State of Play: 2025 Coates Talent League – Rounds 1-3
THE FIRST block of the Coates Talent League season has been completed, with Victorian prospects going on to trial for their spots in the Country and Metro squads. Sandringham Dragons and Gippsland Power remain unbeaten at 3-0 apiece, though things can quickly chance in the mid-season period. Catch up on where things stand before the Northern Academies steal the spotlight in Round 4.
CONTENT HUB
ROUND 1: Scouting Notes | Snapshot | POTW | TOTW | RMC Medal
ROUND 2: Scouting Notes | Snapshot | POTW | TOTW | RMC Medal
ROUND 3: Scouting Notes | Snapshot | POTW | TOTW | RMC Medal
POTW = Player of the Week | TOTW = Team of the Week
ONTO THE RADAR: Instalment 1 | Instalment 2
VIC UNDER 18 TRIALS: Game 1 | Game 2
Highlighting top-age prospects pushing for Vic Country & Metro selection
MORE:
Club-tied talent impacts opening round
Mid-Season Draft prospects search for second wind
Player Focus: Lachie Dovaston (Eastern Ranges)
LADDER
1. Gippsland Power – 3-0, 156.9%
2. Sandringham Dragons – 3-0, 135.0%
3. Calder Cannons – 2-1, 140.0%
4. Eastern Ranges – 2-1, 128.7%
5. Dandenong Stingrays – 2-1, 124.3%
6. Bendigo Pioneers – 2-1, 97.6%
7. GWV Rebels – 1-1, 91.7%
8. Oakleigh Chargers – 1-2, 127.7%
9. Geelong Falcons – 1-2, 109.9%
10. Northern Knights – 1-2, 68.9%
11. Murray Bushrangers – 0-3, 55.2%
12. Tasmania Devils – 0-2, 49.4%
13. Western Jets – 0-2, 46.7%
STATS LEADERS
DISPOSALS:
Tom Evans (Bendigo Pioneers) – 95
Adam Sweid (Calder Cannons) – 81
Aaron Sharkie (Oakleigh Chargers) – 78
Zac O’Keefe (Gippsland Power) – 76
Kye Fincher (Sandringham Dragons) – 70
MARKS:
Hamish Pearce (Calder Cannons) – 20
Zac Walker (Gippsland Power) – 20
Jaidi Jackson-Leahy (Bendigo Pioneers) – 19
Ben Kennedy (Murray Bushrangers) – 19
Arden Stevens (Calder Cannons) – 18
TACKLES:
Brodie Atkins (Gippsland Power) – 23
Luke Cheffers (Gippsland Power) – 22
Harvie Cooke (Northern Knights) – 21
Mitchell Stevens (Gippsland Power) – 21
Cody Gardiner (Murray Bushrangers) – 20
Adam Sweid (Calder Cannons) – 20
INSIDE 50s:
Jobe Scapin (Gippsland Power) – 17
Angus Ford (Geelong Falcons) – 16
Aaron Sharkie (Oakleigh Chargers) – 16
Rory Wright (Sandringham Dragons) – 16
Oliver Greeves (Eastern Ranges) – 14
REBOUND 50s:
Roman Moxon (Northern Knights) – 21
Tom Evans (Bendigo Pioneers) – 19
Charlie Orchard (Dandenong Stingrays) – 19
Oliver McKenzie (Eastern Ranges) – 17
Oliver Wilson (Gippsland Power) – 17
GOALS:
Hussien El Achkar (Calder Cannons) – 10
Mitchell Hansen (Eastern Ranges) – 9
Jai Saxena (Oakleigh Chargers) – 9
Liam Hetherton (Murray Bushrangers) – 8
Lachy Dovaston (Eastern Ranges) – 7
HITOUTS:
Zac Harding (Murray Bushrangers) – 88
Sean Tyrrell (Northern Knights) – 57
Miles Tyrer (Sandringham Dragons) – 52
Macauli Buck (Western Jets) – 50
Oliver Dean (Tasmania Devils) – 48
CLUB-BY CLUB
BENDIGO PIONEERS:
Record: 2-1, 97.6%
Star player: Hunter Wright
Emerging prospect: Jaidi Jackson-Leahy
MSD watch: Tom Evans
Up next: vs. Calder Cannons, Saturday May 10, 1:10pm
CALDER CANNONS:
Record: 2-1, 140.0%
Star player: Cooper Duff-Tytler
Emerging prospect: Adam Sweid
MSD watch: Cooper Herbert
Up next: vs. Northern Territory, Thursday May 1, 6:30pm
DANDENONG STINGRAYS:
Record: 2-1, 124.3%
Star player: Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Emerging prospect: Sam Lewis
MSD watch: Adrian Cole
Up next: @ Gold Coast Suns Academy, Saturday April 26, 1:10pm
EASTERN RANGES:
Record: 2-1, 128.7%
Star player: Oliver Greeves
Emerging prospect: Xavier Taylor
MSD watch: Rod Ali
Up next: vs. Gold Coast Suns Academy, Sunday May 4, 12:30pm
GEELONG FALCONS:
Record: 1-2, 109.9%
Star player: Josh Lindsay
Emerging prospect: Jesse Mellor
Up next: @ Brisbane Lions Academy, Sunday April 27, 12:10pm
GIPPSLAND POWER:
Record: 3-0, 156.9%
Star player: Willem Duursma
Emerging prospect: Brodie Atkins
MSD watch: Zac Walker
Up next: @ Geelong Falcons, Sunday May 11, 11:00am
GWV REBELS:
Record: 1-1, 91.7%
Star player: Archie Taylor
Emerging prospect: Talor Byrne
MSD watch: Floyd Burmeister
Up next: vs. Sydney Swans Academy, Saturday May 10, 1:10pm
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS:
Record: 0-3, 55.2%
Star player: Liam Hetherton
Emerging prospect: Harry Dean
MSD watch: Ben Kennedy
Up next: vs. GWS Giants Academy, Saturday April 26, 1:10pm
NORTHERN KNIGHTS:
Record: 1-2, 68.9%
Star player: Tyson Gresham
Emerging prospect: Sebastian Murphy
MSD watch: Liam Farrar
Up next: @ Western Jets, Sunday May 4, 2:10pm
