AFTER the first block of the Coates Talent League season was completed, it is time for the Northern Academies to take centre stage. Fresh off their own Academy Series, the five programs enter the fray between Rounds 4-7 to test their mettle against the best from down south. Get to know each Academy.

>> State of Play: 2025 Coates Talent League Rounds 1-3

NEED TO KNOW

The Coates Talent League premiership is 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.

PRESEASON CONTENT

PLAYER Q&As:
Lions Academy: Daniel Annable | Harrison Bridge | Raphael Geesu | Isaac Waller
Suns Academy: Beau Addinsall | Koby Coulson | Max Hudson | Jai Murray | Zeke Uwland | Kalani White
Swans Academy: Noah Chamberlain | Kaiden McNamara | Tom Ryan

ANALYSIS:
Why the 2025 Allies can repeat history
Northern Academy prospects pick their breakout contenders

BRISBANE LIONS ACADEMY

TOP TALENT:
AFL Academy: Daniel Annable

The Lions swept the Academy Series and will be boosted by Daniel Annable‘s return after National Academy duties. Having been best afield in game one, Annable is well and truly considered a top prospect in the draft with his consistency, ball winning ability, and leadership quality.

There is a strong group behind Annable vying for Allies selection. Classy half-back Harrison Bridge will set up the play, as will creative and quick forward/midfielder Raphael Geesu. Emerging tall Isaac Waller is another to watch in the ruck and up forward, along with midfielder Benjamin Lillico.

RETURNING TALENT:

There is a total of seven over-agers in the Lions’ squad, one being Fergus McFadyen who is fresh off a five-goal haul and kick after the siren to win at VFL level. He and powerful defender Ryan Gilder represented the Allies last year and are the leading over-agers of the crop.

FUTURE TALENT:

Brisbane boasted two Under 16 All-Australians last year, one being Alan McLean Medallist Matthew Owen. The midfielder is a regular accumulator, and so is Caylen Murray, who also made said squad. The latter is poised to play off half-back, offering good turn of foot and distributive ability.

One of the Lions’ most talked about prospects over the next two years will be Cooper Hodge, the son of Hawthorn champion Luke. Hodge junior is a chip off the old block with his toughness and ability to play either back or through midfield. He’ll be eligible to both the Hawks and Lions next year.

FIXTURES:

Round 4 vs. Geelong Falcons
Sunday April 27, 12:10pm @ Brighton Homes Arena

Round 5 @ Tasmania Devils
Sunday May 4, 11:50am @ UTAS Stadium

Round 6 vs. Eastern Ranges
Saturday May 10, 1:10pm @ Sandgate AFC

Round 7 @ Oakleigh Chargers
Sunday May 18 @ Windy Hill

GOLD COAST SUNS ACADEMY

TOP TALENT:
AFL Academy: Beau Addinsall, Dylan Patterson, Zeke Uwland, Kalani White

The Suns Academy is absolutely stacked and looks set to rival – if not exceed – the 2023 crop. Gold Coast is unrivalled on pure depth and could realistically produce six to eight draftees, so keeping all the home grown talent will be just about impossible. Other clubs will be waiting to pounce.

Zeke Uwland, the younger brother of Bodhi, is Gold Coast’s leading prospect and a genuine top five chance. He draws comparisons to Errol Gulden for his running capacity and ability to play anywhere on the ground. He won’t feature until potentially after the National Championships, though.

Fellow National Academy members Beau Addinsall and Dylan Patterson boosted their stocks in the first representative showcase. The former is a sheer accumulator in midfield, while the latter is a powerful athlete with scintillating speed across half-back, the wing, or even in midfield.

Melbourne father-son candidate Kalani White, the son of Jeff, is also tied to the Suns. He is the fourth of Gold Coast’s AFL Academy members and projects as a high-upside key position player who can ply his trade at either end of the ground. Watch out for his exciting spring-heeled leap.

Aside from those four, Koby Coulson and Cooper Collins have set themselves apart as potential draftees. The former is a tough midfielder who can go forward, while the latter has cut his teeth as a forward but made his VFL debut down back last week alongside Coulson.

The Suns also have smooth moving wingman Jai Murray at their disposal, a poised ball user who can also go inside or roll off flanks at either end of the field. Likely complimenting White down back will be Max Hudson, a keen interceptor at third tall height who is solid as the come.

RETURNING TALENT:

Only one of the Suns’ Allies representatives from last year is set to return, with Zai Millane amongst the squad once again. The nephew of Collingwood champion Darren is one of many Gold Coast Academy prospects to have gained exposure at VFL level.

Also among that group is Nelson Beikoff-Smart, a small defender who throws himself into every play. Keen observers will also remember tall forward Caleb Nancarrow, whose sizeable leap has also seen him play in the ruck. They’re among the Suns’ six total over-agers.

FUTURE TALENT:

Former Under 16 captain and All-Australian Archie Hill is the Suns’ big watch for next year. The playmaking defender has little trouble finding the ball and likes to take the game on with run-and-carry. Expect him to also be exposed to the midfield heading into 2026.

