STAR prospects weathered wild winds as two higher-ranked Metro seeds were toppled in Wildcard Round over the weekend. All six regions converged on Mars Stadium in Ballarat for three fiery fixtures, and we highlighted some of the top talent in the latest edition of Scouting Notes.

>> Snapshot: 2024 Coates Talent League Wildcard Round

Calder Cannons 10.7 (67) def. by Oakleigh Chargers 14.10 (94)

By: Declan Reeve

CALDER CANNONS:

#3 Jayden Nguyen
Defender | 177cm | 27/07/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s

Nguyen did as he typically does against the Chargers, as he racked up footy at will from the defensive half and used it well by foot to launch the Cannons into offence. Nguyen displayed supreme composure and evasiveness across the four quarters, sending opposition the opposite direction with some of his false steps and candy sells to quickly change lanes towards the corridor. 

#17 Nash King
Midfielder | 181cm | 05/01/2006

Stats: 25 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 inside 50s

The top possession winner for the game, King was his typical industrious self through the middle of the ground, impacting heavily around stoppages with his contested ball winning and defensive appetite. King covered the ground well to gather possessions and aid his teammates by providing a constant option, consistently looking to get his teammates into the game by feeding players at speed by hand. 

#27 Patrick Said
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 24/04/2006

Stats: 15 disposals, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

Whilst it wasn’t his most productive game, particularly given his recent form, Said was still impactful with his ability to progress the ball forward and hit the scoreboard when the opportunity presented itself. Said consistently demonstrated his ability to step past opponents, particularly out of congestion, following up with run and carry forward. Said hit the scoreboard in one such instance, cleanly gathering a ground ball from the ruck contest, stepping past an opponent, running it to the 50 arc and slotting the goal. 

#56 Cooper Duff-Tytler
Ruck/Forward | 199cm | 22/08/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 22 hitouts, 1 goal

One of the Cannons most promising prospects for 2025, Duff-Tytler stood up to the challenge against Emmett and Boston Dowling. He was arguably the best of the bunch in the ruck contests, winning the hitout count and often putting the ball to the advantage of his teammates. Duff-Tytler was also handy around the ground, showing a strong willingness to follow up at ground level and using the ball cleanly when he won it, looking particularly expansive when using it by hand. He managed to impact in his time up forward as well, pinning an opponent for holding the ball and converting over the mark. 

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#1 Jasper Alger
Forward | 182cm | 17/12/2006

Stats: 8 disposals, 4 marks, 4 goals

The undersized marking target was supreme for the Chargers in tricky conditions, displaying an elite ability to read the flight of the ball and adjust for the wind with his marking inside 50. Alger ended the game with four goals to his name, a personal best, and consistently stood up as one of the Charger’s go-to options when heading forward, but was a reliable ball winner at ground level when he wasn’t the target.

#7 Jagga Smith
Midfielder | 181cm | 28/01/2006

Stats: 24 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

It’s amazing that a 24-disposal and one-goal performance is considered a quiet game for anyone, but the standards and consistency Smith has set this year make this his lowest tally of the season. Smith received some opposition attention across the game, being pushed around and physically challenged, particularly around stoppages. As good players do, Smith found a way to get through this with the aid of teammates at stoppage, and gut running in open play, beginning to accumulate and impact more in the second half. Smith capped off the game with a nice goal, getting onto the end of a handball chain to snap it through off a step.

#9 Tom Gross
Midfielder | 181cm | 15/09/2006

Stats: 19 disposals, 4 tackles, 5 inside 50s

Not unlike Smith, Gross was relatively quiet in the first half of the game. He struggled to get much of the footy, and the times he did he didn’t get to show off his standard explosiveness from congestion, but came alive in the second half. It was Gross’s fourth quarter that was particularly impressive, playing a big part in the Chargers’ strong finish to the game. Gross won plenty of clearances and contested footy, typically looking to burst out of congestion and hand off to runners. He linked up by hand well, having a large say in a lot of the Chargers’ final quarter forward forays.

#11 Louis Emmett
Ruck/Forward | 198cm | 23/03/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 17 hitouts, 2 goals

One of the top tall prospects for the 2025 AFL Draft, Emmett made up half of an exciting matchup against Cooper Duff-Tytler, another highly fancied Vic Metro ruck prospect for next year. The two were evenly matched for the first half, but after that Emmett slowly took the lead with his work around the ground a contributing factor. Despite his 199cm frame, Emmett moved well through congestion and around opposition with evasiveness more typically seen from small forwards. Emmett’s mobility allowed him to follow up from ruck contests well, and consistently use the ball well when he won it, he was particularly impressive by hand. Emmett kicked two final quarter goals from a similar spot in the forward 50, with one shot coming from a free kick for a holding the ball tackle, and the other coming from a mark as he led to the hot spot.

