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Community & Pre-Season Camp: Day 01 GALLERY: DAY 01

Placing Player Votes 1 Kate Hore 175 2 Tyla Hanks 160 3 Elizabeth McNamara 111 4 Maeve Chaplin 89 5 Megan Fitzsimon 66 6 Tayla Harris 61 7 Shelley Heath 60 8 Tahlia Gillard 57 9 Eden Zanker 52 10 Ryleigh Wotherspoon 27 11 Sinéad Goldrick 19 12 Paxy Paxman 18 13 Olivia Purcell 15 14 Saraid Taylor 14 15 Lauren Pearce 5 16 Blaithin Mackin 3 16 Maggie Mahony 3 16 Molly O’Hehir 3 19 Alyssa Bannan 2 20 Gabrielle Colvin 1 20 Laela Ebert 1 20 Jemma Rigoni 1

And congratulations to Kate Hore … Final Placings 175. Kate Hore 160. Tyla Hanks 111. Elizabeth McNamara 89. Maeve Chaplin 66. Megan Fitzsimon 61. Tayla Harris 60. Shelley Heath 57. Tahlia Gillard 52. Eden Zanker 27. Ryleigh Wotherspoon 19. Sinéad Goldrick 18. Paxy Paxman 15. Olivia Purcell 14. Saraid Taylor 5. Lauren Pearce 3. Blaithin Mackin Maggie Mahony Molly O’Hehir 2. Alyssa Bannan 1. Gabrielle Colvin Laela Ebert Jemma Rigoni

Dees Fall Short in a Classic No team had come close to cracking North Melbourne all season, and Melbourne — up by six at the final change — nearly broke that trend in a pulsating preliminary final at IKON Park. Under perfect finals conditions — 24 degrees, sunny, and dry — a crowd of 7,057 packed Princes Park for a high-class showcase of AFLW football. The occasion was marked with black armbands following the passing of Tahlia Gillard’s grandfather, a stirring Welcome to Country by Colin Hunter Jnr, and a live rendition of the national anthem before the bounce. A strong contingent of Demon men — led by Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Jake Melksham, and Steven May — were on hand to support their AFLW sisters. One Club, one dream, #demonspirit. The Match Melbourne came out breathing fire. Paxy Paxman wound back the clock with the opener, then found Ry Wotherspoon for the second. Eliza McNamara was everywhere early, while Zanker and Lize missed chances before Captain Kate Hore roved and goaled for a sizzling 3-zip start. North hit back hard. Blaithin Bogue responded, her Irish speed worried the Dees, the important return of Sheerin who converted and Bogue outbodied Hore for her second. Suddenly, it was a one-point game. Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore combined to set up Tayla Harris, who drilled a trademark long bomb and pumped her fist — her 13th finals match, and played like the superstar she is. Quarter time: Melbourne 4.2 (26) to North 3.1 (19). The second term tightened. Riddell goaled, while technical 50m penalties frustrated fans and commentators alike. Randall missed hers; Hore nailed hers. Melbourne’s defence held firm, and at halftime the Dees clung to a slender lead: 5.2 (32) to 4.6 (30). The third quarter was a grind. Harris again started at centre bounce, Hore missed, Bannan rushed, Ry missed, Hanks missed. North failed to score anything at all, but Melbourne’s inaccuracy had hurt. Three-quarter time: 5.6 (36) to 4.6 (30). The last quarter was finals footy at its fiercest. After nine minutes of trench warfare, Bogue kicked her third to snatch the lead. A minute later, Jasmine Garner—best on ground—pounced with a classic Jazzy stealer. Melbourne threw everything at it, but fatigue told. North, fresher after a week off, finished stronger to win by 10 points and earn their chance of back-to-back premiership glory next week. Spent but Proud. Final Score: North Melbourne 6.10 (46) def Melbourne 5.6 (36). Match Moment Meggs loved Tayla Harris’s spectacular mark-of-the-year contender on Ash Riddell and Paxy’s crunching bump on Alice O’Loughlin — but the theatre belonged to Eden Zanker. After flattening Libby Birch in play, Eden mocked Birch’s complaints with a cheeky “cry-baby” gesture. Fiery finals footy! Meggs just laughed. Birch, once a Demon, may have burnt some bridges but she played her matchday role well and as they say winners are grinners. All the best next Saturday Libby. Meggs Musings Felt flat immediately after the game but gee haven’t the finals games been super entertaining. Footy thoughts: • Melbourne’s four key defenders — Gillard, Taylor, Chaplin, Goldrick — were magnificent. Radar’s best game in the Red and Blue. • Our skippers Hore and Hanks led from the front all day. • Tayla Harris had some spectacular moments. • Loz Pearce battled hard in the ruck, aiding clearances. • Shelley Heath had defensive duties this week and led with 9 game-high tackles. • Paxy Paxman turned back time today, at nearly 37 years old does she go again? • Melbourne’s missed chances in the third term; sliding doormoments. Bouncing back now. Melbourne has a highly promising crop of young players. Our future is bright. Coaches and Next Week Mick Stinear was proud and emotional post-game, praising his team’s effort but