Sliders, bolters, live trades and bidding chaos made up the bulk of what was a frantic and frenzied 2025 AFL Draft. 58 youngsters -- plus a couple of re-listed veterans -- found their AFL homes on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Dux of the class was West Coast's Willem Duursma, while the Suns found a way to land four first round academy talents after trading three first round picks for Christian Petracca in the trade period. They were undoubtedly big winners of the night, but who beat them at the top of the grades?
With the 2025 AFL Draft run and won, this is how your club fared across both nights.
READ: Inside the bids, trades and chaos that made up the first round
Adelaide
Pre-draft hand: 16, 48, 55, 61
Selections: Mitch Marsh (22), Archie Ludowyke (50)
Adelaide's night started before they were on the clock. The Crows were keeping an eye on Dyson Sharp's slide, and offered up two first-rounders to snare the South Australian MVP at Essendon's pick 13.
Unable to get up the board they were happy to find Mitch Marsh available at 22, whose engine and size (at 190cm) makes him a matchup nightmare with a beautiful left foot set shot. Rounding out their selections was slider Archie Ludowyke, also a left-footed key forward. The Dragons spearhead has a brilliant vertical leap and creates separation on the lead but missed a chunk of the year with a PCL injury.
The Crows didn't add depth to their midfield as they enter their window of contention, but grabbed two quality talls for life after Taylor Walker.
Grade: B+
Brisbane
Pre-draft hand: 17, 23, 44, 51, 57
Selections: Dan Annable (6), Koby Evans (38), Cody Curtin (43), Tai Hayes (44)
The Lions stockpiled some points to match an early bid on Annable. The AFL Academy captain has put together a sensational two seasons, playing consistent football in the VFL that would have seen him push for AFL selection were he on the list in 2025. He's balanced as a midfielder, able to win the ball on the inside and create on the outside. They decided not to match a bid from Collingwood on midfielder Tyan Prindable.
After passing on Prindable they bid on Eagles NGA Koby Evans which wasn't matched. The Lions landed a strong-bodied utility who can play roles outside of the centre square. They gave up a future 3rd to move up with Carlton and nab Evans.
Fellow West Aussie Cody Curtin is the brother of Adelaide's Dan, but has an even bigger frame with strong hands in the air as a genuine key position player. Some clubs see Curtin as a defender at the next level.
Brisbane finished the draft off with the nephew of Saints legend Lenny Hayes, in Tai Hayes. Playing for Southport he's impressed as a taller midfielder who can float forward and stretch defences in the air at 193cm.
Grade: B
Carlton
Pre-draft hand: 9, 11, 43, 54
Selections: Harry Dean (3), Talor Byrne (45), Jack Ison (47)
The Blues set up trades with the Bombers and Roos for picks 9 and 11 respectively, and it helped them land father-son Harry Dean at pick 3. The earliest key defender taken in the draft since Jacob Weitering a decade ago, Dean is a masterful interceptor and reliable distributor down back set to form a starring combination with Weitering for the next decade.
They moved further back on night two, first getting the Suns' future 2nd round pick, then adding Brisbane's future 3rd to North's future 2nd in the Cody Walker (2026) draft. At 45 they snared Talor Byrne, a diminutive midfielder-turned-forward with strength through the hips and underrated contested craft. Jack Ison was then bid on at 47; he brings power at the coalface with a strong 190cm frame.
Grade: A-
Collingwood
Pre-draft hand: 39, 45, 56, 58, 67
Selections: Tyan Prindable (32), Sam Swadling (37), Zac McCarthy (55), Angus Anderson (57)
The Pies entered the draft on night two after moving their first round pick last year for Dan Houston. They immediately made a bid on the Lions' Tyan Prindable, landing the midfielder who impressed in the VFL late. Ball magnet Sam Swadling followed five picks later with the WA midfielder a candidate to debut next season.
Collingwood didn't wait around for a bid on NGA tall Zac McCarthy, grabbing the athletic ruck who may end up playing at either end with his coverage of the ground and leap a feature. Rounding out the night was former Swans Academy member Angus Anderson, who adds immediate midfield depth as a 22-year-old 193cm midfielder out of the SANFL.
The Pies are deciding between Tom McGuane and Jai Saxena for their final rookie spot.
