APS Football 2025: Top prospects and the players to watch from every school
An APS footy season loaded with AFL Draft hopefuls is upon us. Find out the top prospects, surprise packets and club linked talents from every side and how every school will fare in 2025.
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The APS football season is upon us — and there are plenty of emerging talents ready to showcase their skill.
Who are the leading prospects, who could emerge and catch the eye of recruiters, and how will each team fare?
We analyse every team below.
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BRIGHTON GRAMMAR
LAST TITLE: 2024
2024 FINISH: 1st
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Will Ashcroft, Andrew McGrath, Josh Kelly, Jack Watts, Warwick Capper
TOP PROSPECTS
Five Brighton students joined the AFL ranks last year, and there isn’t the same embarrassment of riches this year. Their side is headlined by Archie Ludowyke, one of the best key forwards in the draft pool, who shone for Brighton last year with 22 goals - which included a haul of seven against Geelong College. The AFL Academy member slotted five goals for the Sandringham Dragons in round two of the Coates Talent League season and will be central to Brighton’s hopes of going back-to-back. Small utility Kye Fincher performed strongly in the Vic Metro trial with 28 disposals and is tied to St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy. Fincher s Brighton and Sandringham Dragons teammate Arki Butler was named in the U16 All-Australian team last year and was part of the Vic Metro squad over the summer as a bottom-ager.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Fincher isn’t the only player tied to the Saints at Brighton. Year 11 students Rowan Mackenzie - brother of Hawthorn’s Cam - and Clinton Hofmann (brother of Geelong’s Lenny) are also part of St Kilda’s NGA program as. Harvey Allan, son of former Carlton and Essendon ruckman Matthew, was on Sandringham Dragons’ list as a bottom-ager but is no longer on a list.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Dandenong Stingrays tall Josh Granger will feature in the ruck and is expected to relish greater responsibility at APS level. Allan is viewed as an untapped talent who will play through the midfield, while Sandringham Dragons duo Jack Surkitt and James Arnold - Brighton’s captain - are promising bottom-age prospects.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Levi Ashcroft, Harrison Oliver, Luke Trainor, Josh Dolan and Lenny Hofmann were central to Brighton’s 2024 APS premiership, but they are now in the big league. Brighton still has its sights set on going back-to-back, but it will be a tougher assignment this time around with a much younger side in 2025.
CAREY GRAMMAR
LAST TITLE: 2019
2024 FINISH: Equal 4th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Andrew Gaff, Tom Mitchell, Jack Viney, Jack Macrae, Darcy Moore, Ed Richards, Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Nick Daicos.
TOP PROSPECTS
Versatile Carey Grammar skipper Max Kondogiannis shapes as the school’s top draft prospect heading into the season. The Oakleigh Chargers product has begun the year strongly and can play across all three lines. He’s a good ball-user he’s also potent aerially and has great fitness testing results – highlighting both his endurance and speed. Also figured for Vic Metro in the latest trial match. Zach McCarthy is a ruck/forward who can be dominant and rip the ball out of stoppages. He also has neat skill given his height.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Levi West, who is the son of former Bulldog Scott West and brother of Rhylee, is still in year 11 but has started “like a house on fire” for Calder in the Coates Talent League in the eyes of Carey Head of Sport Jack Joslin. West is an on-ball bull who is expected to win plenty of his own footy and drive Carey’s midfield. Can be dangerous when resting forward. McCarthy is also a member of Collingwood’s NGA.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Oliver Bond is a 2027 draft prospect and still only in year 10, but he’s the Oakleigh Chargers under-16 captain and is expected to see first XVIII APS footy from round one this season. Will likely find a home in the backline for Carey this season, and he intercepts and moves well, has good closing speed, and is a leader of the school’s footy program in the making. Is also a handy cricketer and has already played first XI for Carey as well. Another young player to watch is 16-year-old Jack Condello, who is a physical on-baller and a brute for his age. He’s a good decision maker who will bring value to the side and is tied to the Oakleigh Chargers. Meanwhile, expect year 12 student Ned La Motte to impress. La Motte is a natural on-ball midfielder who may be trialled off half back given his strength as a distributor, he also is a strong endurance runner and has plenty of speed.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Carey has taken a new approach to its coaching this year after, with the appointment of internal staff member Andrew Hamilton who had already headed the school’s physical education program. It’s hoped the appointment will help with incidental conversations during school hours and more time to review footage, unlike an external big name hiring who may have limited time. Hamilton will be assisted by Carey alumni and AFL Demon Jack Viney, who will take charge of the midfield group.