lamenting missed opportunities and late fatigue. Out of contract after 10 seasons and a premiership, Mick’s future is a hot topic. With Geelong’s Dan Lowther gone and Mick Anglesea-based, speculation swirls. Possible successors? Shae Sloane, Emma Kearney, Daisy Pearce. Watch this space. North coach Darren Crocker acknowledged the benefit of the week off and lauded his team’s ability to “stick fat” and surge late. Melbourne bows out of Season 10 with pride intact. North marches on to face Brisbane in next Saturday’s grand final at IKON Park. Congratulations to all our wonderful players, coaches and support staff on a very competitive 2025 season. Super proud of our women’s team and absolutely love supporting them. Carn you mighty Demons! Postscript Stay tuned in a couple of weeks for Meggs’ Season Review including some 2025 AFLW draft and trade period insights —coming soon! MELBOURNE 4.2.26 5.2.32 5.6.36 5.6.36 NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1.19 4.6.30 4.6.30 6.10.46 GOALS MELBOURNE Hore 2 Harris Paxman Wotherspoon North MELBOURNE Bogue 3 Garner Riddell Sheerin BEST MELBOURNE Gillard Chaplin Hore Hanks Goldrick McNamara NORTH MELBOURNE Garner Kearney O'Shea Riddell Smith Sheerin INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil NORTH MELBOURNE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil NORTH MELBOURNE Nil CROWD 7,057 at Ikon Park

It was a beautiful morning out at Gosch's Paddock for the final session of Preseason Training before the whole squad reunites for the annual training camp in Bright. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSXavier Taylor is wearing #19 whilst Brody Mihocek has donned the #5 guernsey. Player without any numbers on their back: Lindsay, Lever (has not worn the number 8 at all this preseason), Kolt, Heath, Berry. PLAYERS PRESENT:JVR, Langford, Windsor, Mihocek, Lever, CJ, Gawn, Kolt, Culley, Laurie, Bowey, Lindsay, Jefferson, Howes, Adams, Sharp, Sparrow, Petty, Kozzy, Chandler, Mentha, Campbell, Heath, Kentfield, Henderson, Berry, Taylor, Johnson PLAYERS ABSENT:May, Salem TMac, Melksham*, Langdon, Viney, Turner, McAdam, Rivers, Fritsch * POSTSCRIPT: Jake Melksham was a late arrival and joined in some drills after warming up. REHAB:Henderson, who in addition to his current injury is reported to have tight glutes. He was noticeably hampered whilst running laps. Not quite a limp but NQR. Definitely running something out as an athlete where most of us would have retired to the couch to watch the cricket. AMW is still in the final stages of his ACL Rehab and appears to be on track for a post Christmas return to the main group. Mihocek, CJ, Campbell & Johnson floated in and out of the main group depending on the drill as a result of any injuries that they are carrying most notably any drills with heavy contact or lateral movements. None look too far away from resuming full training. Warm up drill with player long kicking from half back to a player in the middle and then run past for the handball to kick to a player on half forward. New recruit Xavier Taylor looks composed marking and kicking well. Couple players peeling away from the main drill to train separately. Campbell, Mihocek, Taylor & AMW. Mihocek & Campbell have re-joined the main group. Taylor watching the drill from the sidelines and is being instructed by various assistants on what the drill entails. He then joined many of the drills once instructed from the side. Prepare for your houses to be trained down. Taylor just collected a ground ball sold some candy whilst moving laterally through traffic gave off a hand ball kept running and received it back before pin point kicking it long down field. Such fast ball movement on display. Lot of controlled chaos ball. Kozzy, Culley, Windsor & Langford all impressing through the middle of the ground. JVR looks to have trimmed down considerably and looks in excellent condition. Lever appears to be well and truly over the ankle injury that curtailed his season last year as well as the injuries that plagued his last preseason. The incredible Melk has arrived and working separately with a trainer doing some warmups. Not sure whether he will join the main group or do his own separate program. Broken up into 3 groups. A one on one marking drill (Chaplin & Atkins) A simulated ground ball get off half back to get it to the half forward line. 6 vs 3 (white bibs) - (King & Rivers) 4 on 4 confined space keeping’s off handball drill. (Whitford & Jones) Split into 2 groups on either wing. 4 (red) vs 4 (white) with 3 yellow bibs which seem to be on any team handballing in a congested area to eventually get it out of the area and then hit up a target leading out of full forward. Melksham has joined this drill. A couple of players who have been in and out of the “rehab” groups