2025 AFL PHANTOM DRAFT: FINAL EDITION
It’s time to go for the 2025 AFL Phantom Draft, with some quick ground rules because these questions are happening every year and we just gotta get these out of the way.
- No trades (except for one circumstance listed below). It’s a headache. I don’t do them. Ever.
- This draft does not reflect the current draft order, because bid matches and forfeited picks from said matches will mess with the order. It happens every year.
- This is not going to be right. Have fun with it, and please leave me with your responses.
- Carlton will part with its two first-round selections (Picks 9 and 11) to help with the . Essendon is set to secure Pick 9, with a combination of Picks 21, 27 and 30 going back to the Blues. North Melbourne should receive Pick 11, with one of its selections in the second round (Picks 25 or 26) plus a future second-rounder being sent to Carlton.
- With these trades essentially being done, Essendon and North will be given Picks 9 & 11 respectively for this final draft.
- Normally these are first-round only, but I found I had 29 picks involved this year. For the sake of a nice round number, I’ll also be including North’s pick at the top of Round 2 to make it #30. I’m weird like that.
Pick 1: West Coast – Willem Duursma, Utility, Gippsland, 193cm
While plenty can change between now and draft day, the early reports are that the Eagles have decided on their two selections). Nothing has changed since the first mock draft at this stage.
The fourth Duursma sibling to enter the AFL, and unanimously the highest touted of the lot, it would be a minor shock to see Willem Duursma picked at #4 with most people having him #1 on the draft board. Truthfully it could be him or Duff-Tytler here given how much West Coast likes both, but they’ll likely be Eagles nonetheless.
Pick 2: Gold Coast – Zeke Uwland, Utility, Suns Academy, 180cm (Academy)
The run on attached players begins with Zeke Uwland, who would be a very good chance to go #1 overall if he wasn’t attached to the Suns. Gold Coast will be more than happy to pay up as the first of their vaunted 2025 crop.
The best thing about Uwland is his ability to play in any line of the field. It doesn’t matter if you want him to be a defender or a forward early in his career because he can quite easily play whatever while he earns his midfield minutes in a very stacked Suns engine room. A strong runner with a lethal left foot, he’s easily one of the top picks in the class.
Pick 3: Carlton – Harry Dean, Defender, Murray Bushrangers, 194cm (Father/son)
This would be the worst case scenario for Carlton, but the lack of key defensive depth could force the Eagles to make an earlier than expected bid for Harry Dean. Under the new bidding rules where the the discount is now at 10% and not 20%, a bid at Pick 3 would cost 1960 points in the new system (pick 3 is 2178 – 217.8 for the discount for 1960.2 points). This will swallow up Picks 10 and 12 (originally #9 and #11 but pushed back one spot for the above Uwland bid) which is valued at 2416 points. This will net them Dean and Pick #30 or thereabouts in return.
This is why the Blues are going to be trading out both picks, to get the maximum amount of points they can as well as snag a pick in 2026 for Cody Walker.
But the truth is the Eagles love Dean and they clearly need key defensive help (well, they need help everywhere). Dean has battled some big name key forward prospects this season and is a true pure shutdown defender. He’s also an excellent intercept mark, and he can contribute right away at AFL level.
Pick 4: West Coast – Cooper Duff-Tytler, Ruck/Forward, Calder Cannons, 200cm
The AFL hasn’t seen a ruckman go #1 overall since Matthew Kreuzer was drafted by Carlton in 2007, but Cooper Duff-Tytler is one of the favourites to go with the top pick and he and Duursma are the heavy favourites for the top pick.
It’s not hard to see why the Eagles reportedly covet CDT however. He finished in the top 10 for the 2km time trial (6:21 minutes) and the 20-metre sprint (2.92 seconds) despite his size which showcases his athletic ability. Tall prospects like this don’t come around very often and while most have CDT as the #2 or #3 prospect, I personally think he’s virtually tied as a top prospect.
