APS cricket: The top players to watch ahead of the 2024-25 summer

The wait for APS cricket is over. Ahead of a bumper 2024-25 summer, we have named the players to watch.

The wait is over.

The APS cricket season is here and the best young players across the state are ready to push for glory.

Here are the future stars who can shape the title result ...

Harry Austin, Melbourne Grammar

The young all-rounder will be an important piece for Melbourne Grammar this season. He hasn’t shown his potential with the bat as of yet this summer but captured 2-11 with the ball at the weekend.

Liam Biddiscombe, Geelong Grammar

The talented all-rounder has been picked in the Vic Country U17 squad. Biddiscombe took nine wickets for Geelong Grammar last season and is currently playing thirds for Premier club Geelong.

Freddie Brayshaw, Haileybury College

Brayshaw played some top innings as a bottom-age player last year but will be looking to have a big summer with the bat this year. He didn’t bat on Saturday but made two scores in the 30s during the Bloods’ practice matches.

Lucas Clausen, Caulfield Grammar

Clausen has played a lot of cricket to date. He’s already amassed 332 runs, including 61 and 34 for Caulfield Grammar in the two start-up matches.

Joe Curtain, St Kevin’s College

The Victoria U17 squad member took the seventh most wickets last APS season with 18 at an average of 21. Curtain played a part with the bat and the ball in the practice game.

Xavier Dodgshun, Wesley College

Dodgshun is a rising talent. After playing Year 9 cricket for Wesley only last summer, the top-order bat will play firsts this year. He’s started well too, crunching 54 off 60 balls on Saturday.

Joe Curtain. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Harry Emerson, Geelong College

Geelong College’s captain did his bit with bat and ball last season, hitting 245 runs and taking six wickets. He will be expected to step up in a younger side.

Oliver Entwisle, Caulfield Grammar

The gifted all-rounder made 66 with the bat and took 2-8 with the ball while playing for Caulfield Grammar on Saturday.

Jobe Fraser, Caulfield Grammar

The leg-spinner has made a sizzling start to the summer with the ball, taking 12 wickets at an average of just 8. He took 6-38 in the Premier Cricket under-18 competition and has a pair of 3-fors so far at APS level. Fraser was recently selected for the Under-17 National Championships.

Charlie Hanegraaf, Geelong College

Hanegraaf impressed for Geelong College’s footy team this year and he will be an important part of their cricket side. The talented dual sportsman, who is part of the Geelong Falcons squad and played U16 Dowling Shield, took 12 wickets last season in the APS competition and will bat in the middle order.

Tamar Holt, Geelong College

There is plenty of excitement about Holt, who will be joining Geelong College next year and will be available from round five. A promising batter and wicketkeeper, the Apollo Bay product hit 94 from 84 balls in one Dowling Shield game.

Yash Goel, Carey Grammar

Goel has struck two half-centuries for Carey Grammar in two matches to start the summer. He packed four fours and two sixes into a 53-ball 62 against Haileybury and followed it up with 74 off 92 against Caulfield.

Ben Hollow, Haileybury College

Hollow has made a promising start to the APS summer. He’s hit scores of 56, 27 and 25 so far all at better than a run a ball.

Josh Lindsay. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Josh Lindsay, Geelong Grammar

Lindsay is perhaps the most high profile player on this list but for his footy exploits after he won the best-on-ground medal for Team Heppell in the U17 futures match on AFL grand final day. While he will be focusing on footy in his draft year, Lindsay is tipped to be an important part of Geelong Grammar’s bowling attack again this season after claiming 13 scalps last year.

Roland Murphy, Xavier College

Murphy had a dominant finish to last APS season, taking 10 wickets in his last four matches. He finished as Xavier’s leading wicket-taker and he will be pivotal again in 2024-25.

Tom Paddington, Brighton Grammar

Paddington will headline a new Brighton Grammar side. The towering quick has shown plenty already but has enormous upside. He made a strong start at the weekend with a quickfire 44.

Tom Paddington.

Brendan Plumb, Haileybury College

Plumb is primed for an enormous APS year after being a damaging player as a bottom-ager last season. He hit two fifties and a century for Haileybury last summer.

Parth Rath, Xavier College

Rath is another member of the Vic Metro U17 squad and claimed 12 scalps last season for Xavier. The Prahran talent took 3-4 off two overs for Xavier in a pre-season T20 match.

James Rosham, Melbourne Grammar

Rosham pieced together a fantastic season last year, collecting 27 wickets and 185 runs excluding an additional 4-20 in the APS representative match. He’s started this season with a bang, hitting 70 off 81 balls against Brighton on Saturday.

Lachlan Russell, Geelong Grammar

Russell was selected in the U17 Vic Country squad alongside his Geelong Grammar teammate Liam Biddiscombe. The batter made 39 runs or more in his last three innings for Geelong Grammar and has also played Green Shield cricket for Sydney University.

Lachlan Russell. Picture: Sydney University

Barnaby Smith, St Kevin’s College

Part of the Vic Metro U17 emerging player squad, Smith is a damaging batter – as he showed by clubbing a century off 40 balls for Surrey Hills’ U16 side last season. He has played third XI and Dowling Shield cricket with St Kilda.

Ed Winneke, Scotch College

Ed Winneke bowling for Camberwell. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The young star carved out a century and a fifty last season and made 127 off 132 balls for Camberwell in the Premier Cricket Under-18s competition last month. He’s in some kind of form — also jagging 5-16 in an APS warm up match.

Lucis Yole, St Kevin’s College

Yole finished with the seventh most runs in the APS competition last season, hitting 430 at an average of 39. The St Kevin’s captain top-scored with 35 in his side’s practice match win over Xavier a fortnight ago.