country’s standouts in the weekend’s loss, while forward Jesse Mellor finished with three goals.
Meanwhile, the Allies scored their first win of the tournament with a hard-fought five-point win over Western Australia as part of a double-header under the roof at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
Sydney Swans Academy prospect Max King booted the winning goal with three minutes to play, which handed the Allies a five-point lead which they were able to hand onto.
Captain Daniel Annable – a Brisbane Lions Academy prospect – again led the way for the Allies with 25 disposals and a goal through the midfield, while Jacob Farrow finished with 30 disposals off halfback for Western Australia.
The Allies meet Vic Country at Ikon Park this Saturday, while Western Australia hosts Vic Metro in Perth on Sunday.
SCOUTING NOTES – VIC COUNTRY v SOUTH AUSTRALIA
VIC COUNTRY
Tairon Ah-Mu
12 disposals, 10 marks, 9 hitouts, 2 goals
A powerful 198cm marking forward, Ah-Mu was a dominant force in the air. He grabbed four contested marks as a big presence in the forward half, while also working up the ground to provide an outlet for his defenders. He had logged four marks inside-50 and 1.2 within the first nine minutes of the game, including slotting the first goal of the game. He also showed some good defensive actions and provided back-up to Zac Harding in the ruck.
Zac Harding
18 disposals, 2 marks, 24 hitouts, 6 clearances
An overage player from the Murray Bushrangers, the 199cm ruckman had a good battle with South Australian counterpart Sam Ainsworth. Harding competed strongly throughout the match and gave his midfielders first use as he recorded twice as many hitouts as Ainsworth. Harding also produced an eye-catching moment in the third quarter, streaming forward from a centre bounce to receive the ball and kick a goal on the run from 55m.
Josh Lindsay
28 disposals, 4 rebound 50s, 4 score involvements
The leading possession winner on the ground, the defender was again Vic Country’s designated distributor in the back half. He took many of the kick-ins and had 16 touches to his name by halftime. Lindsay had 22 kicks among his 28 disposals and doesn’t often waste one, with the classy kick going at 86 per cent disposal efficiency on the day.
Hugo Mikunda
18 disposals, 9 marks, 11 score involvements, 1 goal
Quiet with just eight disposals in Vic Country’s first match against Western Australia, Mikunda didn’t go unnoticed against South Australia as he finished as one of the side’s best. The 180cm Geelong Falcons product was particularly lively early in the contest, showing a nice sidestep, some good intercepting, providing run and wrapping up opponents with his tackling pressure. Mikunda found targets inside-50 and also kicked a goal of his own from 40min the final quarter after receiving a 50m penalty.
Jesse Mellor
10 disposals, 4 marks, 6 score involvements, 3 goals
A Geelong NGA prospect, the lively forward was able to get himself involved across the match. He cleverly gathered the ball and snapped a nice goal in the first quarter and added a further two majors to his tally in the second half, one coming from a free kick and the other from a mark over the back in the goalsquare. Mellor is clean and is constantly dangerous around goal.
Harry Dean
11 disposals, 5 marks, 6 intercept possessions, 3 rebound 50s
A Carlton father-son prospect who is rising up draft boards, Dean produced another good outing for Vic Country. The 193cm defender showed some desperate defending in the air and at ground level and was composed with footy in hand. He can take a nice overhead mark and usually makes good decisions with the ball – outside on turnover which was punished by a South Australian goal in the third quarter. Dean spent time on dangerous forwards including Mitch Marsh and Aidan Schubert.
Willem Duursma
24 disposals, 2 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 3 tackles
A top-five draft prospect, Duursma had a solid but not sensational day. He spent the first half in defence, including taking some kick-ins. There were a couple of defensive 50 turnovers by foot that he would have liked to have back, but he also hit some other nice kicks. Duursma was pushed onball for most of the second half and showed his abilities in traffic, including his breakaway pace from contest. He’s also a nice overhead mark and a good size at 191cm.
Brodie Atkins
24 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 5 clearances, 6 tackles
Added to the Vic Country squad on the back of some strong form for Gippsland Power in the Coates Talent League, Atkins did not disappoint in his first game in the Big V. An in-and-under onballer, he started at the first centre bounce and showed some impressive groundball and clearance work. Half of his touches were contested, while he also brought a defensive mindset to lay an equal game-high six tackles.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Louis Kellaway
18 disposals, 6 marks, 4 score involvements, 6 tackles
A Richmond father-son prospect as the son of Duncan, Kellaway capped a consistent tournament for his state with another solid performance through the midfield. He was particularly hot early and brought good pressure and overlap run through the midfield, as well as some neat kicks which generally found teammates further afield.
