Almanac Footy: Update on 2025 AFL Under 18 Champs

 

With Round 2 of the National Under 18 Champs just completed, I post all my U18 updates, with a team of the year, to this point.

 

Update 10/6/25 – The second round of 2025 U18 Champs had two games with very different endings. The first game saw Western Australia knock off Vic Country by 3 points. While in the second game, South Australia demolished Vic Metro by 61 points.
In the WA v VC game, there appeared to me to be four outstanding players – Duursma, Lindsay, Hibbins-Hargreaves, and Dean, all from Vic Country. Willem Duursma (191cms) played an excellent defender/midfielder role amassing 27 disps, 7 marks, and 4 clearances. Josh Lindsay (183cms) rebounded from half-back with 28 disps, of which 24 were kicks, 8 marks, and 633 metres gained. Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (186cms) selected in the back pocket, went forward and kicked 4 goals. Harry Dean (193cms), a Carlton F/S, impressed in defence with 10 marks, 3 contested marks, and 8 intercept possessions. Strangely enough, though WA won by 3 points, theirs was more a team effort without outstanding players.

In the SA thrashing of VM, there was a titanic battle between the 2 big-bodied midfielders, with Dyson Sharp (SA) slightly overshadowing Ollie Greeves (VM). Two others were Duff-Tytler (VM), Schubert (SA). Sharp (a 187cm mid) amassed 32 disposals, 19 kicks, 5 marks, 7 clearances, and 2 goals. Greeves (191cm mid) collected 27 disposals, mostly handballs, 6 marks, and 5 clearances. Cooper Duff-Tytler (an athletic 200cm ruckman) had 18 disposals, mostly kicks, 4 marks, 3 clearances, and 21 hit outs. Aiden Schubert (a 198cm forward / ruck) kicked 3 goals from 14 disposals, 8 kicks, 7 marks, and 9 hit outs as second ruck.

 

 

Update 1/6/25 – The first game of the 2025 U18 Championships gave SA a 7 point win over the Allies, with some outstanding and talented players appearing for both sides. SA had the advantage with medium Mitch Marsh, 189 cm, kicking 4 goals from 8 marks, and tall forward Aiden Schubert, 194 cm, kicking 4 goals from 8 marks too. For the Allies, tall ruck-forward, Taj Murray, 199cm, kicked 4 goals, with 4 marks and 15 hit-outs.

Of the midfielders, previously mentioned Daniel Annable (184cm) and Koby Coulson (180cm) both of the Allies, each gained 28 disposals each, with Annable having 18 kicks. Dylan Patterson (183cm) another Allies midfielder, had 23 disposals at an 80% efficiency rate. See below for all the OFLM fancied juniors.

 

 

Update 10/5/25 – Following the prelude to the National Championships, our U18 team is taking a more detailed shape, including those only who have put an outstanding or talented step forward. Of the ruckmen, Duff-Tytler (CC) is clearly the outstanding ruckman-midfielder in the competition, gathering 20+ possessions, 20+ hit outs, and 5+ mark average. While the next best Emmett (OC) is more the traditional-ruckman-style.

Of the midfielders, tall-big bodied Greeves (ER) and the “smaller-medium” Annable (BLA) are two stand-outs, with the “small” Addinsall (GCSA) as rover.

Hudson (also GCSA) who began as a midfielder is developing into an excellent mobile-tall forward. Jai Murray (another GCSA) is a talented medium, inside-midfielder, who has more of a 50/50 split on K/HBs. The “smaller-medium” Patterson (yes, another GCSA) is a talented wingman.

In defence, the “smaller-medium” Lindsay (GF), is a stand-out rebounder, as is the “small” Burton (WJ). The mobile-tall utility, Duursma (GP), although looking talented, is still yet to show outstanding performance, but will be, at-least, a good third tall. And, so it goes. Time will tell when the National Championship games kick on this month.

 

 

Update 14/4/25 – Following the Australia U18 practice match v Richmond VFL, we can see two outstanding midfielders amongst the future draftees. Beau Addinsall and Ollie Greeves have reinforced themselves as early draft picks after gathering around 30 disposals each. Addinsall is a Gold Coast Academy small midfielder. He may be a good understudy for the aging Touk Miller. Greeves plays with the Eastern Ranges and is currently a 191cm midfielder. What is also interesting about Greeves, in March this year, Hawthorn unsuccessfully attempted to have Greeves placed on their Next Generation Academy list. Greeves may be our April early draft pick #1 come November. Another to look out for is Daniel Annable, a 183cm goalkicking midfielder / half forward, and another from the Brisbane Lions Academy. He gathers about 20 disps a game, averages over a goal a game, and is strong on centre clearances. He captained the Australian U18s last year.

 

 

Update 28/3/25 – An update on our probable draftees for 2025 adds Max King, a midfielder at the Sydney Academy, and Lou Emmett, a ruck-forward at the Oakleigh Chargers. All the other names have come up in various online lists published since our initial post of draftees in early October last year. Of course, more names will be added shortly, when the various U18 squads are announced for the National Championships that usually begin in May.

 

So far, my U18 team of the year is:

B: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (VC/DS), Harry Dean (VC/Carlton F/S), Max Kondogiannis (VM/OC)

HB: Mitch Stevens (VC/GP), Willem Duursma (VC/GP), Lachlan Carmichael (A/SSA)

C: Dylan Patterson (A/GCSA), Dyson Sharp (SA/CD, captain)), Josh Lindsay (VC/GF)

HF: Jai Murray (A/GCSA), Taj Murray (A/NT), Sam Cumming (SA/NA)

F: Daniel Annable (A/BLA), Aiden Schubert (SA/CD), still open

R: Cooper Duff-Tytler (VM/CC), Ollie Greeves (VM/ER), Beau Addinsall (A/GCSA)

I: Koby Coulson (A/GCSA), Thomas Burton (VM/WJ), Louis Emmett (OC), Jim Kelly (SA/N)

 

 

For more info on 2025, go to https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/2025-lists-new.html

 

 

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