With the AFL Draft combine wrapped up and more intel for clubs to go by, ESPN releases its October power rankings featuring the top 40 junior prospects from around the country in 2025.
The 2024 draft crop was blessed with an abundance of depth; Jobe Shanahan at pick 30, Sam Davidson at 51, Ty Gallop at 56, and Zak Johnson at 70 are all examples of how deep last year's pool ran.
This year's crop is decidedly different. The top-end talent is meagre and the prospects that clubs are confident bringing onto their main list runs dry quickly. Expect to see more rookie elevations this year, and the 71 selections taken 12 months ago will look closer to 60 this time around.
There have been some late-season bolters to provide more depth to the first-round contingent. Eastern Ranges duo Sullivan Robey and Oskar Taylor could land inside the top 15 on draft night, with Robey a chance to bolt into the first five. Before them it was WA's Jacob Farrow who announced himself, with the halfback now locked as the first Sandgroper taken.
But there have been sliders across the year, too. Fred Rodriguez couldn't capitalise on his fantastic bottom-age campaign, Louis Emmett came into the season with as much hype as Cooper Duff-Tytler, and Collingwood's father-son Tom McGuane won't find his way to the Pies in the national draft.
All that's to say recruiters have the same concerns they did about this class 12 months ago. They'll make their money picking in the back half of the draft, while the first round will be filled with club-tied talent. Accounting for compensation/assistance picks and night one will stretch well past 30 selections.
There's still reason to be excited if you're picking inside the first 15 or so. This year's pool has terrific, bankable players who thrive in specific roles around that range. Xavier Taylor, Aidan Schubert, Mitch Marsh, Josh Lindsay, and Sam Cumming are all such different players ready to step up to important roles in an AFL system.
Following on from the 2025 AFL Draft combine, this is ESPN's top 40 power rankings for October.
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1. Willem Duursma
Gippsland Power/Vic Country
MID/DEF, 193cm
National Championships: 4 games, 24.2 disposals, 5.2 marks
Talent League: 13 games, 23.5 disposals, 1.2 goals
Most clubs are in agreement that Duursma is the top prospect in 2025. The Foster native has excelled in every role asked of him through a turbulent season, but in time will hope to become a damaging midfielder with his athletic tools and ball skills. Duursma posted a 6:19 minute 2km and 2.997 second 20m sprint to showcase his profile. The 193cm utility will likely start his career off halfback where his intercepting is a weapon.
2. Zeke Uwland (Suns Academy)
Suns Academy/Allies
MID/DEF, 178cm
VFL: 4 games, 16.0 disposals, 4.3 marks
Uwland hasn't shown his best this year. But he was the best in his bottom-age campaign, a pocket rocket streaming off halfback with precision ball use off his preferred left. Uwland is a clone of Errol Gulden in stature and style, loving the ball in hands and placing kicks to leading forwards.
3. Dan Annable (Lions Academy)
Lions Academy/Allies
MID, 183cm
National Championships: 8 games, 21.4 disposals, 0.5 goals
VFL: 8 games, 29.0 disposals, 3.6 tackles
Annable may have cracked the Lions lineup this year, such was his form in the VFL. A beautifully balanced midfielder, the AFL Academy captain wins the ball on the inside, uses it well on the outside and thrives in the heat of the contest. Annable ran a 6:21 minute 2km and 3.106 second 20m sprint.
4. Cooper Duff-Tytler
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
RUC, 200cm
National Championships: 4 games, 14.5 disposals, 14 hitouts
Talent League: 5 games, 20.4 disposals, 1 goal
What a brilliant combine for Duff-Tytler, confirming his athletic prowess and firming to be a top two pick on draft night. The ruckman managed a 6:22 minute 2km to go with a ridiculous 2.922 20m sprint. He's crafty around the ground and brilliant below his knees, following up as another midfielder and using the ball superbly. If Duff-Tytler becomes a reliable key forward target his ceiling will be enormous.
5. Dyson Sharp
Central Districts/South Australia
MID, 188cm
National Championships: 4 games, 27 disposals, 1.3 goals
SANFL: 9 games, 14.3 disposals, 3.3 tackles
Sharp could not have done much more this year. Unfortunately he didn't test at the combine so those fears over his athletic profile will remain. What he can do is win the football at the source and carry his team with consistent excellence through the middle. Sharp is a future captain in the AFL.