when it comes to to more contact or lateral movements are acting as the leading forwards. Mihocek with CJ acting as a defender. Campbell, Berry and Taylor at the other end. Match SIM Petty playing as a defender. WHISPERING JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSI couldn’t have selected a better day to return to Melbourne following a sojourn in the north, where sunshine prevailed in stark contrast to reports of icy winds and rain at home in early November. Today, I attended a training session at Gosch’s Paddock for my first Demons’ men’s preseason training session to a pleasant surprise in the form of new recruit Xavier Taylor from the Eastern Ranges. Taylor received the customary Demon Army hug of welcome and then proceeded to demonstrate all of the skills and talent expected of an early first round draft selection. This was the first time I had seen him in the flesh but I had followed the highlights of his stellar season through the winter in the Coates Talent League and at Victoria Metro Under 18 level. I watched him carve up the Sandringham Dragons forwards on screen in a CTL Grand Final best-on-ground performance in the Ranges’ 15-point premiership victory where he controlled the air and the ground with 25 disposals and 15 marks. He ran onto the ground today and looked and felt completely at home with some skillful manoevres that suggested he is headed for a long and successful career. Unfortunately, his fellow draftees in Latrelle Pickett and Thomas Matthews (reputedly excitement machines par excellence) weren’t yet available so I’ll have to come back for some more before the team breaks off for the end of the year. Taylor wasn’t the only player to impress. Kozzy Pickett was in everything , showcasing his innate ability to anticipate the exact point where the ball was about to arrive. The skipper appeared comfortable as he transitioned into training after his recent overseas trip and he had a good contest with a physically imposing trainee understudy ruckman in Max Heath from the Saints. New recruits Brody Mihocek and Changkuoth Jiath (CJ) were both in partial rehab, but demonstrated that they will bring new dimensions to the team's dynamic. I liked the look of Blake Howes who showed a fair bit of run and there’s a bit of competition among budding key forwards JvR, Matt Jefferson and Luker Kentfield. Jai Culley looks a likely improver and very impressive wearing the number 13. Bailey Laurie is working hard for one of the spots opening up in the midfield. As training finished for the men, the women came out for their final warm up session before tomorrow’s Preliminary Final against North Melbourne. They looked keen an bouyed for the task as they kicked off with a soccer friendly. It was time to get back to the office before watching Mitchell Starc destroy the Poms in their first innings in between the Rookie Draft where Melbourne welcomed a tall midfielder in Riley Onley along with the long-awaited arrival of Kalani White. It’s been a great day for Demonkind! KEV'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSLovely morning down at the Paddock. A little windy but without gusts and a great temperature. The vibe stays strong as they turn-up to the pre-Bright run. Plenty of spectators to wish the Men well and to give the Women a welcome and supportive cheer on. The new one, Xavier Taylor in number 19 looks the goods. My first thought was, he has “the right stuff”. Someone mentioned he was a mate of Lindsay. I can see he has been trained well, as Lindsay was. Those development coaches in the Coates Talent League do a great job. He is ready to impact straight away. He participated in the sims for a short period, he was a ball magnet (the coaches passed it to him a couple of times). Has great hands, handles the ball with confidence. Gets others into the game with connection, creates runs and sets plays up. I like him, if all goes well, could be selected in the first game. Miochek also participated in a few sims. I like the movement he does. Beautiful timing that syncs with the ball carrier, shows a great change of direction (180°) and points where he wants it. Couldn't have made it easier for the hit up. He was paired with JVR as the two forward heads, with Miochek playing deeper at first and then swapping, as Miochek began leading up onto the wing. Great that he gets heavily involved with plays. Kossie is raring to go. Space and time move, he dances and accelerates when he gets the ball. Buried a couple of others in tackles as well. Mentha has his mate with him. AMW continues to gradually enter some drills. Nathan Jones had some angry pills and was getting animated when some players didn't live up to standards. Berry's doing well. Can tackle, reads the play, and he handles the ball well. I was quite surprised at his closing speed, which has a bit of explosive acceleration. Having only one oval to train on proved a problem this morning. The women had some confusion and couldn't get on immediately. They waited and waited, then were told the men had stopped only to make it on to the Paddock and wait again, since the men hadn't finished the sims (who also didn't get to have the normal goal kicking drills). They then walked the boundary and to the far goals to start some warm-ups. Ten to fifteen minutes of disruption. