The stars, surprises and draft intel from every under-18 national championships team
From stamping their top-10 credentials to rising into the draft mix from nowhere, the AFL national under-18 carnival again featured some big performances. See the exclusive SuperCoach stats here.
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The AFL under-18 national championships are a key marker for draft prospects and there were some impressive performances that boosted up more than a few players.
Here are some of the stars, surprises and impressive bottom-age prospects from this year’s tournament — plus every player’s average ranking points.
ALLIES
THE MVP
Sydney Swans Academy member Lachlan Carmichael led the way for the Allies, particularly with his classy ball use from the back half.
He captained the Allies in the side’s second game against Western Australia and also had a run through the midfield in the last game against Vic Metro.
Carmichael ranked elite at the tournament for disposals (24.8 per game), pressure acts (16.8 per game) and tackles (3.8 per game).
“He really tried to drive the boys with their standards with Dan Annable and a couple of other guys,” Allies coach Mitch Hahn said.
“Lachie had shown off his strengths as a halfback and with probably the injuries that we had as well, our midfield group wasn’t quite as strong. So we thought, ‘Okay, let’s give him an opportunity through the midfield and see what he can do’ and he really stepped up in that position as well.”
THE OTHER STARS
Brisbane Lions Academy member Daniel Annable averaged 24.8 disposals through the midfield as he continued a consistent 2025 campaign which has him shaping as a top-five draft prospect.
Gold Coast Suns Academy members Koby Coulson and Dylan Patterson were also strong contributors for the Allies, while fellow Suns Academy member Beau Addinsall had a good first game before missing the rest of the tournament with a hamstring strain.
Mobile ruckman-forward Taj Murray jumped up draft boards with 11 disposals, 15 hit-outs and four goals in the first match of the championships against South Australia.
“Taj can mark the ball the highest point, which when we’re looking at guys like Sam Darcy at the moment, those taller players can mark the ball with the highest point are really important and he has good speed, good agility for a big man as well,” Hahn said.
Tasmanian key defender Avery Thomas missed the first game through concussion but showed some good signs in the Allies’ third and fourth games, drawing comparisons to Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor.
Sydney Swans Academy member Max King kicked the matchwinning goal against Western Australia in the side’s second game but had a relatively quiet campaign overall before missing the last game against Vic Metro through illness.
Brisbane Lions Academy member Harrison Bridge suffered an ankle injury in the Allies’ first match, ruling him out of the rest of the tournament.
THE SURPRISE
Brisbane Lions Academy member Tyan Prindable was not part of the Allies’ initial squad but came in and played a significant role as a big-bodied midfielder in the final three games.
Prindable won his own footy and averaged 19 disposals and 5.7 tackles through the midfield, while also pushing forward and kicking four goals.
“Those big midfielders who can get forward and hit the scoreboard are really crucial in your team,” Hahn said.
“So he was able to do that, Ty, which was great.”
THE BOTTOM-AGERS
The Allies only played two bottom-age players in defenders Caylen Murry and Ethan Matthews, who each featured in only one game.
Murray is part of the Brisbane Lions Academy, while Matthews is tied to the GWS Giants Academy.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
THE MVP
Captain Dyson Sharp was a standout for South Australia and recorded two of the top three highest-rated games of any player at the championships.
He logged 190 ranking points in the match against South Australia and 170 ranking points against Vic Metro, while averaging 27 disposals, 11.3 contested possessions, 7.5 score involvements and 1.3 goals across the four games.
“He was easily our best and most consistent player,” South Australian coach Tony Bamford said.
“I’m really pleased for Dyson to perform so well given that going into this year he was the player that was probably under the most pressure to perform, based on expectation externally.”
THE OTHER STARS
Forward-ruckman Aidan Schubert recorded the second-highest rated game of the championships behind Sharp as he racked up 21 disposals, seven marks, 12 hitouts, four clearances 12 score involvements and one goal for 174 ranking points against Western Australia.
