Opinion Commentary & Media VIII

[Lomas]

if he goes to jail I doubt his name will still be suppressed

yes. found guilty but yet to be sentenced.

And denied bail.

 

[Rod Stroker]

And denied bail.

yeah, he's doing time

 

[andana]

What's cornball doing during the off season

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

yeah, he's doing time

That’s at least five years.

 

[My Left Foote]

When everyone was ragging on us for picking up Darling, Dermi was positive about it, especially when (can’t remember exactly what game) Trembath was playing, he pointed out how Darling was sacrificing his game to make space for Trembath.

I think that was against the Tigers in Hobart.

 

[koshari]

What's cornball doing during the off season

you been online stalking corn ?

 

[andana]

you been online stalking corn ?

This came up on the idiot box

It’s Florida, Man. season 2 episode 2 ending explained: Did Chad Corn finally let “Bad Chad” go?

It’s Florida, Man. season 2 ep 2 ending explained: Chad Korn breaks from “Bad Chad” after the Little Caesars chaos, the arrest, and what it sets up.

www.primetimer.com

 

[The Dingrel]

It’s like choosing your favourite flavour of ice-cream, knowing that you can’t lose either way.
When set the task of choosing the top 50 players who are 22 and under heading into the 2025/26 pre-season, it was always going to be a thankless, near impossible task.
It’s always subjective.

Ask 50 people to do it and you might get 50 different orders ... with 75 or more individual players.
But picking No.1 was just as difficult to navigate.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MACCA’S TOP 50 PLAYERS UNDER 23
Will Ashcroft and Nick Daicos were both considered for the No. 1 spot. Picture: Getty Images
Do you pick the game-breaking midfielder who already possesses the best-votes-per-game record in Brownlow Medal history … without actually winning one?
Or the mobile big man who could change the way the game is played in the coming years, being equally as adept on the ground as he is in the air?

Or the defender-turned-midfielder who produced one of the greatest individual quarters in the history of the game, then changed the narrative around his football club simply by putting his signature on a slip of paper? He was one of only two under 23s to have won his club’s best and fairest this year.
Or the third-year midfielder who is writing some sort of history as a September specialist with more medals than he could ever have dreamt about – by the age of 21?
You wouldn’t lose out on any of them, but a final decision had to be made.

In setting a criteria for this list, we took into consideration a range of markers including what these young stars have done in their relatively short careers so far (most notably this season) but also importantly what we expect from them in 2026 and beyond.
That’s why 2024 No.1 pick Sam Lalor gets in, though he has only played 11 games.
And, controversially, it is why Jagga Smith – who is yet to debut after suffering an ACL injury last pre-season – has snuck into 50th position.
Smith could be a star. And if you had the choice of selecting Smith for the long-term, or those who narrowly missed out on this list, there wouldn’t be many who would pass on the Blues midfielder, who could finish 2026 as a top 20 under 23 player.
Jagga Smith snuck in at 50th on Macca’s list. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
We also took into account the importance of each player’s role within their team’s structures next year and beyond, their skill capabilities, as well as their sense of flair and dare.
There were some very stiff players to miss out including Isaac Kako, Ollie Hollands, Ethan Read and co.
But what this exercise has shown is what a rich vein of young talent is on offer right now, all before even adding the 2025 draftees to the equation.

Macca's 50

1 Nick Daicos
Club: COLLINGWOOD
Age: 22. Turns 23 on January 3
He might not have won a Brownlow Medal yet but after three podium finishes in the past three seasons, no one in history has scored a higher ratio of votes per game than the Collingwood superstar. The only under 23 to average more than 30 disposals per game last year.

2 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
Club: ST KILDA
Age: 22. Turns 23 on February 22
Footy’s $2m man has almost shaped the destiny of his club - by staying. In producing a breathtaking second half of 2025, Nas leveraged the biggest single season return on a contract in AFL history. Will get more attention in 2026, but good luck trying to stop him.

