Every top prospect still available in the 2025 AFL Rookie Draft
The national draft is over for another year and with only 60 players taken there’s still an immense amount of elite talent that could still get picked up. Get the latest on all the top prospects.
A host of highly-touted talents were left heartbroken after they overlooked by AFL clubs in the national draft, but hope remains in Friday’s rookie draft.
The most unlucky of those was Eastern Ranges inside midfielder Ollie Greeves, who finished second in the Larke Medal at the U18 national championships behind Essendon first-round pick Dyson Sharp.
Hawthorn unsuccessfully pushed for Greeves to be added to their Next Generation Academy at the start of the year, a move that caused frustration in clubland at the time given he shaped as a likely top-20 selection at that stage.
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Hawthorn recruiting manager Mark McKenzie had sympathy for Greeves and wished him all the best for the rookie draft.
“Ollie’s had a fantastic year and you definitely feel for a lot of the boys that had some expectation coming into this year,” McKenzie said.
“What this period does provide though is that there is the rookie draft (on Friday).
“He has done a lot this year to put his name up and see what happens tomorrow, but he’s a great kid and hopefully he gets his chance.”
The 191cm bull wasn’t the only graduate from the AFL Academy – the top group of 30 prospects ahead of each draft year – to miss out, with a third of those talents not being picked in the national draft. A few of those players are set to be added as Category B rookies.
UNLUCKY PROSPECTS WHO DESERVE ROOKIE CHANCE
OLLIE GREEVES
Draft ranking: 15
The stiffest of the bunch by some margin, Greeves was viewed as a potential top-10 selection at stages and a likely first-round pick throughout most of the year, but didn’t hear his name called. Greeves was Vic Metro’s MVP, averaging 25 disposals, 12 contested possessions and just under a goal per game. However, the 191cm midfielder’s workrate and endurance was put under the microscope by AFL clubs, so much so that he ran an individual 2km time trial on the eve of the draft (a solid time of 6min 47seconds). In the Ranges preliminary final win, Greeves registered 35 disposals, 14 marks, four goals and 219 SuperCoach points. Would be an absolute steal as a rookie.
NOAH HIBBINS-HARGREAVES
Draft ranking: 21
Hibbins-Hargreaves is a matchwinnner at his best, as he showed in his stunning display against WA at the national championships where he kicked four goals from all angles. He also bagged five goals and had 29 disposals late in the season for the Dandenong Stingrays. But the mercurial AFL Academy forward had an up and down year in the eyes of clubs and was left on the board. Worth a crack for any side after a low risk punt with massive upside.
Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves will find his way onto an AFL list one way or another. He’s too good to not get his opportunity eventually #AFLDraft
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) November 20, 2025
via @FootyStuffYTpic.twitter.com/be8GdCUP9m
LIAM HETHERTON
Draft ranking: 38
A lack of exposure hurt Hetherton, but the Murray Bushrangers big man bagged 11 goals in three games playing through a stress fracture in his back. In the last of those games he was at around 50 per cent. The 198cm prospect told this masthead it was “sickening” watching his teammates shine at the national championships while he remained sidelined. Was interviewed by close to every club and is another worthy of a shot.
FRED RODRIGUEZ
Draft ranking: 47
Western Australia’s top prospect entering the year, Rodriguez finished the national championships as an All-Australian and as his state’s most valuable player. It wasn’t enough to see him land on an AFL list. While there are some concerns over his speed and his lack of standout attributes, he is a low-risk option who will work his backside off.
RILEY ONLEY
Draft ranking: 35
195cm midfielders with blistering speed and a soaring leap don’t grow on trees. Onley didn’t test at the national combine, but recorded a 2.884 second 20m sprint, 75cm in the standing vertical jump, and 98cm in the running vertical jump, results that would have seen him place second nationally for every test. After an indifferent start to the season, Onley peaked at the right time at the national championships, averaging 23 disposals and seven score involvements for Vic Country on the way to an equal-fifth finish in the Larke Medal voting and All-Australian recognition.
TOM BURTON
Draft ranking: 45
Burton averaged a whopping 150 SuperCoach points, 30 disposals (ranked second in the competition) and seven clearances in a struggling Western Jets side this year. The AFL Academy graduate also showed promise down back for Vic Metro and ran the fifth-best 20m sprint at the national combine.
MARCUS KRASNADAMSKIS
Pegged as a draft bolter who was in the mix for the Western Bulldogs’ second pick on night two, Krasnadamskis missed out in the national draft. The mobile 201cm ruck featured for Victoria’s under-18 basketball side in Shanghai last August, and showed his athletic gifts in the back-half of the season with the Eastern Ranges.
LEON KICKETT
Another predicted bolter turned draft slider, Kickett shot onto the radar of AFL clubs late in the season after the x-factor small forward turned heads in the WAFL Colts as an over-ager. So much so that he was flown over for the national combine, the first time he had been on an aeroplane in his life. The nephew of former Roo, Bomber and Swan Derek, Kickett also has plenty of tricks and made his WAFL debut later in the season for Swan Districts.
RORY WRIGHT
Draft ranking: 49
It was a surprise to see Wright receive a state combine invite. Wright went on to star for the Sandringham Dragons during their finals run, including 22 disposals and 10 intercepts in the Talent League grand final. Recruiters have queried Wright’s speed, but they did the same with Archie Roberts in his draft year and look at him now. The halfback’s intercepting and penetrating left boot are nice assets, and he also caught the eye in the midfield this season.
BLAKE OUDSHOORN-BENNIER
A powerful midfielder-forward from North Adelaide, Oudshoorn-Bennier won the SANFL under-18 best-and-fairest in a four-way tie as a bottom-age player in 2024 and continued to play some strong footy this year as a top-ager, including at senior level. He brings burst from stoppage, agility and raking kick which catches the eye.
TOM MCGUANE
A Collingwood father-son prospect, the Magpies chose not to nominate the Western Jets midfielder in the national draft but left the door open to the rookie draft. They are set to have just one pick in the rookie draft, though, and also have another NGA prospect available in Jai Saxena. McGuane clearly showed some AFL traits this year, especially with his early-season form through the midfield for the Western Jets and his running ability which he put on show during the AFL draft combine.
TAJ MURRAY
There were hopes that the Northern Territory could have a rare national draft pick after athletic tall Murray starred for South Australia in the first game of the under-18 national championships. The 201cm ruck-forward racked up 11 disposals, 15 hitouts and kicked four goals. But Murray was struck down by illness after that first game and then had an injury which saw him miss testing at the national draft combine in October.
Originally published as Every top prospect still available in the 2025 AFL Rookie Draft
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