He also kicked four goals in the first game against the Allies, on his way to 10 majors across the four games.
Bamford said Schubert had a “point to prove” after missing selection in the AFL Academy squad this year.
“We’ve seen Aidan as a 16-year-old impact games the same way he did during the champs, so that didn’t really surprise us,” Bamford said.
“I was just glad he was able to do it under a bit of pressure.”
Marking forward Mitchell Marsh also hit the scoreboard for South Australia, finishing as the side’s leading goalkicker with 12 majors.
Marsh’s best performance was a five-goal haul against Vic Country in the final match.
Fellow forward Cameron Nairn kicked seven goals in South Australia’s third match against Western Australia.
On the two wings, Matthew LeRay and Harley Barker formed a formidable partnership, while Richmond father-son prospect Louis Kellaway averaged 19.3 disposals as an outside midfielder and Sam Cumming impressed rotating between midfield and forward roles.
Jett Dahlitz was solid in defence, having not played for his state before.
THE SURPRISE
Sam Ainsworth only played four games for Norwood’s under-18s as a key defender last year but was identified as a player who might be able to go into the ruck this season and has excelled.
He only measured 198cm but is a fierce competitor who averaged 15.8 disposals, 11 contested possessions, and five score involvements for South Australia on the national stage.
“I remember watching Norwood play in round 2 and I couldn’t take my eyes off this blonde-haired ruckman who was just playing as a real competitive beast,” Bamford said.
“We picked him because I didn’t want to play Aidan Schubert as a ruck in our carnival. The teammates fell in love with him pretty early, just with his intensity at training and the way he conducts himself.”
THE BOTTOM-AGERS
Sturt’s Kale Matthews-Hampton was the only bottom-age player used by South Australia, with the defender having a taste of things in two games.
A dual-sport athlete, Matthews-Hampton also featured for South Australia Country in basketball at the 2025 Under-18 Boys National Championship earlier this year.
Top 2026 draft prospect Dougie Cochrane was unavailable for the tournament after suffering a hamstring tendon injury in May.
VIC COUNTRY
THE MVP
Willem Duursma was an unsurprising recipient of Vic Country’s MVP award after producing a huge final game against Vic Metro which left him in the frame to be the No. 1 draft pick at the end of the year.
Duursma had an impact playing mostly across halfback in the first three games, where he showed good ball use and intercept marking ability.
However, he looked at his best playing onball in the final outing, recording 27 disposals, six marks, six inside-50s, five tackles and one goal for a total of 158 ranking points.
“I think Willem’s point of difference in this year’s draft is his ability to play in lots of different roles,” Vic Country coach Rhett McLennan said.
“Athletically, he’s very gifted in regards to his height and speed and the way he covers the ground to actually play in a few different roles. So that was kind of the goal, to highlight what he can do in different spaces.”
THE OTHER STARS
Geelong Falcons defender Josh Lindsay has been pegged as a top-10 prospect all year and nothing has changed after he produced a solid championships.
Lindsay averaged 22.3 disposals at 76.4 per cent efficiency as the side’s designated kicker down back.
Fellow AFL Academy member Riley Onley was also a consistent performer across the four games, stepping up through the midfield and averaging 23 disposals, 4 clearances and 6.8 score involvements.
Over-age player Zac Harding was combative in the ruck, while there were some standout performances from a few forwards.
Talor Byrne booted five goals in the last game against Vic Metro, Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves booted four goals from 18 disposals in a huge first game against Western Australia and Tairon Ah-Mu was particularly impressive in the second game against South Australia as he took four contested marks and kicked two goals.
Midfielder Brodie Atkins was another good contributor and provided hardness around the ball, averaging 22 disposals and 7.3 tackles.
THE SURPRISE
Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean only played 20 minutes of football for the Murray Bushrangers as a bottom-age player last year before having the rest of his season wiped out by injury.
But he has stamped himself as the best key defender in this year’s draft pool.
The 193cm prospect showed himself to be a fierce competitor during the championships, beating some big-name opponents and cutting off many opposition forays forward.
