Resource Noob's 2025 Draft Prospect Video Thread

[noobermensch]

A return to the WAFL Colts this week allowed Fred to get back to his dominant best. He has the most balanced inside/outside game of all the midfielders in this crop, able to drive his team forward from stoppage, as shown by his 9 clearances here, and then punish on the outside with his creativity and skills by hand and foot.

Its been pointed out the player number is wrong in the graphic. Fred is wearing number 7 here, sorry about that!

 

[noobermensch]

Another from the weekend to drop down from the seniors to dominate the junior grade and remind everyone of his quality. Sharp had a massive game here, racking up 19 disposals in the first half before sitting out significant portions of the second including most of the fourth quarter. He's not going to blow anyone away with his athleticism and pace, but this was a reminder of just how dominant he can be as a force at stoppage and contest. His footwork and body control through contact is a class above, allowing him to twist and turn through congestion and tight spaces while maintaining his composure with the ball, and his spacial awareness lets him find and release teammates with creative hands.

 

[noobermensch]

First game back from a delayed start to season 2025, Luke Hallett was clearly lacking match fitness and will have games where he finds more of the footy. Having said that, he was still extremely impressive showing moments of elite quality and AFL level traits that will have recruiters salivating over his potential. He has a powerful frame which allows him to absorb contact and maintain body control to dish off a disposal or lay a punishing tackle of his own. His kicking skills are sublime, seemingly able to clear 60 meters without needing to overly exert himself and accurately spot up teammates at short and medium range. Like many of the best players Hallett seems to play with a confidence bordering on arrogance.

 

[noobermensch]

This was another donation request via buymeacoffee from Mitch Stevens biggest fan. Donation requests get priority.

While his disposal count was a little lower this week, Mitch had his fingerprints all over this win. He had a bunch of actions that led to goals for his team including two nice setup kicks and defensive spoil. He played for the majority of the game onball and his defensive pressure was a standout feature.

 

[noobermensch]

Jack was certainly cooking in this one. This is possibly the longest single game edit that I've ever done as Cook was involved in everything, racking up disposals all over the ground and applying immense defensive pressure from his position as the sweeper on the back side of stoppage. Jack is as hard working, brave and tough as anyone you'll find at this level, and it'll be an interesting watch to see how far those admirable qualities can take him this year.

 

[noobermensch]

We watched something pretty special in the first half of this game as Freo NGA Ryda Luke managed to kick and incredible 8 goals from 8 kicks, doing it in a variety of ways. He completely disappeared in the second half, but his first half heroics will certainly give everyone a story to remember.

 

[noobermensch]

Cody Templeton is shaping up to be of the elite talents for the 2026 draft class and is already producing fantastic performances as a bottom ager. Here we see him demonstrating how dangerous he can be around goals, slotting 5 majors in difficult conditions with the wind making skill execution difficult.

 

[noobermensch]

Sam Swadling has had a strong start to his top age season and continued it with an excellent performance here. The one thing we wanted to see from Swadling this year was an improvement in his composure and decision making with the ball, and while he still had some rush of blood moments here the improvement over all is significant. The rest of the package has always been exciting with his size, agility and nose for the footy every bit as good as it's always been.

 

[noobermensch]

Another strong performance from Grlj who's rapidly risen to contend for a spot in the top 10 of draft lists. Its easy to see Grlj's dancing feet and bursts of pace and think what he might be capable of in a couple of years with more maturity in his game and body.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Jack was certainly cooking in this one. This is possibly the longest single game edit that I've ever done as Cook was involved in everything, racking up disposals all over the ground and applying immense defensive pressure from his position as the sweeper on the back side of stoppage. Jack is as hard working, brave and tough as anyone you'll find at this level, and it'll be an interesting watch to see how far those admirable qualities can take him this year.

He's a little ripper is Jack, he's one of the players I most want to see at the champs. Can never mark him down for work rate that's for sure.

 

[noobermensch]

He's a little ripper is Jack, he's one of the players I most want to see at the champs. Can never mark him down for work rate that's for sure.

Last year SA's midfield copped a lot of flak for only running one way. This year with a foundation of Cook and Sharp that really shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Last year SA's midfield copped a lot of flak for only running one way. This year with a foundation of Cook and Sharp that really shouldn't be a problem.

I just pray that the selections are rewarding current form. Hasn't always been the case in the last few years. Cook should be starting on the ground in the middle.