Eastern Ranges 8.4 (52) def. by Northern Knights 13.12 (90)

By: Michael Alvaro

EASTERN RANGES:

#7 Cody Anderson
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 30/01/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

Anderson made a rampant start to proceedings, setting the tone with his fierce attack on the contest and surge style. His repeat efforts and ability to take possession multiple times in single passages of play meant he had a huge presence before half-time. He even gave his side a spark on the eve of the main break with a crucial goal to materialise Eastern’s momentum. Anderson’s power was evident throughout the day as he disposed of the ball with opponents hanging off him.

#9 Christian Moraes
Midfielder | 183cm | 08/11/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

Moraes utilised his typically strong running ability in attacking phases to lose his opponent over the back several times. He had some clean stoppage exits but was also caught cold by Northern’s pressure on other occasions, lacking the raw power to break free of tackles. Still, Moraes snatched some valuable metres and had opportunities on the end of Eastern’s chains of possessions, including for a running goal in the opening quarter.

#16 Oliver Greeves
Midfielder/Forward | 191cm | 07/02/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 2 marks, 5 inside 50s

Greeves was part of the Ranges’ dynamic midfield mix and showcased a good amount of class with ball in hand. He waxed well with teammates and had the authority to demand the ball back while manufacturing paths forward, even stepping around opponents when necessary. Much like elder contemporary Josh Smillie, his movement for a tall player is exceptional and he had a couple of smooth pick-ups off the deck.

#26 Josh Smillie
Midfielder/Forward | 194cm | 17/05/2006

Stats: 26 disposals, 5 rebound 50s, 2 goals

Producing somewhat of a return to form over the last fortnight, Smillie continued that trend as the only Eastern player to crack over 20 touches. The skipper had some great moments sharking taps and his highlight for the day was an outrageous inside-out checkside goal from the pocket. Smillie’s poise and size saw him navigate tight spots, although he was trapped on occasion, and his ball use held up in tough conditions. He didn’t just rely on his stoppage craft to accumulate possessions though, and managed to find the ball around the ground.

#47 Zac McGown
Defender | 189cm | 26/10/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 7 marks, 5 tackles

McGown was somewhat of a surprise packet on Saturday and stood tall as a rock in Eastern’s defence. He cut off several attacks with his seven overall marks and was assured under pressure, utilising his strong frame to advantage. He showed he had the ability to not only intercept, but also contribute to his side’s transitional play. Such was McGown’s prominence, he was thrown into the centre bounces in the final quarter to try and five Eastern a different look out of the middle.

NORTHERN KNIGHTS:

#1 Jesse Dattoli
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 07/08/2006

Stats: 35 disposals, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal

Dattoli was clearly the best and most prolific player afield on Saturday, racking up possessions as the focal point of Northern’s play. While still showcasing natural attacking instincts with a terrific crumbing goal in term one, Dattoli ran amok in midfield with his energetic and tough ball winning ability. He showed great smarts to draw players and time his releases, while also proving capable of chaining possessions and being the go-to as Northern looked to work the ball forward. His finesse and class were crucial on what was a hotly contested and scrappy day of footy.

#18 Thomas Sims
Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 12/05/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 6 marks, 20 hitouts

Sims was tasked with operating as Northern’s primary ruck and while he didn’t hit the scoreboard in his time up forward, was an effective aerial presence around the ground. Displaying good agility for his size, Sims positioned well behind the ball to help lock it into Northern’s attacking half, exemplified on the statsheet by his six marks and inside 50s. His ability to cover ground was impressive, but perhaps even more so was how fluently he could scoop the ball up off the deck.

#23 Gabriel Stumpf
Forward/Ruck | 196cm | 23/11/2006

Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks, 2 goals

Rotating through the forward/ruck role with Sims, Stumpf made his impact in front of goal. He started out with a terrific one-on-two mark to nab the first goal of the game, showcasing his athleticism and reach to defy the windy conditions. That type of play wavered as the game wore on, but Stumpf would still go on to add a second first half goal by striking the ball nicely over the mark.

