spirit of norm smith

Chaplin, who was named in the All-Australian squad on Thursday, injured her hamstring at training during the week and is understood to be unavailable for the clash

Agree. He’s a tough well built utility. Plays like Bailey Humphrey.

Cameron Nairn is a quality young player. 188cms. Yes he’s like Ollie Dempsey or a little like Jai Culley, or throw in a little Bailey Fritsch (but not as smoothe). Medium forward? Actually he plays more wing/half forward, or can shift to half back. He’s a smart player too. Left footer. Not highly skilled but good enough. His big assets are his running power and his marking. Kicking is not elite but satisfactory to be honest. I had him pegged in about pick 30 so it’ll be a big move to have him at our “11/12”. Again it’s all in JTs capable hands.

He showed plenty in limited games and it’s good that he will get more of a run at Sandringham. Still one youngster to watch for the Dees in the future Mitchell Kirkwood-Scott, SandringhamA premiership player with Sandringham Dragons in 2024, speedy small defender Kirkwood-Scott spent 2025 with Casey Demons, playing eight games for a finals team. In between he played for Old Haileybury in the VAFA under new Sandy coach Daniel Ward. Zebras CEO Mark Wheeler is also aware of Kirkwood-Scott’s ability, having put him on the books at the Dragons.

All kinds of combinations! Top 7 are likely to be Duursma, CDT, Robey, Grlj, Sharp, X Taylor and Cumming. One should be available at pick 7. Pick 8… Farrow, Lindsay and Dovaston are clearly in the mix (imv not Schubert ) , with Hibbins-Hargreaves as the smoky and Pickett as the wildcard.

the top draft prospects say “who” their game is modeled on … Willem Duursma – Marcus Bontempelli and Finn Callaghan Zeke Uwland – Errol Gulden Cooper Duff-Tytler – Luke Jackson Dan Annable – Lachie Neale Dylan Patterson – Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera Matt LeRay – Will Day ⭐️Josh Lindsay – Errol Gulden and Hayden Young ⭐️Lachy Dovaston – Nick Watson, Kysaiah Pickett, Jamie Elliott and Izak Rankine Adam Sweid – Nick Daicos Hussien El Achkar – “Izak Rankine and Kysaiah Pickett Louis Kellaway – Hugh McCluggage Sam Allen – Isaac Heeney ⭐️Sam Grlj – Zak Butters, Ed Richards and Hugh McCluggage Aidan Schubert – Shannon Neale ⭐️Sullivan Robey – Hugh McCluggage Tylah Williams – Bobby Hill ⭐️Sam Cumming – Isaac Heeney Hunter Holmes – Chad Warner Archie Ludowyke – Aaron Cadman Liam Hetherton – Charlie Curnow and Aaron Naughton Jack Ison – Kysaiah Pickett and Cyril Rioli Louis Emmett – Luke Jackson Zac McCarthy – Luke Jackson and Nick Larkey ⭐️Xavier Taylor – Nick Vlastuin Cody Curtin – Josh Treacy and Riley Thilthorpe ⭐️Jacob Farrow – Jordan Dawson Jesse Mellor – Dustin Martin Hugo Mikunda – Zach Bailey

The reaction from all at Demonland

Most recent Herald Sun has us picking … 34. CAMERON NAIRN188cm Forward, Central District Drafted: MELBOURNEWe say: The Demons would love if Latrelle Pickett slipped through to this pick, but that doesn’t look likely. They may still be able to add a quality forward in Nairn, though, who has drawn comparisons to Bayley Fritsch. At 188cm, Nairn measures exactly the same height as Fritsch and similarly possesses vice-like hands overhead, a big leap and an accurate boot. The South Australian recorded one of the best individual performances at the under-18 national championships with a seven-goal haul in a match against Western Australia. Along with his strong hands, he also has strong endurance to outwork opponents and finished fourth in the 2km time trial at the national draft combine. I had Nairn around this mark but preferred a few more as better ball users Rory Wright. VIC Gun HBF/mid👍🏻 Sam Swadling WA Mid Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier👍🏻 mid. Think Luke Parker. Beau Addinsall(** academy GCS) midfield Jett Dahlitz SA 👍🏻def/halfback/quarterback Koby Coulson (* Suns academy) Mid Harry Kyle. (*Swans academy ) halfback/quarterback Jack Dalton. Sml mid. Accumulation Cameron Nairn SA fwd /utility

