Whispering_Jack

And the Coates Talent League Team of the Year

This is from an online article in the Herald Sun and Code Sports. I’ve added the player numbers and might add some more details later. 10 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025 COATES TALENT LEAGUE GRAND FINAL EASTERN RANGES 26 Oliver Greeves A 191cm big-bodied midfielder, Greeves won Vic Metro's MVP award at the under-18 national championships and has enjoyed some big games with the Ranges and school side Caulfield Grammar. He logged 35 disposals and kicked four goals in last week's preliminary final win over the GWV Rebels. Lauren Morecroft says: "We're really lucky that he's got two parts of the ground that he can impact for us in. His rotation's always gone forward, but to kick three pretty quick ones in the third quarter last week helped us a lot." 8 Lachy Dovaston The best small forward in this year's draft pool, Dovaston has been a consistent goalkicker at every level this year. The creative 177cm prospect brings good pressure and kicked nine goals across four games for Vic Metro at the under-18 national championships. He has also slotted 36.21 from 15 games in the Coates Talent League. Lauren Morecroft says: "That's probably been the name of his year - consistency. He plays high up the ground, he plays deep, he impacts really strongly with his pressure and he's been able to give a few goals off that. He loves big games, too." 22 Xavier Taylor A 191cm intercepting defender, Taylor loves having a role on an opponent and has also developed the offensive side of his game. He impressed for Vic Metro during the under-18 national championships and has been another consistent performer for the Ranges. Lauren Morecroft says: "He can play on talls, he can play on smalls. But he really starts our attack from half back. So he's a really strong player for us." 55 Sullivan Robey A draft bolter, Robey only played his first game for the Ranges in round 12 after strong early-season form for Rowville in the Eastern Football League. A 192cm forward who has also shown ability through the midfield, he had 40 disposals and kicked three goals in a wildcard round match against the Western Jets last month. Lauren Morecroft says: "He's a great clean player, strong mark, nice kick. He's obviously got a big size frame, so he's an exciting player to watch. He's a true bolter, that's for sure." 22 Oskar Taylor An important part of the Ranges' program all year, the 182cm rebounding defender was not part of the Vic Metro under-18 squad in the middle of the year but has come into first-round draft calculations on the back of his ball use and line-breaking abilities from the back half. Lauren Morecroft says: "We've been giving him roles on a small forward for the opposition throughout the year and he's done that job really well. Then now he's added more attacking to his game. I think in the last six to eight weeks, clubs have seen that speed and attacking ball use as well." SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 2 Jack Dalton A 178cm midfielder-forward who can play inside or outside and has a huge tank, Dalton only played his first game of the season on June 6 after breaking both his wrists in a freak gym accident in mid-March. But he hit the ground running after his return, producing a bumper second half of the season. Rob Harding says: "He's showcasing himself as that dynamic contest-to-contest midfielder. I think he's got the capacity to play wing, high-half-forward, or high-half-back at AFL level. He's very versatile." 9 Rory Wright A strong and explosive 184cm midfielder, Wright was a late addition to the Vic Metro squad for the national championships after strong early-season form. In more recent weeks he has been playing a different role across halfback for the Dragons, where he has also had a big impact. Rob Harding says: "Once he ticked the box as a midfielder for recruiters, I wanted to show him as a halfback again, which I think is his role at AFL level. So he's been fantastic for us. He's got good balance of defending and attacking." 34 Kye Fincher A St Kilda Next Generation Academy prospect, Fincher has starred in both halfback and midfield roles for Vic Metro and the Dragons this year. The 185cm prospect provides run and uses the footy well. He also had an impressive VFL debut for Sandringham in August, gathering 26 disposals and four clearances through the midfield. Rob Harding says: "It's been great to put him back into the midfield through this period to showcase what he can do around a contest. He's got great speed and agility and he's powerful at his size. He's a really strong month of football." 27 Xavier Bamert A fierce competitor with great workrate and ball-winning ability inside or outside the contest, this 186cm midfielder has captained the Dragons this year after missing last year's premiership win with a shoulder injury. He also represented Vic Metro at the under-18 national championships. Rob Harding says: "He had to carry a heavy load throughout the year but we've been able to freshen him up a little bit in recent weeks. I thought he was super last weekend with his hunt around the contest and driving his legs out of traffic." 33 George Dimer A bottom-age player, this 171cm prospect has featured mostly as a high half-forward in nine games for the Dragons this season but also played an important role through the midfield for school football side Haileybury College this year. He has speed and is exceptionally clean with his hands at ground level. Rob Harding says: "He's come in and had a massive impact in his games that he's played through this year. He's quick, he's electric around contests and hits the scoreboard. He's been a big part of what we've done over the past six weeks."

