DANDENONG Stingrays vice-captain Darcy Szerszyn was among the latest batch of state league debutants over the weekend, turning out for North Melbourne’s VFL side. The highly touted defender matched up on a couple of AFL-experienced adversaries in the Roos’ 46-point loss to Footscray at Arden Street Oval on Friday.

Fellow draft hopeful Khaled El Souki also made his maiden VFL appearance, suiting up for the Bulldogs and starring with three goals. Meanwhile, Szerszyn impressed with his athleticism and intercepting nous, as he continues to build having entered his top-age campaign off a shoulder injury.

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

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Dandenong Stingrays, Vic CountryTall Defender

Darcy Szerszyn

Height: 188cm

Weight: -

DOB: 20-05-2008

STRENGTHS:

+ Aerial ability
+ Athleticism
+ Intercepting
+ Rebounding
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Composure
– Polish

STATS:

2026 Talent League (4 games):
14.3 disposals, 6.0 marks, 3.3 tackles, 4.3 rebound 50s

2026 AFL U18 National Championships (4 games):
16.8 disposals, 5.0 marks, 1.0 tackles, 3.5 rebound 50s

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 VFL Round 20
North Melbourne 7.9 (51) def. by Footscray 12.25 (97)

#73 Darcy Szerszyn (North Melbourne)
Stats: 9 disposals (7 kicks, 56% efficiency), 4 marks, 4 intercepts, 3 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER:

The opening term marked a steady start to life at state league level for Szerszyn. Rotating into the Kangaroos’ backline, he first got his hands on the ball by peeling off for an uncontested mark inside defensive 50, using the possession to kick long to a contest.

That kind of movement to provide an outlet option would become a staple of Szerszyn’s game. He was happy to control the ball in slow play but had a chance to show his athleticism up the ground, speeding onto a loose ball but rushing to get an long handball away, which turned over.

SECOND QUARTER:

Having intercepted a loose ball in the opening term, Szerszyn graduated to a strong mark in the second to highlight his aerial nous. The young gun extended overhead to pluck an errant kick and hold it strongly under opposition heat just inside defensive 50.

The opportunities dried up from there, presenting a chance to assess Szerszyn’s out-of-possession work. As an interceptor who relies on his athleticism and playreading, he tended to defend a little loosely at times and gave his opponents freedom, generally not having touch on them.

Given the Bulldogs produced some fast ball movement off turnover, that kind of method saw Szerszyn’s ability to shut down tested. He matched up on a range of opponents – mostly Luca Muratore, but also AFL-experienced players like Laitham Vandermeer and Jack Billings.

THIRD QUARTER:

Szerszyn’s movement continued to allow him to impact both offensively and defensively after half time. He tracked up the ground to help the Kangaroos lock the ball in their forward half, even getting on the end of a handball to quickly hack the ball inside 50.

He produced arguably his best moment of the day in term three, leaping high for another eye-catching intercept mark as an opponent looked to apply the body spoil. While able to punish the opposition’s errant ball use, he lacked a touch of composure in his own, which remains a key area for improvement.

FOURTH QUARTER:

The Bulldogs ended up running away with the game, proving wayward but much more capable of turning territory into scores. Szerszyn showed he could position well behind the ball and react to turnovers, spreading from the contest or arriving to provide a support option for teammates.

There may be some room for improvement in his defensive craft having been cleverly nudged under the ball by Billings on the wing, allowing him to escape out the back. Perhaps with more state league exposure, he can begin to apply himself a little more physically on the defensive end, while having the confidence to be more expansive on the attack.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Szerszyn is clearly a prospect with AFL traits, possessing a terrific athletic base and sound reading of the play. He played relatively loosely as a defender, backing his ability to intercept over purely locking down his direct opponent. That proved costly when the Bulldogs were able to move the ball without much pressure – although, most high-level teams are difficult to stop in those situations.

The talented teen considers kicking to be one of his key strengths, and he has shown an ability to set up the play by foot. His stagnant, uncontested possessions are quite neat, although he can continue to add polish to his execution under pressure – sometimes looking a little rushed. At 188cm, he tends to play a little taller but has the speed to play on smalls and impact on the rebound.

The upside is clearly there and it must be considered that Szerszyn has done so well to not only return strongly from injury, but also at high levels like the VFL. Many consider the 2026 draft crop to be quite even and deep, leaving Szerszyn among a blanket group of prospects vying for second round honours. With a consistent and more refined back-end to the second, he could easily push into the top 30 or so.