Our VFL side is playing the national U18s side on Sunday arvo at Moorabbin Oval.
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Australia Under 18 squad to face Richmond VFL1. Thomas Burton (Western Jets/Point Cook)
2. Beau Addinsall (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Burleigh)
3. Lachlan Carmichael (Sydney Swans Academy/Mosman)
4. Willem Duursma (Gippsland Power/Foster)
5. Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (Dandenong Stingrays/Mornington)
6. Josh Lindsay (Geelong Falcons/Newtown & Chilwell)
7. Dylan Patterson (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin)
8. Ben Rongdit (Geelong Falcons/Colac)
9. Zeke Uwland (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Burleigh)
10. Wesley Walley (Subiaco/Warwick Greenwood)
20. Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy/Redland-Victoria Point)
21. Harley Barker (Sturt/Mt Barker)
22. Noah Chamberlain (Sydney Swans Academy/East Sydney)
23. Samuel Cumming (North Adelaide/Wentworth District)
24. Louis Emmett (Oakleigh Chargers/Glen Iris)
25. Koby Evans (Perth/Federals)
26. Oliver Greeves (Eastern Ranges/Vermont)
27. Taj Murray (Northern Territory Academy/Nightcliff/North Adelaide)
28. Riley Onley (Murray Bushrangers/Shepparton United)
29. Fred Rodriguez (South Fremantle/Fremantle City Dockers)
30. Dyson Sharp (Central District/Barossa District)
31. Cody Curtin (Claremont/West Coast)
34. Cooper Duff-Tytler (Calder Cannons/Woodend-Hesket)
35. Jasper Hay (Tasmania Devils/Clarence)
36. Liam Hetherton (Murray Bushrangers/North Albury)
37. Matthew LeRay (Central District/Golden Grove)
38. Archie Ludowyke (Sandringham Dragons/East Sandringham)
39. Kalani White (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Broadbeach)
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The AFL this week released the Australian Under 18 squad to take on Richmond’s VFL team at RSEA Park on Sunday afternoon.
Pick 1 contenders Cooper Duff-Tytler, Willem Duursma and Dyson Sharp – who’ve all had strong starts to their draft year – have all been named in a strong 29-player squad, which also includes an array of top talent from northern academies.
Top Lions academy prospect Daniel Annable – a strong 183cm on-baller with excellent stoppage craft – will feature after his eye-catching academy series campaign, as will Suns academy midfielder Beau Addinsall.
Recruiters will also get a good look at the best players from the Sydney Swans’ best academy group in years.
Max King – an athletic 191cm prospect who’s strong overhead and clean at ground level – is a potential top-five pick. He produced a six-goal haul in a Summer Series game for the Swans’ academy against the Giants’ academy recently, while he had some standout moments against the Suns in his most recent outing.
Athletic and dynamic 192cm half-forward Noah Chamberlain and smooth-moving 183cm defender Lachlan Carmichael are also in the first-round mix. Carmichael was particularly impressive in his side’s most recent clash against the Suns’ academy.
Two players named in the Australian squad who won’t face the Tigers, though, will be Gold Coast’s top academy prospect Zeke Uwland and Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves.
Uwland is a brilliant, left-footed winger with great game sense who’s been likened to dual All-Australian Errol Gulden, with some recruiters suggesting he’s the No. 1 player in the 2025 pool. But he’s been managing a back injury in recent months and won’t face the Tigers on Sunday.
The Suns confirmed to foxfooty.com.au they and the AFL Academy medical staff continue to work towards a return to play for Uwland later in 2025, but stressed no timeline was in place at this stage and that he wouldn’t be rushed back if he’s not right.
Uwland, the brother of emerging Gold Coast defender Bodhi Uwland, already has plenty of runs on the board, as he was the only bottom-age player selected in last year’s Under 18 All-Australian team.
Hibbins-Hargreaves, meanwhile, won’t feature for the Aussie Under 18s on Sunday after hurting his left shoulder during a marking contest early in the first quarter of the Stingrays’ clash with Gippsland Power on Sunday. He kicked a set-shot goal after the mark, but immediately came to the bench for assessment and didn’t return for the rest of the game.
While Hibbins-Hargreaves won’t play this week, foxfooty.com.au understands the setback isn’t as bad as first thought and that he’s avoided significant structural damage.
Scouts are looking forward to seeing how this year’s top prospects fare against AFL-listed players from the Tigers, whose VFL side could feature an array of 2024 draftees like Josh Smillie, Jasper Alger, Jonty Faull and Tom Sims. Other Tigers who could also feature include Samson Ryan, Jacob Koschitzke, Hugo Ralphsmith and Maurice Rioli Jnr.
And recruiters are also awaiting Richmond’s call on Noah Balta and whether he lines up for the club’s VFL team this weekend. If he does play on Sunday, he could get the match-up on one of WA’s top prospects Cody Curtin – a 200cm key forward who’s the brother of Adelaide top-10 pick Daniel Curtin.
Following an induction camp held in Victoria last December, the academy squad will come together on Thursday ahead of the weekend’s game.
“Wearing the Australia jumper and representing the Australia U18 team is a huge honour for our young stars and always the highlight of the Marsh AFL National Academy program,” AFL national academy manager Tarkyn Lockyer said.
“We look forward to having the squad together this weekend and providing them new experiences and learnings which they can equip themselves with on and off the field throughout their football journey.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/draft/afl-draft-2025-australia-under-18s-v-richmond-vfl-zeke-uwland-injury-top-prospects-order-after-essendon-trades-hussien-el-achkar-adam-sweid/news-story/1cae1b0bb70e38529b7e90a9a6f6ebf7
