AFL Draft: 2025 prospect Power Rankings July editionBy Jonty Ralphsmith
zerohanger.com
3 July 202530 Toby Whan (-10)The powerful lefty from Western Australia is a great size and has the perfect athletic profile for the modern game. He's given himself an unbelievable platform for the second half of the season with his brilliant WAFL Colts form, and while he hasn't had a complete game at National Championships level, he's had some moments which showcase his brilliant upside as a midfielder/high halfback.
29 - Hussien El Achkar (NEW)The Essendon-tied prospect kicked six goals in Calder's most recent game, a long overdue big bag. About the only thing which has held him back so far has been poor conversion, with his craft, power and hard work continually putting himself in positions to impact the scoreboard as a small forward.
28 Xavier Taylor (NEW)The Ranges defender finally breaks into our power rankings. Has been nothing short of incredible for the Eastern Ranges this year. His speed, composure, clean skills at ground level, aggression in marking contests and willingness to back himself to take grabs rather than spoil are on show game after game. Had an enticing duel with Mitch Marsh in Vic Metro's first game and kept him to 1.3 with the pair splitting the honours as Marsh was well serviced by his midfielders but struggled to capitalise. At Talent League level, he's proven that, at 191cm, he can play taller and nullify key forwards, has the pace and athleticism to contain small forwards and has the offensive attributes to be a menace on counterattack as a rebounder. He is a versatile and complete defender.
27 Tom Burton (-3)Appointed Vic Metro co-captain, Burton has had a very bankable month at Coates League level, but like most of his teammates, would have liked a better start to his nationals campaign. That he was given some on-ball minutes, though, in that match was a big positive, given his burst speed and work rate lends itself well to playing in the midfield, but his athleticism and run and carry also lends itself well to a halfback role, which he's accustomed to.
26 Harley Barker (NEW)Much like teammate Matt Leray, Barker's discipline, running, scoring threat and footy IQ are other traits that make up his game. His pace and will to seek overlap possessions helped him burn direct opponents and set him apart. Like Leray, Barker is the modern day wing prototype, with the main question being how early a club will go on a specialist winger when top picks tend to be reserved for midfielders and talls.
25 Matt Leray (NEW)The South Australian winger was brilliant throughout the National Championships. Athletic, gets forward and back, can take a big grab and lots of South Australia's scores went through him. Also has a background in high performance, forced to choose between footy and cricket ahead of 2025, with that time in elite pathways giving clubs confidence about how he'll settle into life at the next level.
24 Noah Chamberlain (-9)The Sydney Swans Academy prospect has spent time on the wing for the Allies and has been solid. Has likeable traits and has shown his potency at times forward of centre in 2025, but it still feels like he has another level to reach. Regardless, he has traits which look like they'll transfer seamlessly to the next level.
23 Mitch Marsh (NEW)Led South Australia's goal kicking with 12 majors, dominating the two closer contests, with four goals to open his campaign and five to close it out. His aerial potency is his major strength, and he has a good athletic base and can get you at ground level. Feels a touch low, but at 191cm, he's a little bit of an in-between size if a club wants to select him as a forward option, but he has plenty of attributes that could translate to the next level.
22 Tom McGuane (-3)The Collingwood father-son prospect has had a solid month for Western Jets, continuing to show his blend of clean skills, ball-use and ability to cover the ground. If anything, it's been a slightly quieter month for the highly-rated Pies-tied prospect, but he's still shown plenty to give himself confidence for the rest of the National Championships.
21 Harry Dean (NEW)The Carlton father-son prospect makes his first appearance on this list as the best key defender in this draft pool. He's exactly the sort of player Carlton have been screaming for to assist Jacob Weitering in defence. Has size, speed, intercepting and sound distribution, with his aerial presence and confidence launching for the footy impressing for a Murray defence that has regularly been under duress this year. Has also shown those traits in his two Vic Country appearances.
20 Liam Hetherton (-6)Is currently sidelined with a long-term injury which leads to him falling down the rankings through absolutely no fault of his own. A well-liked character and spearhead forward who will be a bargain in November given his absence means he has been unable to show what he can do consistently this year. What he did before his injury, though, was compelling.
19 Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (+3)Is positioned a little lower than where some have him, which is to some degree down to his inconsistency. An undoubted match winner whose skills remain sound when he's under fatigue, the forward/winger kicked four goals in a statement game to start the U18s National Championships. Is creative, dangerous around goals and courageous overhead. But intertwined within that performance have been some quieter outings.
18 Cody Curtin (-5)Cody Curtin's traits are undeniable: a contested marking forward/ruck who you can build a forward line around, and is also capable of being swung back. But he falls down the rankings a touch, having failed to really do any damage for Western Australia as yet this year. Gets the best defender each week and kicked three goals in the first game, which felt like a solid outing, before being starved of opportunity in game two and locked down in game three. His ability to give his team presence in the ruck, though, has been on show.
17 Louis Emmett (-1)Missed Vic Metro's first game and has spent much of his time recently in the APS competition for Scotch College, so hasn't been able to press his case at a higher level, but made a Coates League appearance on Saturday and was brilliant. Covers the ground well, has the blend of athleticism and aggression you want in big men as a forward/ruck. A goal from 50 on the weekend was a frightening glimpse into his potential.
16 Dyson Sharp (-6)What to make of his last month? Does he feel a bit low? Sharp is such a difficult prospect to assess. What he does well, he does better than just about anyone in the draft class and for that he deserves enormous respect. Wins the hard ball, is clean, dishes off well and few, if any, are as ready-made to immediately transfer their skillset to the top level. But modern day midfielders are increasingly athletic and multi-faceted faceted and the question marks over his kicking do linger.
