The 2025 AFL national draft is over, with 58 players having their professional footy dreams realised.

Gold Coast and Essendon were the big winners of the count, while West Coast and Hawthorn were difficult to grade in the aftermath.

Foxfooty.com.au runs through every team’s picks at the 2025 AFL Draft and gives a grade on their haul in our Report Card!

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BOLTERS & SLIDERS: Shock as unranked Swan ‘pulled out of the box’; ‘Bont-like’ bargain

AFL PICK TRACKER: See all 60 players selected in the 2025 National Draft

NIGHT 2 WRAP: Quartet realise rare AFL fairytale; bolters left in awe after brutal snub

ADELAIDE CROWS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 16, 48, 55, 61

Selections: Mitchell Marsh (22), Archie Ludowyke (50)

The Crows’ first bold play of the national draft actually came before their first pick, as they attempted to nab Essendon’s pick No. 13 in a bid to swoop on homegrown talent Dyson Sharp. Adelaide remarkably offered both this year’s and next year’s first-round picks for the selection, with a fair bit coming back in exchange for the enticing offer. But alas, the club’s first selection ended up being Mitchell Marsh — a medium-sized forward who also hails from South Australia. Fox Footy draft expert Ben Waterworth correctly predicted Marsh’s landing at West Lakes, who is touted as the club’s Taylor Walker replacement with the veteran’s impending retirement. Remarkably, the Crows were tossing up whether they’d take Marsh or Archie Ludowyke with their first pick — and despite a 28-pick gap between selections — and they still managed to get their hands on the latter after a failed bid on Sydney Academy player Max King. Could they have mixed it up a bit, though? Two highly touted forwards added to their list is obviously a win, but the club may still feel like it missed out on a world where it could’ve jagged a top-end midfielder.

Grade: C+

Draftee teary after missing big moment! | 01:24

BRISBANE LIONS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 17, 23, 44, 51, 57

Selections: Daniel Annable (6, Academy), Koby Evans (38), Cody Curtin (43), Tai Hayes (44)

The reigning back-to-back premiers continue to get stronger and top up with elite young talent. Academy prospect Dan Annable arrived at the Lions with the No. 6 pick to bolster their young nucleus. Suddenly Brisbane, the favourite to win a third-straight flag in 2026, also has its future midfield set with the likes of Annable, the Ashcroft brothers, Jaspa Fletcher and Sam Marshall — all of whom arrived as Academy or father-son picks. Scary times for the rest of the competition. Followed that up with two West Australian prospects – midfielder-forward Koby Evans, who had NGA links to West Coast, and key forward Cody Curtin, younger brother of Dan. They also took Southport midfielder Tai Hayes, the nephew of Saints great Lenny. That trio are speculative picks but Brisbane has a great track record under list bosses Dom Ambrogio and Stephen Conole. In terms of their other Academy-linked prospects, they let Tyan Prindable go to Collingwood and but now have an opportunity to take Harrison Bridge and Isaac Waller as rookies if they want.

Grade: B

CARLTON

Picks (at the start of the draft): 9, 11, 43, 54

Selections: Harry Dean (3, father-son), Talor Byrne (45), Jack Ison (47)

Getting Harry Dean through the door as a father-son pick was priority one, two and three for the Blues. Unfortunately for them, though, a bid came nice and early from West Coast at Pick 3, forcing Carlton to play a hefty price for the young gun defender. It also made the Blues complete a series of pre-draft pick swaps to increase their overall points total and effectively cost them another first-round player. But they’ve come away with the best key defender in the draft, so a big tick for that. And a player who can help anchor their defence long-term and form a potent pairing with Jacob Weitering in the next few years. Jack Ison slipping out to no.47 was a big win, and the Blues traded back three times in the process and gained three future picks to help set them up for a Cody Walker matched bid. They were thought to be eyeing a small forward in addition to Dean and Ison, and they came away with what they were looking for in Talor Byrne — a classic small forward type. Byrne kicked five goals in a game for Vic Country against Metro that hugely boosted his stocks. Carlton did the business it set out to.

Grade: A-

COLLINGWOOD

Picks (at the start of the draft): 39, 45, 56, 58, 67

Selections: Tyan Prindable (32), Samuel Swadling (37), Zac McCarthy (55, NGA), Angus Anderson (59)

They were never going to be big players, with a bunch of later picks, but still took four players. Hopefully for the sake of Pies fans, they’ve plucked some diamonds in the rough. It was very midfield focused as they look to replenish around Nick Daicos in that area of the ground. Began their draft on night two with Pick 32 bolter and Brisbane Academy prospect Tyan Prindable after the Lions opted not to match the bid. They followed that up with West Perth midfielder Sam Swadling five picks later. He’s a ball magnet who represented WA in the National Championships and can kick on both sides. Swadling racked up 47, 34 and 28 disposals respectively over a three-week stretch of Swans Districts Colts. The Pies would also be happy to come away with Academy tall Zac McCarthy, who could be anything but is extremely raw and the definition of a long-term investment, with one of the last picks of the draft.