Grade: B+
Essendon
Pre-draft hand: 5, 6, 21, 27, 30
Selections: Sullivan Robey (9), Jacob Farrow (10), Dyson Sharp (13), Max Kondogiannis (36), Hussien El Achkar (53)
It was a big first night for the Dons, taking three players after a trade with the Blues to land pick 9 (which ended up at 13). They snared the bolter of the draft in Sullivan Robey, whose overwhelming power and strength as a midfielder is a point of difference. He will start up forward where he kicks goals from open play with clean hands and smarts.
It was followed up by WA halfback Jacob Farrow, whose lethal left leg distributed the ball beautifully all season. Farrow has midfield ambitions but will start in defence. Dyson Sharp got through to 13 which was a coup for the Dons, with the Larke Medallist and SA MVP adding grunt to the midfield unit. He has been the best performed junior in the country across the past 24 months, and multiple clubs put forward offers for that pick with him in mind.
The Bombers couldn't find the points to match a Fremantle bid on Adam Sweid, but on night two they went with aggressive interceptor Mac Kondogiannis. The Charger will take some time to grow into his 190cm frame but offers great acceleration and dare.
Rounding out the draft was NGA graduate Hussien El Achkar who didn't sneak through to the rookie list. El Achkar is a prolific goal-kicking small forward, a position of need for Essendon.
Grade: A-
Fremantle
Pre-draft hand: 20, 47, 64
Selections: Adam Sweid (25), Tobyn Murray (40)
The Dockers clearly had their eye on fixing up their forward mix and did so with two selections. They had Sweid picked out from a long way back, rating his ability to roll up to stoppage as a forward and beat his opponent back to goal. Their bid on the Essendon NGA prospect was passed on by the Bombers with the final selection in the first round.
20-year-old Tobyn Murray has plied his trade for the Geelong VFL program as a small forward; he can work up and down the ground as that forward-half conduit and deliver the ball neatly inside 50. His selection came after a bid on cross-town rival West Coast's Tylah Williams.
NGA prospects Toby Whan and Ryda Luke made it through to the rookie draft.
Grade: B-
Geelong
Pre-draft hand: 19, 40
Selections: Harley Barker (24), Hunter Holmes (33)
Harley Barker would have gone higher in the draft were it not for his season-ending ACL, but the Cats are a club that can afford to wait on his level of talent. Barker is a fantastic wingman who offers speed off the line, overhead marking and kicking penetration into the forward 50.
In night two it was always going to be Hunter Holmes, the brother of star Cat Max. Holmes has a similarly spectacular athletic profile off a wing, but needs to round out his game to make it at the next level.
NGA forward Jesse Mellor is available to them in the rookie draft.
Grade: B
Gold Coast
Pre-draft hand: 15, 18, 24, 28, 29, 36, 52
Selections: Zeke Uwland (2), Dylan Patterson (5), Jai Murray (17), Beau Addinsall (18), Avery Thomas (28), Koby Coulson (46)
What a draft for the Suns. They banked four first-round talents through their academy after making four trades on the night to accumulate points.
Zeke Uwland landed at 2 after a dominant bottom-age campaign where his running, accumulation and ball use were all highlights off halfback. Next came Dylan Patterson whose dare and bravado out of defence is a feature, able to tuck the ball under his arm and burn off opponents.
The Eagles launched an audacious bid on both Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall but came up short. Murray is a strong-running midfielder who missed a chunk of the year with a lis franc injury, while Addinsall is a ball-winner who can play a variety of roles and find the footy at will.
On night two they traded a future 2nd for pick 28 and snapped up Avery Thomas, who looms as a lockdown small defender at the next level with his competitiveness and closing speed. Finally, academy graduate Koby Coulson is a courageous midfielder earning his main list spot through an unsuccessful North Melbourne bid.
Grade: A
GWS
Pre-draft hand: 12, 35
Selections: Oskar Taylor (15), Finn Davis (51), Jake Stringer (59)
The Giants started their draft with a move up the order, paying up a future 2nd for a two-pick jump to the Hawks which resulted in an unsuccessful bid on Sydney's Harry Kyle. They fell back on Oskar Taylor, the quickest player in the draft who zigs and zags out of defence. He can also lock down on opponents and do a job.
They traded up again on night two with a future 4th to Collingwood for Finn Davis, who similarly loves to go on dashing runs from the backline to link up play. They then re-drafted Jake Stringer to fill out their list.
