AFL Draft: Victorian summer training squads named

The sons of Collingwood and Carlton guns and an academy talent linked to Essendon are among the prospects named in Vic Metro and Vic Country training hubs. See the full squads here.

A host of promising 2025 draft hopefuls and notable names have been named in the Victorian summer training squads.

The Vic Country and Vic Metro off-season hubs will see 94 boys and girls prospects take part in training camps in December and January, including some highly-touted 2026-draft eligible players.

SEE THE FULL SQUADS BELOW

There are 10 AFL Academy members in the Vic Metro and Country boys squads, headlined by top 2025 talent Willem Duursma, who is striving to become the fourth player in his family drafted.

Fellow national academy members Thomas Burton, Louis Emmett, Oliver Greeves and Archie Ludowyke (Vic Metro), and Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Josh Lindsay, Cooper Duff Tytler, Ben Rongdit and Riley Onley (Vic Country) are also part of the squads.

Lindsay won a medal as the best player for Team Heppell in the under-17 futures match last year.

Willem Duursma in action at the under-16 championships. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Collingwood father-son prospect Tom McGuane, the son of dual premiership player Mick, exciting 2026 draft talent Cody Walker (son of Carlton high-flyer Andrew) and Tyson Gresham (brother of Essendon forward Jake), are the familiar surnames in the boys squads.

Meg Lappin – daughter of Brisbane champion Nigel – has been selected in the Vic Country girls contingent.

Sudanese product Rongdit is tied to Geelong’s Next Generation Academy and has trained with the Cats this week alongside Lindsay, while Hussien El Achkar is part of Essendon’s NGA program.

Walker is the standout 2026 prospect named in the squads after taking out Vic Country’s MVP at the under-16 championships last year, named alongside Tanner Armstrong, Wil Malady, Jack Pickett, Xavier Ladbrook and Marcus Prasad in the Vic Country boys hub.

Arki Butler, Tate Hodgson, Harry Van Hattum and Tate Hodgson all enter their bottom-age next year and feature in the Vic Metro hub.

The Sandringham Dragons, Dandenong Stingrays and Gippsland Power each have six boys prospects in the squads.

Oakleigh Chargers (four boys), Geelong Falcons (four), Murray Bushrangers, Calder Cannons, Northern Knights, Bendigo Pioneers (all three) and GWV Rebels (two) made up the remainder of the Vic Metro and Vic Country boys squads.