CAULFIELD GRAMMAR
LAST TITLE: 2022
2024 FINISH: 3rd
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Stuart Maxfield, Chris Judd, Brendan Goddard, Andrew Walker, Andrew McQualter, Jack Ziebell, Taylor Duryea, Dylan Shiel.
TOP PROSPECTS
AFL Academy talent Oliver Greeves headlines Caulfield’s side as a 191cm big-bodied midfielder with speed. A 2026 draft prospect, Gippsland Power tall forward Wil Malady started the Coates Talent League season strongly with a four-goal display and is continuing to build nicely.
FAMILIAR NAMES
Dandenong Stingrays’ talent Callum Smith is the grandson of the great Kevin Bartlett.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Sandringham Dragons midfielder Rory Wright has enjoyed a strong start to the season and has been spending time on the wing. He figured in the Victorian under-18 trials. Oliver Wilson has enjoyed a strong start to the season for the Gippsland Power and has twice cracked the best players across the first three rounds, while 2026 draft hopefuls Marlon Neocleous and Mitch Toner could also impress. Another notable year 11 Caulfield boasts is Boyden George, who is tied to the Oakleigh Chargers and has captained an Eddie Betts Foundation side.
WHAT TO EXPECT
After finishing third off the back of a strong 2024 campaign, expect Caulfield Grammar to be around the mark again with a side that includes plenty of Coates Talent League listed players.
GEELONG COLLEGE
LAST TITLE: 2006
2024 FINISH: 8th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Ed Curnow, Will Schofield, Lachie Henderson, Mason Wood, Charlie Curnow
TOP PROSPECTS
There were no Geelong College prospects in the AFL Academy or Vic Country hubs, but key defender Charlie Lawless and 192cm midfielder-forward Oliver Johnston both played in the recent Victorian under-18 trials. Johnston tallied 22 disposals, 14 contested possessions and eight clearances for the Geelong Falcons in round two of the Coates Talent League.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Archie Daffy, the son of Richmond best-and-fairest Nick, is a Richmond father-son prospect for the 2026 draft. Daffy made his debut for the Geelong Falcons earlier this month, where he kicked an eye-catching snap goal.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Brothers Archer and Charlie Hanegraaf have already pulled on the Geelong Falcons guernsey together this season, and will re-join forces in the Geelong College midfield. Charlie impressed in the APS as a Year 10 last season.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Geelong College got some big wins in Adam Cooney’s first season as coach, showing you don’t need a handful of top prospects to compete at APS level. A finish outside the bottom-three would be a good result in 2025.
GEELONG GRAMMAR
LAST TITLE: 1902
2024 FINISH: 10th
FAMOUS AFL ALUNMI: Sam Newman, Devon Smith, Paddy McCartin, Caleb Serong, Sam Lalor
TOP PROSPECTS
AFL Academy duo Josh Lindsay and Ben Rongdit have long been highly-touted 2025 draft. Lindsay was Team Heppell’s best player in the U17 Futures match on AFL grand final last year, while Rongdit was part of the Vic Country squad as a bottom-ager last season. Lindsay was a ball magnet across halfback at APS level last season and Rongdit’s athleticism was eye-catching in defence. Bottom-ager Noah Williams shone at last year’s U16 championships and had 17 touches in the recent Vic Country trial.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Geelong fans will be watching the progress of NGA prospect Rongdit closely throughout the year. Under-16 talent Tom Steinfort is the son of former Collingwood and Geelong player Carl and qualifies for the Cats’ NGA program.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Key forward Jack Pickett spent the summer with the Vic Country squad as a bottom-ager and has made a promising start to the Coates Talent League season for the Geelong Falcons, kicking five goals in his first two games. Geelong Falcons Geordie Richardson has been playing for Geelong Grammar since he was in Year 10 and has x-factor.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Geelong Grammar won just one game last season, but they had two narrow losses and a draw and No.1 pick Sam Lalor only played a few games. The school is hoping to be much more competitive in 2025 with the top-end talent it has at their disposal.
HAILEYBURY
LAST TITLE: 2023
2024 FINISH: 2nd
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Tom Lynch, Tom Scully, Jack Gunston, Angus Brayshaw, Andrew Brayshaw, Max King, Ben King
TOP PROSPECTS
Tairon Ah-Mu was the dominant ruckman of the APS competition last season and is fresh off a bag of six goals for Vic Country in a trial game. The Dandenong Stingrays ruck-forward kicked 22 goals in the Coates Talent League last season and was part of the Vic Country hub over the summer.