Pick 5: Brisbane – Daniel Annable, Midfield, Lions Academy, 184cm (Academy)
It’s scary to think Brisbane’s midfield is going to be even more stacked with top talent but like their younger brothers down South, they’re going to become even richer with a top 5 prospect coming to them in Daniel Annable.
A strong ball winner who is equally suited as an inside midfielder as well as on the outside with his running power. He’s probably better as a contested ball winner in the long term, but it’ll be interesting to see what his initial role will be at the Lions.
Pick 6: Gold Coast – Dylan Patterson, Midfield/Defender, Suns Academy, 183cm (Academy)
Four attached players in the first six picks of this draft shows how, for lack of a better word, compromised it is at the top of the draft. It’s not a sign the draft is failing despite what doomsayers say (it’s not like it’s this way every year) but it’s certainly not a good year to be picking early.
Patterson’s raw speed and linebreaking ability is what sets him apart from other top prospects in this draft. He’s wicked fast both in a straight line and when eluding opponents which should get him some early gametime in 2026 in some capacity.
Pick 7: Richmond – Sullivan Robey, Forward/Midfield, Eastern Ranges, 192cm
Sullivan Robey is the biggest draft bolter since Clayton Oliver, coming from absolutely nowhere to be a strong favourite to become a top 10 pick in this draft. Richmond have a few players they could also consider here such as Sam Cumming (who they did a lot of late work on) and Sam Grlj, but Robey and the Tigers seem tied together at the moment.
While not quite a key tall, the 192cm tall Robey is a strong mark and an excellent kick for goal. He also showcased his capacity as a midfielder with a 40 disposal, five clearances and three goal performance vs the Western Jets.
Pick 8: Richmond – Xavier Taylor, Defender, Eastern Ranges, 192cm
The best non-attached defender in this draft is Xavier Taylor, and it was to be a genuine surprise if Richmond didn’t pick the Eastern Ranges product for their exciting rebuild going on in Tigerland. But there’s some rumblings that the team could be looking at other options here too, but Taylor seems to make too much sense to change the pick here.
Xavier Taylor will excite defensive purists with his ability to be a pest to all kinds of forwards. 192cm defenders can be at a disadvantage as too small to go on true key forwards and too slow to work on speedier small forwards, but his strength and football IQ lets him take on bigger opponents while his speed and quick step match up well on smalls.
Pick 9: Essendon – Sam Cumming, Midfield, North Adelaide, 182cm
Essendon absolutely have to go out of this draft taking at least one midfielder from the draft crop. Zach Merrett wanted out to their biggest rival, and everything behind him is a mess with Ben Hobbs let go as a draft bust and Elijah Tsatas approaching that stage.
Dyson Sharp for a long time was considered the top SA prospect in this draft class, but Sam Cumming has been rising up fast in draft projections and may not even make it here. Cumming drew himself into top tier considerations when he tested well at the Combine recording the 20 metre sprint in 2.97 seconds and 2km time trial in 6:33. An inside midfielder with the ability to influence the scoreboard, he’s one to watch on draft day for the top 10.
Pick 10: Essendon – Dyson Sharp, Midfield, Central Districts, 187cm
Remember when I said they had to take at least one midfielder from the draft class? I think it’s very possible and maybe even desirable to double dip and go all out in repairing the engine room down at the Hanger. They might even double dip and get both top SA prospects here.
Dyson Sharp is for the most part considered the top SA prospect in this draft class, and the Adelaide Crows will be desperately hoping he slides down. Not here though, as Sharp is exactly what the Bombers need with his competitiveness, strength, inside midfield game and leadership as the captain in SAs U/18 title win.
Pick 11: Melbourne – Cam Nairn, Forward, Central Districts, 188cm
Someone, please give the Demons a key forward. The Demons are screaming out for someone to be the spearhead and Matthew Jefferson is not developing as the Dees are hoping. Aidan Schubert and Cam Nairn are a pair of Central Districts forward that could garner consideration here, with Nairn the player who’s getting the late momentum.
