MELBOURNE fans would have watched their reserves side in sepia tone with news that father-son candidate Kalani White would be debuting in the red and blue. The son of former-Dee and 1994 number one draft pick Jeff is also on the radar of Gold Coast fans, given his ties to the Suns Academy.

Amid a bye in the Allies’ representative campaign, White turned out for the Casey Demons in their 29-point win over Essendon at North Port Oval on Saturday night. The key position utility found his groove late in the game as the Dees kicked away to victory, showing great potential as a key forward/ruck.

We put White’s performance under the Player Focus microscope.

>> Preseason Q&A: Kalani White (Suns Academy)

Allies, Casey Demons, SUNS AcademyKey Position Utility

Kalani White

Height: 198cm

Weight: -

DOB: 05-05-2007

SEASON AVERAGES:

2025 Coates Talent League (3 games)
12.3 disposals, 5.3 marks, 2.7 tackles, 11.0 hitouts

2025 AFL U18 National Championships (1 game)
5 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 2 hitouts, 1 behind

STRENGTHS:

+ Aerial ability
+ Mobility
+ Upside
+ Versatility
+ Vertical leap

PLAYER FOCUS

2025 VFL Round 12
Casey Demons 17.10 (112) def. Essendon 12.11 (83)

#50 Kalani White (Casey Demons)
Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks (1 contested), 2 clearances, 2 goals, 2 behinds

FIRST HALF:

White spent the first half finding his feet, rotating onto the ground to be part of Casey’s forwardline – which was spearheaded by AFL-listed tall Matthew Jefferson. The young gun ventured high up the ground, looking to use his mobility and leap to impact from the back of contests.

While he didn’t register a disposal to the main break, White showed flashes of athleticism and his ability to bring the ball to ground was noted. He provided an option down the line and went for a fly in the pocket to create a spill for Bailey Laurie‘s classy crumbing goal in term two.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Casey Demons (@caseydemons)

SECOND HALF:

Having not attended a centre bounce during the first half, White got his chance to ruck momentarily in the third quarter before running out the game there. He also impacted in his primary forward post, booting two goals as Casey surged home with five of the last six.

White came to life in the closing 20 minutes, notching five of his nine disposals, all four marks, and both goals in that time. The purple patch proved testament to his mental focus and ability to run out a game. He made his moments count against seasoned opposition.

The 18-year-old’s first major came after he held a strong mark overhead, plucking his teammate’s rushed stoppage clearance. He then snuck over the back to mark Taj Woewodin’s shank to the goalsquare before converting, providing a good dose of nostalgia for Melbourne fans.

Also among White’s highlights was a lovely overhead mark on defensive wing, setting himself to leap at the ball and plucking it at full extension. He then got involved in slow play and helped wind down the clock with long kicks down the line to contests.

Both of White’s minor scores came in open play as he whipped snaps towards the big sticks, one coming out of a ruck contest. He racked up a good amount of hitouts, albeit rucking against the 191cm Jackson Hately in many contests after the Dons’ talls were depleted.

SUMMARY

White produced a promising performance in his maiden state league appearance, showing flashes of the athleticism which will have Dees and/or Suns fans excited. He seems to be settling into his role up forward and looks a difficult prospect to stop when leaping and extending at the ball.

While he’ll likely always be a rangy type who can cover ground and out-reach or out-jump opponents, White’s marking ability will be aided by packing on some size. His skills and composure are quite clean for a tall, and his ability to compete aerially in each third of the ground is a huge bonus.

Whatever choice he makes in the lead-up to the draft, he’ll land on an AFL list and offer long-term key position depth with no real limit to his potential. White’s versatility and upside are considerable, particularly with a champion like his father Jeff to guide him through the pathway.