THE RACE to this year’s Coates Talent League Grand Final is down to four contenders, with minor premiers Eastern Ranges and reigning premiers Sandringham Dragons advancing in the Metro conference. We noted the top prospects and performers from both quarter final matchups.

>> Snapshot: 2025 Coates Talent League Quarter Finals
>> Scouting Notes: Country Quarter Finals

Eastern Ranges 16.11 (107) def. Calder Cannons 8.11 (59)

EASTERN RANGES:

#7 Jordan Knapp
Midfielder/Forward | 179cm | 05/01/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal

Continuing his prolific form among Eastern’s starting on-ball group, Knapp covered plenty of ground to accumulate his possessions on Saturday. The bottom-ager dropped back to aid the Ranges’ slow play out of defence, while also being a handy lead-up option inside forward 50. He booted a goal and gave one off in the first half to compound that front half impact. Clever and agile in packs, Knapp was tidy despite the tough conditions and found space with 19 uncontested possessions.

#8 Lachy Dovaston
Small Forward | 177cm | 29/05/2007

Stats: 12 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals

Dovaston only needs a few moments to make his mark and did so with three majors on Saturday. The lively goalsneak scored in each of the first three quarters, peeling off with dangerous forward runs and steadying nicely to finish the job. He put himself in all the right positions to rove or receive off packs, even pushing up the ground to join in at stoppages. From there, he ran hard back towards goal to remain engaged in the play and cause headaches inside 50.

#22 Xavier Taylor
Tall Defender | 191cm | 30/01/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Taylor was once again exemplary in defence, blending dare with his typically robust style. The potential top 10 prospect was an intercepting force high up the ground, competing aerially and taking off without second thought on the counterattack. He also ran out the game strongly as Eastern defended the scoring end, backing his speed to repel off the last line and launch transitional forays. Taylor broke the shackles that way after being swamped for many of his early possessions.

#25 Oskar Taylor
Defender | 182cm | 01/08/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 4 marks, 3 clearances

Taylor took next to no time to find his groove, dictating play on the way forward. He operated across a high line and showed great diversity in his kicking, able to penetrate long or improvise short with angled passes. That side of his game, particularly his kicking power, was a weapon all day along with line-breaking speed which helped Eastern transition the ball in a flash. Despite his run-and-gun style of play, Taylor’s decision making and execution held up quite well in tricky conditions.

#26 Oliver Greeves
Midfielder | 191cm | 07/02/2007

Stats: 24 disposals, 6 marks, 2 goals

Greeves set the tone for Eastern’s big win with an imposing start to proceedings. He hacked forward the opening centre clearance and went on to thunder home the game’s first goal. Shortly after, he applied a terrific rundown tackle to slot his second major and continued to play with authority. Greeves handled the ball supremely well at the contest and judged it best in marking contests, also biting off risky inboard kicks only he could dare to. He certainly wasn’t afraid to let the opposition know how well he was going, either. After a hot start, the star midfielder cruised across the line but maintained his ability to feed runners by hand with great efficiency.

#55 Sullivan Robey
Forward/Midfielder | 192cm | 04/10/2007

Stats: 27 disposals, 5 marks, 2 goals

Arguably best afield for a second week running, Robey took no prisoners as he made his physicality felt throughout the day. He was arguably lucky to give away only one free kick with the force he used to barrel into opponents, burying them in tackles and clattering them off the line of the ball. His defensive intent translated to a high work rate when Eastern was in possession, covering great ground to rack up 20 uncontested possessions. Two excellent finishes saw him register a pair of second half goals, and his field kicking was more measured than in previous weeks. On top of all that, he essentially walked through tackles at times to show he could absorb pressure.

CALDER CANNONS:

#6 Cooper Duff-Tytler
Ruck/Key Forward | 200cm | 22/08/2007

Stats: 13 disposals, 14 hitouts, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

After serving a reminder of his enormous talent last week, Duff-Tytler continued to show his upside with a strong finish to the season. While not overly dominant in the ruck contests, he spread around the ground well and ran out the game strongly to launch plenty of attacks with the wind at his back. The mobile ruck was also a viable option ahead of the ball and booted an effortless long-range goal in the final quarter. He could have had two or three majors, but most notably fell over while attempting to play on after a sensational high mark in the goalsquare during term two.

#9 Felix Kneipp
Midfielder | 179cm | 01/01/2007

Stats: 30 disposals, 7 clearances, 5 inside 50s

Somewhat of an under-the-radar prospect having missed much of the season through injury, Kneipp pushed his name forward one last time by racking up more ball than anyone else afield. He did it all en route to 30 disposals, providing great run and energy on the outside while also doubling as Calder’s leading clearance player. Kneipp was clean at the fall of the ball and connected well by hand, while following up his kicks with supportive overlap run. He was often central to the Cannons’ ball movement and seemed to be in constant motion, directing traffic along the way.

#23 Adam Sweid (Essendon NGA)
Midfielder | 175cm | 14/09/2007

Stats: 22 disposals, 5 tackles, 4 clearances

It was a solid end to the season for Sweid, who was typically evasive and clever at the contest. His clean handling at the coalface combined with innate vision and reflexes made for slick distributive play at the source, before Sweid got on his bike to become a threat in the attacking phase. He was involved in chains of possession and looked to angle his kicks dangerously inboard, although found it tough to manufacture such passes against the wind.