Cam Nairn is a deadeye, going 22.7 for Central Districts Under-18s this season. His excellent running, hands and field kicking means he can play as a high half forward as well. His consistency and versatility have catapulted him into top-10 contention.
Pick 12: Melbourne – Jacob Farrow, Midfield, West Perth, 188cm
Christian Petracca is gone, Clayton Oliver is gone, and it’s clear that despite some protestations within that there is a rebuild coming at Melbourne. Midfield is suddenly an area of need despite them spending picks at the position last year.
This is probably the floor for Jacob Farrow’s draft range. Someone who can slot in one the halfback flank as he earns his midfield minutes. He got the power and agility to be a really big midfielder at the AFL level, and he could get some early midfield minutes at the Demons.
Pick 13: Essendon – Latrelle Pickett, Forward, Glenelg, 181cm
Essendon are reportedly linked to either of the top small forwards in Latrelle Pickett or Lachy Dovaston with this pick. Whoever I pick is probably the one the club WON’T take, but the reason I took Pickett over Dovaston is the Bombers have reportedly met with Pickett very late in the draft process around the time the projected trade with Carlton came about.
Pickett is the typical small forward you would expect when you hear that last name. Cousin of Dees All-Australian Kysaiah, Latrelle has risen up the ranks thanks to an excellent season in the SANFL reserves competition with Glenelg, where he kicked 32 goals.
Pick 14: Hawthorn – Josh Lindsay, Defender/Midfield, Geelong Falcons, 183cm
Hawthorn are in a nice position here to take a faller, and they could take some equally valuable types such as Lachy Dovaston, Sam Grlj or Aidan Schubert here. But the Hawks might find the dash and versatility of Josh Lindsay too good to pass up at this juncture.
Lindsay is a player who possesses amazing field vision, able to find this target on the field and then pinpoint them with his excellent kicking. Teams could find him a valuable weapon either coming out of halfback or as an outside midfielder.
Pick 15: North Melbourne – Lachy Dovaston, Forward, Eastern Ranges, 178cm
It feels like the picks of Essendon and North are directly linked, other than both trading for the same teams’ first-round selections. Both seem to be linked hard to the top elite small forwards in this class and the Roos may very well pick whoever the Bombers don’t (although the Hawks do like Dovaston and have met with him).
One of the more electric small forwards in this draft, Dovaston kicked 38 goals for Eastern Ranges in 2025 and then killed it at the Combine where he won the agility test with a time of 7.794 seconds, which ranked him fourth in Combine history. But he’s more than a flash in the highlight reel as well, with his defensive pressure and work rate showing that he’s big on his two-way footy. He’s a Round 1 starter for the Roos.
Pick 16: Sydney – Harry Kyle, Defender/Midfield, Swans Academy, 188cm (Academy)
It used to be that Max King or maybe Lachie Carmichael might be the first Swan prospect to attract a bid, but Harry Kyle is now a strong contender to be bid on in the teens (with Carmichael maybe not attracting a bid if he’s picked early because of the tougher new bid matching rules).
A dashing player with a penetrating left foot who plays in the mold of Finn Callaghan according to Cal Twomey, the Swans will have some tough decisions to make regarding their Academy prospects but matching Kyle is a no-brainer.
Pick 17: GWS – Oskar Taylor, Defender, Eastern Ranges, 183cm
GWS are always the wildcards when it comes to the AFL Draft, often picking players that nobody thinks will be picked in that particular range. This is a bit more of a typical pick for the Giants however, as they are heavily linked to the speedster from the Eastern Ranges.
Oskar Taylor is the prototypical rebounding halfback with his linebreaking speed and his kicking. He’s not a 1v1 defender by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s an accountable player and plays the sort of game that the Giants love.