6. Xavier Taylor
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
DEF, 191cm
National Championships: 4 games, 15 disposals, 4.5 marks
Talent League: 17 games, 18.3 disposals, 6.4 marks
Taylor's rise lands him all the way at 6. A do-it-all defender, the athletic interceptor can lock down on opponents, chain up possession in transition and execute under pressure. He was best on ground in the Coates Grand Final with 25 touches to stake his top 10 claims and suits the modern game to a tee. Taylor recorded a 6:39 minute 2km and 3.045 second 20m sprint.
7. Dylan Patterson (Suns Academy)
Suns Academy/Allies
DEF, 183cm
National Championships: 4 games, 19.8 disposals, 3.5 marks
VFL: 5 games, 15.4 disposals, 5 marks
Patterson only knows one way - bursting off halfback and taking the game on. He plays with urgency and has a strong, penetrating kick to go with his high-end speed. Although not completing testing at the combine Patterson is well poised to garner a top five bid and play senior football early for the Suns.
8. Sullivan Robey
Eastern Ranges
MID/FWD, 192cm
Talent League: 8 games, 20 disposals, 2 goals
Robey capped off his dominant rise with a Coates premiership in which he was instrumental. The powerful midfielder loves to use his fend to create space and can burst through contact and charge forward. Those attributes don't show up in testing - he recorded a 6:45 minute 2km and 3.118 second 20m sprint - but has done it all with a cracked collarbone which will endear recruiters even more.
9. Sam Grlj
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 182cm
National Championships: 4 games, 17 disposals, 2.5 marks
Talent League: 7 games, 20.3 disposals, 5.0 tackles
Grlj dominated the combine. He's the first prospect to run a sub-six minute 2km and sub-three second 20m sprint in the past three years to show off his incredible speed-endurance blend. Grlj's acceleration and motor is game-breaking, but he also carries an insatiable work ethic, embraces the physicality and rises to big moments. There's incredible upside if he can win more of his own ball on the inside and become a more damaging kick in space.
10. Sam Cumming
North Adelaide/South Australia
MID/FWD, 185cm
National Championships: 4 games, 17 disposals, 1 goal
SANFL U18s: 5 games, 24.2 disposals, 1.6 goals
Cumming is a powerful athlete adept in a multitude of roles. He's team-oriented which was on display for South Australia acting as a high forward conduit, but has shown ability to be the main midfielder and take over games with goalkicking exploits. His acceleration was on show with a 2.971 second 20m sprint on Sunday while still working his way through shoulder rehab.
11. Harry Dean (Carlton father-son)
Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country
DEF, 193cm
National Championships: 4 games, 15.2 disposals, 6.2 marks
Talent League: 8 games, 17.4 disposals, 7.1 marks
Dean has steadily risen through the process to now be attracting top 10 consideration. It's a Godsend for the Blues who have been crying out for a Jacob Weitering partner and now get the best intercept mark in the draft via father-son. Dean reads the play exceptionally well and processes the game coolly with ball in hand.
12. Aidan Schubert
Central Districts/South Australia
FWD/RUCK, 198cm
National Championships: 4 games, 17 disposals, 2.5 goals
SANFL U18s: 13 games, 19.2 disposals, 2.2 goals
Schubert moves well at his size, clunks marks on the lead and in packs, has a beautiful set shot routine and impacts as a relief ruckman. It's an extremely enticing package for a key forward and he's starred at the national championships against the best junior footballers in the country.
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13. Lachy Dovaston
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
FWD, 177cm
National Championships: 4 games, 12.8 disposals, 2.2 goals
Talent League: 16 games, 16.1 disposals, 2.4 goals
Dovaston now sits pretty in third all-time for the combine agility test after posting 7.794 seconds. It goes with a 2.975 second 20m sprint to show off the speed that goes with his nous. Dovaston is a brilliant goalsneak who hits the ball at full throttle. There's a cult figure ready to explode at the next level in the Ranges forward.
