VIC METRO heads into the 2025 Under 18 National Championships as reigning champion, and boast top-end talent in all the right places. An enviable five National Academy members and plenty of club-tied talent will headline the Vics’ campaign, which begins on Sunday with a trip to South Australia.

>> FULL SQUAD: 2025 Vic Metro Under 18s

BREAKDOWN

AFL Academy (5): Thomas Burton, Cooper Duff-Tytler, Louis Emmett, Oliver Greeves, Archie Ludowyke
Bottom-age (2008-born): 1
Top-age (2007-born): 27
Over-age (2006-born): 0
Train-on: 8

SQUAD NUMBERS

1. Tyson Gresham, 2. Hussien El Achkar, 3. Bailey Lloyd*, 4. Adam Sweid, 5. Lachy Dovaston, 6. Mitchell Moate*, 7. Jack Dalton, 8. Thomas McGuane, 9. Felix Kneipp, 10. Thomas Burton, 11. Jai Saxena, 12. Arki Butler, 13. Sam Allen, 14. Sam Grlj, 15. Blake Chambers*, 16. Aaron Sharkie, 17. Rory Wright, 18. Kye Fincher, 19. Xavier Bamert, 20. Hunter Holmes, 21. Jack Ison, 22. Max Kondogiannis, 23. Xavier Taylor, 24. Finn Davis*, 25. Tate Hodgson*, 26. Andrew Barker, 27. Oliver Greeves, 28. Jackson Barber, 29. Jacob Marron, 32. Archie Ludowyke, 33. Zac McCarthy, 34. Cooper Duff-Tytler, 35. Louis Emmett, 36. Harry Van Hattum*, 37. Lewis Houndsome*, 38. Miles Tyrer*

* – denotes train-on

FIXTURE

vs. South Australia
Sunday June 8, 11:15am ACST @ Alberton Oval

vs. Western Australia
Sunday July 6, 12pm AWST @ TBC (Western Australia)

vs. Allies
Sunday July 13, 10:30am AEST @ Brighton Homes Arena

vs. Vic Country
Sunday July 20, 11am AEST @ RSEA Park

TRIAL GAMES

Vic Country vs. Vic Metro (Game 1)
Vic Country vs. Vic Metro (Game 2)
Vic Metro vs. Young Guns

SQUAD STRENGTHS

Vic Metro is blessed with great squad balance and plenty of running power across the three lines. There are genuine talls, hybrid types, specialist running defenders and pressure forwards, wingmen, and top-line midfielders which fill out quite a nicely spread team on paper.

A lively small forward group is headlined by Lachy Dovaston, who could be in high demand come draft time with teammates Hussien El Achkar and Jai Saxena being club-tied. Along with Tyson Gresham and bottom-ager Arki Butler, they offer great speed, creativity and goal sense in the front half.

That group will position at the feet of a strong ruck-forward selection. National Academy rucks Cooper Duff-Tytler and Louis Emmett will likely spend time forward, where Archie Ludowyke will be the spearhead. Zac McCarthy is another mobile, rangy option to fulfil either role.

Metro has also adjusted well to add height in defence, with Jackson Barber, Jacob Marron, and Max Kondogiannis called up to the squad. There’s some great rebounders like Thomas Burton, Aaron Sharkie, and Kye Fincher who can connect with Thomas McGuane and Hunter Holmes up the field.

STAR POWER

Vic Metro boasts five National Academy members, putting them second behind the Allies. Three of them are genuine key position players, with Cooper Duff-Tytler and Louis Emmett likely to share the primary ruck role, while Archie Ludowyke spearheads the forwardline.

Ludowyke and midfielder Oliver Greeves are considered top 15 prospects along with speedster Sam Grlj, while a bunch of others are vying to consolidate spots in the top 25-30 range. Metro also has seven club-tied players in its ranks, so will attract attention from keen AFL fans.

POTENTIAL RISERS

There are plenty of Metro players who have caught the eye in the early part of the season, so will hope to strengthen their standing on the representative stage. Among them are the likes of Rory Wright and Hunter Holmes, different types of midfielders in the way of speed but both effective on the attack.

Eastern Ranges pair Lachy Dovaston (small forward) and Xavier Taylor (tall defender) are pushing hard for the top 20, while Collingwood NGA prospects Zac McCarthy and Jai Saxena are similarly ranked. Carlton-tied utility Jack Ison is perhaps a dark horse in the mix, offering high upside at 190cm.

NEXT GEN

Sandringham Dragons forward Arki Butler is the lone bottom-ager in the squad this year, but he’s a good one at that. He’s a freakish type who can make opponents look foolish with his movement and smarts, backed up by innate goal sense and skill. Metro also named three bottom-agers among their train-ons, all coming from the Northern Knights; Tate Hodgson, Harry Van Hattum, and Lewis Houndsome.

FRESH FACES

IN: Jackson Barber, Hunter Holmes, Max Kondogiannis, Jacob Marron, Zac McCarthy, Jai Saxena, Aaron Sharkie, Adam Sweid, Rory Wright

The nine inclusions to the Vic Metro squad include club-tied talent and notable draft risers. Ruck/forward Zac McCarthy and small forward Jai Saxena are part of Collingwood’s Next Generation Academy, while diminutive midfielder Adam Sweid is tied to Essendon’s. All three are considered top 30 prospects.

The likes of Rory Wright and Hunter Holmes impressed operating on either side of midfield in the early part of the Coates Talent League season, as did midfielder/defender Aaron Sharkie. Tall defensive cover was also a priority with Jackson Barber, Jacob Marron, and Max Kondogiannis called upon.

>> PROFILED: 2025 Vic Metro squad inclusions

BEST LINEUP

B: A. Sharkie – J. Marron – X. Taylor
HB: T. Burton – J. Barber – K. Fincher
C: T. McGuane – R. Wright – H. Holmes
HF: J. Ison – Z. McCarthy – J. Saxena
F: H. El Achkar – A. Ludowyke – L. Dovaston
FOL: C. Duff-Tytler – S. Grlj – O. Greeves

INT: X. Bamert, A. Barker, A. Butler, J. Dalton, L. Emmett, T. Gresham, M. Kondogiannis, A. Sweid

INJURED: S. Allen, F. Kneipp, M. Moate*

HOW THEY STACK UP

The core of this 2007-born crop, albeit with a good amount of changes, took out the Pool A title in their Under 16 year, so will be confident of replicating such feats. They have top-end talent in important places, most notably through midfield and up forward, so should be pretty potent throughout the series. Expect Metro’s running power and depth of ruck-forward options to test teams. With the Allies having been beaten, opportunity awaits for a squad which stacks up among the top two or three on paper.