Academy Rorts - The 2025 Draft Thread

[Johnny Bananas]

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/lachie-gulbin-set-to-become-latest-burleigh-bombers-junior-to-debut-for-gold-coast-suns/news-story/6f767cb2604d6612ed64d5658b0b4c58

They may have secured another incredible draft hand through the academy, but the Gold Coast Suns may have let the next Dayne Zorko

15

Dayne Zorko

Age

36

Ht

175cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.4

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

8.2

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

6.0

5star

MG

440.5

5star

D

14.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

5.0

5star

MG

291.0

4star

D

16.4

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

6.6

5star

slip through their fingers.

Former Suns Academy player and Gold Coast local Tai Hayes was snapped up by the Brisbane Lions with pick No.44 in the draft on Thursday.

Zorko famously was a Gold Coast local who was overlooked by the Suns who traded him to their Queensland rivals after taking him in the 2011 draft as a Queensland zone selection.
...

"He has come from nowhere, he got a spot on the Southport list late February, early March and then debuted in round 2 and never looked back," his dad Andrew Hayes said.

"Tai was always on the smaller side, he was a late developer, in terms of his junior days, he had a really beautiful left-foot kick and would read the play really well but was never a big body.

"I think he’s now 6’3, he’s developed unbelievably physically in the last 18 months and he’s got to take all the credit.

I've seen differing figures for Hayes' height. Sounds like he's 190cm though according to his dad. Good height for a winger.

 

[Crusha]

Have never been on another clubs forum, but couldn't resist after some of the previous comments.

Had a chuckle when they brought up Briztoon ....... and not wanting him coming on.
Would you like to pop in to say hi ...... and risk a ban.

Heck, I might do it myself.

Hey !!!!!!!!!
Back from Coventry

 

[JasRulz63]

Flogged himself in the 2km time trial and threw up on the finish line.

Impressed a lot of recruiters with his effort.

6 mins 24 seconds. Only three seconds slower than Annable.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I'd love to hear one day why the recruiting team made the decisions they did in this draft, particularly Curtin over Waller, Murray and other late round talls.

 

[Miller1971]

The Lions still have a Cat B rookie spot?

I'm not totally up to speed with the rules, but I assume they can still use it for one of Waller, McFadyen or Bridge at some point in the next few months?

Or has that chance now gone with the Rookie draft finished?

 

[Dalions]

I'd love to hear one day why the recruiting team made the decisions they did in this draft, particularly Curtin over Waller, Murray and other late round talls.

Time will tell

 

[Pns_blister]

Time to open a 2026 Academy Rorts thread no?

Caylen Murray, Matthew Owen and Cooper Hodge (potentially) are the main names to watch at this point, or is there more?

Murray appears to be our highest rated player at this point, and projected in that 10-20 from what I’ve read so far?

 

[Miller1971]

Time to open a 2026 Academy Rorts thread no?

Caylen Murray, Matthew Owen and Cooper Hodge (potentially) are the main names to watch at this point, or is there more?

Murray appears to be our highest rated player at this point, and projected in that 10-20 from what I’ve read so far?

Noah Cameron is a quick little small forward in the mould of the Wizard (and looks just like him) - he was a kid I didn't think would really come on because he was a giant fast kid in under age footy and hasn't grown at all, but his game has adapted and he's gone from a big dominant mid to a crafty and quick goal sneak.

Ethan Duke is a highly skilled dual sided player with elite endurance and he is very powerful through the core and can bust tackles. A little like Hodge, he just dumps it under pressure - but he has the skills to improve, just needs to get better at decision making. Only knock on him would be he lacks speed. He is best suited as a forward, but with a 2k time of low 6's, he has the endurance to play in the middle.

Archie Watts is one I like, he is a classy left footer with good lateral movement and good vision. Finds targets in traffic and is a great decision maker. Can play through the middle or at either end of the ground.

the one I really like the most is Hamish McPherson. He predominantly plays as a medium sized forward and has elite hands, for mine, he has the highest baseline talent of all of them (other than maybe Murray) - just needs to knuckle down and go all-in. I think he has the tools to be an elite mid-fwd like Christian Petracca with his strong hands, power through the contest and he is a beutiful user of the footy. Not sure he would be breaking 7.30 for his 2k though, which at 17 probably shows he just isn't working hard enough.

 

[RegionalLion]

The Lions still have a Cat B rookie spot?

I'm not totally up to speed with the rules, but I assume they can still use it for one of Waller, McFadyen or Bridge at some point in the next few months?

Or has that chance now gone with the Rookie draft finished?

With a Cat B slot left it seems really strange for the club to not take another academy prospect - Waller would have rounded out the squad amazingly well in my opinion having that 4th developing Ruck with the injury history of Smith and Draper. I trust the list management team of course (amazing recent track record) but seems a strange option to leave a Cat B rookie spot available - maybe we have a secret basketballer in our sights as ruck depth or another Irish player as a lockdown defender - that would be interesting.

 

[Perrip]

The Lions still have a Cat B rookie spot?

I'm not totally up to speed with the rules, but I assume they can still use it for one of Waller, McFadyen or Bridge at some point in the next few months?

Or has that chance now gone with the Rookie draft finished?