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSThey are in the red flame kit. Henderson jogging with a noticeable limp, right ankle perhaps. Jiath moves impressively in end to end stuff. Just gave Culley a ‘don’t argue’ that put him on his back! Lever seems to be over his foot problems. Watching the 1 on 1 marking duels was interesting. Sparrow too strong for Sharp, Culley and Lever 50/50, Petty got the better of Kentfield, Jiath and Langford 50/50, AJ did well against taller Heath. Well, not wanting to be unkind, but at his first hit out, Taylor looks like a boy amongst men! He could still be hung over from draft night! Tholstrup sometimes holds on to the ball for too long. It is only pre-season training, but that was occasionally his downfall during the season. I would like to see him take the first option. Standouts for me today are Windsor, Sparrow, Jiath & Kossie Henderson more likely trying to run out a glute issue. CLANIKO'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSBall in at the pocket ar one end then working it quickly to a couple key forwards at the other. Attacking team outnumbering defenders roughly 10 to 4. Very quick movement with the next play starting as soon as the deepest forward gets it, plenty of running in this one. The got players resting on the sidelines and swapping in every few plays but the seem absolutely buggered when they come off. Split into 3 groups rotating through some drills. One is a handball drill with roughly even teams working it from one side of a box to another. One is a 1v1 marking drill. The other is a kicking/handballing working it from one pocket out to coach at halfway. Mix of talls and smalls in each group, no obvious forward/defender split. Taylor sat out the handball drill while talking to a coach observing it, looked like getting some instruction but joined in the marking and kicking one fully. Currently doing a drill where a group on each with try to work it up to a 2 v 1 in the forward 50. One side has mentha and mihocek vs CJ and the other has Campbell, Taylor and a bloke I don't recognise. CJ always defender but the other trio are rotating the defender bib. Taylor getting plenty of leading/positioning instruction from Campbell. Groups are swapping which wing they're on after every play and the forwards/defenders have to sprint back to the goalpost before leading again. Seems like they've traded out endless laps for unnecessary running in their drills as the fitness component. Taylor sat out of the match Sim. Was standing in one of the pockets chatting to whichever key forward was subbed out at the time. Kind of like having a rotation of people babysitting the work experience kid but good to see all the boys welcoming him. His preferred standing posture is both hands holding the collar of his training top, which he has reverted to anytime he's not been in a drill (not that this matters to anything but I found it amusing). Henderson apparently had tight glutes and spent the whole training running laps. although his gait was a bit off he ran well, heard the trainer say he hit 7.5k before he finished up.

MelbournePre-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+ AdelaidePre-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+ BrisbanePre-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 CarltonPre-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- CollingwoodPre-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+ EssendonPre-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- FremantlePre-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- GeelongPre-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 CoastPre-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 GWSPre-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- HawthornPre-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+ North MelbournePre-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 AdelaidePre-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 RichmondPre-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 KildaPre-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 SydneyPre-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 CoastPre-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 BulldogsPre-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+