Pick 18: Gold Coast – Jai Murray, Defender/Midfield, Gold Coast Academy, 185cm (Academy)
Gold Coast are reportedly bracing for a top 20 bid on Jai Murray, which will put them in an awkward spot when it comes to matching a bid on Beau Addinsall. It’s reported that if it came to the two, the Suns would rather take Murray if they can’t afford both.
Equally at home as a running defender or a midfielder you can trust with the ball in his hands, Murray could have gone a lot higher if not for an injury interrupted 2025.
Pick 19: West Coast – Sam Grlj, Midfield, Oakleigh, 182cm
West Coast are reportedly desperate to land Jacob Farrow with the third pick of the night , and don’t rule out an actual trade on draft night to move up the board to get their man. There’s no trades here however, but the Eagles wouldn’t care here because Sam Grlj (who went #10 in my first mock draft) is incredible value.
Sam Grlj would be the speedy complement to the strength that is Harley Reid. A runner who can break teams apart with his running speed and endurance, a strong combine where he showcased his athletic potential has made him a true top 10 contender in this draft class. If he has the ball and wide open space in front of him, watch out.
Pick 20: Western Bulldogs – Lachlan Carmichael, Defender, Swans Academy, 184cm
Thanks to the rules surrounding matching bids changing to only a 10% discount as opposed to 20%, the Swans are faced with a tough decision here as bids on Lachlan Carmichael and Harry Kyle come earlier than expected. Here, the Swans decline to match as opposed to matching a bid on Max King later on who would go around the same range.
The Bulldogs could be hoping a speedy halfback falls to them like Oskar Taylor or Josh Lindsay falls to him, but Carmichael is a nice backup option. A speedy interceptor with a strong kick and pace to burn, he fits the mold of players the Dogs have been doing their homework on.
Pick 21: Adelaide – Mitchell Marsh, Forward, West Adelaide, 190cm
Adelaide could take their pick of the leftover top SA talent with Jevan Phillipou and Aidan Schubert players that have to be in the running, but they’ve been especially strongly linked to Mitchell Marsh who’s the son of former Crow Ben Marsh.
A powerful kick who topped the U/18 championships goalkicking tally with 12 goals for the tournament, he’s a real question mark of the draft given the need for tall forwards for quite a few teams. He slides here however, and would be a strong fit for the Crows this late.
Pick 22: Carlton – Jack Ison, Forward/Midfield, Oakleigh, 191cm (Academy)
Carlton aren’t just hoarding picks for Harry Dean, with a bid for Jack Ison expected to take place anywhere from Pick 20 onwards for the talented and versatile player.
It’ll be interesting to see where the Blues see Ison in their future plans given he can play as a high half forward or in the middle, but either position would be a good decision given his pinpoint inside 50 kicking which was on full display in the U/18 Championships.
Pick 23: Geelong – Archie Ludowyke, Forward, Sandringham, 197cm
Forward doesn’t seem the most logical pick for the Cats given their strong forward line right now, but Jeremy Cameron won’t last forever and despite wanting to land Charlie Curnow, they found they just don’t have the draft capital. This could help fill their desire for another key forward to develop for the future.
Archie Ludowyke has been out of action since July when he suffered a PCL injury to his knee, but key forwards are hard to come by and he impressed scouts enough that he can still be a pick on the first night on the draft. Ludowyke is blessed with strong aerial ability that’s seen him take some magnificent grabs. He needs consistency, but he has time to do that with Geelong being able to be patient with him until Jeremy Cameron packs it up (eventually) and he can partner for the long term with Shannon Neale.
Pick 24: West Coast – Tylah Williams, Forward, Swan Districts, 175cm (Academy)
The Dockers could be very sneaky here, as they’ve done their research on the livewire that is Tylah Williams and they can also make the Eagles pay a slightly higher price than expected here. More than one mock draft is predicting this outcome.