G 🤣🤣 those dark Prendergast days are well past us

@Turner Grlj at 7, Josh Lindsay at 8. We instantly improve our pace & run, and instantly improve our half back distribution. We can use speed on the ball or creativity to move it. Does that align with the King philosophy? I would think so

if we need a midfielder pick at pick “37”, then I’d go with local lads such as Rory Wright or Riley Onley. Either would be very good picks imv. From SA, I really think Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier will be a player. Showed plenty in the under 18 carnival and at SANFL From WA, agree Fred Rodriguez has been impressive as has Sam Swadling and Blake Kelly. Kelly is especially classy and can play inside and outside. Watched some highlights later in the season and he just showcased his skills.

@Turner I agree. If the Eagles think CDT is a huge risk, then Robey could be the #2 active pick in the draft. Unbelievable. For a youngster who wasn’t even playing Coates League until halfway through 2025. Meteoric rise !! He is a young gun who has all the AFL tools to succeed. Though CDT does meet the Eagles needs for a young agile mobile skilled development ruck, so will be an interesting choice for WCE to make.

Shifters AFL Write up Sam Grlj State: Victoria Metro State League Club: Oakleigh Chargers Community Club: Canterbury Date of Birth: 26/07/2007 Height: 182cm A medium defender or midfielder, Grlj possesses dazzling speed and a neat step through traffic, which allow him to break the lines and set up the play. A model of consistency with the Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League, he averaged 20.3 disposals at 72% efficiency, five tackles and 3.9 clearances playing predominantly in the midfield. Held a leadership role with Victoria Metro, with his acceleration again a feature during the National Championships, where he averaged 17 disposals across the four matches. Grlj grasped the opportunity to play two VFL games for Richmond late in the year, including having 18 disposals on debut against the Gold Coast Suns. His strong form at all levels contributed to him earning Coates Talent League Team of the Year honours. Was most impressive at the national Draft Combine, where he showcased his speed and endurance with a time of 2.93 seconds for the 20m sprint and finished second overall for the 2km time trial with an elite 5:59.

Unbelievably Ah-mu is potentially unlikely to get drafted this year. He has been strong all through under 16s and under 18s competition as well as in school APS footy. Whilst he’s a tall forward with a great kick and mark, he’s endurance is questioned. Plays like ? Tom Hawkins is the most likely comparison. One draft bio has this write up … STRENGTHS: + Aggression + Leading patterns + Physicality + Scoreboard impact + Size + Strength IMPROVEMENTS: - Endurance - Speed Much of Ah-Mu's game revolves around his physical traits and craft. He has the edge over just about any junior in the country for pure strength and size, and leans on it to dominate with imposing bodywork. Whether up forward in one-on-ones or jostling for position in the ruck, Ah-Mu is incredibly difficult to move off the line of the ball and gets into position early. What's more, his frame and clean hands make him difficult to spoil on the lead. Ah-Mu's leading patterns are another facet of his craft. He stays active when he can and reads the cues quickly to make his move, finding ways to beat opponents to the punch. That's part of what makes Ah-Mu such a consistent goalkicker. He only needs a few opportunities to score and generally finishes well, possessing a booming kick over the mark. When he can't take a grab, he's strong over the ground ball and can set up others. With no goalless games in eight Coates Talent League appearances this year, Ah-Mu's consistency was quite strong. He kicked multiples in five of those outings, with his standout haul of four coming in a quarter final loss. He was also among Vic Country's most reliable scorers, finding the goals in three of his four National Championship matches. His record proves he's a difficult player to tie down for long, and that he knows his craft well. Along with his marking presence up forward, Ah-Mu offers value as a second ruck. He can make any opponent nervous in physical battles and uses that to his advantage. His presence also likely lifts the confidence of those around him. Ah-Mu averaged 11 hitouts per his eight Coates Talent League games this year, showcasing his ability to own the airways and compete hard when the ball enters his area. On the flip side, Ah-Mu's improvement areas are clearly identifiable. He outlined endurance as one coming into the season, while his overall athleticism can continue to develop. While he is terrific at holding his space close to goal, modern day key forwards are required to move up the ground and that's something Ah-Mu can look to enhance. Continuing to work on his running power will allow his natural attributes to shine even brighter.

