Willem Duursma is the youngest sibling of what is fast becoming a very famous footy family. Following in the footsteps of Xavier, Yasmin and Zane, Willem finally enters his draft year after seasons of outstanding play on the basketball court and footy field with a reputation that precedes him.
Watch a passage of his game and Duursma's supreme athleticism is immediately apparent. He's a fast-twitch athlete with effortless bounce in his leap and poise under pressure. His 191cm height and broad shoulders combined with lightning closing speed has helped Willem play above his size as a bottom-age key defender.
Now, he's stepped into the midfield and entrenched his name in the pick one frame of the 2025 AFL Draft.
Duursma opened his account with 36 disposals and a goal for the Gippsland Power. Sporting a red headband after watching Marcus Bontempelli adopt his own in pre-season, the Foster native found the ball on the inside and outside of stoppages, thriving in link-up play as the ball rebounded from defensive 50.
Duursma's ability to cover the ground from wing to wing and outwork opponents into the forward 50 may become the Talent League's most devastating weapon this year.
He graduated from a rebounding defender with stints on the wing to a damaging forward-half midfielder with four shots on goals inside the first 20 minutes of the season.
Duursma spoke exclusively to ESPN about his move up the ground in his top-age year.
"As bottom-agers, representative footy and Gippy Power are big on doing our part to help the top agers look as best as they can, like Alix Tauru for instance," he said.
Willem Duursma was in full flight to start 2025, kicking the opening goal and ending with 36 disposals playing on-ball and up forward. Transition game is clearly his biggest strength with supreme athleticism at 191cm. Pick 1 contender #AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/4UP8NIRKu2
— Jasper Chellappah (@Jasperc53) March 31, 2025
"The move to the midfield really helps me look the best player I can and going forward it's probably best for the team."
The Power are 2-0 on the new season with Duursma instrumental. The 17-year-old is slowly growing into his frame over an uninterrupted pre-season, and there are now clear signs of what his game will look like at the next level.
There are elements of the hard-running Xav, the clean and agile Yaz, and the spring-heeled Zane. But Willem is very much his own player. He competes with bravado, taking the game on at all opportunities with impetus and aggression. 'Lemma' likes to think he's taken the best traits of each sibling -- plus the bow and arrow celebration.
"Xavier's one of the hardest workers you'll ever see... when I'm in the middle I try and work my arse off back to defence like he does," Willem told ESPN.
"Yaz has got pretty good elusiveness, she's got good side-to-side movement which I kind of use as well. She dodges tackles and gets onto her left foot.
"(Zane's) marking and his skills in general is something I also admire... I see how he runs and gets the ball and uses his skills in space."
Duursma may very well possess the highest ceiling in his draft crop. He's shown all the tools necessary to become a rebounding defender in the style of Nick Blakey, or a mismatch third tall at the other end.
But he idolises modern day midfielders like Will Day, Finn Callaghan, and Bontempelli. It's reflected in Duursma's opening games of 2025; he's been clean in the contest and quick to get to the outside of stoppages. His size is at times overpowering with explosive speed and sharp agility through congestion. It's juxtaposed with wonderful balance and composure -- Duursma possesses strength belying his thin frame, and he surveys options while driving his legs through contact. It's in those moments that Duursma best mirrors Will Day's electrifying game.
Bigger challenges will come for Willem, with AFL Academy contests against VFL opponents Richmond this Sunday April 7th, and Coburg on April 26th. On the horizon looms revenge for Vic Country, too, after a free kick and 50m penalty against Vic Metro decided the U18s national championship last year.
"We're going for a bit of revenge, not just for us but for some of the coaches and the boys last year."