FAMILIAR NAMES
Freddie Brayshaw, the son of media personality James, will line up for Haileybury as well as the Sandringham Dragons this season.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Haileybury’s co-captains Jack Lawrence and Louis Hodder have both shown positive signs for the Dandenong Stingrays to start the season. Lawrence is an inside midfielder with explosive speed, while Hodder’s skills and decision making stand out. Bottom-age Sandringham Dragons prospect George Dimer is small in stature but is super clean, while Corey Ah-Mu - younger brother of Tairon - has represented Samoa in junior basketball and took part in the Vic Country U16 trials last week.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Haileybury lost just one game last season - that was to Brighton Grammar by a single point. They don’t have Harry Armstrong to kick to this year but expect coach Matthew Lloyd’s side to be in contention again.
MELBOURNE GRAMMAR
LAST TITLE: 2013
2024 finish: Eq 10th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Tom Hawkins, Chris Langford, Steven May, Zach Merrett, Max Holmes
TOP PROSPECTS
Miles Tyrer led the way in the ruck for Melbourne Grammar as a bottom-ager and has started the season strongly at Coates Talent League level for the Sandringham Dragons. The 200cm big man trained with the Vic Metro squad over the summer and played in the Victorian under-18 trials this month.
FAMILIAR NAMES
Archie Edwards is the brother of uncapped Adelaide player Charlie, who strengthened his draft claims in the APS competition in 2023.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Bottom-ager Clinton Edwards is yet to feature for the Murray Bushrangers, but the 198cm prospect will have the chance to impress at APS level.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Melbourne Grammar finished equal last on the APS ladder last season and things might not get much better in 2025, not possessing the same amount of top-end prospects as other schools.
SCOTCH COLLEGE
LAST TITLE: 2006
2024 FINISH: 4th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Campbell Brown, Jack Sinclair, Jy Simpkin, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Cyril Rioli, Sam Darcy
TOP PROSPECTS
Good luck to any APS midfield coming up against Louis Emmett, Riley Onley and Tanner Armstrong. Emmett and Onley are both part of the AFL Academy and represented Vic Metro last year, with Emmett a mobile ruckman and Onley a bullocking 194cm midfielder. Onley’s Murray Bushrangers teammate Tanner Armstrong earnt a spot in the U16 All Australian team last year and is a highly touted prospect for the 2026 draft. Don’t be surprised if Emmett and Onley are both taken early at the end of the year.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Kobe Williams, the son of former Hawthorn and Essendon sharpshooter Mark, is tied to Hawthorn but also the Western Bulldogs’ NGA program. He has made an impressive start to the Coates Talent League season for the Western Jets. Oakleigh Chargers duo Mingara Clark and Jack Ison are both Carlton NGA prospects. Then there is Will Darcy, the younger brother of Western Bulldogs star Sam and son of Dogs legend Luke.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Darcy is viewed internally as a major draft smokey. Not on a Coates Talent League list, Darcy is draft eligible this year and is athletic key defender who is great in the air and at ground level. Sam rocketed up draft board in his 18th year and don’t be surprised to see Will get the attention of recruiters in he APS. Clark will provide plenty of highlights as a small forward for Scotch, while elite-kicking defender Harry Wilson is another to watch out for after a promising start to for the Murray Bushrangers off halfback. Scotch and Oakleigh Chargers captain Sam Allan is a running machine who is another to watch out for.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Scotch sent a warning to the competition when it knocked off reigning premiers Brighton in a practice match - and that was without Emmett and Onley. The Scotch side is filled with elite talent and the school is well-placed to break a 19-year premiership drought.
ST KEVIN’S COLLEGE
LAST TITLE: 2012
2024 FINISH: Equal 4th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Chris Scott, Brad Scott, Ryan O’Keefe, Tom Liberatore, Touk Miller, Jordan De Goey, Tim Taranto.
TOP PROSPECTS
St Kevin’s skipper James Mikhael shapes as one of the school’s top 2025 draft hopefuls. Tied to the Sandringham Dragons, Mikhael is a tall and powerful midfielder who uses the footy well. Looking ahead to the 2026 draft, year 11 student Archie Fogarty is shaping as a solid prospect. Fogarty is a tall swingman who will play in defence for St Kevin’s – where he is already in the leadership group – and is well built with a strong aerobic base. He can also rotate through the midfield.