YOUR CLUB'S PICKSAdelaide: 16, 48, 55, 64, 73, 75, 93, 111 Brisbane: 17, 23, 44, 51, 59, 68, 79, 97, 115 Carlton: 9, 11, 43, 54, 67, 72, 87, 105 Collingwood: 39, 45, 56, 61, 77, 95, 113 Essendon: 5, 6, 21, 27, 30, 83, 101 Fremantle: 20, 47, 69, 90, 103, 108 Geelong: 19, 40, 60, 78, 96, 99, 114 Gold Coast: 15, 18, 24, 28, 29, 36, 52, 92, 110 GWS: 12, 35, 91, 109 Hawthorn: 10, 22, 62, 76, 94, 112 Melbourne: 7, 8, 37, 66, 71, 84, 102 North Melbourne: 25, 26, 46, 57, 82, 100 Port Adelaide: 49, 85 Richmond: 3, 4, 38, 81 St Kilda: 50, 65, 86, 104 Sydney: 31, 32, 42, 63, 88, 106 West Coast: 1, 2, 13, 34, 41, 53, 58, 80, 98 Western Bulldogs: 14, 33, 70, 74, 89, 107

@Random Task thanks. I simply cannot believe some draft mocks or podcasters have Lindsay in the mix to late teens. He was a likely top 3 pick earlier in the year. He excelled versus the VFL teams. His left foot disposal is elite. Super creative. Translates into AFL quality immediately. “Beautiful delivery”. “The distributor”. There’s no better kick in this draft. He’s smart. His sidestep to evade tackles shows how he’s move into the AFL with composure. I’d be happy to have JT call him out as a pick for the Demons.

I can’t see how or why the media draft journos and amateur draft podsters are all keen on Schubert to go to the Dees In my opinion … He’s shown ability to mark and cover ground as a mobile tall. He’s got forward ability with reach and marking. But he’s raw. He turns over the footy with lack of composure. His kicking is average. His goalkicking run in is stuttering and not unlike Jesse Hogan but without the solid finish. He needs time. At least a few years of development. I also think there was no real quality tall defenders in the Under 18 championship which helped some of these young forwards look better. I think we have a few young developing tall forwards, and even if we needed young talls, young Vic pair Louis Emmett and Archie Ludowkye would be better options.

I reckon the most guaranteed player in the draft is Xavier Taylor. I rate him in the best 5 available in this draft. Absolutely looks and plays like a footballer. Smart. Composed. Has Aggression. Excellent judge of a mark. He is a lock for 200 games in my view. Think “Disco Turner” type. If you push him, expect it back two-fold. Whilst he’s not a player we need, he would be a very good addition. In my opinion he simply couldn’t be passed up by the Tigers or the Bombers.

I prefer Grlj, Cumming, Josh Lindsay & Dovaston. They have the talent and ability to add to our team in 2026 and have shown high quality AFL attributes. What’s the knock on Schubert? In my opinion … He’s shown ability to mark and cover ground as a mobile tall. He’s got forward ability with reach and marking. But he’s raw. He turns over the footy with lack of composure. His kicking is average. His goalkicking run in is stuttering and not unlike Jesse Hogan but without the solid finish. He needs time. At least a few years of development. I also think there was no real quality tall defenders in the Under 18 championship which helped some of these young forwards look better. I think we have a few young developing tall forwards and at 7&8, there are better options.

@WERRIDEE I would definitely take any of Grlj, Cumming, Josh Lindsay & Dovaston all ahead of Schubert.

Agree. If he gets an injury free run, he will be a good addition at Casey

Sam Grlj. Sliding to be available at Dees pick …

Excitement… Kozzzy !! Windsor bursting through the middle. Langford kicking goals from outside 50. Add in CJ bursting with pace out of defence. Bring on 2026 !! 🧨

“he has interest from Melbourne, St Kilda and Brisbane”.