 

[noobermensch]

Patterson turned in a fantastic performance for the AFL Academy in game 1 against Richmond. On a day where many of his teammates were fumbly and imprecise with their skills, perhaps showing some nerves on the big occasion, Patterson was clean and confident. He also showed his trademark intensity and commitment at the contest and his ability to bring a physical edge even with his relatively small frame.

 

[noobermensch]

This performance from Duursma got some criticism on the day but I think on rewatch he was pretty solid, especially when you consider that he sacrificed his game and played out of position to help a terribly unbalanced Academy squad. He did his best to match up on the mature Richmond tall forwards, attacked contests in the air, and showed a few moments of class with the ball.

 

[noobermensch]

This was a much better performance from Addinsall than I thought on first watch. The one thing we know he can do is find the footy and he showed that again here even with the step up to VFL level opposition. He led his team in disposals and did a lot of the subtle linking work around congested packs that helped the Academy team get from inside to outside.

 

[noobermensch]

Filling in the last game in the backlog of Sam Grlj's performances so far this season. Here we get to see why he's quickly become one of the hottest names in the 2025 draft pool. He shows excellent movement around congestion and slick hands to release teammates, and when he's able to get out into space he has the pace to break lines.

 

[Mutineer]

I just pray that the selections are rewarding current form. Hasn't always been the case in the last few years. Cook should be starting on the ground in the middle.

If they're rewarding current form how doesn't Darcy Speyer at least make the squad, playing reserves the last 2 weeks as well not just U18's?

 

[noobermensch]

Playing on a heavily rain soaked track which created slippery and scrappy football, Adam Sweid still managed to turn in a strong performance for Vic Metro. His skills got a little scrappy at times like most on the day, but he fought for every ground ball and threw himself into his tackles making it difficult for the Young Guns to exist stoppage with any fluency.

 

[noobermensch]

After a relatively quiet start, Sharp is building nicely into his season. He was much better in game 2 for the AFL Academy, leading a midfield group that dominated their more mature Coburg opponents for most of the game. Sharp wasn't just winning the ball at the coalface, he also gained territory pumping the ball inside 50 on 10 occasions and while some of those kicks weren't as spearing and precise as you might like was still responsible for setting up a number of scoring opportunities for his forwards.

 

[noobermensch]

Another in the running for BOG in this game, Josh Lindsay was at his damaging best with his dash and incisive kicking off the half back line. His tendency to try and pick off attacking targets in the corridor is admirable and he was able to successfully set up several scoring chains for the Academy this way.

 

[noobermensch]

Ollie played a little less through the midfield and more across half back in this game but still managed to find plenty of the ball and showed an improvement in his disposal by foot, getting involved in many of the productive chains of transition ball movement for the Academy. Ollie is one of the few pure midfielders in the open pool at the top end of this draft that has turned in consistently strong performances so far this season.

 

[noobermensch]

With Emmett and Murray splitting time with CDT in the ruck we got a chance to see him playing more as a key forward than he has been for Calder. He took up good positions, presented up at the ball carrier on a couple of occasions and competed well in the air including one excellent contested mark late in the game. It's been difficult for the talls in this completely unbalanced squad, but Cooper turned in one of the better performances from that contingent here.

 

[noobermensch]

It's been a slower than expected start to the season for Louis Emmett, but he seems to be starting to hit his stride. He was the best of the tall contingent for the Academy in this game, showing his aerial strength as a forward and around the ground, as well as his ability to compete hard in the ruck and follow up at ground level.

 

[noobermensch]

Once again playing primary out of position as a key defender (although he did get a run onball in Q4), Willem turned in a fairly strong performance here. He took a couple of nice intercept marks but was most impactful with his involvement in the Academy teams run out of defense. I've had a watch on his disposal by foot this year and he put some of those concerns to rest with some composed and attacking darts onto his teammate's chest.

 

[noobermensch]

A fantastic performance by Lachy Dovaston who formed a dangerous and dynamic small forward duo with Hussien El Achkar that the Young Guns simply couldn't handle all game. It seems likely that we'll see these two lighting it up on the main stage for metro at the champs a few weeks from now.

On a heavy track and a slippery ball that other players struggled to deal with, Lachy was clean below his knees. He showed a bit of everything you'd want to see in a small forward: slick and creative with the ball, impacting transition ball movement up the ground, tricky and evasive, dangerous around goals, and last but not least, some strong tackling and smothering pressure.