It won’t stop the Eagles matching the bid for the talented Williams however, he flashed for Western Australia in the U/18 Championships and then performed well at the Draft Combine, when he ran 2.89 seconds in the 20-metre sprint (second overall) and finished fourth in the agility test (7.88 seconds).
Pick 25: Essendon – Adam Sweid, Forward/Midfield, Calder Cannons, 175cm (Academy)
A double bid? Don’t rule it out as the Dockers have done their homework on the livewire Adam Sweid as well. This would stretch the Bombers picks to the limit if a top 25 bid comes here, but they should be able to afford it as long as they get a pick back from the Blues in the trade for Pick #9.
It would be easy to typecast Adam Sweid as a small forward, but don’t count out clubs wanting to use the 175cm pacer as a different kind of midfielder. He’s played this role in the junior to good effect before, and the Bombers need all the midfield help it can get.
Pick 26: Fremantle – Blake Thredgold, Defender, Sturt, 194cm
An irony is after bidding on two small forwards, the Dockers might very well go for a tall defender when everything is said and done as the club will need to prepare for life after Alex Pearce.
Injury stopped Blake Thredgold having a bigger impact in SAs U/18 Championship winning team, but his performances in the backend of the season put him on the map for a late first-round selection. He can play both the old-school 1v1 defender, as well as an interceptor.
Pick 27: Sydney – Max King, Forward/Midfield, Swans Academy, 191cm (Academy)
Geelong could go many different directions here, but they’ve never been shy having a bid on a player and this is the right place for Max King to force the Swans into making this match.
The player with the name that will surely not get confusing at all when they play St Kilda, King would go a lot higher but as a forward his finishing isn’t quite at AFL level yet. He’s capable of the miraculous too however and can be a good understudy for new Swan Charlie Curnow.
Pick 28: Gold Coast – Beau Addinsall, Midfield, Suns Academy, 182cm (Academy)
A pick in the late 20s might be the very bare earliest the Suns might consider matching a bid as opposed to letting Addinsall go into the open draft, and even then it might need to involve some trading depending on when exactly earlier bids come in. This would be close.
Addinsall had an injury-interrupted 2025 but he knows how to find the ball and use it well. Hawthorn have been eyeing off midfielders in this range and Addinsall is right in that mix.
Pick 29: Hawthorn – Oliver Greeves, Midfield, Eastern Ranges, 191cm
The funny thing about this pick is I had Oliver Greeves going to the Hawks initial first-round pick, but the mail suggests that Greeves is more on the first/second-round bubble. Hawthorn had their bid to add Oliver Greeves to their NGA refused from the AFL, but he should still be here by this pick and end up joining the Hawks anyway. The interest is certainly there.
Oliver Greeves has all the hallmarks of a top midfielder with his size, kicking and ability to hit the scoreboard. A lack of speed probably means he isn’t the top contender that some others are, but his ability to clunk a mark and kick a goal could make Greeves an interesting candidate to replaced Jack Gunston in the future.
Draft note: Brisbane pick at the end of Round 1 and Gold Coast pick at the beginning of Round 2 but the picks were forfeited for the bid matches above and thus are not picking.
Pick 30: North Melbourne – Jevan Phillipou, Forward/Midfield, Woodville-West Torrens, 183cm
For the sake of argument, since we don’t know which of the two picks at the top of Round 2 the Roos will send to Carlton, we’re going to assume that they keep the earlier one (although the other would just go into the bids for Dean and Ison anyway).
The team is set at ruck, midfield and spent a high pick to pair Matt Whitlock with Charlie Comben down back. But Whitlock’s position isn’t yet certain and he could yet be a forward, so why not take the best player available instead?
The younger brother of St Kilda’s Mattaes, what instantly draws you into the play of Phillipou is his athleticism. He’s a strong runner with a mix of power and speed, and the ability to kick with either foot. He’s a strong, versatile prospect that can rise higher than this.
