THE 2025 Coates Talent League season gets underway on Saturday with a standalone clash between Bendigo Pioneers and Tasmania Devils. Before the 19-round home-and-away campaign commences, we take you through all you need to know about the season ahead.

>> SCROLL for club-by-club previews & predictions

NEED TO KNOW

The Coates Talent League premiership will be up for grabs to 13 full-time regions, including Tasmania Devils who have yielded a revised 12-game home-and-away schedule. That means a weighted ladder system will used to determine the Wildcard Round and thus, finals matchups.

In addition to the 12 Victorian regions and Tasmanian pathway team, five Northern Academies will also enjoy stints in the competition from Rounds 4-7. Namely, they are the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Sydney Swans, and Northern Territory Academies.

Throughout the 19-round season, all matches will be live streamed via the Coates Talent League app, with one game broadcast and commentated on Kommunity TV. All the fallout; including Player & Teams of the Week, Scouting Notes, and more analysis will be available on Rookie Me Central.

ROUND 1 FIXTURE

>> FULL FIXTURE: 2025 Coates Talent League Boys

Saturday March 29:
Bendigo Pioneers vs. Tasmania Devils
10:45am @ Highgate Recreation Reserve

Sunday March 30:

Sandringham Dragons vs. Western Jets
11:30am @ RSEA Park

Dandenong Stingrays vs. Geelong Falcons
12:30pm @ Trevor Barker Beach Oval

Murray Bushrangers vs. Gippsland Power
1:00pm @ Highgate Recreation Reserve

Oakleigh Chargers vs. Calder Cannons
2:00pm @ RSEA Park

Northern Knights vs. Eastern Ranges
3:00pm @ Trevor Barker Beach Oval

>> MORE: Must-watch Coates Talent League fixtures in 2025

KEY DATES

Round 1: March 29-30
Academy Series: Rounds 4-7 (April 25 – May 18)
Wildcard Round: August 30-31
Grand Final: September 20-21

PRESEASON CONTENT

PLAYER Q&As:
Jack Dalton (Sandringham Dragons)
Harry Dean (Murray Bushrangers)
Harley Hicks (GWV Rebels)
Archie Ludowyke (Sandringham Dragons)
Thomas McGuane (Western Jets)
Mitchell Stevens (Gippsland Power)

ONES TO WATCH: Players pick their breakout candidates
PLAYER COMPARISONS: Who the players mould their game on
LOYALTIES: Which AFL clubs do the players support?
TOP 10s: 2025 nationwide preseason testing results

CLUB-BY-CLUB

Note: Separate previews will be made for Academy Series sides

BENDIGO PIONEERS

Coach: Danny O’Bree
Captain: TBC
AFL Academy: Nil.
Vic Country hub: Shaun Watson, Hunter Wright, Cody Walker
Top prospect: Hunter Wright
One to watch: Jaidi Jackson-Leahy
Future star: Cody Walker
MSD watch: Zaydyn Lockwood

>> PREVIEW: Bendigo Pioneers

CALDER CANNONS

Coach: Sam Willatt
Co-captains: Jackson Barber & Hamish Bird
AFL Academy: Cooper Duff-Tytler
Vic Metro hub: Cooper Duff-Tytler, Hussien El Achkar, Felix Kneipp
Top prospect: Cooper Duff-Tytler
One to watch: Adam Sweid
Future star: Levi West
MSD watch: Cooper Herbert

>> PREVIEW: Calder Cannons

DANDENONG STINGRAYS

Coach: Nick Cox
Co-captains: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves & Max Lee
AFL Academy: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Vic Country hub: Tairon Ah-Mu, Josh Granger, Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Max Lee, Marcus Prasad, Toby Sinnema
Top prospect: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
One to watch: Sam Lewis
Future star: Marcus Prasad
MSD watch: Adrian Cole

>> PREVIEW: Dandenong Stingrays

EASTERN RANGES

Coach: Lauren Morecroft
Co-captains: Andrew Barker & Oliver Greeves
AFL Academy: Oliver Greeves
Vic Metro hub: Andrew Barker, Lachy Dovaston, Oliver Greeves, Xavier Taylor
Top prospect: Oliver Greeves
One to watch: Rod Ali
Future star: Will Waller
MSD watch: Seth Macdonald

