Under Age 2025 AFL Draft General Discussion

The 2023 AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys will begin with a clash between Victoria Country and Victoria Metro on Saturday, June 10 during the King’s Birthday weekend in Victoria.

The first round of fixtures will be played across four states, before all ten teams converge on the Gold Coast where the final two rounds will be played from July 3 to July 7.

The 2023 AFL National Championships – U18 Girls will again feature six teams. Queensland, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro and Western Australia will all field teams, along with the Allies, which will comprise players from New South Wales, ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania.

2023 AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys​

Teams: Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro, Sydney Swans Academy, Tasmania and Western Australia

DATEHOME TEAMAWAY TEAMVENUE
Sat, June 10Victoria CountryVictoria MetroIKON Park, VIC
Sat, June 17GWS GIANTS AcademySydney Swans AcademyBlacktown Int. Sportspark, NSW
Sat, June 24Northern TerritoryTasmaniaHighgate Rec. Reserve, VIC
Sun, June 25Western AustraliaSouth AustraliaTBC, WA
Sun, June 25Brisbane LionsGC SUNS AcademyBrighton Homes Arena, QLD
Mon, July 3GC SUNS AcademyTasmaniaHeritage Bank Stadium, QLD
Mon, July 3GWS GIANTS AcademyNorthern TerritoryHeritage Bank Stadium, QLD
Mon, July 3Brisbane LionsSydney SwansHeritage Bank Stadium, QLD
Tue, July 4Victoria MetroWestern AustraliaHeritage Bank Stadium, QLD
Tue, July 4Victoria CountrySouth AustraliaHeritage Bank Stadium, QLD
Thu, July 6TasmaniaGWS GIANTS AcademyFankhauser Reserve, QLD
Thu, July 6GC SUNS AcademySydney Swans AcademyFankhauser Reserve, QLD
Thu, July 6Northern TerritoryBrisbane Lions AcademyFankhauser Reserve, QLD
Fri, July 7South AustraliaVictoria MetroFankhauser Reserve, QLD
Fri, July 7Western AustraliaVictoria CountryFankhauser Reserve, QLD

 
Last edited:
Oct 14, 2016
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South Australia's U15's squad for 2022.

Bolded = possible father/son picks.

  • Harley Barker, Heathfield High School
  • Luke Candy, Sacred Heart College-Champagnat
  • Jack Cook, Immanuel College
  • Finn Crouch, Immanuel College
  • Gus Downs, Sacred Heart College-Marcellin
  • Lukas Eagleton, Scotch College
  • Lachlan Gardner, Adelaide Botanic High School
  • Kobe Gibson, Tenison Woods College
  • Jack Hayter, St Peter's College
  • Logan Hughes, St Michael's College
  • Brock Jamieson, Henley High School
  • Alexander Jankovic, Cedar College
  • Matthew LeRay, Prince Alfred College
  • Justin Miller, Trinity College South
  • William Prescott, Prince Alfred College
  • Noah Roberts-Thomson, Pembroke School
  • Jeff Rozenblds, St Peter's College
  • Kalen Russell, Prince Alfred College
  • Jamie Russell Swansson, Henley High School
  • Jacob Salmon, Tenison Woods College
  • Lachlan Sands, St Michael's College
  • Aidan Schubert, Trinity College South
  • Dyson Sharp, Xavier College
  • Gillon Wakelin, Prince Alfred College
  • Cameron Woods, Woodcroft College

Surely that's a father/son Roberts- Thomson? How many could there possibly be? We never seem to have any and if we do their Dad wants em out ASAP. Finn Crouch?
 
Aug 23, 2010
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Surely that's a father/son Roberts- Thomson? How many could there possibly be? We never seem to have any and if we do their Dad wants em out ASAP. Finn Crouch?


Is LRT living in SA?

Could be a nephew or cousin.
 

weltschmerz

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There's a kid called Jethro Gunn. He has to be drafted, you can't have a Jethro Gunn working behind a desk or at Kmart.
 
Apr 29, 2016
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B82F58A0-2B81-4210-B6AC-7DCB9EACC305.thumb.jpeg.b13688bb6e363551e9b067f89a470027.jpeg


Kalani White next to Jeff White and Neitz (193cm). Now, lets hope that he can actually play. Knowing with Melbournes recent luck with NGA and Father/sons the AFL will change the rules and gift him to the new tassie team.
 
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View attachment 1567343

Kalani White next to Jeff White and Neitz (193cm). Now, lets hope that he can actually play. Knowing with Melbournes recent luck with NGA and Father/sons the AFL will change the rules and gift him to the new tassie team.


s**t!

Already towers over Neitz.

WOW!

Until anyone else comes along and claims it, Kalani's the No. 1 F/S prospect for 2025.
 
Thomas McGuane told me he is training a few times a week with the jets for the U16. He's 15, on the smaller size right now (August birthday) but has some skill. Been at pies training the last few training sessions as part of the FS/NGA program which he said starts up next month.
 
Jan 18, 2023
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There are a lot of big developing boys in the Northern Knights u16s team for 2023. 188cm Centre Half Back Bryce Arthur and also very strong half backs James Allison (son of Chris Allison), Daen Brown, Milun Fernando.

2022 u15s vic team is providing this Knights team Roman Moxon and short snubbed Mitch Moate who barely missed out on the team last year.

Jade Gresham younger brother, Tyson Gresham who’s a small inside midfielder almost Jades height who has high impact around the field.