Grade: C-

Eagles select Duursma, Duff-Tytler | 02:50

ESSENDON

Picks (at the start of the draft): 5, 6, 21, 27, 30

Selections: Sullivan Robey (9), Jacob Farrow (10), Dyson Sharp (13), Max Kondogiannis (36), Hussien El Achkar (53, NGA)

Essendon was one of the bigger draft winners, benefitting hugely from Richmond taking Sam Grlj at no.8 and passing on Sullivan Robey, whom the Bombers took along with Jacob Farrow before pouncing on South Australian ball-getter Dyson Sharp. The biggest bolter since Clayton Oliver was drafted by the Demons, Robey has all the attributes required to be a difference-maker at the top level. The Rowville product is super competitive with a clear willingness to hunt the ball. He spreads well from congestion and uses the ball well. Farrow’s best attribute is his kicking, adding much-needed quality to Essendon’s half-backline, while Sharp gives the Bombers a larger presence at the contest that they arguably haven’t had since Jobe Watson. “The Bombers have been screaming for a big-bodied midfielder for a number of years, now … they’ve got their man — huge night tonight for the Bombers,” Ablett said on the Fox Footy broadcast of the Sharp selection. “We spoke about that. Rob Forster-Knight (Essendon recruiting manager) has just gone bang, bang, bang and got some absolute class in a number of different roles for the Bombers.” Montagna added of the haul: “I think they’ve done an excellent job. They’ve just got three players that can all play through the midfield, but are all different types, with some poise and some power … so, I think they’ve done a great job.” The Bombers were effectively forced to let Adam Sweid walk to Fremantle after the Dockers lobbed a bid at the NGA talent at no.25, with the club not blessed with options given it would’ve had to go into 2026 draft deficit to match — and Matt Rosa conceding the bid-matching discount change from 20 per cent to 10 this year made a crucial difference. Instead, his club nabbed defender Max Kondogiannis at the end of the second round and matched Richmond’s bid on its other NGA prospect, Hussien El Achkar, late in the third.

Grade: A

FREMANTLE

Picks (at the start of the draft): 20, 47, 64

Selections: Adam Sweid (25), Tobyn Murray (40)

The Dockers were expected to be late first-round bidders. Not only did they launch on Adam Sweid, they officially landed him after the Bombers opted not to match for their NGA graduate. The Dockers had Sweid a lot higher on their draft board due to his natural ball-winning ability, cleanliness, class and composure at stoppages, but scouts also love his willingness to apply pressure at all levels. On night two, Freo pounced on mature-age small forward Tobyn Murray – a speedy, powerful player out of Geelong VFL who’s tough in the contest and covers the ground well with good endurance. The Dockers wanted speed and energy forward of centre, which seems an appropriate strategy considering their list position.

Grade: B-

GEELONG CATS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 19

Selections: Harley Barker (24), Hunter Holmes (33)

More run at the Cats! The likes of Bailey Smith, Ollie Dempsey and Max Holmes have transformed Geelong in recent seasons. And across the 2025 national draft, the Cats have pounced on a couple of talented wingers. Barker has a lot of tools and top-10 talent, proving across multiple levels this year why he’s arguably the best natural winger in the class with his breakaway speed, ability to gain territory and keep his width. Unfortunately for Barker, he ruptured his ACL midway through 2025, but the Cats have the luxury of easing the SA gun into his AFL career. On night two, the Cats united the Holmes brothers at the top level, drafting Hunter Holmes. And he’s very similar to his brother with his elite running power. Two players that will suit the Cats’ style.

Grade: C

GOLD COAST SUNS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 15, 18, 24, 28, 29, 36, 52

Selections: Zeke Uwland (2, Academy), Dylan Patterson (5, Academy), Jai Murray (17, Academy), Beau Addinsall (18, Academy), Avery Thomas (28), Koby Coulson (46, Academy)

The Suns were one of the big winners of the draft, and they’ve got their Academy program to thank. The Suns began by matching a bid on Errol Gulden-clone Zeke Uwland, who could step straight into Damien Hardwick’s Opening Round side next year on a wing or at half-back. Dylan Patterson was added with pick 5, a dashing defender who breaks games open with his pace, dare and precise kicking. The Suns matched two more bids from rival clubs in the first round, adding talented midfielder Jai Murray and tough onballer Beau Addinsall to their ranks. That’s now seven first-round Academy draftees for the Suns in three years after bringing in Leo Lombard, Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Will Graham over the previous two drafts. For a side that made it all the way to a semi-final in 2025 and added Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan during the trade period, Gold Coast’s off-season has been arguably the best of any AFL club. Beyond the opening round, the Suns on Thursday night got their hands on Tasmanian prodigy Avery Thomas earlier than other rivals expected. Fittingly, they finished their night with the matching of a bid on Academy product Koby Coulson in a selection they didn’t make to overpay for. It’s impossible to spin their national draft any other way — they have once again, absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Grade: A+