FATHER-SONS and NGAs
Mikhael is a member of St Kilda’s NGA, while Donovan Gale — the son of former Tigers CEO and now Tasmania Devils CEO Brendon, who played 244 AFL games for Richmond — is a key defender on the fringe of the St Kevin’s first XVIII.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Archie Dollman is a top-age small forward who will also spend time in the middle and has some X-factor about him which could catch the eye. Of a strong year 11 crop, Albert MacGowan played Vic Metro under-16s last year and is a fit outside midfielder who is composed with great skills on both feet. Ruck Alex Dreazer, who is on Sandringham’s list, already experienced first XVIII footy as a year 10 last year and will be out to continue improving. Gus Teixeira is a midfielder/forward who is fast and agile and really smart around goal and is also on the Dragons’ list this year. Meanwhile, Joe Curtain is a high-level cricketer and the pace bowler has featured for the Vic Metro under-17s, but will also play a role for the school’s first XVIII, as will Western Jets’ Toby Round who is a defender/midfielder and clean below his knees.
WHAT TO EXPECT
While consistently around the mark of the top four, St Kevin’s are hopeful of improving on last year’s performance while still boasting a young list with a plethora of year 11 students – seven of whom figured regularly last season as year 10s and will be poised to improve.
The school’s depth is strong with an even spread of second XVIII players ready to fill any gaps that arise through injury.
Xavier College
LAST TITLE: 2021
2024 FINISH: 7th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Ted Richards, Luke Ball, Jobe Watson, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery, Bailey Smith.
TOP PROSPECTS
A broken wrist will keep Jack Dalton sidelined for the first half of the APS season, but he had already cracked the Vic Metro under-18 summer hub squad and is a midfielder with elite endurance who can play either inside or outside. Also a beautiful user of the footy. Draft prospect Jai Saxena was improved dramatically over the summer and shot up draft boards off the back of a scintillating start to the season for the Oakleigh Chargers with nine goals across three games. He has played a lot of footy on the wing but has also been impactful as a high half forward. Has great skills and is a tidy finisher around goal.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
Saxena is part of Collingwood’s NGA, while Jack Graham – the son of AFL Cat turned NFL punter Ben – is a key defender returning from injury who will figure for Xavier throughout the season. Graham is in the Oakleigh Chargers squad but is yet to feature in 2025 at the time of writing.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Elliot Carlin forced his way onto the Oakleigh Chargers list after a strong pre-season. He’s a small forward who can also play in the midfield. He has a high workrate and is outstanding in the contest as a high pressure forward.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Hopeful of improvement on last year’s seventh-placed finish, Xavier boasts an array of exciting small forwards who could be dangerous, especially when coupled with a mobile, quick and fast-moving team. Overall, it’s an even group without many standout players, and they will look to move the ball well, meaning the drier early season conditions in particular will be favourable. New coach in former North Melbourne and Richmond AFL player Robbie Tarrant has impressed across pre-season.
Wesley College
LAST TITLE: 2010
2024 FINISH: Equal 8th
FAMOUS AFL ALUMNI: Darren Baxter, Sam Frost, Toby Greene, Adam Cerra.
TOP PROSPECTS
Felix Kneipp is a very exciting talent developing at Wesley, who made headlines with a 48-disposal two-goal APS showing last season. The Calder Cannons product is a hard-running midfielder who was an under-15 All Australian and under-16 Vic Metro player. Figured for Vic Metro in the latest trial match. Jacob Marron is another player in this year’s Vic Metro frame. The Western Jets product is a key defender who is tall and a great interceptor. A 2026 draft prospect – despite being in year 12 – to keep an eye on is Lachlan Hicks, who was an under-15 All Australian and has electrifying pace. Last year, Hicks was crowned Vic Metro’s MVP following the under-16 national championships, and he can play across all three lines.
FATHER-SONS AND NGAs
The son of former Geelong captain and St Kilda player Steven King, Oscar, will feature for Wesley this season despite only being in year 10. He’s a hard-running player with a really good tank and is developing well. Wesley will also boast Sam Anderson, who is the son of ex-Kangaroo and Docker Stuart, as well as Judd Burgiel. While not a father-son, Burgiel is the brother of Coby, who was drafted to West Coast in 2022.
SURPRISE PACKETS
Lochie Burrows is a year 11 student on the Sandringham Dragons list who is an old fashioned and hard-nosed player with a strong workrate. Another who could impress is Flynn Woolhouse, a hard-running key forward with great hands who is tied a key Oakleigh Chargers player.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Wesley harbours hopes of improving on last season’s equal eighth finish after a strong pre-season under returning coach David Mirra. Steven King is also on the coaching panel while it’s believed the work ethic Mirra displayed as a player has filtered through the playing group, with strong buy-in across the board.
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Originally published as APS Football 2025: Top prospects and the players to watch from every school
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