The son of two-time Blues premiership player Peter, Dean averaged 15.3 disposals, 6.3 marks (3.5 intercept marks), 7.8 intercept possessions and 4.3 spoils across the four games.
“If it was 1990, he’d be playing for Carlton now, you’d think,” McLennan said.
“His ability to compete and just want to half or win every contest that he goes towards using his athleticism and will is really impressive at the moment. He was really good within the group to really drive standards and he really wants what’s best for the team. Carlton have got a riper there. I think he’s going to be a pretty good player for a long time.”
THE BOTTOM-AGERS
All eyes were on 2026 Carlton father-son prospect Cody Walker – and he didn’t disappoint.
Walker played all four games, rotating between forward and occasional midfield roles.
The son of former Blues high-flyer Andrew averaged 17.5 disposals, 4.8 marks, 5 score involvements and kicked one goal for the tournament.
“No doubt that during his journey footy, he’s always been the go-to guy,” McLennan said.
“But to play a role as a bottom major and embrace it, I think was a really important part for his development through this campaign.”
Walker was one of eight bottom-age players to feature for Vic Country, with defender Darcy Szersyn showing good signs in three games.
Geelong Falcons forward Jack Pickett played two games for a return of three goals, while Gippsland Power forward Wil Malady also played two games and got on the end of two goals in the first game against Western Australia.
Pickett kicked seven goals for the Falcons in a round 15 match in the Coates Talent League, stamping himself as a player to watch for 2026.
VIC METRO
THE MVP
Big-bodied midfielder Ollie Greeves collected Vic Metro’s MVP award after a consistent championships campaign.
The AFL Academy member had an impact playing onball, averaging 25 disposals, 11.8 contested possessions and 4.5 clearances.
Greeves also pushed forward to kick goals in three of the four games.
“His stoppage work was really good,” Vic Metro coach Lauren Morecroft said.
“I think he took his game to another level. He’s been consistent when he’s played Coates League this year, but to be able to show that again at national level, I think, puts him in a really good space for a high draft pick at the end of the year.
“He even went forward a little bit as well and showed that he can mark it and go back and kick a goal.”
THE OTHER STARS
Essendon NGA prospect Adam Sweid elevated himself with his work through the forward line and midfield for Vic Metro.
Sweid averaged 17 disposals and 4.3 clearances across the four games.
His best performance came against the Allies, when he gathered 16 disposals, five clearances and kicked four goals.
Fellow Bombers NGA member Hussien El Achkar was also very lively, but missed a few chances in front of goal as he finished with 6.9 for the tournament.
Athletic tall Cooper Duff-Tytler was used mostly as a forward with some rotations in the ruck and had showed some nice moments with his ability to take contested marks and kick goals.
Small forward Lachy Dovaston finished as Vic Metro’s leading goalkicker with nine majors, including a haul of four goals from 18 disposals against the Allies.
Collingwood father-son prospect Tom McGuane ran good patterns playing mostly on a wing, while he also had some rotations as a half-forward and onballer.
“I think he’s quite natural as a winger,” Morecroft said.
“I thought he was really silky on the outside. He held his width. He had real discipline to the role, and he learnt it really well and performed it well for the four games. So I was really pleased with his evolution.”
Sam Grlj provided some run and bounce mostly off halfback, but he also had some stints on a wing and through the midfield.
Key defender Max Kondogiannis was very solid down back and averaged 18.8 disposals, 2.8 intercept marks and 7.5 intercept possessions.
Key forward Archie Ludowyke was kept relatively quiet across the first two games before suffering a PCL injury against the Allies.
Ruckman-forward Louis Emmett missed the first game but showed some good signs thereafter.
THE SURPRISE
It wasn’t a huge surprise, but defender Xavier Taylor looked to take another step forward during the championships.
The 191cm Eastern Ranges product averaged 15 disposals, 1.5 intercept marks, 5.8 intercept possessions and 3.5 spoils across the four games on the back of a good first half of the year in the Coates Talent League.