>> PREVIEW: Eastern Ranges

GEELONG FALCONS

Coach: Paul Corrigan
Co-captains: Ben Coote & Josh Lindsay
AFL Academy: Josh Lindsay, Ben Rongdit
Vic Country hub: Josh Lindsay, Hugo Mikunda, Jack Pickett, Ben Rongdit
Top prospect: Josh Lindsay
One to watch: Jett Elek
Future star: Jack Pickett
MSD watch: Dan Lowther

GIPPSLAND POWER

Coach: Rhett McLennan
Captain: Thomas Matthews
AFL Academy: Willem Duursma
Vic Country hub: Willem Duursma, Xavier Ladbrook, Wil Malady, Zac O’Keefe, Jobe Scapin, Mitchell Stevens
Top prospect: Willem Duursma
One to watch: Thomas Matthews
Future star: Wil Malady
Over-age talent: Zach Walker

>> PREVIEW: Gippsland Power

GWV REBELS

Coach: David Loader
Captain: TBC
AFL Academy: Nil.
Vic Country hub: Harley Hicks, Archie Taylor
Top prospect: Archie Taylor
One to watch: Sinclair Burmeister
Future star: Ethan Drever
MSD watch: Floyd Burmeister

>> PREVIEW: GWV Rebels

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS

Coach: Mark Brown
Captain: N/A – rotate each week
AFL Academy: Liam Hetherton, Riley Onley
Vic Country/Allies hubs: Tanner Armstrong, Harry Dean, Riley Onley / Ryder Corrigan, Liam Hetherton, Harrison Wilson
Top prospect: Liam Hetherton
One to watch: Lenny Koller
Future star: Tanner Armstrong
MSD watch: Ben Kennedy

>> PREVIEW: Murray Bushrangers

NORTHERN KNIGHTS

Coach: Anthony Rocca
Co-captains: Tyson Gresham & Sebastian Murphy
AFL Academy: Nil.
Vic Metro hub: Tyson Gresham, Tate Hodgson, Harry Van Hattum
Top prospect: Tyson Gresham
One to watch: Mitchell Moate
Future star: Tate Hodgson
MSD watch: Gabriel Stumpf

>> PREVIEW: Northern Knights

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS

Coach: Ash Close
Captain: TBC
AFL Academy: Louis Emmett
Vic Metro hub: Sam Allen, Louis Emmett, Sam Grlj, Jack Ison
Top prospect: Louis Emmett
One to watch: Zac McCarthy
Future star: Flynn Woolhouse
MSD watch: Jez Rigoni

>> PREVIEW: Oakleigh Chargers

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS

Coach: Rob Harding
Captain: Xavier Bamert
AFL Academy: Archie Ludowyke
Vic Metro hub: Xavier Bamert, Arki Butler, Jack Dalton, Kye Fincher, Archie Ludowyke, Miles Tyrer
Top prospect: Archie Ludowyke
One to watch: Sacha Levine
Future star: Arki Butler
MSD watch: Julian Galbally

>> PREVIEW: Sandringham Dragons

TASMANIA DEVILS

Coach: Jeromey Webberley
Captain: Rylee McHenry
AFL Academy: Jasper Hay
Allies hub: Jasper Hay, Lucas Wootton
Top prospect: Jasper Hay
One to watch: Jack Miller
Future star: Charlie Bovill
MSD watch: Nathaniel Sulzberger

>> PREVIEW: Tasmania Devils

WESTERN JETS

Coach: Christian Stagliano
Captain: TBC
AFL Academy: Thomas Burton
Vic Metro hub: Thomas Burton, Finn Davis, Thomas McGuane
Top prospect: Thomas Burton
One to watch: Oskar Ainsworth
Future star: Lachlan Hicks
MSD watch: Ayden McCarroll

>> PREVIEW: Western Jets

PREDICTIONS

Premier: Murray Bushrangers
Runner-up: Sandringham Dragons
Top four: Oakleigh Chargers, Gippsland Power
Morrish Medal: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (Dandenong Stingrays) & Thomas McGuane (Western Jets)
Leading Goalkicker: Liam Hetherton (Murray Bushrangers)