3 Sam Darcy
Club: WESTERN BULLDOGS
Age: 22. Turns 23 on July 19
If this was a schoolyard ‘pick me’ game, he might have gone one or two spots higher. It’s almost impossible to go past his 208cm frame, his extraordinary reach and his capacity to remain in play when the ball hits the deck. He fought back from what looked like a serious knee injury to still kick 48.21 from 17 games in 2025. Could he kick 70 or 80 goals in a full season?

4 Will Ashcroft
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 21
If this was judged on September action alone, he might be No.1. Imagine winning two consecutive Norm Smith Medals and two premiership medals before your 22nd birthday! The top four players in this list are clear standouts and almost interchangeable. Could Dusty’s three-time Normie record be under threat?

5 Harry Sheezel
Club: NORTH MELBOURNE
Age: 21
This guy gets marked too harshly sometimes but what he has done in three seasons has been nothing short of sensational. He has won two B&Fs, finished third in another, won a Rising Star and will surely be North Melbourne’s captain sooner rather than later.

6 Finn Callaghan
Club: GWS GIANTS
Age: 22. Turns 23 on April 26
St Kilda backed up the Armaguard truck when it launched an unsuccessful ‘Get Finn’ campaign 12 months ago. He signed to stay with the Giants and elevated himself from a hugely talented young gun to one of the game’s absolute elite.

7 Darcy Wilmot
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 21
Has this bloke ever played a bad game? He hasn’t missed a match since his Lions’ debut (fittingly in a final) - that’s 83 games in a row - and his slingshot run, and balance and poise steaming out of the Brisbane back half is the essence of how modern footy is played. Imagine if he got a chance to run through the midfield!

8 Jaspa Fletcher
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 21
This unassuming, hard-running defender might fly under the radar at times. But he is a quiet assassin in a champion side, working in tandem with Wilmot. If he was playing at most other clubs, he would be running through the midfield now.

9 Jason Horne-Francis
Club: PORT ADELAIDE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on June 21
The Hornet is coming off a relatively modest season - he was 10th in the B&F - but now is the time for him to step up and challenge Zak Butters as the team’s best player. He needs to control his emotions and bridge the gap between his average games and his blistering best.

10 Ollie Dempsey
Club: GEELONG
Age: 22. Turns 23 on January 7
Modern wingmen aren’t meant to kick 35 goals in a season … or so regularly find themselves without an opponent in the goal square. Dempsey has made an art form of finding space. Loves a big occasion, kicking four of the Cats’ 11 goals in a losing grand final.

11 Logan Morris
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 20
The challenges of dealing with life without Joe Daniher were real for the Brisbane Lions headed into 2025. But 20-year-old Morris stepped up, kicking 53.20 last season - eighth in the AFL - as the focal point in another Lions’ flag. If key forwards are meant to get better as they get older, Morris looks ready to take his game to a new level.

12 Harley Reid
Club: WEST COAST
Age: 20
This could be the year the West Coast bull goes from combustible firecracker to jet propelled rocket. He needs to be fitter and more focused, but if he can do that, Reid could elevate his game to the level where he storms into the top 10 next year. The Eagles need him to do it.

13 Bailey Humphrey
Club: GOLD COAST
Age: 21
There’s never a dull moment with the explosive Gold Coast forward-mid, which extended to a headline-making post-season meeting with new Melbourne coach Steven King. The Suns were adamant he wasn’t going anywhere. You can understand why. He kicked multiple goals in seven games, including three in the first half of the Suns’ maiden finals win, and finished fourth in the B&F. Has the talent to explode into the top 10.

14 Nick Watson
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 20
The Wizard is often the lightning rod to kickstart Hawthorn, with his 36.18 a strong return in his second AFL season. Having dominated in the finals the previous year, he won’t look back fondly on his one-goal, five-disposal preliminary final against the Cats. But that should drive him on to greater heights in 2026.

15 Paul Curtis
Club: NORTH MELBOURNE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on March 3
How this Kangaroos’ gun wasn’t selected in the AFL’s best team of 22s and under this season almost defied logic. If he played for a finals contender, his profile would explode. He kicked 38.15 this year, and if the Kangaroos’ engine room starts humming as we expect it to, he is going to get more looks. Could he kick 50 in a season?