Grade: C-
Hawthorn
Pre-draft hand: 10, 22, 59, 66
Selections: Cam Nairn (20), Aidan Schubert (23), Jack Dalton (34), Matt LeRay (56)
The biggest wins out of the draft for Hawthorn may be their future stockpile of picks. Two trades on draft night netted them the Giants' and Saints' (via West Coast) second round picks in 2026 for a slide from 14 to 20. That was after a trade to move up their second pick with Brisbane.
Cam Nairn was still on the board at that point, with the hard-running forward/wing admired by a host of clubs in the teens. He kicks goals and sets them up routinely, and was stoked to see best mate Aidan Schubert joining him on night one whose ground coverage and hands in the air are elite assets as a key forward.
They moved 2026 and 2027 third round picks to select Jack Dalton at 34, who is the endurance king of the crop and offers a hard edge as a midfielder. Rounding out the Hawks' haul was Matt LeRay, a rangy wing/defender out of SA that can intercept in the air, win contests and get involved in transition.
Grade: B+
Melbourne
Pre-draft hand: 7, 8, 37, 63, 65
Selections: Xavier Taylor (11), Latrelle Pickett (12), Tom Matthews (30)
The Demons waited patiently through the top 10 and were thrilled to see Xavier Taylor still on the board. As competitive and combative as they come, the Eastern Ranges premiership star can lock down on a variety of forwards and rebound out of the backline.
Taylor was paired with one of the great stories from the draft, as Latrelle Pickett was presented his Demons jumper by cousin Kysaiah. He's a similarly dynamic small forward, evading all-comers to kick remarkable goals from impossible positions on the ground.
Injuries didn't dissuade Melbourne from taking tough Gippsland forward/midfielder Tom Matthews in the second round, while ruck father-son Kalani White will wait for his opportunity in the rookie draft.
Grade: C+
North Melbourne
Pre-draft hand: 25, 26, 46
Selections: Lachy Dovaston (16), Blake Thredgold (26), Hugo Mikunda (48)
Given the Roos infamously moved their first round pick for Matt Whitlock last year, they have done a magnificent job in 2025.
A trade of their second round selection and future second for Carlton's pick 11 (ending up at 16) landed them Lachy Dovaston, the best small forward in the draft and a position they desperately needed to address. Dovaston is a livewire with a healthy dose of arrogance who kicked 53 goals in all competitions this year.
To see one of the best key defenders available with the first pick in the second round was a godsend for North Melbourne, and they wasted no time in snapping up Blake Thredgold. The lockdown specialist plays above his 194cm with a strong vertical leap and has the body to play AFL football next year.
The Roos then settled on crafty half forward Hugo Mikunda with their last pick to round out a draft haul North supporters should be excited about.
Grade: A+
Port Adelaide
Pre-draft hand: 49
Selections: N/A
Port Adelaide chose to pass on the national draft, instead opting to elevate three rookies. Their draft plans now revolve around next-gen academy player Dougie Cochrane in 2026, and a group in 2027 headlined by NGA prospect Zemes Pilot and father-son Louis Salopek.
Grade: N/A
Richmond
Pre-draft hand: 3, 4, 38
Selections: Sam Cumming (7), Sam Grlj (8), Zane Puecker (31), Noah Roberts-Thomson (54)
The direction of the draft was always going to hinge on the Tigers, who had kept everything in-house despite making their minds up over a week ago. After bids on Dylan Patterson and Dan Annable, Richmond landed on Sam Cumming and Sam Grlj.
Cumming is the perfect modern midfielder, applying himself defensively with intent and getting forward to set up scoring opportunities with speed and aerial ability. Grlj is the best athlete in the pool, burning off opponents with ease and running all day either off halfback, a wing or through the middle.
On night two they injected some excitement to the front half with Zane Puecker who plays above his 179cm height with marking exploits, and paired him with fellow SA prospect Noah Roberts-Thomson. A tall midfielder who can go forward, NRT is the cousin of Swans cult hero Lewis.
Father-son Louis Kellaway got through to the rookie draft after a nervy wait.
Grade: A-
St Kilda
Pre-draft hand: 50, 62
Selections: Charlie Banfield (41), Kye Fincher (52), Ryan Byrnes (58)
The Saints were one of the last teams to enter the draft, and started with a bid on Eagles father-son Charlie Banfield that wasn't matched. An elite runner with a strong frame, Banfield was named best on ground in Claremont's Colts premiership and brings a hard edge to his contested work.
