Whispering_Jack

Paul Amy is the Herald Sun and Leader Newspaper guru on VFL prospects. These are the players he has his eyes on as possible draft contenders for 2025 - VFL young guns: 17 players who have emerged as AFL draft hopefuls in 2025 Tom Barnett, 19, Coburg (a 197cm key defender) Jonah Campigli, 21, Sandringham (189cm forward) Nathan Colenso, 23, Williamstown (188cm forward) Marcus Herbert, 22, Geelong (plays as a halfback) Darcy Hogg, 20, Carlton (improver who knows where the goals are) Drew Lloyd, 22, Port Melbourne (left-footed half forward) Bailey McKenzie, 19, Sandringham (193cm former Sandringham Dragon who can play anywhere) Lachlan Monteath, 20, Essendon (198cm ruckman) Tobyn Murray, 19, Geelong (speed, power and aerobic capacity) Cameron Nyko, 20, Essendon (versatile player with pace) Heath Ollington, 20, Williamstown (forward) Flynn Riley, Carlton (208cm ruck prospect) Chris Scerri, Northern Bullants (177cm right footer) Harry Scott, 20, Richmond (a 190cm midfielder) Noah Scott, Essendon (fast, tough all-rounder) Oliver Warburton, 20, Carlton (defender, wing and defensive forward) Lane Ward, 20, Box Hill Hawks (winger)

This article in CodeSports (no link available) talks about both SInnema and Kalani White ~ AFL draft 2025: Melbourne poised to commit to NGA prospect Toby Sinnema A smooth-moving left-footer is giving Melbourne's recruiters a rarity — a prospect out of their Next Generation Academy. It's believed the Demons are firming on taking Dandenong Stingrays top-ager Toby Sinnema, a Vic Country Under 18 representative in four nationals matches this year. The wingman has averaged 20.2 disposals from his 11 games for the Stingrays. It comes with the Demons likely to secure father-son prospect Kalani White despite him also being linked to the Suns as a Gold Coast Academy player. The Demons last year put Ricky Mentha Jr on their category B list as a small crafty forward. They do not have a first-round pick in this year's national draft but will be hopeful they can secure some exciting young talent to build with their next coach. Melbourne believes Sinnema has the scope to improve sharply. "He can hurt teams with his foot skills and he's got good pace and he's improved in the areas he was deficient in to become a better all-round player," Rays coach Nick Cox said of Sinnema. "He's played in the majority of positions - wing, half-back, half-forward - so he's got that versatility too. "He's our vice-captain and he shows a lot of leadership." Sinnema is likely to line up for Melbourne's VFL affiliate Casey this weekend against ladder leader Box Hill Hawks. He has been training with the Casey Demons for the past fortnight. Sinnema made his debut for Devon Meadows in local football last year, earning high praise for coach Ryan Hendy, who told this masthead: "He was unbelievable, he's got a massive future." "He's just classy," he said. "He reminded me of a young Errol Gulden, it's a big wrap but he just moves exactly like him, he just runs and runs and is a magnificent ball user." White has played four games for the Allies in the national championships and three for Gold Coast and while he has huge athletic potential, he is a low possession winner at this stage. He is likely to be considered by clubs from the second and third rounds of the draft but as a project player who could one day take on the ruck after Max Gawn retires, he is an exciting prospect for the Dees. Father Jeff has always told him to choose the club where he is most comfortable, but the Suns have as many as five other Academy players they can choose from this year. At least three of them are considered first-round prospects including top 10 picks Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson.