16 Josh Weddle
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 21
If Weddle gets a fair crack at it next year with his body, he can elevate into stardom and charge into the top 10 of the under 23s. You can understand why Essendon has based its ‘Merrett revenge raid’ on the versatile Weddle. Stress fractures in his back hurt him this year, but his performances in the first two finals gave a hint of what’s to come.

17 Aaron Cadman
Club: GWS GIANTS
Age: 21
If one game summed up Aaron Cadman’s breakout season, it was his five-goal haul against eventual premier Brisbane in round 14. Add to that the six majors he kicked against Geelong and you can see a pattern emerging. He can build on his 44.23 next season to become one of the best key forwards in the game.

18 Joel Freijah
Club: WESTERN BULLDOGS
Age: 20
They call him ‘Baby Bont’, and his move to the midfield came in the absence of Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar due to injury early in the season. But he took the challenge on with both hands. He finished top 10 in the best and fairest and has a massive future.

19 Murphy Reid
Club: FREMANTLE
Age: 19
It was the extraordinary debut that highlighted the bargain Fremantle got when they drafted the freakishly talented Reid at pick 19 in the 2024 draft. He kicked four goals in six minutes against the Cats. He got better as the season went on, resulting in a Rising Star award win.

20 Colby McKercher
Club: NORTH MELBOURNE
Age: 20
Midfielders who combine inside and outside elements are like diamonds for footy clubs. This young Kangaroo finished seventh in the B&F and pushed through 500 disposals. Imagine the damage the trio of Sheezel, McKercher and a fit George Wardlaw can do in the future.

21 Dan Curtin
Club: ADELAIDE
Age: 20
Nathan Buckley might have been the only Rising Star judge to rate Curtin ahead of Murphy Reid in the final voting, but you’d be happy to take either of the young guns. Curtin played every game in his second season and was one of the reasons behind the Crows’ elevation.

22 Jack Ginnivan
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 22. Turns 23 on December 9
Maturity and Jack Ginnivan haven’t always gone together in the same sentence, but that changed in 2025. He was disciplined, team-first, and a firestarter with his high footy IQ, finishing equal fifth in the B&F. Is a more rounded player than when he joined the Hawks. Could have been rated higher.

23 Mac Andrew
Club: GOLD COAST
Age: 21. Turns 22 on December 4
The Gold Coast defender and sometimes swingman had a more challenging 2025 as he battled against the expectations of his lucrative contract. David King called him “Mac-adaisical” after one game when his defensive efforts lacked intensity. But he is a rare talent and has so much upside in his game.

24 Jake Soligo
Club: ADELAIDE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on January 25
Inside mid who lifted his game to finish in the top 10 of the Crows’ B&F. He still needs to clean up a few aspects of his game, including his disposal efficiency, but his pressure is above average. The Crows’ midfield strength was shown up in the finals and he needs to keep elevating his game to assist Jordan Dawson and co.

25 Levi Ashcroft
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 18
A flag and a strong grand final performance in your debut season is some sort of start. Just imagine what he can do with more experience under his belt. He relished the wing role but has no secret that he would like to join his brother Will in the engine room soon. Rated above average in disposals, possession count, clearances and metres gained in 2025.

26 Harvey Langford
Club: MELBOURNE
Age: 19
Melbourne has effectively handed the keys of the midfield to Langford and co with its decision to trade Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. In 22 games of his debut season, he rated above average in all measurements for a wingman other than pressure - and that will come in time. He finished fourth in the Rising star and finished top 10 in the best and fairest.

27 Patrick Voss
Club: FREMANTLE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on June 29
The Prancing Pony almost went into full beast mode in his second season with the Dockers, kicking 37.24 from 20 games. His back end of the season was dominant, kicking three plus goals in six of his last seven games. One of those saw him kick a match-winning six goals to dismantle Collingwood.


28 Reuben Ginbey
Club: WEST COAST
Age: 21
If this guy was based on the east coast of Australia, he’d likely be getting more attention and respect. But after a season in which he tried to hold back the tide in an under siege West Coast defence, Gibney enhanced his reputation and locked away runner-up in the best and fairest award.