“He’s really good when he’s been given a job and a matchup,” Morecroft said.
“He brings his aerial game … and then his offence is now starting to flourish.”
THE BOTTOM-AGERS
Vic Metro included four 2026 draft prospects in their initial squad but only played one of them in Northern Knights ruckman Harry Van Hattum.
The 202cm tall came in for the final game against Vic Country and gathered nine disposals and eight hitouts rotating through the ruck.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
THE MVP
Captain Fred Rodriguez worked hard through the midfield for his side and was very important in Western Australia’s only win against Vic Country in its first game.
Rodriguez logged 17 disposals, four clearances and kicked two goals that day.
Overall, the first-round draft prospect averaged 18 disposals, 3.3 marks, 4.3 clearances and 4.5 tackles from his four games.
“He showed some real capability with some of his burst and work rate,” Western Australia coach Marc Webb said.
“He’s a good player, is skilful on both sides of his body and is a real competitor. He has strong leadership capabilities and led our group and our program really well.”
THE OTHER STARS
After dominating as an onballer for West Perth in the WAFL Colts earlier in the year, Sam Swadling was used mostly as a half-forward during the championships and was still able to have a big impact.
Swadling averaged 19 disposals, 6 score involvements and kicked three goals across his four games, getting up the ground and serving as a link-up player for the side in attack.
Fremantle NGA prospect Toby Whan didn’t find as much of the footy as he had at WAFL Colts level, but was still solid in onball and wing roles and averaged 15 disposals and 2.5 clearances during the championships.
Powerful key forward Cody Curtin bookended his tournament with three-goal hauls against Vic Country and Vic Metro but went goalless in the other two games.
The younger brother of Adelaide young-gun Daniel did, however, also show some capabilities as a back-up ruck.
West Coast father-son prospect Charlie Banfield – the son of two-time Eagles premiership player Drew – had a consistent carnival playing mostly on a wing and was recognised by his teammates as the player’s player of the tournament.
“He took some really strong marks at the back end of that first game,” Webb said.
“We found that he just really competitive, his defensive side, his work rate, he just kept willing us on consistently. I thought his ball use was good for us during the carnival, too.”
West Coast NGA prospect Tylah Williams also caught the eye with his speed, endurance and sidestep as a small forward.
Williams kicked three goals across the final three games.
THE SURPRISE
Close observers in Western Australia might have known what to expect from Jacob Farrow, but he jumped up in the eyes of many others around the country after his performances across halfback for Western Australia at the championships.
Farrow finished as his sides equal-top ranked player of the tournament alongside Rodriguez, averaging 19 disposals and recording an elite kicking efficiency of 86.8 per cent.
“He’d been playing really solidly at Colts level and we started him in the trial games at halfback and thought we could play him inside with his bigger body,” Webb said.
“Early on in the carnival, he had some solid impact. But we reverted back to his natural half back in the last two games and in the Allies games he had a real strong influence on that game. He’s a composed player and a lovely kick. He’s just really a smart ball user and a strong body and he’s got some strong attributes.”
THE BOTTOM-AGERS
Western Australia used six bottom-age players, but only one of them – Benji van Rooyen – featured in all four games.
A 203cm ruckman, van Rooyen is still just 16 years old but averaged 10.5 disposals, 11.8 hitouts and 4 clearances.
“At the start of the year we probably had three 18 year old rucks who all basically got injured, which meant that Benjji at the shoulder the ruck load, which was a great effort for him,” Webb said.
“I thought he more than held his own in the last game against (Cooper) Duff-Tytler, who’s clearly one of the top picks.
“Duff Tytler had a good impact on that game, but we felt that Benji was able to contribute in his way with his work rate and his competitive side to halve a lot of contests and keep following up, which was a pleasing aspect.”
Van Rooyen is the younger brother of Melbourne forward Jacob.
Originally published as The stars, surprises and draft intel from every under-18 national championships team
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