St Kilda matched a bid on their exciting NGA Kye Fincher who was named best on ground in his VFL debut. The midfielder can play down back but may be seen as a forward option under Ross Lyon. They rounded out the draft by re-listing Ryan Byrnes.
Grade: B
Sydney
Pre-draft hand: 31, 32, 42, 60
Selections: Harry Kyle (14), Jevan Phillipou (35), Billy Cootee (42), Max King (49)
The Swans were forced into tough decisions on night one. An early GWS bid on high-upside academy prospect Harry Kyle immediately forced a points squeeze on the club, but they matched with a view to what the utility could become as his skill catches up to his athletic traits.
It meant making the tough decision of passing on Allies MVP Lachie Carmichael, who landed with the Dogs at pick 21. The upside came on night two with an early selection that snared Jevan Phillipou. The younger brother of St Kilda's Mattaes isn't short on confidence or athleticism, able to win his own ball and run all day off a forward flank or through the midfield.
What followed was a brilliant story out of the draft with mature-ager Billy Cootee earning his opportunity. At 22 years of age the former Essendon VFL captain and Norwood best and fairest is a prolific goalkicking midfielder that will settle in the forward line.
The Swans rounded out their draft by matching a bid on Max King. The uber athletic forward was a top five candidate for some clubs at the start of the season, but earned his shot with the Swans late on night two.
Grade: C+
West Coast
Pre-draft hand: 1, 2, 13, 34, 41
Selections: Willem Duursma (1), Cooper Duff-Tytler (4), Josh Lindsay (19), Sam Allen (29), Tylah Williams (39)
There were distinct stages of emotions for Eagles fans at the draft. Between bids on Zeke Uwland and Harry Dean, West Coast selected the two best open pool prospects in the crop. Willem Duursma is a freakish athlete with sky high upside as a midfielder, while Cooper Duff-Tytler has earned the unicorn label as a skilful tall who can play through the ruck or up forward.
What followed was a bizarre combination of events. The Eagles traded St Kilda's future second rounder (via the Liam Ryan deal) to Hawthorn to move up a solitary spot late in the first round. They then bid twice on Gold Coast prospects Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall, but failed to land either as the Suns had traded in the points to match. It meant West Coast settled on Josh Lindsay who the Hawks were set to overlook and wasted a second round pick.
Lindsay is a good choice in isolation; he immediately becomes the Eagles' best kick and his distribution out of defence will be vital in their rebuild.
On night two West Coast only carried two picks in, relying on their club-tied talents to fall into the rookie draft. Before any bid came they took the opportunity to grab athletic wingman Sam Allen, who will take time to rehabilitate a torn ACL but looms as an exciting project to develop with his athletic traits and leadership.
Then came the bids. With just one list spot open, the Eagles chose to pass on Brisbane's Koby Evans bid, allowing the strong and physical utility to get to the premiers. At the following pick they matched on a bid for creative half forward Tylah Williams, but could do nothing but allow the bid on father-son Charlie Banfield to pass through to the Saints.
The AFL's draft assistance package to the Eagles involved additional rookie list spots for their club-tied talent. The only problem? Only one of them (Wes Walley) made it through the national draft to be of use to West Coast. It meant that the club not cutting deep enough into their list led to them missing out on the talents of Evans and Banfield.
Grade: C-
Western Bulldogs
Pre-draft hand: 14, 33, 53
Selections: Lachie Carmichael, Louis Emmett, Will Darcy
The Dogs had been eyeing off some class off halfback with their first selection, and with Oskar Taylor and Josh Lindsay off the board chose to bid on Sydney's Lachie Carmichael. The Swans' points crunch was of benefit to the Dogs, bringing in the Allies MVP who racks up the ball off halfback and uses it precisely.
Louis Emmett is a high-upside swing in the second round, drafted with the intention of moving into defence where his elite endurance and vertical leap will allow him to attack the ball in the air as he chases his opponent around the field.
And there's another Darcy on the list with Sam's brother Will finding his home at the Kennel. A stout defender at his best, Darcy will take time to add size to his frame but he can do some special things below his knees and reads the game well.
Grade: C+