Willem Duursma lands at the top spot on ESPN's big board in a wide-open pool. The dynamic utility has dominated in periods on-ball for Gippsland, proving his credentials as a ball-winner who excels in transition. There were a number of highly-touted open pool prospects to raise their stock in the AFL Academy hitout against Richmond VFL, including Dragons high-flyer Archie Ludowyke and WA midfielder Fred Rodriguez.
2025 is the year of the Academies. Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney are preparing to match potential top-10 bids on club-tied talent, while Victorian NGAs are producing first-round footballers. It means we could see the first round of the 2025 AFL Draft extending out past 30 selections.
With a month of top-age football under their belts, this is ESPN's top 20 Power Rankings for April.
Previous rankings: March
1. Willem Duursma
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
DEF/MID, 191cm
AFL Academy: 14 disposals, 2 marks
Duursma has had an inconsistent campaign to date, but there's no questioning his AFL-level traits on display. At 191cm, the boundless athleticism and competitiveness give him a high floor, but it's the capacity to play across all three areas of the ground and impact that makes him such an in-demand prospect. Duursma was quiet on the weekend against Richmond VFL without access to the ball through the midfield in a scrappy match. He played a lockdown role in defence with the midfield riches at hand, holding his own against AFL-listed talls.
READ: Another Duursma - why Willem might be the best of the lot
2. Daniel Annable - Lions Academy
Lions Academy/Allies
MID, 183cm
AFL Academy: 22 disposals, 2 goals
Annable is the quintessential balanced midfielder. He mixes inside ball-winning with outside accumulation, using it with deft touch and bringing others into the play. He's also shown enormous capacity to be a leader at every level, headlined by his captaincy of the AFL Academy over the weekend. Annable's work rate and cleanliness sees him finish games with massive numbers, and his high-level consistency is reflected in his rise to No. 2.
3. Zeke Uwland - Suns Academy
Suns Academy/Allies
MID/DEF, 178cm
We won't see Uwland in action for a little while yet, as Gold Coast takes a conservative approach in rehabilitating a troublesome back injury. He's avoided an extended stint on the sidelines and should have a block of football under his belt before leading a talented Allies side out for the national championships. Uwland is a gifted kick on his favoured left side and takes off with a burst from either half back or midfield. How high a bid comes for the rising Sun will depend on his progression into a full-time on-baller.
4. Cooper Duff-Tytler
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
RUC, 200cm
AFL Academy: 10 disposals, 1 goal
'CDT' has been immense to begin 2025, pushing his name into pick one calculations. He would be the first ruckman to be taken at the top spot since Matthew Kreuzer in 2007. Duff-Tytler is a roaming tall, clean with his hands in the contest and a good ball user by foot on the outside. His athleticism when the ball hits the deck is his biggest strength, buttering up from ruck contests to boot running goals from the 50m arc. Questions about his placing in this pool come mostly via the role of modern-day rucks - at 200cm he's slightly undersized and needs to build his body to compete at the next level. If he proves his contested marking around the ground there's no reason, he can't be the top choice.
5. Fred Rodriguez
South Fremantle/Western Australia
MID, 184cm
AFL Academy: 14 disposals, 3 marks
There were moments on the weekend when Rodriguez's class shone through on a blustery afternoon. The midfielder is equally adept off both feet and it proved vital in a contested, high-pressure game against bigger bodies. His work rate is strong and the burst of speed to clear congestion allows him to use those lovely skills. Rodriguez is an exciting prospect in the open pool for clubs to consider in the top 10.
6. Dyson Sharp
Central Districts/South Australia
MID, 188cm
AFL Academy: 11 disposals, 3 marks
It's been a shaky start to 2025 for Sharp, who has begun the season in the SANFL as a half forward. He hasn't been able to stake his claim as the contested beast he's been known as through juniors and lacks the outside polish of others to elevate his stock in the forward 50. Sharp is physically imposing and has the contested tools to become an excellent inside midfielder but may lack positional versatility at the next level.
7. Max King - Swans Academy
Swans Academy/Allies
FWD/MID, 191cm
There's another Max King taking to the skies. One of the most surprising omissions from the AFL Academy, the 191cm utility has been thrown around the ground in the past but looks at home in the forward 50. King is wildly confident in his athletic tools, taking on opponents with his leg speed and daring them to tackle him. He may have been the best athlete taken in the 2024 intake as a bottom-ager, let alone with another season of development this year, and has the traits to announce himself as a pick one contender if he backs up his promise.
8. Archie Ludowyke
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
FWD, 197cm
AFL Academy: 12 disposals, 3 goals
Ludowyke is a big winner from the first AFL academy hitout, booting three goals and looking dangerous on the move in forward 50. He proved to be the talisman of a talented group of talls, with his springy leap and proactive movement causing headaches all day. The Dragons high-flyer has started the season strongly and looks more controlled in his set shot routine off his left boot.
9. Beau Addinsall - Suns Academy
Suns Academy/Allies
MID/FWD, 180cm
AFL Academy: 28 disposals
Addinsall burst onto the scene with best on ground honours in the Futures game on the MCG and played a strong game on the weekend. The flashy ball-winner has an athletic profile headlined by incredible evasiveness, able to step out of traffic and pivot through would-be tackler and demands the footy on the outside of stoppages.