We don't have one. Clubs are only allowed two Cat B rookie spots. Bruce & Brain were both Cat Bs this season, and the club announced Ben Murphy had signed as a Cat B rookie. Not entirely sure if we've elevated Bruce or Brain to be a Cat A, but we've filled the maximum number of list spots allowed with the recent additions (37 Primary List 7 Rookie List)

 

[Miller1971]

We don't have one. Clubs are only allowed two Cat B rookie spots. Bruce & Brain were both Cat Bs this season, and the club announced Ben Murphy had signed as a Cat B rookie. Not entirely sure if we've elevated Bruce or Brain to be a Cat A, but we've filled the maximum number of list spots allowed with the recent additions (37 Primary List 7 Rookie List)

ok, makes sense.

I did see that Reville had been elevated, but I thought Brain was also elevated?

this article suggested both got elevated to senior list (not the most reliable source) https://central.rookieme.com/afl/2025/11/07/2025-afl-draft-preview-brisbane-lions/

 

[Perrip]

I did see that Reville had been elevated, but I thought Brain was also elevated?

this article suggested both got elevated to senior list (not the most reliable source) https://central.rookieme.com/afl/2025/11/07/2025-afl-draft-preview-brisbane-lions/

The only rookies we upgraded to the senior list were Lester & McKenna (according to Twomey). Hasn't been any confirmation on either Bruce or Brain, but I'm assuming they're still on the rookie list.

 

[ZoBlitz]

We don't have one. Clubs are only allowed two Cat B rookie spots. Bruce & Brain were both Cat Bs this season, and the club announced Ben Murphy had signed as a Cat B rookie. Not entirely sure if we've elevated Bruce or Brain to be a Cat A, but we've filled the maximum number of list spots allowed with the recent additions (37 Primary List 7 Rookie List)

Believe you can have three cat B rookie players going off this page at least.

 

[dlanod]

Believe you can have three cat B rookie players going off this page at least.

Good old AFL. This is from the 2025 AFL Rules. Pretty explicit.



This is from the 2025 AFL Draft Booklet (given out to prospective draftees):


So **** knows basically given the AFL doesn't seem to.

It's possible (given our rookie numbers and everyone else's) that clubs have been allowed an extra Cat B slot if they don't fill their Cat A spots. GWS speculated about guys moving between Cat A and B, and so have we. Neither seem to have taken advantage of the other rookie spot if it was actually a dedicated new Cat B spot available.

 

[RegionalLion]

The AFL contradicting themselves in their own publications - classic.

Draft Guru has us at 43 players with Revill upgraded from B to A and Murphy not yet listed which would be 44 with:

2 Cat B rookies - Brain and Murphy (when he is added)
5 Cat A rookies - McCarthy, Beecken, McLachlan, Reville, Joyce

This would match with the table from dlanod

So weird about the second one with 3 Cat B - perhaps that is within the 44 now with a random rule change or someone just hit 3 instead of 2 on their keyboard when typing and noone was editing or checking.

Maybe the extra cat B slot mentioned could be the one for Murphy if the official paperwork hasn't been fully lodged yet or something?

 

[BangyBangy]

I'd love to hear one day why the recruiting team made the decisions they did in this draft, particularly Curtin over Waller, Murray and other late round talls.

Did they all have you tube highlight packages available?

 

[RegionalLion]

I'd love to hear one day why the recruiting team made the decisions they did in this draft, particularly Curtin over Waller, Murray and other late round talls.

We seem to develop some rucks in the academy but not take them - maybe the Skinner, Fullarton, Ballenden struggles have made us cast a wider net for ruck and tall prospects or we see some of the same qualities in our academy rucks as the 3 mentioned so are a bit risk averse?

Waller seems to be quite agile and skilled for a 2.04m frame - maybe they have said to him to kill it in the VFL this year and we will bring you in next year or MSD if there is a spot - I hope this is so because I don't think we have another academy ruck of note this year from what I have seen. It could be that with the rule changes perhaps there is a view that the genuine ruck may become less important needing a chop out ruck at either end to get to contests around the ground more quickly.

I have been keen on Cody Curtin for quite a while and am stoked we have picked him up - he genuinely seems adept at both ends - he was considered the top tall defender by some after the futures game last year and then can kick well and take a mark up forward. He has a big frame which with some development could get him physically into a Tom Hawkins build and be a point of difference at either end. He has also chopped out in the ruck so could be our ruck last insurance policy as well.

 

[briztoon]

New thread is up.

List Mgmt. - Back2Back Rorts Baby (aka 2026 draft thread)

www.bigfooty.com

 

[davemc_lions]

Time to open a 2026 Academy Rorts thread no?

Caylen Murray, Matthew Owen and Cooper Hodge (potentially) are the main names to watch at this point, or is there more?

Murray appears to be our highest rated player at this point, and projected in that 10-20 from what I’ve read so far?

be great getting Cooper with that third round pick from the Hawks next year

 

[Grasshopper17]

I'm really excited about Koby Evans. And Curtain. Really happy with those two, so not too worried about anyone we "missed" out on.

I can't believe I've trawled through 20 pages of during- and post-draft banter to not find a single briztoon melt. I don't wanna see Fages have to come in here and give you a Dom Fay-style dressing down about getting complacent

 

[briztoon]

I can't believe I've trawled through 20 pages of during- and post-draft banter to not find a single briztoon melt. I don't wanna see Fages have to come in here and give you a Dom Fay-style dressing down about getting complacent

I expect the melts will come in 2027, when we miss out on at least one of our top 3 academy kids.

 

[mpal6]

I expect the melts will come in 2027, when we miss out on at least one of our top 3 academy kids.

With Tassie in the horizon, I think the "missing out" is going to happen one way or another.