WAFL League Player Focus: Benji van Rooyen (Claremont)
ALL-AUSTRALIAN ruckman Benji van Rooyen made the step up to WAFL League level over the weekend, joining elder brother Sam in Claremont’s top flight side. The competitive tall has made great strides this year, taking out All-Australian honours for WA before earning a senior berth back in club colours. van Rooyen took the field on […]
VFL Player Focus: Cooper French (GWS Giants)
GREATER Western Sydney (GWS) has another emerging star coming through its academy, with bottom-ager Cooper French making his VFL debut over the weekend. The energetic midfielder-forward kicked a crucial steadying goal in the final term of his side’s 13-point win over Gold Coast in Blacktown. French, a native of Ainslie in the ACT, was the […]
VFL Player Focus: Darcy Szerszyn (North Melbourne)
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 […]
SANFL League Player Focus: Dougie Cochrane (Port Adelaide)
LEADING draft prospect Dougie Cochrane has stuffed the stats sheet in his second game back from a long-term injury layoff, further proving his pick one credentials. Capable of playing in any third of the ground, the Port Adelaide-tied talent filled his boots in a besieged Magpies backline. While Cochrane’s side was thumped to the tune […]
Scouting Notes: Drever dominates as Rebels, Falcons draw
GREATER Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels have snatched a draw against the Geelong Falcons in their Round 21 clash at Leopold Memorial Park on Sunday. The Rebels trailed all day amid stifling conditions, conceding a 22-0 head start and only registering their first goal on the stroke of quarter time. Having fought back to within a […]
Up the Grades: Cochrane, Walker stand tall in defeats
LEADING draft prospects Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker showed their class in stat-stuffing state league performances over the weekend. Considered by some as the top two talents in this year’s crop, the pair proved their readiness for higher levels with strong performances in heavy defeats. Meanwhile, the debuts kept on coming across the country. There […]
Scouting Notes: Dragons topple ladder-leading Knights
SANDRINGHAM Dragons have bounced back onto the winners list in a big way, toppling Talent League frontrunners the Northern Knights by 13 points at Preston City Oval on Saturday. The Dragons led at every break and rallied after Northern levelled the scores early in term four, kicking the final two goals. Both sides went into […]
Scouting Notes: Cannons chalk up thumping win over Ranges
A BUNCH of Essendon-tied prospects filled their boots in Calder Cannons’ 49-point win over Eastern Ranges on Saturday. The victors’ engine room was stacked with prolific father-son and Next Generation Academy (NGA) hopefuls eligible for the next two drafts, and they all showed out in Round 20. The Cannons kicked clear during the mid-stages of […]
Breakdown: 2026 AFL Draft Combine invites
THE BUDDING AFL Draft crop will be put through its paces at this year’s National and State Draft Combines, set to take place in October. With the lists of invitees released yesterday, we now have an even further understanding of which prospects are under the microscopes of recruiters. While there is still time for bolters […]
Scouting Notes: Elliott snags seven as Rebels wreak havoc
AN INSPIRED Archie Elliott performance has propelled Greater Western Victoria (GWV) to a 68-point win over Bendigo in their Round 20 clash at Mars Stadium on Sunday. The clinical forward booted 7.2, including five goals in a blistering second quarter to help set up the comfortable victory. The Rebels made an inaccurate start kicking into […]
SANFL League Player Focus: Mitchell Harris (Eagles)
ALL-AUSTRALIAN full back Mitchell Harris was among the weekend’s SANFL League debutants, thrown into the fire against a rampant Glenelg side. The 18-year-old acquitted himself well in the Eagles’ defence, showcasing his patented competitiveness and aerial ability in a 65-point defeat at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday. >> Up the Grades: Top prospect makes long-awaited return […]
Scouting Notes: Knights too good in star-studded Stingrays clash
NORTHERN Knights continue to set the benchmark in this year’s Talent League campaign after a 38-point win over Dandenong on Sunday afternoon. The ladder leaders led at every break and had no trouble scoring into the wind, thanks largely to their array of forward marking targets. Knights tall Harrison Leeder filled his boots with four […]
