SA’s 2025 AFL Draft class makes history with a record seven players picked in first round
It was a record-breaking night for South Australia with AFL clubs from across the country pouncing on the state’s best young talent in the draft’s first round.
The SANFL is crowing after it produced a state record seven first-round selections at this year’s AFL national draft.
Headlined by No. 7 pick Sam Cumming (Richmond) from North Adelaide, other Croweaters among the 25 players to find AFL homes on the opening night of the draft included Glenelg surprise packet and draft bolter Latrelle Pickett (Melbourne at No. 12), Central District’s state under-18 championship-winning captain Dyson Sharp (Essendon, 13), Bulldogs forward Cameron Nairn (Hawthorn, 20), West Adelaide forward Mitch Marsh (Adelaide, 22), Central tall Aidan Schubert (Hawthorn, 23) and Sturt wingman Harley Barker (Geelong, 24).
The seven SANFL players chosen in the first round beat the state’s previous record of six in 2012.
Pickett and Sharp were two of the feel-good stories of the draft for SA.
Pickett, 19, joined his cousin, star forward Kysaiah Pickett, at the Demons, while Sharp was drafted by the team he has barracked for since the Bombers drafted his namesake Dyson Heppell 15 years ago.
“This is all pretty crazy,’’ said Pickett, who wasn’t even invited to the national draft combine – instead attending the SA state combine – and was a late call-up to attend last night’s draft in Melbourne.
“To go at pick 12 is unreal, I still can’t believe it. I was hoping to be taken in the 60-to-70 mark, so to be pick 12 is pretty crazy.
“I speak to Kozzie (Kysaiah Pickett) every day, he’s had a big influence on me, is one of my role models, one of my heroes, someone I look up to, so to be able to play with him is great.’’
Pickett, from Tumby Bay, kicked five goals in three league games for Glenelg this year and 32 in 18 reserves matches, including four in the seconds grand final win against Sturt.
Ironically, Kysaiah was also taken at pick 12 – in 2019.
Hard-as-nails midfielder Sharp, 18, realised his boyhood dream, being taken by his favourite club with Essendon’s third selection.
“Little six-year-old me would be over the moon right now having his idol Dyson Heppell give me a Bombers guernsey,’’ Sharp said.
“I’m speechless about it really and I’m really fortunate the way things have turned out. It’s heaps good.’’
Prior to the draft, SA championship-winning under-18 coach Tony Bamford described the local draft crop as “a special group’’ in what looms as a golden generation for SA football.
Cumming was the first SANFL player off the board, with Richmond pouncing with its first selection.
“Sam has great speed and power and is a strong overhead mark. He is a team-first player and was a highly valued teammate across all teams he represented,” Tigers national recruiting manager Rhy Gieschen said.
“He is a player of high character and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Tigerland.”
Central provided the most SANFL players drafted in the first round, with three – Sharp, Nairn and Schubert.
Another dozen or so SANFL products are given strong chances of finding AFL homes either during the rest of the national drafton Thursday night or at Friday’s rookie draft as the state reaps the rewards of its first AFL under-18 national title since 2018.
They include Woodville-West Torrens’ Jevan Phillipou, Zane Peucker and Jack Cook, Sturt’s Blake Thredgold, Louis Kellaway and Noah Roberts-Thomson, Central’s Matt LeRay, Norwood’s Sam Ainsworth and Balyn O’Brien and North’s Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier.
Originally published as SA’s 2025 AFL Draft class makes history with a record seven players picked in first round
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