THE 2025 Rookie Me Central Coates Talent League Team of the Year has been finalised, with the expanded squad of 48 cut down to 24. After weekly nominations made throughout 19 home-and-away rounds, the competition’s best, most dominant and consistent players were selected.

>> FULL SQUAD: 2025 RMC Coates Talent League Team of the Year

Conversely to the official team, representative form was not considered and there was a five-game minimum to qualify. The latter stipulation means those from Northern Academies were not considered, although all 13 full-time regions from Victoria and Tasmania are represented.

Gippsland Power utility Willem Duursma has been named captain of the side having been one of four players to earn a high of eight Team of the Week nominations. He features at the heart of midfield having played just about every position this season, averaging 24.5 disposals, 4.8 marks, and 5.2 tackles. His efforts helped the Power take out this year’s minor premiership.

Fellow top 10 prospect Xavier Taylor was also among that group of four and is vice-captain, lining up at centre half-back. The 191cm defender was a rock for Eastern Ranges all season, averaging 18.4 disposals and 6.4 marks across 14 games. The Ranges matched Gippsland’s 11-4 record to finish as the top Metro seed, advancing to join Gippsland in the quarter finals.

In an evenly spread team, three regions share the honour of having a high of three representatives in Bendigo Pioneers, Sandringham Dragons, and Western Jets. All three of the Pios’ squad nominees made the final squad, while each Dragons prospect will be chasing a fourth consecutive flag later this month.

Only one bottom-ager made the final cut, with Bendigo’s Cody Walker sneaking in on the bench after an outstanding back-end of the season. Two over-agers also earned selection, with Walker’s fellow Pioneer Tom Evans leading the league for disposals, and Vic Country ruck Zac Harding owning his domain.

DEFENDERS

B: Tom Evans – Harry Dean – Aaron Sharkie
HB: Finn Davis – Xavier Taylor (vc) – Thomas Burton

Taylor is the centrepiece of the defence along with fellow first round fancy Harry Dean. Tied to Carlton via father-son rules, the Murray Bushrangers backman was a marking machine for his side. He averaged 17.4 disposals and 7.1 marks across eight high quality games, while also representing Vic Country this year. It comes after he missed nearly all of his bottom-age campaign through injury.

The remainder of the defence is filled out by high-accumulation rebounders. Western Jets pair Finn Davis and Thomas Burton were among the best of them. Davis averaged 27.7 disposals, 6.0 marks and 6.4 rebound 50s to break into the Vic Metro squad, while Burton had seven 30-plus disposal games in 12 tries and spent plenty of time running rampant in midfield.

Joining Dean on the full back line are Bendigo over-ager Tom Evans and Oakleigh dasher Aaron Sharkie. Evans capped off his third Coates Talent League season with some big performances, including 44 disposals against Gippsland in Round 3 to average 29.6 in 13 games. Sharkie was consistent for the Chargers, averaging 24.6 touches and five rebound 50s in eight games.

MIDFIELDERS

FOL: Zac Harding – Adam Sweid – Brodie Atkins
C: Rory Wright – Willem Duursma (c) – Thomas McGuane

Duursma is joined by Gippsland Power teammate Brodie Atkins in our hypothetical centre bounce mix. The defensive-minded midfielder laid 7.1 tackles per game to go with his average 23.8 possessions, which helped force his way into the Vic Country squad. He hit an even 30 disposals twice to go with his personal-best 35 touches in Round 8 against Oakleigh.

Vic Country teammate Zac Harding is the team’s starting ruck. The over-ager returned some massive games for Murray, averaging 18.5 disposals and 28.3 hitouts across 11 outings. Diminutive Calder midfielder Adam Sweid is the final onballer having come from relative obscurity to enjoy a breakout campaign. He averaged 25.3 disposals and 5.2 tackles per game.

Out on the wings are a pair of Vic Metro teammates in Rory Wright and Thomas McGuane. Wright shaped as a genuine bolter with his early-season form, spending time on-ball and eventually switching to defence for averages of 25.5 disposals and 5.5 marks per game. McGuane, ever the accumulator, showed his footy IQ in each third of the ground to average 27.9 touches in 10 games.

FORWARDS

HF: Talor Byrne – Jesse Mellor – Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
F: Lachy Dovaston – Charlie McKinnon – Hussien El Achkar

For what our final forwardline lacks in height, it makes up for in genuine firepower. Competition leading goalkicker Charlie McKinnon (GWV Rebels) locked in a spot at full forward for his 47 majors in 14 games. He was held goalless just once this season, booting a bag of eight in Round 8 and seven just three rounds later. The 190cm spearhead is the tallest member of our front six.

Dynamic aerial support comes in the form of Vic Country pair Jesse Mellor (Geelong) and Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (Dandenong). The former averaged 4.5 marks and kicked 22 goals in his 12 games, making his name up forward while pinch-hitting in midfield. The latter has mostly switched between half-forward and the wing, becoming a clutch goalkicker with 15 majors in an injury-interrupted campaign.

No Metro-aligned player kicked more goals than Eastern’s Lachy Dovaston (31), who established himself as one of the nation’s premier small forwards. Fellow livewires Hussien El Achkar (Calder, 28 goals) and Talor Byrne also earned starting spots, with the latter operating as a midfielder-forward. The latter pair loom as top 40 prospects, packing a punch at under 174cm respectively.

INTERCHANGE

INT: Xavier Bamert, Jack Dalton, Jack Miller, Sebastian Murphy, Cody Walker, Hunter Wright

Two of Sandringham’s three representatives earned their place on the six-man interchange. Captain Xavier Bamert was all heart all year, while prolific midfielder Jack Dalton produced a scintillating end to the campaign. The running machine averaged 29.8 disposals and 5.7 tackles per his six games to be undeniable, booting seven goals to go with four 30-plus disposal outings.

Similarly undeniable was Walker, a Carlton father-son hopeful for next year. The Bendigo Pioneers midfielder found his groove mid-season to average 25.6 disposals and 6.1 inside 50s across 13 games. He is joined on the interchange by teammate Hunter Wright, a well-rounded onballer who averaged 20.5 disposals and 4.5 tackles in 12 games. The left-footer also kicked 10 goals.

Speaking of goals, Tasmanian Jack Miller was a constant threat for the Devils with 20 majors in 12 games. The Allies representative nabbed a high of five against the Giants Academy in Round 6. Northern Knights co-captain Sebastian Murphy rounds out the lineup on the back of a consistent campaign, punching above his weight to average 20.9 disposals and 5.1 tackles per game.