Wreck It Ralph: 28 reasons why we’re loving the 2025 AFL season
The 2025 season is yet to truly catch fire, but footy lovers have still had plenty of great moments and storylines to get stuck into. Jon Ralph names his 28 highlights.
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Tropical Cyclone Alfred tore through a northern states Opening Round that many football purists never wanted anyway.
It is an apt metaphor for a season still to truly catch fire.
One full of AFL House dramas, media wars, heartland club struggles (Carlton, Essendon) and heartbreaking injuries (Callan Ward, Jagga Smith, Zach Reid, Max King, Sam Powell-Pepper).
The tendency is to be glass-half empty on an AFL season before the thrill ride that will be the 2025 finals series.
Fair enough too after a snooze-fest of an AFL weekend despite the return of a nine-game round.
And yet there have been compelling storylines, stars on the rise, and tactical tweaks that have the fans on the edge of their seats.
Here are the 28 highlights of a season with plenty of downs but its share of jawdropping moments.
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— AFL (@AFL) May 9, 2025
Chelsea Frawley and Tom Boyd deliver a powerful message ahead of Spud's Game 🩵
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1. TOM BOYD’S SPEECH AT SPUD’S GAME
“Show us the courage, conviction and character Danny brought every week,” he urged the players in a superb mid-pitch oration as he continues to inspire the AFL community with his mental health advocacy.
He is one of our best and brightest.
He wasn’t quite public enemy number one early in his time at the Dogs but he was down on form, had a monster $1m-a-year pay packet, and seemed unlikely to justify his draft ranking as a No.1 overall pick.
Then he won a flag, donated the rest of his salary back to the Dogs and now does inspiring work in mental health. Bravo.
2. NEALE DANIHER’S LAP OF HONOUR
Watching from the MCG boundary line, the early stages of his King’s Birthday lap were a little anti-climactic. With so much going on in a Big Freeze game it seemed impossible to think it would match the hype of Teddy Whitten’s 1995 lap in front of 64,186 fans.
Then the Collingwood and Melbourne players came together and Daniher was escorted in between them with family close behind. It was exhilarating as the fans rose to applaud.
No one in footy is braver or more inspiring.
3. NICK WATSON PLAYING IN THE CENTRE SQUARE
Watson plays for too many free kicks but his best football is breathtaking.
His goal from the centre square against the Roos in Hobart, as he sharked a Tristan Xerri tap and burst from the centre square, was a portent of things to come.
He kicked seven goals in two finals last year despite woeful inaccuracy for the season (25.27 and but already has 23.10 this year and is a star in the making. Watch out for his new contract extension.
4. THE STAND RULE
Bring in any rule and the law of unintended consequences will always flow. The AFL has to crack down on players shuffling back without being penalised and we still get random protected zone infractions like on Thursday night that are totally baffling.
Yet what we don’t get are game-in-crisis specials that used to be rolled out on a monthly basis in Melbourne.
The critics of this rule will have you believe it has ruined footy.
Instead the football has been freed. It hasn’t resulted in huge score increases, but in concert with teams trying to play more up-tempo football, we rarely have total snore-fests.
This week isn’t a fair sample given the top nine played the bottom nine as six winners scored more than 100 points and the other three scored 90 plus.
But even last week five of seven winners scored 100 points.
Footy is so far from perfect but the ball moves when it once was once stuck in quicksand.
5. DRAFT RETROSPECTIVES
Who won the 2021 national draft?
This draft might eclipse the 2001 Hodge-Ball-Judd superdraft that saw the Cats secure Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Gary Ablett and Steve Johnson.
The draft was so deep it had Dane Swan and Brian Lake taken after pick 50.
Consider the stars on show from picks one onwards — Jason-Horne-Francis, Sam Darcy, Finn Callaghan, Nick Daicos, Mac Andrew, Josh Rachele, Josh Ward, Jy Amiss, Josh Gibcus, Neil Erasmus and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
Where would the Pies be if they hadn’t traded their future first-rounder for points and secured Finn Callaghan and Nick Daicos?
It is terrifying to think of Callaghan and Daicos in the same midfield for the next 15 years.
Did St Kilda win the value stakes with Wanganeen-Milera (pick 11), Mitch Owens (pick 33) and Marcus Windhager (pick 47)?
What about the Dogs with Sam Darcy at pick two as a 15-year generational freak?
The Lions secured Darcy Wilmot (pick 16) and Kai Lohmann (pick 20) as value picks.
And while Horne-Francis left the Roos, consider Paul Curtis as a smashing later pick at No.35.