There’s a separate thread for this but the selections will change right up to and including the night of the draft because picks can be traded.

The art of the draft must surely be to be able to select a player who becomes an elite player but not necessarily at the cost of a top five pick. The selection of Harley Reid at #1 in the 2023 National Draft didn’t involve any genius or inspirational moment on behalf of the West Coast Eagles recruiting staff but landing Murphy Reid at #17 was definitely a coup. I would like to think that Melbourne could manage to somehow snare a pick around the 10 - 15 mark where it might land a player like Sullivan Robey or this bloke who @spirit of norm smith likes - I do too. Both will be out there on the big stage of a Coates Talent League Grand Final at the weekend. As often happens, the good players rise to the occasion in big games like this one. I know that I’ll be viewing with interest.

You can quote me on this - "As we sit here this morning ... I can tell you that Marcus Windhager is staying at the St Kilda football club".

Another draft top ten. I have had somewhat less interest than in the past up until now for obvious reasons but who knows where we end up once the wheeling and dealing come out into the open.

Congratulations to Riley Bonner and Mitch Hardie who have been selected in the final VFL Team of the Year for 2025. Also to the Casey Demons’ recruiting program for contracting these guys in the first place. Two good recruits in one season plus the return of Baldi and they originally recruited Jai Culley here to play for Casey.

This is from a click bait site but … New Demons coach discusses list plans, expectations for 2026

Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralScouting Notes: 2025 CTL Preliminary Final - Eastern Rang...Eastern Ranges have set up a rematch of the 2023 Coates Talent League decider after beating GWV in Saturday's preliminary final.

Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralScouting Notes: 2025 CTL Preliminary Final - Gippsland Po...Sandringham Dragons' quest for a fourth straight Coates Talent League flag continues after knocking off Gippsland in Saturday's prelim.

On this day in 1956, the 15th September, something wonderful happened in the history of the Melbourne Football Club. I won’t spoil it for you though …

Come on folks - it was a disappointing loss but let's get more voters involved. The progressive voting after round five sees Tyla in front by 10 votes over Kate. Looking for a big win and an even performance from the team against Daisy's Eagles to make the voting more interesting next week. Progressive 77. Tyla Hanks 67. Kate Hore 37. Maeve Chaplin 32. Tayla Harris 24. Elizabeth McNamara 17. Megan Fitzsimon 15. Shelley Heath Olivia Purcell 14. Paxy Paxman 7. Eden Zanker 2. Maggie Mahony Saraid Taylor Ryleigh Wotherspoon 1. Alyssa Bannan Gabrielle Colvin Laela Ebert Molly O’Hehir

And for the record the results of the other Preliminary Final Eastern Ranges 4.2.26 6.4.40 13.4.82 17.9.111 GWV Rebels 2.1.13 4.2.26 7.5.47 9.6.60 Goals Eastern Ranges Greeves 4 Nash 3 Dovaston Lloyd 2 Buckland Chapman Knapp McConnell Robey Spencer GWV Rebels Molan 2 F Burmeister S Burmeister Finck Glenwright-McGuane Kenna McKinnon Pittard Best Eastern Ranges Greeves Krasnadamskis Nash Dovaston Lloyd Robey GWV Rebels Bowman Taylor F Burmeister Shea Grayland Phillips