Another younger afl brother, Lachie Murphys younger brother Seb Murphy is apart of this Knights team too who plays a similar role as Tyson but can go up forward if need be.
 

GC2015

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Kalani White (Jeff White's son), 194cm 14yr old. Forward. Hopefully a top 5 pick on his way to the dees. Has a nice kick on him. Represents Qld.
Which academy?
Gold Coast, of course. Kalani will need to make a decision on whether he wants to join the Dees or become an academy pick for the Suns. The old man (Jeff) has worked for the Suns in the past so there may be more of a pull there than your average father-son prospect. Kalani plays junior footy for the Surfers Paradise Demons (Zorko's junior club) and has been a part of the Suns academy since he was 12. Not sure if he played in the U15 national championships last year but he wasn't named in the AA team so I'm not sure how good he is. Beau Addinsall and Jai Murray appear to be the actual 2025 standouts from our academy.

The first AFL sanctioned representative year for Dyson Sharp, Willem Duursma, Jai Murray, Beau Addinsall, Jake Fazldeen and Jamie Gilchrist and co is officially here.
What can you tell us about Addinsall and Murray?
 
Apr 29, 2016
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Gold Coast, of course. Kalani will need to make a decision on whether he wants to join the Dees or become an academy pick for the Suns. The old man (Jeff) has worked for the Suns in the past so there may be more of a pull there than your average father-son prospect. Kalani plays junior footy for the Surfers Paradise Demons (Zorko's junior club) and has been a part of the Suns academy since he was 12. Not sure if he played in the U15 national championships last year but he wasn't named in the AA team so I'm not sure how good he is. Beau Addinsall and Jai Murray appear to be the actual 2025 standouts from our academy.


What can you tell us about Addinsall and Murray?
Jeff White and his sons are all die-hard dees fans. Jeff White has already stated his desire for Kalani to follow in his footsteps in the red and blue and play in his number etc. No chance he'll not be a demon.
 

GC2015

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Jeff White and his sons are all die-hard dees fans. Jeff White has already stated his desire for Kalani to follow in his footsteps in the red and blue and play in his number etc. No chance he'll not be a demon.
You're probably right but I was just pointing out that Kalani will have the choice. We're talking about 2025 here so it's entirely possible the Dees' finals window will have closed and the Suns' finals window will be open by that point in time. Does that change things? Who knows. Will Ashcroft genuinely thought about foregoing his father-son status with Brisbane this year in order to stay in Melbourne but in the end he preferenced the consistent finals performers in Brisbane over the cellar dwelling Roos. I'll leave you with this 2018 tweet from Jeff White who recognised the unusually high number of Gold Coast juniors with famous bloodlines in the '24/'25 cohort.

 
Nov 13, 2005
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You're probably right but I was just pointing out that Kalani will have the choice. We're talking about 2025 here so it's entirely possible the Dees' finals window will have closed and the Suns' finals window will be open by that point in time. Does that change things? Who knows. Will Ashcroft genuinely thought about foregoing his father-son status with Brisbane this year in order to stay in Melbourne but in the end he preferenced the consistent finals performers in Brisbane over the cellar dwelling Roos. I'll leave you with this 2018 tweet from Jeff White who recognised the unusually high number of Gold Coast juniors with famous bloodlines in the '24/'25 cohort.


LOL Kalani is as passionate Melbourne supporter as they come. He's always vocal on the MFC instagram social accounts with his support of the boys.

Attended both finals games last year with his old man and part of the past players functions etc.

He also trained at the Melbourne junior Academy last February which was held at Casey fields.

Can 100% tell you with full confidences that there won't be a choice between Suns or Dees if it came to that because he'll be a Demon without hesitation.
 

GC2015

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No, he didn’t.
Speaking on the Goes Alright podcast in July, the Sandringham son-of-a-gun opened up on the difficult decision that awaits, having been torn between life in Queensland or Victoria.

"I'm still, truthfully, undecided," Ashcroft said. "There's still a lot of water to go under the bridge.

"Obviously, Brisbane is an amazing spot to play and then yeah, staying in Melbourne still looms for sure.

"I'm still working through that process. [I'm] definitely in the midst of it and we'll see what eventuates."


LOL Kalani is as passionate Melbourne supporter as they come. He's always vocal on the MFC instagram social accounts with his support of the boys.

Attended both finals games last year with his old man and part of the past players functions etc.

He also trained at the Melbourne junior Academy last February which was held at Casey fields.

Can 100% tell you with full confidences that there won't be a choice between Suns or Dees if it came to that because he'll be a Demon without hesitation.
I agree that it definitely sounds like he will choose Melbourne (assuming the Dees want him) but he's still going to have to elect one path or the other in his draft year. As far as I'm aware, you can't elect until your draft year so we still have a few years to go before that choice is confirmed.
 

briztoon

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Speaking on the Goes Alright podcast in July, the Sandringham son-of-a-gun opened up on the difficult decision that awaits, having been torn between life in Queensland or Victoria.

"I'm still, truthfully, undecided," Ashcroft said. "There's still a lot of water to go under the bridge.

"Obviously, Brisbane is an amazing spot to play and then yeah, staying in Melbourne still looms for sure.

"I'm still working through that process. [I'm] definitely in the midst of it and we'll see what eventuates."



I agree that it definitely sounds like he will choose Melbourne (assuming the Dees want him) but he's still going to have to elect one path or the other in his draft year. As far as I'm aware, you can't elect until your draft year so we still have a few years to go before that choice is confirmed.
Purely for the media. Will was locked in from last preseason.
 
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