The answer will change every week but St Kilda fans would be daring to believe there is a world in which Wanganeen Milera’s next eight years are the equal of Daicos as Owens and Windhager play 200 games at the Saints. If that is the case, St Kilda comes out on top.
6. THE PASSION
St Kilda fans booing Josh Battle even though they got Alix Tauru from the compensation pick when he departed.
Saints fans didn’t love the Sam Gilbert comparison last week. As he flew high charging forward against Hawthorn he looked like a young Nick Riewoldt. What a talent.
7. THE EMOTION
Ken Hinkley was shattered to have coached Sam Powell-Pepper for the last time this weekend given his ACL tear. Powell-Pepper has played 16 games this year for 17 goals. And yet he’s that kind of ‘first-picked’ player who bleeds for the cause, tackles for fun and just does the unrewarded stuff not always seen on the highlights tapes.
8. PLAYERS TAKING THE FIELD KNOWING THEIR FOOTBALL CAREERS DEPEND UPON THEIR PERFORMANCES
Maurice Rioli might have a deal for 2026 but he played like a player aware his career was up for grabs on Saturday night. Some idiot said after one of his early games he would never see the VFL again. Five years in he has only 42 games under his belt. Time to get cracking.
This time last year Steele Sidebottom was shot but is in career-best form.
Can Sam Docherty extend his time at the Blues in a similar fashion?
9. LOYALTY
Get your culture right and players will back it in.
Miles Bergman stayed at the Power, Luke Davies-Uniacke signed on at the Roos, Matt Rowell committed to the Suns.
They don’t always go home or don’t always leave for the big money if their clubs can show they are on the right track.
10. FOOTY’S MOST EXCITING HALF BACK LINE
Gold Coast isn’t in its first finals series yet — not by a long way.
But the Suns are 10-5 and it is in part because of the defensive core they have built (and poached).
Daniel Rioli and John Noble have slotted in alongside home-grown Bodhi Uwland, Wil Powell and the hugely improved Joel Jeffrey.
Jeffrey should be in all lists of the most improved players of 2025.
The club should slot in academy pick Dylan Patterson as a Chris Yarran-type with stunning pace and explosiveness after they match a bid for him in November’s draft.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride, Suns fans.
11. LEFT-FIELD RECRUITING WINS
St Kilda took Box Hill half forward Max Hall as the No.4 pick in last year’s mid-season draft and are now watching him flourish.
He has been excellent as a buzzy half forward all year but has 27 score involvements, 10 tackles and five goals in the past three weeks.
At 23 there is no reason why he can’t play 150 games for the Saints.
12. THE BEARDED WARRIOR
We asked an Adelaide official last year if Riley Thilthorpe was going to make it.
Their reply was that he would give everything of himself in workrate and professionalism but might not get there.
Thilthorpe turns 23 this Monday as a player transformed, having used his absence with last year’s knee injury to add bulk and power (not to mention a nasty beard).
He is elite for disposals, forward 50 marks and goals, having persevered this year through as many as four dislocated fingers.
13. PERSEVERANCE
Adelaide knocked back a West Coast future first-rounder as part of a trade package to draft WA boy Dan Curtin then watched as he failed to inspire in his early contests for the Crows.
Last week he had a monster 26-possession game with a back-with-the-flight mark against Richmond.
Against Melbourne he bobbed up again at key moments to use his 197cm frame to haul in big marks as a big-bodied wingman. Give the kids time.
14. NICK DAICOS’ TURNING CIRCLE
Watch him receive the ball in the centre square then wheel in a tight circle as if he is cornering on rails before surging forward into space. It makes your ankles scream in pain thinking of how he makes the impossible look effortless. He’s a freak.
15. THE BROWNLOW RACE
Daicos is already into $2.50 after a couple of spectacular performances.
Bailey Smith is the third favourite but has missed three games, while Jordan Dawson is the second favourite but polled only 18 votes last year.
Consider Daicos’ polling history in his first three seasons — across 60 games leading into this year he has polled three votes 17 times, two votes nine times and one vote eight times.
So he has polled votes in 34 of 60 games.
It’s actually ridiculous.
16. THE COLLINGWOOD EVERGREENS
Jeremy Howe just turned 35 yet you could make a case he is in career-best form with tallies of 12, 13 and 14 intercept possessions in the past 10 games. Jamie Elliott nearly retired because of a vascular issue last year but he’s flying too. Essendon’s sports scientists are under the pump but at Collingwood the “phys-edders” are on point.