"It's even been suggested that there'd been unofficial conversations between [Melbourne] and Nathan Buckley before they sacked the coach." - Caroline Wilson on the Demons' interest in Nathan Buckley. Surely not? :)

Codesports which is an online offshoot the Herald Sun has an an article entitled "Lauren Wood’s Top 50 AFLW players leading into season 10". (I can't find a link for non subscribers but it will probably end up in the little paper later in the week). There are three Demons in the list but not one in the top 10. The Melbourne players are - 11. Tyla Hanks 14. Kate Hore 48. Tayla Harris The top 10 at this stage before the bounce of the first ball are:- 1. Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne) 2. Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide) 3. Monique Conti (Richmond) 4. Ash Riddell (North Melbourne) 5. Ally Anderson (Brisbane) 6. Emily Bates (Hawthorn) 7. Eliza West (Hawthorn) 8. Charlie Rowbottom (Gold Coast Suns) 9. Chloe Molloy (Sydney) 10. Georgie Prespakis (Geelong)

I would definitely keep Clarrie. This was a year for confidence building after a challenging 2024 season. I have a feeling that he will be back to his best form next year.

Good luck to our AFLW team in 2025. The fixture looks better organized than it did last year but there’s still an issue with the opening round next Saturday night. Our men are playing Hawthorn at the MCG at 4.15pm and the women take on the Western Bulldogs at Mission Whitten Oval Footscray at 7.30. Can we organize a chopper to get to MWO on time? Also, they’re expecting rain on Saturday night so I’m not too confident about getting a crowd along to support our women for the game.

Did I hear Dwayne call a certain Melbourne player Xavier Harvey?

I believe the Geelong investigations have been ticked off and buried with a note saying, “nothing to see here, thank you”.

The 7th team plays 10th and 8th plays 9th in the wildcard games with the winners going through to the elimination finals.

Worth making a phone call to McRae?

Today’s little paper features its top 40.

Do we even have a Demonland letterhead?

Point taken - and changed. I forgot about 2026.

The Rookie Me Central Power Rankings updated Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralAFL Draft Power Rankings: July 2025Rookie Me Central's AFL Draft Power Rankings are in for the month of July, with the post-championships list extended to 30 names.

Slim pickings for the Demons as things stand after trading our 2025 first round pick for one that enabled us to draft Xavier Lindsay.

afl.com.au2025's most wanted: Draft Combine nominees revealedThe players picked to attend the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft Combine have been named

“Going by Melbourne’s pattern of play in recent times, it’s likely that the Demons will not be able to produce four quarters of top football to assure their fans of a winning result”. Fair comment.

The Casey Demons will only have themselves to blame if they fail to make the finals this year. They are sitting in 9th place with a monster percentage of 137.7 but lost two games a few weeks ago (Gold Coast & Coburg) to teams below them on the ladder which would not only secured a finals place but a win in one of them would had them contending for a spot in the top four. Water under the bridge now but they have to beat either Brisbane (6th) in Brisbane or Box Hill Hawks (1st) to assure themselves of a finals placing. They can be displaced only by Coburg or North Melbourne so they're the teams to watch this weekend. I sometimes get the feeling that the club doesn't care about Casey - e.g. a couple of years ago, they pulled out a number of players from a Casey finals team from playing in a final to avoid injuries and unavailability in the event that those players were in contention for a finals spot. There are no MFC finals this year and I think it would be beneficial for some of our younger players yet to be tried at AFL level to get some experience in a final where the pressure is always greater than in a normal home and away game. On another note, I made mention last week of a Casey listed player Jack Behnk who played just one game for the Demons last year but has been taking the VAFA competition by storm playing for St Bedes Mentone Tigers. I saw him kick 11 goals vs AJAX in a high standard game (3rd vs 4th) on his comeback after missing 6 matches with an injury. He kicked 12 in a game earlier this year and leads the Premier C goalkicking with 35 goals, despite missing half the season. Worth a look, I would say.

You should have started the podcast and then abruptly cut it of three quarters of the way through.

Great start for the Demons. Does anyone know if Jack Behnk from St Bedes in the Ammos who had a game or two last year is still on Casey’s list? I saw him kick 11 goals yesterday in a high standard game against AJAX. Both teams in the top four in C Section. The kid looks a real prospect.

Hogan quietish - perhaps out of respect for the passing of his adopted brother, the Hulk.

Pity that Kirkwood-Scott has been omitted. He seems to play well when he gets the chance.

A lot - too many in fact around 22. Hopefully, that means less byes and all teams play each other once.