14. Josh Lindsay
Geelong Falcons/Vic Country
DEF/MID, 183cm
National Championships: 4 games, 22.2 disposals, 3.8 marks
Talent League: 6 games, 20.5 disposals, 2.7 marks
Lindsay's left foot is an incredible weapon for the halfback. He's quick from hand to foot and can fan kicks wide to hit chests. It's the other elements of his game that may not see him taken in the top 10. Lindsay hasn't shown midfield craft and it's difficult to envision him playing an inside role. On the outside he's an accumulator and damaging but lacks the athletic profile of others.
15. Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country
FWD/MID, 186cm
National Championships: 4 games, 12 disposals, 1.5 goals
Talent League: 11 games, 16.3 disposals, 1.5 goals
Hibbins-Hargreaves may have had the most up and down season of any prospect this year, and again couldn't test on the weekend due to illness. His best is glorious, a combination of class and precision that culminated in a 29-disposal, five-goal performance against GWV. He's also faded in and out of games and hasn't proven his wares as a midfielder. Nevertheless Hibbins-Hargreaves' skill, confidence and impact is tantalising up forward.
16. Jacob Farrow
West Perth/Western Australia
DEF/MID, 188cm
National Championships: 4 games, 19 disposals, 4.8 marks
WAFL Colts: 9 games, 24.7 disposals, 5.4 marks
There's a massive ceiling in WA's Farrow, a smooth halfback with the frame and contested skills to one day transition into a dynamic on-baller. He can intercept aerially, rarely wastes the ball and has brilliant composure under pressure to make the right decision. He will be the first WA player taken in the draft.
17. Mitch Marsh
West Adelaide/South Australia
FWD, 191cm
National Championships: 4 games, 8.5 disposals, 3 goals
SANFL U18s: 15 games, 12.5 disposals, 2.0 goals
Marsh has had a stellar campaign. The big-bodied forward plays as a third forward type, getting up and down the ground with a bunch of unrewarded running but kicking accurately for goal with a booming leg. His hands in the air need to become stronger and he hasn't found a lot of the ball this season, but he projects to become a dangerous forward in the mould of a Darcy Fogarty.
18. Oskar Taylor
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
DEF, 182cm
Talent League: 17 games, 20.5 disposals, 3.9 marks
Taylor blitzed the combine, taking out the 20m sprint and finishing second in the agility test. It translates to games where he explodes from halfback with dash, but can be erratic by foot at times. The upside to Taylor is his brilliant one-on-one defending against small forwards which separates him from others. He's now at the point where he could land in the top 15.
19. Ollie Greeves
Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro
MID, 191cm
National Championships: 4 games, 25 disposals, 0.8 goals
Talent League: 10 games, 25.5 disposals, 1.1 goals
Greeves can win his own ball but is more at home on the outside of contests with the ball in space. He had a strong finals campaign, but clubs remain concerned about his speed at the next level and if he will make it as a midfielder. Greeves didn't test at the combine through illness.
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20. Adam Sweid (Essendon NGA)
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
MID, 175cm
National Championships: 4 games, 17 disposals, 1 goal
Talent League: 13 games, 25.0 disposals, 5.2 tackles
Sweid just kept on impressing this year, acclimating to every level and proving he can play through the midfield or at half forward. A nuggety on-baller with strength through the hips, Sweid is at his best fishing the ball out of packs and chaining possessions.
21. Harley Barker
Sturt/South Australia
MID, 187cm
National Championships: 4 games, 16 disposals, 1 goal
SANFL U18s: 6 games, 16.8 disposals, 0.5 goals
Barker tore his ACL and won't quite be back for pre-season in January, but not before putting together a stellar champs with SA to boost his name into the first round frame. The hard-running wingman is good in the air, has elite top-end speed and loves to take the game on in the forward half. Clubs have had a good look at Barker excelling against strong competition.
22. Louis Emmett
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
FWD/RUC, 199cm
National Championships: 3 games, 15 disposals, 0.5 goals
Talent League: 4 games, 15.3 disposals, 1.2 goals
It hasn't been the perfect season for Emmett. But a 6:07 minute 2km is proof of his crazy profile as a genuine marking option that can play either end and in the ruck. He clunks the ball well but has floated in and out of games. His best football may come as a defender but we haven't seen it in full games.