The draft order after week two of the 2025 finals series ~ ROUND ONE 1 West Coast Eagles 2 Richmond 3 Richmond 4 Essendon 5 Essendon 6 Gold Coast Suns 7 St Kilda 8 Hawthorn 9 Sydney 10 Western Bulldogs 11 Fremantle 12 GWS Giants 13 Gold Coast Suns 14 Adelaide 15 West Coast Eagles 16 Gold Coast Suns 17 Brisbane Lions 18 Geelong ROUND TWO 19 West Coast Eagles 20 North Melbourne 21 North Melbourne 22 Essendon 23 Melbourne 24 Port Adelaide 25 Essendon 26 Hawthorn 27 Sydney 28 Western Bulldogs 29 Fremantle 30 GWS Giants 31 Gold Coast Suns 32 GWS Giants 33 West Coast Eagles 34 Collingwood 35 Carlton 36 Geelong ROUND THREE 37 Brisbane Lions 38 Fremantle 39 North Melbourne 40 Brisbane Lions 41 Adelaide 42 Port Adelaide 43 St Kilda 44 Carlton 45 Sydney 46 Brisbane Lions 47 Fremantle 48 Adelaide 49 Brisbane Lions 50 Adelaide 51 West Coast Eagles 52 Adelaide 52 Collingwood 53 Melbourne 54 Geelong ROUND FOUR 55 Hawthorn 56 Gold Coast Suns 57 North Melbourne 58 St Kilda 59 Melbourne 60 Port Adelaide 61 Brisbane Lions 62 Carlton 63 Sydney 64 Collingwood 65 Fremantle 66 Adelaide 67 Gold Coast Suns 68 Adelaide 69 Hawthorn 70 Collingwood 71 Brisbane Lions 72 Geelong

The Sandringham Dragons are in the running for their fourth consecutive premiership after beating the Gippsland Power by ten points at Casey Fields. The Dragons were in front all day and their best players were 184cm midfielder Rory Wright who is a potential first round draft pick from Caulfield Grammar who had 30 touches and a prolific small ball magnet in Jack Dalton. Sandringham Dragons 4.4.28 6.5.41 9.7.61 11.9.75 Gippsland Power 1.3.9 3.8.26 6.9.45 9.11.65 Goals Sandringham Dragons Fincher Griffin Tyrer 2 Buck Butler Galbally Lambert Texeria Gippsland Power O’Keefe Walker 2 Boi Burgiel Cheffers Duursma Woodall Best Sandringham Dragons Bamert Wright Nadji Dimer Griffin Tyrer Gippsland Power O’Keefe Ladbrook Wilson Duursma Burgiel Walker

The Coates Talent League is reaching its business end, with the two preliminary finals scheduled to take place today at Casey Fields. The first match will feature Gippsland Power versus the Sandringham Dragons at 11:30am, followed by the Eastern Ranges against the GWV Rebels at 2:00pm. Both games will be live streamed on the AFL Live Official App and the Coates Talent League App. The winners of these two matches will advance to the 2025 Coates Talent League Boys Grand Final, scheduled to take place at IKON Park on Saturday, 20 September. The team lists for today's games are as follows:- GIPPSLAND POWER vs SANDRINGHAM DRAGONSSaturday 13 September at 11:30am Casey Fields GIPPSLAND POWER 2 Jesse Bills 4 Zachary O'Keefe 5 Jack Hilton 6 Judd Burgiel 7 Willem Duursma 9 Max Woodall 10 Cody Templeton 11 Marlon Neocleous 15 Thomas Macmillan 16 Jobe Scapin 17 Luke Cheffers 21 Oliver Wilson 24 Brodie Atkins 25 Connor Macmillan 26 Mitchell Stevens 28 Harry Tatterson 32 Liam Masters 33 Wil Malady 37 Keenan Boi 39 Cohen Dent 40 Xavier Ladbrook 41 Clancy Snell 42 Jonah Walker 12 Jobe Froud (emg) 31 Hamish Gill (emg) 36 Ash Mounsey (emg) SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 2 Jack Dalton 4 Julian Galbally 6 Arki Butler 8 Sam Buck 9 Rory Wright 10 Gus Teixeira 12 Keanu Nadji 13 Alfie Lambert 15 Oliver Griffin 16 Tyson Bradley 20 Henry Thomas 27 Xavier Bamert (c) 29 Phoenix Janover 30 Darby Heelis 32 Miles Tyrer 33 George Dimer 34 Kye Fincher 41 Bennett Martin 49 Jack Hayter 56 Jasper Noorbergen 60 Sacha Levine 63 Frederick Brayshaw 75 Willis Reidy 17 Lochie Burrows (emg) 70 Kayne Watt (emg) 73 Jack Davies (emg) EASTERN RANGES vs GWV REBELSSaturday 13 September at 2:00pm Casey Fields EASTERN RANGES 1 Blake Chambers 4 Bailey Lloyd 7 Jordan Knapp 8 Lachy Dovaston 9 Jos Landy 11 Mitchell Gillan 14 Zac Antonellos 15 Mitchell Buckland 16 Thomas Swainston 22 Xavier Taylor 25 Oskar Taylor 26 Oliver Greeves 29 Ryan McConnell 31 Andrew Barker 34 Archie Spencer 36 Jaden Lawrence 37 Rod Ali 38 Harrison Chapman 41 Sam Devers 42 Oliver McKenzie 51 Charlie Nash 55 Sullivan Robey 59 Marcus Krasnadamskis 5 Darcy Jamieson (emg) 13 William Waller (emg) 39 Myles Reynders (emg) GWV REBELS 1 Ethan Drever 2 Michael Hughes 3 Archie Taylor 4 Jett Grayland 5 Floyd Burmeister 9 Talor Byrne 11 Riley Holloway 13 Sinclair Burmeister 14 Sam Marris 16 Fraser Molan 17 Charlie Kenna 18 Cooper Glenwright-McGuane 21 Taj Bowman 22 Charlie McKinnon 23 Flynn Penry 24 Lenny Stephens 25 Brodie Phillips 26 Wilbur Shea 33 Archie Elliott 42 Oliver Pittard 43 Jack Sobey 45 Chad Finck 53 Toby Hellessey 38 Levi Munyard (emg) 39 Klay Nicholls (emg) 51 Jake Connolly (emg)