17. INSUFFICIENT INTENT
Love it. Keep the crackdown going. It incentivises corridor play and ensures the ball is in play longer. The intent to penalise is right even if the umpires aren’t always on the same page.
Now find some consistency with the rushed behind rule after a poor round where umpires didn’t penalise Carlton’s Matt Carroll but pinged Josh Worrell for a very similar act creeping back over the line.
18. DEAD EYE DICKS
Jesse Hogan has an astounding 40.8 for the season, while Mabior Chol has 32.11, Logan Morris has 31.11 and Darcy Fogarty has 31.10.
Tony Lockett would be proud.
19. BUDDY FRANKLIN HAS FOUND HIS VOICE
Love it. More please Buddy.
Podcasting with his good mate Shane Crawford, the Hawthorn and Sydney superstar has kicked arse and taken names. Michael Voss might not have loved it when he called for his immediate sacking but the formerly media-shy Franklin is a fresh new voice on the media scene.
20. MAKING YOURSELF SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS EXTRA IN GUARANTEED CASH IN 10 AFL GAMES
Kozzie Pickett was always going to be a man in demand given Fremantle’s interest but a fresh five-year extension worth as much as $900,000 a season was about the right price at the start of 2025.
Instead he has a fresh seven-year deal worth $1.4 million a season given his leverage, his blinding form and his new role as a midfielder pushing forward.
Nice money if you can get it, and Pickett is justifying the price tag on his recent performances.
21. PATTY THE ENFORCER
Patrick Dangerfield started the season lauding himself as the new Tony Modra and backed up the hype.
What started as an injury-preservation mechanism to protect his injured hamstrings has been one of the moves of the season.
No one hits harder as a bullocking forward. When Dangerfield got a fresh two-year deal last year eyebrows were raised.
Now we wonder how long the 35-year-old can go on for as the 351-game veteran pushes on towards 400 games?
22. POSITIONAL MOVES
Joel Freijah into the midfield, Jack Silvagni to centre half back, Connor Rozee to half back (at times), Josh Daicos to half back, Pickett to the midfield.
23. GLIMPSES OF THE FUTURE
Sam Darcy is already there as a player who will dominate the AFL for a decade or more to come.
This weekend the Roos matched up full back Will Dawson on Darcy in his fifth AFL game and liked what they saw.
The ultra-aggressive Dawson might have got away with some free kicks but his closing speed and body spoiling were impressive as the No.22 pick in the 2023 national draft.
The Leongatha junior has a long way to go but Roos fans dared to believe he and Charlie Comben could combine for the next 100-plus games on that performance.
24. COMPARISONS
Who would you take out of Daicos, Sam Darcy and Nasiah Wanganeen Milera for their next 10 years? What if you had to compare their last month?
Wanganeen Milera has gone 31, 35, 28 and 43 possessions (all in losses) for 3000 total metres gained.
Darcy has gone three, five, three and four goals in his first month back from a knee injury and hasn’t been near peak form or peak fitness.
And Daicos was well held by Ed Langdon but might have eight Brownlow votes in his past three games (30, 34, 36 possessions, a goal in each game).
25. THE UNICORN
Luke Jackson has averaged 18 disposals, 9.9 contested possessions, 3.8 tackles, a goal and a direct score assist this year. He had 10 clearances and 12 score assists against Essendon three weeks back. He was freakish again against Sydney. There is nothing he can’t do.
26. DAYNE ZORKO
In a year when Garry Lyon became a Hall of Famer for his capacity to be All-Australian as a forward and back, it’s worth reminding that 35-year-old Zorko has done the same thing. He is going as well as ever averaging 27 possessions a week and 624 metres gained in a Lions side with Keidean Coleman still battling injury.
27. FOOTY IS FOR ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
Sam Darcy (208cm) was involved in a marking contest with Caleb Daniel (171cm) on the weekend. He’s only three centimetres taller than the AFL’s shortest player in Isaiah Dudley (168cm). Darcy might be kicking it better than Daniel, who by Champion Data measurements is kicking at only an average clip.
28. THE STATE OF ORIGIN DEBATE
Great to see the AFL pushing hard for a true rep game in February next year. But if the point is to turn this into a full-blown return, it will only work mid-season across a bye rather than as a pre-season warmup with players keen to avoid injury. Play the players $25,000 each. Play Vic v WA this year then South Australia versus the Indigenous All Stars next year. If we want to turn it into a concept that boosts broadcast rights and comes anywhere near the NRL, it will never truly catch fire in February.
A round 7 or 10 fixture where the fans debate potential selection for weeks ahead is the perfect way to hype this fixture.
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