15 Lachy Dovaston (+6)Has turned himself into the most bankable junior forward in the country. Bags of five and four highlighted a sterling month for the small forward, with his clean skills, crumbing and finishing ability making a nightmare matchup, particularly at forward 50 stoppages where he can get on the move and doesn't need much space. But the big improvement in his game this season has been his engagement in the game when he doesn't have the footy, averaging more than five tackles per game, which rounds out his skillset as a bona fide small forward. Will be in hot demand as the clear standout for his position in the open pool.
14 Sam Cumming (+6)It wasn't the enormous U18s National Championships by numbers or influence that perhaps he would have liked to have had, but he showed what he needed to. The AFL Academy member has the runs on the board as a midfielder and when he ran through there for South Australia, he looked damaging, clean and powerful, but more impressive was his presence forward of the footy. Compared to Isaac Heeney, he will likely start his career inside 50 and showed that he's a tricky matchup given his strength, marking and forward craft, which helped him average a goal per game.
13 Beau Addinsall (+4)A hamstring injury will rule him out of the rest of the U18s National Championships, which will greatly frustrate the hard-working Sun, but he already has a glittering CV. Covers the ground well, finds the footy, excellent in and under and uses it smartly. There is a view that he'll likely start his career off half-forward, but will do his best work in the middle as his career develops.
12 Aidan Schubert (NEW)The big riser of the month, Schubert showed something a little bit different in each of his four U18s National Championships games for South Australia. Four goals in game one looked a hard performance to top, but his capacity as a relieving ruck with contested marking, athleticism, work rate and field kicking were all on show in the remaining three games. Is now ensconced as one of the best talls to watch.
11- Fred Rodriguez (+1)Western Australia's leading prospect has had two strong games and a quieter performance for the Black Swans so far. Hasn't had huge numbers, but has made the most of his possessions, bursting out the front of clearance on several occasions, and kicking some goals from long range. Western Australia's captain is becoming a consistent asset at all levels.
10 Archie Ludowyke (+1)The key forward doesn't know how to play a poor game. Was starved of opportunity in Vic Metro's opener but has otherwise kicked multiple goals in every game he's played at all levels AFL Academy, Brighton Grammar, Sandringham Dragons since Round 1. Has always been a goalkicker who can take big marks but has now built a big body of work to prove his brilliant ability to get up the ground and provide an option, and take big contested marks, with his athleticism also setting him apart in the key forward race.
9 Sam Grlj (-1)It's hard to get a gauge on Grlj's current form, given he's turned out for Yarra Valley Grammar in recent times in the AGSV competition, viewed as a tier below the APS standard. Got his hands on the ball in Vic Metro's opener but was part of an engine room that was soundly beaten. Clean, hard-running and with a chiselling kick at his best, the way he is viewed was underlined by his appointment as Vic Metro co-captain.
8- Max King (+1)It was brilliant to see the Sydney Academy player kick the match-winner for the Allies on the weekend, having had plenty of almost moments in June, but being let down at times by his finishing polish. That was most evident in his VFL debut, when he kicked 1.4 in an otherwise clean performance. An athletic freak, King has mostly played as an ominous forward threat this year, but also has the skillset to be a menacing, energetic presence in the midfield.
7 Zeke Uwland (-)The Gold Coast Academy prospect has been sidelined with injury all season, but has plenty of credits in the bank as a powerful left-footed half forward. Will turn into a brilliant front-half x-factor for the Suns.
6 Josh Lindsay (-1)His two National Championships games for Vic Country have been very strong, using his damaging left foot to great effect. He is arguably the best kick in the draft class and sees the game well, which allows him to get into position early, and his acceleration and overlap are other elements that complement his skillset.
5 Ollie Greeves (+1)Always highly-regarded by Craft of the Draft, there has been a spike in recent times in how others view him. He's now seen by some as the best openly available midfielder in the crop, such has been his form at all levels he's played at. A powerful, big-bodied midfielder who runs and provides overlap with a bankable kick, he was one of the very few Vic Metro players to give a good account of himself in their opener.
4 Dylan Patterson (-)Rarely can a player be synopsised in one moment the way that Dylan Patterson can through his match-winning goal assist in the Allies' second game. Run, dare, creativity, a killer kick, game-changing. Gold Coast have got a good one in Patterson, who has been very good for the Allies so far, but would probably feel he has another step to go given his lethal traits and the standard he set himself in the AFL Academy games. The Suns Academy boy got a pair of VFL matches last month, averaging 10 touches.
3 Willem Duursma (-)Utilised behind the footy in Vic Country's two games so far, Duursma has shown his ability to read the play and rangy athleticism, reach and rebound, providing class to an outfit that has lost its first two games. Highlighting his match-winning capabilities, Duursma went forward for a quarter at Coates League level in between Vic Country's two matches and kicked a pair of goals to win his side the game. A flashy, athletic, skilled ball-winner who gets it done in offensive and defensive phases in the game, he's in Pick 1 conversations.
2 - Dan Annable (-)The Brisbane Academy prospect keeps piecing strong performances together, leading the Allies midfield with great authority in their two matches so far. An inside bull with acceleration, marking ability and forward presence, he's also turned out in a pair of VFL matches for the Lions, averaging 19 disposals.
1 - Cooper Duff-Tytler (-)The ruck/forward option who has drawn Luke Jackson comparisons has been viewed as the top prospect by Craft of the Draft all season. He's spent most of June playing AGSV football for PEGS, while starting the carnival solidly as Vic Metro's first-choice ruck in a heavy loss.
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