The likes of 190cm midfielder Jake Callinan and Leroy Kaesler will likely catch the eye, even amongst a talent-rich group, while Taj Murray and Kodi Wallace could be set for Under 18 debuts as double bottom-agers. Both are Under 16 eligible as 2009-born players.

FIXTURES:

Round 4 vs. Dandenong Stingrays
Saturday April 26, 1:10pm @ Austworld Centre Oval

Round 5 @ Eastern Ranges
Sunday May 4, 12:30pm @ Box Hill City Oval

Round 6 vs. Oakleigh Chargers
Sunday May 11, 12:10pm @ People First Stadium

Round 7 @ Northern Knights
Sunday May 18, 12:40pm @ Genis Steel Oval

GWS GIANTS ACADEMY

TOP TALENT:
AFL Academy: Nil

It’s a rather even crop at the Giants this year, with few standout prospects but a relatively good spread. Ruckman Jim Houston has emerged in the early part of the year as a competitive tall, while speedy wingman/forward Bailey-Dean Latanis was the Giants’ sole representative in last year’s Futures match.

The likes of Lachlan Moresi have trained with the Giants’ senior group, he’s a combative midfielder who applies himself going both ways. Tall forwards Riley Hansen and Harper Bromson also come in with some promise. The latter has brought his talents across to Norwood in the SANFL Under 18s competition.

RETURNING TALENT:

Powerful midfielder Coby Hilton looks like being the Giants’ leading over-age candidate, boasting terrific top-end speed through the centre. Among a handful of 2006-born players, tall and small forwards Riley Hamilton and Isaac Baldwin have shown signs of good athleticism, while Kohan Prenter had a strong Summer Series to put his name on the radar.

FUTURE TALENT:

The Giants again have a good spread of bottom-agers, rather than a standout prospect in the ranks as there has been in the past. Charlie Harper was last year’s Under 16 MVP and has taken his talent to the Oakleigh Chargers, while fellow defender Lucas Roberts was an Under 15 SSA All-Australian. The classy Ethan Matthews is coming off a strong Summer Series down back, and Jaxon Steele is another to watch.

FIXTURES:

Round 4 @ Murray Bushrangers
Saturday April 26, 1:10pm @ Lavington Sports Ground

Round 5 @ Sandringham Dragons
Sunday May 4, 10:30am @ RSEA Park

Round 6 @ Tasmania Devils
Friday May 9, 6:30pm @ North Hobart Oval

SYDNEY SWANS ACADEMY

TOP TALENT:
AFL Academy: Lachlan Carmichael, Noah Chamberlain

While the Swans lay claim to a pair of National Academy members in Lachlan Carmichael and Noah Chamberlain, dynamic midfielder Max King is arguably their top prospect. The athletic 192cm talent is capable of ripping games to shreds and should also feature prominently in the forward half.

Carmichael and Chamberlain are both Allies representatives from last year. The former is a rebound defender who simply does a lot right, handling and distributing the ball with polish. The latter is a marking forward who can also utilise his pressure, work rate, and aerial ability on the wing.

Outside of the star trio, the Swans will have a close look at their rucks, while defender/midfielder Kaiden McNamara has stood out so far this year. Father-son prospect James O’Loughlin (son of Michael) will be another who garners attention, while Lucien Sennitt and Harry Kyle have shown nice signs.

RETURNING TALENT:

The Swans have a pair of Allies representatives named in this year’s squad, with running defender Nicholas Andreacchio and midfielder Joe Harrison making the cut. Should they feature, both will likely get a good run on-ball. Tom Ryan (cousin of Samson) is also in the frame as a tall marking forward who had interest from other clubs last year. They’re among a handful of over-agers to return to the program.

FUTURE TALENT:

There is plenty of talent in Sydney’s bottom-age crop, who took out last year’s Under 16 Pool B title. The Jenkin twins, Guy and William, are among the best with their work on the outside. Expect them to line up on opposite wings at times while also switching out either back or forward.

Mason McGroder is a phenomenal prospect with an athletics background, capable of playing in the ruck or out on the wing. Midfielder Conrad Blackwell-Smith was the Swans’ Under 16 MVP last year, while Patrick Smith showed good signs as an outside playmaker and Cody Beavis caught the eye down back.

A couple of interesting father-son prospects are also at Sydney’s disposal. Aidan McCartney (son of Jason) is a lead-up tall forward with potential, while Ethan Kingsley (son of Adam) is also tied to Port Adelaide. Both of their fathers currently have roles with cross-town rival, GWS.

FIXTURES:

Round 4 vs. Tasmania Devils
Friday April 25, 1:20pm @ Blacktown ISP

Round 5 vs. Oakleigh Chargers
Saturday May 3, 12:00pm @ Blacktown ISP

Round 6 @ GWV Rebels
Saturday May 10, 1:10pm @ Highgate Recreation Reserve

Round 7 @ Eastern Ranges
Saturday May 17, 1:00pm @ Box Hill City Oval

Note: Northern Territory Academy preview will be completed before their first match on Thursday