Sandringham Dragons 10.9 (69) def. Oakleigh Chargers 7.9 (51)

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS:

#2 Jack Dalton
Midfielder/Forward | 177cm | 05/04/2007

Stats: 24 disposals, 7 tackles, 8 clearances

Death, taxes, and Dalton racking up possessions. The hard-running midfielder was at it again on Sunday, impacting on both the inside and outside as Sandringham surged into the final four. He started as a high forward and was a constant asset in transition, operating as a link player through the corridor. In closer quarters, he won the ball with one-touch handling and applied several strong tackles which defied his size. He’s used to punching above his weight, prising 16 contested possessions on this occasion. His kicking was the only real question mark across a strong outing.

#10 Gus Teixeira
Midfielder | 179cm | 29/03/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 6 clearances, 4 inside 50s

Teixeira’s late-season emergence is indicative of Sandringham’s staying power over the last several seasons, as the region continues to regenerate talent. The bottom-ager again exhibited great power and burst speed, winning a game-high five centre clearances with clean roves off the ruck taps. He sharked the ball cleanly on the move and wheeled out of congestion untouched, showing similar ability when released on the outside. His kicking strength was also handy in windy conditions.

#27 Xavier Bamert
Midfielder/Forward | 186cm | 29/01/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 2 goals

Bamert’s style suited the scrappy nature of Sunday’s game, and his work rate was useful when transitioning the ball forward. He still made his usual crash-and-bash contributions, but more pertinently got dangerous in the front half, outworking opponents to find space on a relatively small ground. He bagged a pair of goals that way, first sneaking out the back to execute a punchy finish into the wind during term two, and then slotting a classy checkside on the run in term three.

#34 Kye Fincher (St Kilda NGA)
Midfielder/Forward | 185cm | 18/11/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 clearances

Fincher looks poised to finish his campaign as a primary midfielder having thrived there in recent weeks. His size and ability to accelerate out of congestion were standout features once again, as the St Kilda NGA prospect dished out most of his disposals by hand. He had a couple of ‘almost’ moments, including a speccy attempt inside 50 in the third term, and a mammoth set shot after the siren which made the distance from well outside 50 – albeit off target.

#72 Rory Wright
Defender | 184cm | 02/06/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 4 tackles, 9 rebound 50s

With Fincher operating on-ball, Wright has slotted into the distributor role across half-back with aplomb. He worked hard off the square and timed his runs well to provide outside support off the contest, helping drive the ball forward with his raking left-foot kicks. Wright attacked from both deep and high, following up his initial possessions to help maintain his side’s momentum. He was also up for the scrap; recovering from a heavy early collision, tackling hard, and even having a jumper change in the spiteful contest. He’s a player with weapons and a bit of grunt.

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS:

#4 Jack Ison (Carlton NGA)
Midfielder/Forward | 190cm | 26/03/2007

Stats: 27 disposals, 3 clearances, 4 inside 50s

Ison led all comers on Sunday to round out his season strongly, looking every bit the top 30 talent. His clean hands were a feature all day, whether winning the ball at stoppage or extending to mark overhead. The Carlton NGA prospect spread forward typically well and provided connection between the arcs, particularly when shifted ahead of the ball in term three. He looked to provide physical presence at times but was prone to conceding free kicks, showing good intent nonetheless.

#5 Sam Grlj
Midfielder | 182cm | 26/07/2007

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 clearances

Grlj’s incisive attacking style wasn’t the easiest to execute in tough conditions, and Sandringham’s dogged on-ball group saw to blanket his speed as the game wore on. The bolting prospect still did his best to burst and break free from the middle, linking up with the give-and-go during the early stages. He was up for the fight and when unable to hurt the Dragons on the attack, made sure to apply pressure or make his presence felt as a highly competitive type.

#9 Aaron Sharkie
Defender | 184cm | 20/01/2007

Stats: 24 disposals, 10 rebound 50s, 1 goal

Sharkie was among the best afield on Sunday, proving integral to Oakleigh’s ball movement out of defence. He provided his usual run and drive, venturing high up the ground to combine with teammates and launch several attacks. One such instance saw him intercept at centre half-forward before thumping home a long-range goal on the run. Sharkie also showed great defensive intent to win the ball back and laid a punishing rundown tackle inside defensive 50 during term three.

#14 Max Kondogiannis
Tall Defender | 190cm | 14/11/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s

In combination with Sharkie, Kondogiannis made a bright start to proceedings and was important when Oakleigh defended the scoring end. He often roamed loose in the back half, setting up to intercept third-in or to cut off errant balls into the Chargers’ defensive 50. Kondogiannis also sought to carry the ball and attack with his long kicking at times, although had a few clangers kicking out against the wind and towards the dead pocket in term three.

#36 Hunter Holmes
Wing | 187cm | 19/02/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 2 inside 50s

While perhaps not as prolific, Holmes has looked much more assured with a move back out to the wing in recent weeks. His running ability suits the role, and he tracked back well on Sunday to either intercept or help Oakleigh transition from defence. The brother of Geelong star Max was a touch untidy when rushing his kicks, but proved capable of hitting targets when afforded time and space.