Congratulations to the players celebrating milestones today. The AFLW team is all we have left on the park in 2025 so let’s appreciate our unbeaten team continuing their winning streak. Go Dees!

The influence of NGA and Father/Son selections on this year’s draft can’t be underestimated. Academy Update: The graduates in line for promotion Since Melbourne doesn’t currently have a selection in the first round of this year’s draft, it’s going to be interesting to see how our list management team manages a situation where we start nominally without a pick in the top 30.

I’m a bit like you in that I don’t watch a great deal of Suns games, especially when they play in the pink attire but I’ll make an exception tonight. I was however, at the game up north on the coast in late June when Melbourne played the Suns and he did give us a bit of a touch up that day as I recall. I checked his stats and he had 28 touches which placed him third overall behind Tracc (32) and Noble (29) so if Steven King could get him playing consistently at that level, then he would be an asset. Also, worth remembering is that it’s not necessarily the number of possessions that always count, it’s also their quality.

Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralAcademy Update: The graduates in line for promotionIn what is being pegged as the most compromised draft in history, plenty of academy graduates are set to shape the rankings this year.

No doubt, he’ll spin it whichever way it makes him comfortable. The fact remains that if he gets the Tassie job (and it’s still no guarantee that a club from there will get off the ground), he will have a tough job making it successful no matter what concessions the AFL grant them. I’ve had a few conversations with Collingwood people and every one of them had question marks on his ability to produce a winning team, pointing to the fact that he took over a premiership team after Mick Malthouse and handed over a broken side to Craig McRae who managed to turn them into premiers in two seasons. I think that’s a bit harsh but it’s a tough business and the stats about recycled coaches over the past couple of decades don’t lie.

Couldn’t help it. Too much of a good opportunity.

There’s every chance that this could go the way of the Marcus Windhager thread but here goes … Sam Flanders has been mentioned in dispatches as being on his way to another AFL club, one of which is supposedly Melbourne.

The fact that only one media person promoted the story is telling, particularly given that he’s a Saint at heart and only part time in that role. Not that the rest of the media pack are by any means convincing, but the fact that they weren’t biting said that this story was never going to develop any legs. To Finey - well played. When I saw the vision of him making the announcement on SEN that that as "we sit here tonight ... I can tell you that Marcus Windhager is bound for the Melbourne football club", I couldn’t help but think it was a brilliant impersonation of Caroline Wilson and a performance that was the highlight of this year’s trade and draft period so far. It was reminiscent of former Demonland poster Chilliboy who used to bring us the most amazing trade rumours based on “good authority” that never eventuated.

For the time being we’re classifying Jack Billings as a “free agent” rather than a “delist” until his situation is made clear. Billings spent much of his time at the club playing for Casey. He was one of the players instrumental in their late run to the finals and would be one of the favourites for the Troy Broadbridge Memorial Trophy for the club’s best VFL player.