23. Max King (Swans Academy)
Swans Academy/Allies
FWD, 191cm
National Championships: 3 games, 7.3 disposals, 0.7 goals
Talent League: 4 games, 14.0 disposals, 0.8 goals
King has an awesome athletic profile and he ran a 2.929 second 20m sprint as a tall marking target. There's something mercurial in his style of play, but his inconsistency and in-between size could see him struggle to impact for a while yet.
24. Fred Rodriguez
South Fremantle/Western Australia
MID, 184cm
National Championships: 4 games, 18 disposals, 4.5 tackles
WAFL Colts: 7 games, 25.3 disposals, 2.6 marks
Rodriguez will captain his side into a Grand Final after a dominant Colts season. He's a clean and classy midfielder at his best, executing kicks off both feet and using a burst of speed to exit congestion. Rodriguez was WA's MVP in a disappointing campaign for the Sandgropers.
25. Beau Addinsall (Suns Academy)
Suns Academy/Allies
MID, 180cm
National Championships: 1 game, 16 disposals, 4 tackles
Talent League: 3 games, 32.0 disposals, 1.3 goals
Addinsall didn't put together his strongest junior campaign but you know what you're getting from the crafty and determined midfielder. He plays a variety of roles, is clean and quick with his hands and can hit the scoreboard routinely.
26. Archie Ludowyke
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
FWD, 197cm
National Championships: 3 games, 4 disposals, 1 mark
Talent League: 3 games, 9.3 disposals, 3.3 goals
Ludowyke's season was cruelled by a PCL injury sustained playing for Vic Metro, a blow after missing out on Sandringham's premiership last year. A springheeled forward who loves to sit on heads, his athletic attributes are matched by his timing and courage in the air. The left footer's best game came in a five-goal outing against the Ranges earlier in the season.
27. Jevan Phillipou
Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia
MID/FWD, 183cm
SANFL U18s: 9 games, 22.7 disposals, 1 goal
It may not have been the combine Phillipou was hoping for, with the powerful athlete registering a 6:33 minute 2km, 2.960 second 20m sprint and 8.68 second agility test. His athletic prowess is on show in game though, able to run out four quarters well and burst from congestion. He's hard-nosed and combative, but doesn't have polish to date.
28. Blake Thredgold
Sturt/South Australia
DEF, 194cm
SANFL U18s: 14 games, 11.6 disposals, 5.4 marks
Thredgold's rise continues with a really strong combine, registering a 2.918 second 20m sprint. His closing speed as a key defender is good, as is his reading of the ball in flight. Thredgold projects to become a stout key back in time.
29. Rory Wright
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
MID/DEF, 183cm
National Championships: 4 games, 13 disposals, 1.5 marks
Talent League: 11 games, 25.5 disposals, 5.6 marks
Wright was on the radar of clubs as a big-bodied inside midfielder for the Dragons. But a move to halfback over finals has unlocked his traits and seen him rocket back up boards. A lovely kick off his preferred left, Wright operates as a quarterback with his distribution and leadership behind the ball. He's brave and strong-handed in the air, knows when to take the game on and may now be the first Sandringham player taken in the draft.
30. Hussien El Achkar (Essendon NGA)
Calder Cannons/Vic Metro
FWD, 171cm
National Championships: 4 games, 10.5 disposals, 1.5 goals
Talent League: 11 games, 12.7 disposals, 2.5 goals
El Achkar is a supremely gifted, natural footballer with elite instincts around goals. He doesn't possess the athletic profile of the best small forwards and will take some time to build a fitness base for the AFL, but has great upside as a crafty finisher.
31. Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier
North Adelaide/South Australia
MID, 182cm
National Championships: 4 games, 14.9 disposals, 3.8 marks
SANFL U18s: 6 games, 25 disposals, 4.7 tackles
One of the more difficult prospects to rank is Oudshoorn-Bennier, a sensational ball user with a quick burst to free himself from the clinches. It's that exquisite ball use that has clubs most interested - if he can develop into a clinical halfback or high-impact forward while he develops more contested aptitude then he could be the steal of the draft. Oudhsoorn-Bennier had his injury struggles but played all levels of the SANFL and dominated patches of U18s finals.