29 Josh Rachele
Club: ADELAIDE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on April 11
His best would see him in the top 20, but injuries cruelled his 2025 season. Rachele managed only 14 games, but still kicked 27 goals, including four against Essendon and five against West Coast. If he gets a clear path with his body, he can rise up the charts.

30 Nate Caddy
Club: ESSENDON
Age: 20
If Bombers fans watched Patrick Voss with a gnawing sense of what-might-have-been, at least they can take solace in the fact they have finally found the key forward they have been looking for. Caddy has yet to seriously hit the scoreboard - 29 goals in 27 games - but his impact is growing all the time. He can continue his ascent on the goalkicking ladder in 2026.

31 Kai Lohmann
Club: BRISBANE LIONS
Age: 22. Turns 23 on May 6
The Lions forward couldn’t quite match his 2024 heights as he battled issues with his body. But we can’t get the vision of his four-goal haul against Sydney in that 2024 grand final out of our minds. He has the capacity to kick 40 plus goals if he can have a clear run at it in 2026.

32 Archie Roberts
Club: ESSENDON
Age: 19
Loved the signs of leadership we saw from the young Essendon defender in his second season, following on from his four games in 2024. He played every game and has already become one of the young leaders of the club. It says a lot that he edged out Sam Durham and Andrew McGrath to finish runner-up to Zach Merrett in the Crichton Medal.

33 Connor Macdonald
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 22. Turns 23 on January 13
It wasn’t quite to the standards of his breakout 2024 season, but the Hawks small forward still played a vital role in the club’s attacking fortunes. He kicked 22 goals from his 24 games, but he can easily turn that into a 30-plus goal season in 2026.

34 Calsher Dear
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 20
You only have to cast your mind back to the 2024 finals series - and his three-goal elimination final haul against the Dogs - to recall how good this young Hawk key forward can be when he is fit and firing. A back stress fracture ruled him out of the first half of 2025, and it impacted on his base for the rest of the year. 2026 should be a different story.

35 Bodhi Uwland
Club: GOLD COAST
Age: 22. Turns 23 on July 25
Coming off another solid season for the Suns, even if it wasn’t quite to the standard of his second in the 2024 B&F. A key player for the Suns going forward as they chase that elusive flag dream.

36 Josh Ward
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 22. Turns 23 on August 15
Could a Merrett deal have been done if the Hawks had thrown in Josh Ward? We’ll never know because Hawthorn had no interest in letting this young midfielder go. You can understand why. He is yet to turn 23 and had his most productive season, being named the club’s most improved player and getting large slabs of midfield time.

37 Jye Amiss
Club: FREMANTLE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on July 31
Has kicked 30 or more goals in his past three seasons and yet he still seems to have another level to get to. Looks like a confidence-type player and if he can bridge the gap between his best and worst, he has 40-plus goals in him for 2026.

38 George Wardlaw
Club: NORTH MELBOURNE
Age: 21
How can you not love the way this young bull goes about it! He’s relentless in his approach even though he hasn’t yet been given a clear path in terms of injuries. Could be an absolute jet and rocket into the 20s if he can have a full season.

39 Sam Lalor
Club: RICHMOND
Age: 19
Hamstring injuries curtailed the No.1 draft pick’s debut season but he showed in 11 games that he is going to be a star. He kicked two goals in game one to guide the Tigers to a round 1 win over Carlton, then had 24 disposals and kicked two goals against Brisbane during the year. He could be ranked a top 10 under 23 before the end of next season.

40 Seth Campbell
Club: RICHMOND
Age: 20
Campbell did a somersault after kicking a clutch goal against the Blues in round 1, but by season’s end Tigers fans would have been doing the same. With 28 goals, he was the club’s leading goalkicker - the youngest to do so since Matthew Richardson in 1994 - following on from his best first year player award in 2024.

41 Massimo D’Ambrosio
Club: HAWTHORN
Age: 22. Turns 23 on June 5
Having almost made the All-Australian side in 2024, the Hawk was a little off those lofty heights this year but still turned in a solid season. He took awhile to get going but worked his way into the season. Can hit back with a big 2026 if he can find that consistency again.