10. Noah Hibbins-Hargeaves
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 185cm
Hibbins-Hargreaves missed on the weekend after sustaining a shoulder injury for Dandenong, but it shouldn't rule him out for too long. The AFL Academy was lacking a forward-half conduit which the Stingrays maestro does so well, finding the ball in pockets of space to set up teammates or finish off opportunities. He's a big game player and will be hoping to make it back for the second outing against Coburg.
11. Josh Lindsay
Geelong Falcons/Vic Country
DEF/MID, 183cm
AFL Academy: 16 disposals, 6 marks
Lindsay is a smooth-moving halfback who racks up the ball and uses it gloriously off a carving left boot. It's difficult to see how his game doesn't translate to the next level, though he's had his battles graduating into an on-ball role and winning his own footy. Lindsay is at his best when he can cut up the opposition with kicks in the forward half.
12. Ollie Greeves
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
MID, 191cm
AFL Academy: 26 disposals, 5 marks
Greeves is a remarkably similar player to his former Ranges teammate Josh Smillie in physique and ball-winning capability. The inside midfielder is clean and strong over the ball and didn't have any trouble finding the footy down back in the second half on the weekend. He will go as high as his kicking allows him, which is the one big detractor - he finished with four behinds on the day.
13. Wes Walley - West Coast NGA
Subiaco/Western Australia
FWD, 181cm
AFL Academy: 9 disposals, 2 marks
A mercurial presence inside the forward 50, Walley has a bag of tricks and athletic package to become a brilliant small forward in time. His biggest weapon is his springy leap, but clubs will love his intent to tackle and pressure. A step up to senior competition is where Walley's spot on the board will be dictated - he rushed his disposal and fought to get into the game on the weekend as he moved up the ground to a wing.
14. Cody Curtin
Claremont/Western Australia
FWD/DEF, 197cm
AFL Academy: 5 disposals, 3 marks
Curtin has filled out his frame over the off-season and has become a strong marking target up forward for Claremont. It was down back that he rose to prominence last season and again for the AFL Academy he played an important role on talls in the first half. He's a stronger aerial presence than brother Dan but lacks the skill and mobility of his older brother.
15. Riley Onley
Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country
MID, 194cm
AFL Academy: 15 disposals, 3 marks
Onley is a hulking presence in the midfield but has found most of his success on the outside of congestion to date. That was true again on the weekend with extended periods on the wing where he was good in transition. Onley's ability in the air and penetration in his kick set him apart from other midfielders.
16. Louis Emmett
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
RUC/FWD, 199cm
AFL Academy: 5 disposals, 1 goal
Where Emmett settles at the next level will be of keen interest to recruiters. The ruck-forward has played extended football in both positions and likely finds himself as a roaming tall with his athletic qualities and skill. Emmett is slightly undersized to impact in ruck contests and doesn't have the physicality yet.
17. Tom McGuane - Collingwood father-son
Western Jets/Vic Metro
MID, 178cm
McGuane has been a class above for the Jets so far and put in another monster performance on the weekend after missing AFL Academy selection. His work rate to contests sees him rack up the ball and he's a neat ball user with quick decisions under pressure. He headlines a bumper crop tied to the Pies this year.
18. Dylan Patterson - Suns Academy
Suns Academy/Allies
DEF, 183cm
AFL Academy: 15 disposals, 2 tackles
Patterson was close to best afield for the AFL Academy out of defence, taking the game on with reckless abandon and brilliant athleticism. He's a joy to watch in full flight stepping out of trouble with sharp agility and exploding forward when given space. Patterson needs to become a more reliable ball user but offers rare agility and dare.
19. Adam Sweid - Essendon NGA
Calder Cannons
MID/FWD, 175cm
What a rise for Sweid. The hard-running midfielder was off the radar in 2024 as he rehabilitated a ruptured ACL, making his immediate impact all the more impressive. Sweid is small in stature but strong through the hips and crafty with his ball use, able to contort his body through contact to find teammates with brilliant hands. His work rate to get forward of the ball in transition has also been a highlight. The Essendon NGA prospect has been the Talent League's most impressive player to date for a dangerous Calder side.
20. Sam Cumming
North Adelaide/South Australia
MID, 185cm
AFL Academy: 13 disposals
A balanced midfielder out of SA, Cummins has been excellent in the U18s but found the step up for the AFL Academy a big task. He plied his trade on-ball for long stretches and had moments of class where he exited stoppages with safe hands but struggled to find the ball on the outside where he can become a metres-gained player. Cumming's defensive work is a highlight of his game.
In the mix
A Swans Academy duo in utility Noah Chamberlain and midfielder Lachie Carmichael had quiet outings but are considered first-round options, while McGuane's Jets teammate Tom Burton is a dashing defender that accumulates like few others.
Essendon NGA small forward Hussien El Achkar leads all comers for goals in the Talent League to highlight his extraordinary form and left some on the table kicking 3.5 on the weekend.
WA midfielder Toby Whan could rise into this crop with continued dominance in the Colts, power forward Liam Hetherton should get exposure to the VFL level this year and Collingwood NGA pair Jai Saxena and Zac McCarthy are rising up boards.