Jack Cook
21 disposals, 4 marks, 4 clearances, 6 tackles
A ball-winning midfielder from Woodville West Torrens, Cook finished the tournament on a high with his best of four games. He primarily played onball, where he displayed some good clearance work including winning a couple of centre clearances. He also provided some good tackling pressure and showed some clean hands with his groundball pick ups.
Aidan Schubert
19 disposals, 6 marks, 4 clearances, 4 hitouts, 2 goals
It’s been a big tournament for this 198cm South Australian forward-ruck, who has shot up draft boards. Schubert started forward but also spent some time as a back-up in the ruck. A highly mobile player, he took a couple of intercept marks when roaming around the ground and finished his work well in front of goal. His two majors both game in the last quarter, making for 10 goals from his four matches of the championships.
Mitchell Marsh
8 disposals, 6 marks, 8 score involvements, 5 goals
Another draft bolter, Marsh’s five-goal haul against Vic Country took him to 12 majors from four games across the tournament. The 191cm forward from West Adelaide only had eight touches and six marks for the day, but made the most of his opportunities in from of the big sticks as he had a handful of majors by three-quarter-time. He also recorded a direct goal assist for a Sam Cumming goal in the first quarter. Marsh was marking the footy on his chest on the lead as well as in packs overhead and nailed one of his goal from a set shot from 50m.
Dyson Sharp
21 disposals, 4 marks, 6 inside-50s, 4 clearances, 1 goal
The South Australian skipper is the clear favourite to win the Larke Medal as the best player of the tournament, after another good game to help lead his side to the title. Sharp again found plenty of footy through the midfield, showing strength in the contest, quick hands, a willingness to work hard both ways and a desire to get after opponents. He also rotated forward at stages where he found targets inside-50 and slotted a goal of his own from a set shot from 40m in the second quarter. He looks every bit a top-five draft prospect this year.
Matthew LeRay
18 disposals, 8 marks, 5 score involvements, 3 tackles
This hard-running wingman caught the eye once again. LeRay is a good size at 189cm and is a very impressive mark overhead. He works hard both sides of the ball and takes the game on with run and often daring kicks. He came from the ground after a heavy bump in the second quarter, but returned a few minutes later to play out the game.
Jett Dahlitz
19 disposals, 5 marks, 7 rebound 50s, 1 goal
A 187cm rebounding defender, this was clearly Dahlitz’s best game of the tournament. He provided plenty of run and dash out of defence, getting involved in some one-two’s with teammates. He also took charge of some kick-in duties, used the ball well and grabbed a couple of intercept marks. Dahlitz pushed forward in the third quarter to take a mark and kick a goal, capping a good day.
Harley Barker
16 disposals, 8 marks, 1 clearance, 1 goal
On the opposing wing to LeRay, Barker controlled his position to have an impact for his side throughout the game. A quality runner who also possesses real power, he takes the game on and showed some unselfish play to set up teammates in better positions with dart passes in the forward half. Barker kicked a lovely goal of his own from 50m on the run in the third quarter and recorded a goal assist when he hit Mitch Marsh in the forward pocket minutes later.
SCOUTING NOTES – ALLIES v WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ALLIES
Koby Coulson
27 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 6 clearances, 5 tackles
The Gold Coast Suns Academy midfielder was his side’s equal-leading disposal winner on the day, backing up a 29-disposal performance in the Allies’ first game against South Australia. Coulson can go a little unnoticed given he does much of his work in tight confines, but he had 16 disposals to halftime, is a brilliant groundball player, puts a premium on defensive pressure and knows how to win a clearance.
Daniel Annable
25 disposals, 5 marks, 5 clearances, 9 score involvements, 1 goal
The Allies skipper can’t be faulted as he continues a consistent season. A Brisbane Lions Academy product who should attract a top-five bid in November, Annable was in everything. He brings clean hands, is smart around clearances, brings great effort to work contest-to-contest and generally uses the ball well going forward. Annable took an intercept mark inside-50 and slotted a nice goal himself in the third quarter, while also registering three direct score assists. He’s all class.
Lachlan Carmichael
27 disposals, 2 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 4 tackles
A Sydney Swans Academy member, Carmichael finds space on the outside with his run and is a beautiful kick. He went at 88 per cent kicking efficiency from his 17 kicks and had a hand in seven score involvements coming off halfback, proving a very handy link-up player.