42 Connor O’Sullivan
Club: GEELONG
Age: 20
One of the hardest roles to play for a 20-year-old is a key-position defensive slot and O’Sullivan made great strides this year. Having played one game in 2024, he stood up strongly when it counted. Was fourth in the Rising Star award, and has a big future.

43 Max Michalanney
Club: ADELAIDE
Age: 21
Have we undervalued this bloke’s importance to the Crows? Perhaps. He did make the AFL’s 22 under 22 side in the backline but has shown that he can also play at the other end of the ground when his team needs it. Good player who keeps getting better.

44 Ned Long
Club: COLLINGWOOD
Age: 22. Turns 23 on February 5
He’s much more than just Nick Daicos’ protector in the middle, and became an important player in his own right. He won a spot in the engine room by sheer perseverance and grunt work. While he had a flat spot in the second half of the year - as his team did - he still worked exceptionally hard. Just needs to clean up some of his disposal distribution.

45 Judd McVee
Club: FREMANTLE
Age: 22. Turns 23 on August 7
Melbourne’s loss is Freo’s gain as McVee returns home to WA. The rebounding half back will fit in superbly with the Dockers’ defence and he adds another dimension to Justin Longmuir’s arsenal. Could have easily been rated higher.

46 Lawson Humphries
Club: GEELONG
Age: 22. Turns 23 on April 24
This guy would have been a top 20 player last season but his 2025 form was solid and not in the same bracket as his breakout 2024. Still, he plays an important link-up role for the Cats, and will only get better given his superb use of the ball and composure under pressure.

47 Marcus Windhager
Club: ST KILDA
Age: 22. Turns 23 on May 16
This rating could be a lot higher next year if the Saints figure out the best role for him. Is he an inside bull who could help shape the midfield, or is he best served as an effective tagger? Regardless, we are tipping he can play a big part in the Saints’ 2026 revival.

48 Mitch Owens
Club: ST KILDA
Age: 22. Turns 23 on September 24
We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Mitch Owens in his four seasons to date, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together in a season yet. Mind you, he has had to play roles beyond his years and his height at times. Kicked 25.16 in his 19 games this season before injuries ended it prematurely. Can still play a big role for the new look Saints.

49 Finn O’Sullivan
Club: NORTH MELBOURNE
Age: 19
The Roos used a similar template to what they’ve done before by easing the No.2 draft pick into his debut season, predominantly across half back. We’re expecting more midfield cameo time next year as he ramps up his impact on the team. Good player with poise.

48 Jagga Smith
Club: CARLTON
Age: 19
He’s played less than a half of football in a Blues jumper - and a pre-season game at that - and he is coming off a knee reconstruction. But we saw enough in that half - and more so in his under 18s years - to forecast he is going to be a star. Get excited, Blues fans. Smith just nudged out teammate Ollie Hollands, who was stiff, given he finished top 10 in Carlton's best and fairest. But we feel certain Smith won’t be rated 50th by the end of 2026.

Seems pretty fair and unbiased, really glad FOS was included he is a gun and I reckon a bit under a lot of commentator's radars. Despite 10pct of that list being in our colours, gee just think quite conceivable this time next year, Hardeman, Dovaston, Dawson (still 19), and Trembath could be on that,,,,,not to mention other young guys who we're yet to see or have been injured in the 3G's George, Goater, and Goad.

 

[The Dingrel]

I had quite a few interactions with dermie back in the mid/late nineties. He was always a very cheerful and friendly bloke.

He also was one of those dudes who looked/seemed a lot taller than they actually are.

Yeah I really rate Dermie as a commentator, never negative, always positive and loves the good old fashioned tough stuff just like he played. Used to go to the same gym as me, down to earth bloke, and yeah physically much smaller than his on field presence.

 

[The Dingrel]

I think that was against the Tigers in Hobart.

was either that one or against the crows or gws......hehehe sorry.

But yeah Darling has been selfless and been a big positive clearing paths for other forwards, both Zurhaar and Curtis had career best seasons in front of goal.