Toby Krasna Draft Profile

Northern KnightsWing-Midfielder

#3

Toby Krasna

height: 181cm

weight:

D.O.B: 28-02-2008

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships, Coates Talent League Boys

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “A smooth moving midfielder with laser-like foot skills who can impact both on the inside and outside.”

The sliding doors of Toby Krasna’s footballing journey are quite unique. He started out at West Preston-Lakeside at the same time fellow draft prospect Cody Walker was there, and if the Next Generation Academy zoning rules hadn’t been so convoluted, he may well have been tied to the Blues too.

Krasna, who hails from proud Indigenous heritage, was part of Carlton’s academy for two years and says he was re-zoned to Collingwood’s region ahead of year three, but would not have been tied to the Magpies as a result of spending less than two years in the program. He’s the one that got away.

Despite his previous academy ties, Krasna grew up supporting Essendon. He idolised Bombers like Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Jobe Watson, while now he models his game on Indigenous stars like Jase Burgoyne, Shai Bolton and Shane Edwards.

Fast-forward to his time with the Northern Knights, and Krasna grabbed each opportunity with both hands. He had to wait until Round 14 last year to make his debut but established himself in the side from there. As a top-ager this year, he played himself into the Vic Metro squad and placed second in the Knights’ best and fairest.

Krasna missed out on playing in Metro’s fourth National Championships game due to a hamstring injury, which sidelined him until the back-end of the year. His rich vein of form couldn’t quite inspire Northern to a minor premiership conversion, but gave Krasna the confidence to compete at the National Draft Combine. There, he ran seventh in the 2km time trial (6:11).

STRENGTHS:

+ Clean hands
+ Decision making
+ Endurance
+ Kicking
+ Inside-outside balance
+ Speed

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Contested game
- Strength

Krasna has been one of this year's great bolters, in more than one sense. He started the year out on the wing and played much of his best footy there, initially garnering praise for his running patterns and work ethic. His aerobic underpinnings were further highlighted with a 2km time of 6:11 at the National Draft Combine, putting him right at the pointy end of this year's crop.

Blending that endurance with speed and agility, Krasna is often sighted cutting inside to either accelerate into space or get a kick away. He's difficult to catch and contain as he can either outwork his direct opponent or sit them down with a side-step. Whether on the wing or in the guts, he has a great knack for finding space.

Complimenting Krasna's athletic gifts are his footballing fundamentals. He has innate vision in tight spots and is an outstanding decision maker, able to evade pressure with movement and skill. What's more, he buys himself vital time in possession with his clean hands and ability to take the ball on the move. Even if it's unconventional, he can collect and drive his legs out of congestion.

Kicking is the other key weapon in Krasna's arsenal. He uses both sides of his body to dispose of the ball and often hits low, sharp passes. Some of his delivery heading inside 50 is exceptional, able to execute laser-like passes while moving at speed. He can also hit the scoreboard and is a sneakily long kick who dobbed several set shots from around the 50m arc this year.

His score involvement proficiency and ability to play both inside and outside means he can carve up the opposition in a range of ways. While lightly framed, Krasna showed in the back-half of the season that he holds up well to the rigours of midfield work, although doing so at the top level is a different beast. As he adds size, he can continue to ride contact and showcase his competitive streak.

Specifically, Krasna has been working on executing ground balls under pressure and developing his physicality. That means anticipating contact and using his body to gain separation in stoppage situations. For a lighter player, doing so comes less naturally, but he's tough enough to learn and apply those skills. Having a slick turn of foot doesn't go astray either.

DRAFT RANGE: 12-20

SUMMARY:

Krasna seems to have many traits which suit the way elite level football is played. His speed-endurance mix and ability to play inside or out are massive ticks, along with his outstanding foot skills. Particularly in the back-end of the year, recruiters were buoyed by his ability to ride contests and withstand physical pressure, which he continues to work on. The feedback seems to be that he naturally suits a role on the wing, but perhaps with a bit more size and strength could eventually graduate to play on-ball. He is already a big improver and could well continue that upward trajectory given his hunger to both learn and train hard. He’s a star.

AFL U18 Championships

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	CP	UP	T	HO	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	HO	T	G	DC
2026	Vic Metro	36	21	57	10	16	42	2	0	2	11	1	3	3	12.0	7.0	19.0	3.3	0.0	0.7	1.0	76
Total	-	36	21	57	10	16	42	2	0	2	11	1	3	3	12.0	7.0	19.0	3.3	0.0	0.7	1.0	76

Coates Talent League Boys

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	CP	UP	T	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	T	G	DC
2025	Northern Knights	44	27	71	15	24	46	12	3	19	2	3	6	7.3	4.5	11.8	2.5	2.0	0.5	50
2026	Northern Knights	148	107	255	37	105	152	39	35	50	19	7	12	12.3	8.9	21.3	3.1	3.3	0.6	86
Total	-	192	134	326	52	129	198	51	38	69	21	10	18	10.7	7.4	18.1	2.9	2.8	0.6	136