Max King
8 disposals, 5 marks, 6 score involvements, 2 goals
There’s no doubting King’s talent, but he hasn’t been able to quite put it all together yet this season. That said, there were some more exciting signs from the 191cm Sydney Swans Academy utility, who kicked the matchwinner for the Allies with three minutes to play. Playing forward, King also took a big hanger over the top of a pack in the opening quarter, but missed three shots on goal in the first half after managing just two behinds in the Allies’ first match. He found his radar after that, though, snapping a goal from a free kick in the third quarter before nailing the matchwinner. He also attacked the ball well in the air and on the lead.
Tyan Prindable
18 disposals, 2 marks, 7 score involvements, 1 goal
A replacement in the Allies’ squad for fellow midfielder Beau Addinsall, the Brisbane Lions Academy member had an impact in his first game of the tournament. Playing onball, Prindable was tough around the contest, got after his opponents to lay five tackles and used the ball well. He pushed forward to take a mark inside-50 and slot a set shot goal in the first quarter, while also registering two score assists.
Isaac Waller
9 disposals, 3 marks, 18 hitouts, 3 clearances
A 202cm ruckman from the Brisbane Lions Academy, Waller shouldered the ruck load for the Allies with Taj Murray out of the side. Waller competed well, showed some good tap work and followed up at ground level after the ruck contests.
Avery Thomas
15 disposals, 7 marks, 4 rebound 50s, 5 score involvements
A 186cm defender from Tasmania, Thomas performed well down back after being brought into the Allies’ squad for his first game of the tournament. He read the play well to take three intercept marks including an important one deep in defence in the final minute. Playing on dangerous Western Australia forward Wes Walley, his one-on-one defensive work was also good and he got back on the last line of defence to get a touch on a ball which was sailing through for a goal in the third quarter.
Dylan Patterson
20 disposals, 3 marks, 6 inside-50s, 3 score assists
This wasn’t Patterson’s biggest game of the year, but the Gold Coast Suns Academy member certainly caught the eye with his run and dash. He started the game on a wing before spending time in defence in the second half, having an impact in both positions. A quality ball user, he delivered some lovely kicks inside 50 including hitting teammates inside-50. His biggest moment came in the dying minutes as he burst forward at with speed and found Max King on the lead inside-50, with King kicking the matchwinning goal.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Jacob Farrow
30 disposals, 9 marks, 8 rebound 50s, 6 intercept possessions
The leading disposal winner on the ground, Farrow also had more metres gained than anyone else at a whopping 803m. Playing across halfback, he took some nice intercept marks, was the designated kick-in player at times and was clean and composed with the footy. Of his disposals, 25 were kicks and he went at 88 per cent efficiency from them.
Sam Swadling
23 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances, 7 score involvements, 1 goal
A classy half-forward, Swadling works hard up the ground and plays a part in plenty of scoring chains. He booted his only goal from a set shot in the third quarter, but also registered a goal assist in the second term and worked hard up the ground to win two centre clearances.
Dale Sutherland
19 disposals, 3 marks, 6 rebound 50s, 8 intercept possessions
A 184cm defender from Perth who has a nice leap, Sutherland provided some good rebound from the back half with his kicking and intercept game. He took some kick-in duties and used the ball well coming out of the back half.
Wesley Walley
10 disposals, 5 marks, 7 score involvements, 2 goals
After going goalless in Western Australia’s first two matches, the AFL Academy and West Coast NGA prospect was much more lively against the Allies. He took a couple of strong overhead marks and converted set shot goals in the first and third quarters, while also applying some good forward 50 pressure.
Fred Rodriguez
13 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances, 3 score involvements
After impressing in his state’s first two matches of the championships, this onballer was noticeably quieter against the Allies. He worked hard, was effective with his ball use and still won a few clearances, but didn’t have his usual impact on the contest.
Toby Whan
11 disposals, 3 marks, 4 clearances, 6 tackles
Like Rodriguez, it was a quieter day out for Whan after he had logged 18 disposals in each of Western Australia’s first two matches of the tournament. The Fremantle NGA product still showed some good clearance work, though, and snapped a second-quarter goal.
Luke Hallett
9 disposals, 3 marks, 5 score involvements, 3 goals
Western Australia’s leading goalkicker on the day, Hallett made the most of his limited touches in the forward half. He had two goals to halftime before slotting a lovely major from just inside-50 on the boundary line during the third quarter. Hallett also nailed some kicks going inside-50, resulting in two score assists.
Originally published as AFL Draft 2025: News, scouting notes, exclusive stats from U18 championships, Vic Country v SA, Allies v WA
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