THE ROOKIE Me Central Medal race is down to two possible winners, with long-standing leader Willem Duursma and bottom-age star Cody Walker in line to claim the honour in the final Coates Talent League round. Duursma’s lead has been cut to just one vote after both players polled over the weekend.

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Fresh off his VFL exposure with Casey Demons, Duursma has collected four of a possible six votes in his two return games for Gippsland Power. He notched up 21 disposals, six tackles and a goal as the Power beat Walker’s Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday, claiming one vote to maintain his pole-sitting status.

Meanwhile, Walker led all comers with 29 disposals, six clearances and two goals to be best afield on the losing side. While the AFL is likely to rejig father-son and academy rules over the next year, Walker has declared his intention to nominate via the former eligibility to Carlton ahead of the 2026 draft.

With one round left to play, Duursma needs at least two votes to guarantee he takes home the medal. A full allotment of three votes means he becomes the standalone winner no matter how Walker fares. He and the Power take on Dandenong Stingrays at Shepley Oval on Saturday night.

Walker and the Pioneers will meet GWV Rebels at Queen Elizabeth Oval the following afternoon, with the midfielder requiring one vote to tie if Duursma doesn’t add to his tally. Two or three votes could see him claim the honour outright, although the equation changes if his top-age contemporary polls.

Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Thomas Burton has jumped up to equal-third after an outstanding triple-double performance. The hard-running midfielder racked up 31 disposals, 11 clearances, and 11 inside 50s to be best on ground in the Western Jets’ 12-point road loss to Northern.

He now joins Knights co-captain Sebastian Murphy on the extended podium, with both players sitting four votes off Duursma at 12 apiece. Vic Metro teammates Adam Sweid and Xavier Taylor also bagged a vote each to jump into equal-seventh, joining two other players in rounding out the top 10.

Sweid’s 16 disposals, five inside 50s and two goals were enough to get him on the board for a sixth game this season, despite his side’s loss to Sandringham. Meanwhile, Taylor polled for the fifth time in 2025 after posting 18 disposals, six marks, five tackles, and five rebound 50s in a tight win over Geelong.

>> CTL Round 18: Snapshot | Player of the Week | Team of the Week | Scouting Notes

ROUND 18 VOTES

Oakleigh Chargers 15.15 (105) def. Tasmania Devils 3.8 (26)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Sam Grlj (Oakleigh Chargers)
2 – Jack Ison (Oakleigh Chargers)
1 – Archie Dollman (Oakleigh Chargers)

Gippsland Power 12.12 (84) def. Bendigo Pioneers 7.9 (51)
By: Declan Reeve

3 – Cody Walker (Bendigo Pioneers)
2 – Keenan Boi (Gippsland Power)
1 – Willem Duursma (Gippsland Power)

Sandringham Dragons 17.9 (111) def. Calder Cannons 11.8 (74)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Arki Butler (Sandringham Dragons)
2 – Jack Dalton (Sandringham Dragons)
1 – Adam Sweid (Calder Cannons)

Northern Knights 10.14 (74) def. Western Jets 9.8 (62)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Thomas Burton (Western Jets)
2 – Tyson Gresham (Northern Knights)
1 – Roman Moxon (Northern Knights)

GWV Rebels 9.5 (59) def. by Dandenong Stingrays 18.10 (118)
By: Declan Reeve

3 – Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (Dandenong Stingrays)
2 – Tairon Ah-Mu (Dandenong Stingrays)
1 – Floyd Burmeister (GWV Rebels)

Geelong Falcons 12.6 (78) def. by Eastern Ranges 12.8 (80)
By: Adrian Dixon

3 – Oliver Greeves (Eastern Ranges)
2 – Jack Pickett (Geelong Falcons)
1 – Xavier Taylor (Eastern Ranges)

TOP 10 LEADERBOARD

1. Willem Duursma (Gippsland Power) – 16 votes [3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1]
2. Cody Walker (Bendigo Pioneers) – 15 votes [3, 3, 2, 3, 1, 3]
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Eq. 3. Sebastian Murphy (Northern Knights) – 12 votes [3, 3, 2, 1, 3]
Eq. 3. Thomas Burton (Western Jets) – 12 votes [1, 2, 2, 3, 1, 3]
—
Eq. 5. Kobe George (Geelong Falcons) – 11 votes [3, 3, 2, 3]
Eq. 5. Callum Smith (Dandenong Stingrays) – 11 votes [3, 2, 3, 3]
—
Eq. 7. Talor Byrne (GWV Rebels) – 10 votes [2, 3, 2, 3]
Eq. 7. Tom Evans (Bendigo Pioneers) – 10 votes [3, 3, 2, 2]
Eq. 7. Adam Sweid (Calder Cannons) – 10 votes [2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1]
Eq. 7. Xavier Taylor (Eastern Ranges) – 10 votes [2, 2, 2, 3, 1]