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:
Record: 1-2, 127.7%
Star player: Sam Grlj
Emerging prospect: Zac McCarthy
Up next: @ Sydney Swans Academy, Saturday May 3, 12:00pm
SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:
Record: 3-0, 135.0%
Star player: Archie Ludowyke
Emerging prospect: Rory Wright
MSD watch: Jhett Haeata
Up next: vs. GWS Giants Academy, Sunday May 4, 10:30am
TASMANIA DEVILS:
Record: 0-2, 49.4%
Star player: Jasper Hay
Emerging prospect: Lucas Wootton
MSD watch: Oliver Depaoli-Kubank
Up next: @ Sydney Swans Academy, Friday April 25, 1:20pm
WESTERN JETS:
Record: 0-2, 46.7%
Star player: Thomas McGuane
Emerging prospect: Jacob Marron
MSD watch: Ayden McCarroll
Up next: vs. Northern Knights, Sunday May 4, 2:10pm
UPDATED PREDICTIONS:
Premier: Gippsland Power
Runner-up: Sandringham Dragons
Top four: Dandenong Stingrays, Calder Cannons
Morrish Medal: Thomas McGuane (Western Jets)
Leading Goalkicker: Liam Hetherton (Murray Bushrangers)
State of Play: 2025 Coates Talent League – Rounds 1-3
THE FIRST block of the Coates Talent League season has been completed, with Victorian prospects going on to trial for their spots in the Country and Metro squads. Sandringham Dragons and Gippsland Power remain unbeaten at 3-0 apiece, though things can quickly chance in the mid-season period. Catch up on where things stand before the […]
VFL Player Focus: Suns Academy pair make senior step-up
A PAIR of Gold Coast Academy prospects earned their maiden state league outings for 2025, both showing promise in the Suns’ 55-point loss to Southport on Saturday. Namely, tough midfielder Koby Coulson made his third VFL appearance, while the versatile Cooper Collins debuted down back. Both prospects represented Queensland at U17 level last year and […]
Scouting Notes: 2025 Victorian U18 trials – Game Two
VIC METRO made it two wins from as many games against their Country counterparts yesterday, taking out the second trial by just five points at Avalon Airport Oval. In a fast-paced affair, there was a total of nine multiple goalkickers among the 13 overall, including Mid-Season Draft prospect Floyd Burmeister. Country midfield pair Brodie Atkins […]
Scouting Notes: 2025 Victorian U18 trials – Game One
VIC METRO took out the first of two trial games against their Country counterparts, saluting by 26 points at Avalon Airport Oval today. The navy blue side kicked six goals in either half and steadied after a Tairon Ah-Mu-inspired Country slammed on five consecutive majors in term three. He finished with six overall. Plenty of […]
Ones to Watch: 2025 Victorian Under 18 trials
WERRIBEE sets the scene for Friday’s Victorian Under 18 trials, with prospects pressing their case for a shot at representing the ‘Big V’. Players from outside the initial Country and Metro talent hubs will be particularly keen to leave an impression. We highlight 12 who you should keep an eye on. >> SQUADS: 2025 Victorian […]
RMC MEDAL | Saxena stocks skyrocket in RMC Medal race
OAKLEIGH Chargers livewire Jai Saxena has stormed atop the Rookie Me Central Medal leaderboard after a second consecutive best afield performance. The Collingwood Next Generation Academy (NGA) prospect booted five goals in his side’s Round 3 loss to Sandringham after breaking out last week. >> SCROLL for the Round 3 votes & leaderboard Saxena, tied […]
Victorian Under 18 trial squads released
SQUADS have been announced for Friday’s Victorian Under 18 trials, where Country and Metro will go head-to-head in a pair of showcase games. The fixtures serve as an audition for budding representative prospects to press their case to represent the Big V at this year’s National Championships. >> SCROLL to see the full squads Set […]
Scouting Notes: 2025 Coates Talent League – Round 3
A COUNTRY triple-header was the highlight of Round 3 in the Coates Talent League, with the absence of AFL Academy members allowing prospects to emerge across the weekend. For the final time in the first block of the season, we outline some of the top performers from each game in our Scouting Notes. >> CTL […]
2025 CTL | Round 3 Team of the Week
LOCAL rivals Sandringham Dragons may have stolen the last laugh, but Oakleigh Chargers came away with a high of four representatives in our Coates Talent League Team of the Week for Round 3. Every region contributed to this week’s edition – see who made the cut of our 24-player squad. >> CTL ROUND 3: Snapshot […]