#34 Jordyn Gillard
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 02/12/2006

Stats: 31 disposals, 7 inside 50s, 1 goal

With Knights co-captain Zak Johnson ruled out, Gillard grabbed the opportunity to be one of Northern’s most effective and prolific midfielder-forwards. The top-ager made himself a threat inside 50 and hit the scoreboard with a goal from three scoring shots, while also proving productive with his run further afield. Gillard’s solid frame and willingness to take the game on brought Northern success in attacking phases.

Sandringham Dragons 15.9 (99) def. Western Jets 3.5 (23)

By: Declan Reeve

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#3 Levi Ashcroft
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 18/12/2006

Stats: 30 disposals, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal

The Brisbane father-son prospect had a mixed game, with a slow start in the first half thanks to some heavy opposition attention, before producing a stellar second half after he shook the tag. Despite being unable to have his usual impact with his disposal and fumbling more than usual, Ashcroft still managed to win a bit of footy in the first half, impressing with a couple of intercepts on opposition handballs in close. He spent more time up forward in the second half and got off the chain, able to utilise the available space well to get free and damage at will.

#11 Nathaniel Sulzberger
Midfielder/Forward | 187cm | 06/05/2006

Stats: 29 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 3 goals

Sulzberger has shown some remarkable improvement from the start of the season to now, looking faster and more precise by foot recently. Saturday was a continuation of form as he was one of the Dragons’ best players against the Jets, impacting just as well up forward to slot three majors for the game, as he did through the midfield with 29 disposals. Sulzberger utilised his big frame well through the day, regularly outmuscling opposition to gain favourable positioning one-on-one.

#12 Harry Armstrong
Key Forward | 195cm | 14/06/2006

Stats: 16 disposals, 6 marks, 4 goals

After a couple of down weeks Armstrong may have found his groove again, slotting a game-high four goals and handing off a couple of others. Not too dissimilar to Ashcroft, Armstrong was relatively quiet in the first half of the game as he battled Lachie McArthur in almost every marking contest he was involved in, but started to get over the top of him slowly and see reward for his efforts. The second half saw Armstrong gain separation on opposition more regularly, able to fully display his leading patterns and marking ability, still managing to take a couple of contested grabs to remind viewers of the all round threat he poses. 

#22 Murphy Reid
Midfielder/Forward | 180cm | 30/07/2006

Stats: 32 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals

Reid is one of those players whose notes are just about a copy and paste each week given he consistently delivers high quality performances. His game on Saturday arguably his best yet. Racking up 32 disposals and three goals, Reid didn’t waste the footy all day, displaying elite vision and composure with some of the options he was able to pick out in the middle of congestion, or when moving at full speed. He seemingly played with no pressure with how well he was able to assess his options and execute. Reid’s three majors all came in a similar fashion, where he read the flow of the game and got forward of the ball to be an easy path to goal for his side. 

#47 Lachlan Voss
Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 19/04/2005

Stats: 27 disposals, 9 marks, 11 hitouts

The over-ager was the Dragons’ most consistent and arguably hardest working tall for the game, as he motored around the ground well to consistently present as a marking option for his side when in possession. Voss held his marks well, benefitting from doing the early work to gain separation from his opponent and take most of them uncontested, generally looking to follow up with a kick to the advantage of a leading teammate, but also serving his runners well by hand when presented with an option.

WESTERN JETS:

#7 Thomas McGuane
Midfielder/Forward | 177cm | 27/08/2007

Stats: 28 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal

The bottom-aged Collingwood father-son prospect did plenty to excite Pies fans heading into 2025, racking up 28 disposals whilst competing well against the talented Dragons on-ball brigade, never looking intimidated by the size he occasionally gave up. The classy left-footer covered the ground extremely well to rack up possessions, getting himself in to spots that allowed his teammates to utilise him without it being a risky disposal option. McGuane was smart with his disposal, picking out good options when in space and looking to hand off to runners when caught in congestion. 

#10 Thomas Burton
Defender | 178cm | 09/01/2007

Stats: 28 disposals, 11 marks, 7 rebound 50s

The other bottom-aged Thomas for the Jets, Burton was particularly outstanding in the first quarter, but remained a strong intercept and rebounding threat throughout the entire game. Whenever an opportunity for an overlap run presented itself, Burton took it, forming a particularly good connection with McGuane to rack up handball receives and meters gained. As exciting as he was in possession, Burton was equally as solid defensively as he led the game for tackles, including an impressive rundown tackle on Ashcroft in the third quarter to stop a certain goal.