32. Cameron Nairn
Central District/South Australia
FWD, 189cm
SANFL U18s: 13 games, 20.5 disposals, 1.7 goals
There's a lot to like with the way Nairn operates on the field. He reads cues and acts swiftly ahead of the ball, plus has shown he can move up the ground and use it well late in-season. Nairn had a 6:13 minute 2km and 3.085 second 20m sprint.
33. Jack Dalton
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
MID, 177cm
Talent League: 8 games, 28.5 disposals, 5.4 tackles
Dalton is the endurance king of the 2025 class. His 5:53 minute 2km won both this and last year's combine and on the field he's a running machine too, powering through all four quarters to rack up the ball at will. He needs to become a better ball user and lacks positional versatility which will limit how high he goes in the draft.
34. Matt LeRay
Central Districts/South Australia
MID, 189cm
National Championships: 4 games, 16.7 disposals, 5.7 marks
SANFL U18s: 12 games, 22.3 disposals, 5.1 marks
LeRay is a great reader of the ball in the air and makes really good decisions. He doesn't have the best fitness base for a wingman - and ran a 6:56 minute 2km - but could be a great pick if he's converted into an intercepting defender.
35. Kye Fincher (St Kilda NGA)
Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro
DEF/MID, 183cm
National Championships: 4 games, 20,5 disposals, 3.8 marks
Talent League: 9 games, 22.4 disposals. 3.9 marks
Fincher is an ultra-consistent halfback with strong ball-winning nous to boot. He reads play well, loves to get the ball in his hands and run, plus showed in the VFL scope to move inside in future. Fincher only got a state combine invite so may fall further than this spot.
36. Sam Swadling
West Perth/Western Australia
MID, 187cm
National Championships: 4 games, 19 disposals, 3.8 marks
WAFL Colts: 9 games, 35.4 disposals, 4.0 marks
Swadling is a ball magnet capable of finding the ball upwards of 40 times a game. It's what he does with it that has clubs concerned - his kicking needs an overhaul and he often tries to make something happen with every disposals which can get him in trouble. There's similarities to Tom Powell in his draft year.
37. Zac McCarthy (Collingwood NGA)
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
FWD/RUCK, 198cm
National Championships: 4 games, 9.8 disposals, 1.8 goals
Talent League: 3 games. 17.0 disposals, 1.3 goals
It was a strong year for McCarthy who starred for the Chargers and put in good showings for Vic Metro. At the combine he ran a 6:36 minute 2km and 3.187 second 20m sprint, and will take time to develop in the VFL as he builds out his rangy frame.
38. Jack Ison (Carlton NGA)
Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro
MID, 190cm
National Championships: 3 games, 13.3 disposals, 3.3 marks
Talent League: 6 games, 20.5 disposals, 0.8 goals
Ison is a physical on-baller. The strong-bodied contested specialist has so many traits to project favourably at the next level, from his work in the clinches to the power and speed he exhibits in space. There are issues to round out his game - Ison needs to become a better kick and has defensive lapses, but there's upside in what he represents at the next level.
39. Tom Burton
Western Jets/Vic Metro
MID, 178cm
National Championships: 4 games, 15.5 disposals, 2.5 tackles
Talent League: 12 games, 29.6 disposals, 5.3 marks
A link-up midfielder with a strong work ethic, Burton has drawn praise for his ball-winning ability but it's his capacity to cleanly execute skills that will have recruiters considering his services. Burton is a professional with the capacity to evolve into an effective winger with his run and carry, and his 2.915 second 20m sprint showed his turn of pace.
40. Toby Whan (Fremantle NGA)
South Fremantle/Western Australia
MID, 184cm
National Championships: 4 games, 15 disposals, 0.5 goals
WAFL Colts: 11 games, 28.9 disposals, 3.5 marks
Whan is a bull in stoppages, able to rip the ball out and get it moving forward at all costs. His championships let him down but there's a serious player here when you combine his contested appetite and long left leg.