‘You’re still crying!’: Grlj breaks down | 02:04

GWS GIANTS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 12, 35

Selections: Oskar Taylor (15), Finnegan Davis (51), Jake Stringer (65)

The Giants got busy on Wednesday night, trading up to nab Oskar Taylor after first launching an early bid on Sydney-tied academy talent Harry Kyle. It was shrewd business, and Taylor — whom they’d been linked to pre-draft — projects as another low-key boom pick for the expansion club. Taylor is thought of as the quintessential modern-day attacking half-backer with speed, kicking ability, one-on-one strength and a defence-first mindset. Taylor just looks like a Giants player. After trading out of the second round to help the Suns match academy players, the Giants weren’t expected to pick again on Thursday night. Instead, they traded back in late in the night and pounced on Finnegan Davis – another speedy medium defender. Both Davis and Taylor have the attributes to enhance the Giant tsunami.

Grade: B-

HAWTHORN

Picks (at the start of the draft): 10, 22, 59, 66

Selections: Cameron Nairn (20), Aidan Schubert (23), Jack Dalton (34), Matthew LeRay (58)

The Hawks were as agile as any on night one of the draft, trading selections multiple times inside the first round before landing slight slider Cameron Nairn from South Australia with their first pick. Nairn shapes as an asset who could step into Jack Gunston’s role once he eventually retires, while Schubert profiles as a slightly taller option. Although the duo are undoubtedly promising, it is somewhat perplexing that the club drafted both players given their already strong forward-half depth. The Hawks are well stocked for tall forwards, so don’t be surprised to see Nairn ply his trade further up the ground — potentially on a wing — to begin his AFL career. Sam Mitchell’s side also managed to bring in two future second-round picks during the process of sliding down the order, giving them more assets to play with next year as they pursue a big-name recruit. On night two of the event, the Hawks traded up the draft board with West Coast to secure Jack Dalton at pick No. 34 — a prolific ball-winner at junior level who could well break into the senior side inside his first 12 months. It’s admittedly harder to give them a grade than most other clubs, but ultimately it didn’t feel like they addressed their most glaring need: a breakout midfielder. The talent they acquired with each of their picks is certainly promising, but if they get through another trade period without landing a marquee on-baller, this draft may be scrutinised a little more harshly in a year’s time.

Grade: B

MELBOURNE

Picks (at the start of the draft): 7, 8, 37, 63, 65

Selections: Xavier Taylor (11), Latrelle Pickett (12), Thomas Matthews (30)

The Demons would have been stoked to see Xavier Taylor fall to their no.11 slot, with the mid-sized Eastern Ranges interceptor filling an immediate need after Judd McVee departed during the trade period and Steven May and Jake Lever inch towards the end. Taylor’s one-on-one ability and defensive positioning are particularly eye-catching, while his offensive game is also potent. The backman’s reliability as a stopper has seen him compared to Richmond triple premiership champ Nathan Broad, while his counterattacking exploits have seen him likened to electrifying Hawk Josh Weddle. One pick later, Melbourne made the heartwarming call of the draft, pairing Kozzie Pickett with cousin Latrelle — a mature-age bolter — to bolster its forward half. The 20-year-old strut his stuff for Glenelg’s reserves this year, booting 32 goals from 18 games to turn heads, no doubt set to add a dynamic element to Steven King’s attacking unit. The Demons made only one selection on night two, scooping up Thomas Matthews in a second small-forward addition following Charlie Spargo’s departure and Kozzie Pickett’s likely increased midfield time.

Grade: B+

PILE ON! Father-son draftee swarmed | 05:07

NORTH MELBOURNE

Picks (at the start of the draft): 25, 26, 46

Selections: Lachy Dovaston (16), Blake Thredgold (26), Hugo Mikunda (48)

A ripping result for the Kangaroos with their first two picks. They might’ve gotten their hands on the next Nick Watson in Eastern Ranges dynamo Lachy Dovaston — a 177cm small forward with serious nous around the big sticks, kicking 38 majors in the Ranges’ premiership campaign to earn team of the year honours. He adds to a North Melbourne attack in need of some smaller-sized firepower alongside Paul Curtis, having also added Charlie Spargo during free agency. And the Roos got him at Pick 16, which was a few spots lower than some initially anticipated he might’ve gone. The Roos then ticked the key defender box at Pick 26, taking SA backman Blake Thredgold, who had fans in the first round. A strong, competitive and well-balanced defender, Thredgold soared up draft boards in the back-half of the season. The Roos had a chance to draft a key forward with their last pick but opted to overlooked Archie Ludowyke and instead pounce on Hugo Mikunda — a competitive, energetic half-forward with serious running power and confidence to take aggressive kicks. Only time will tell, but the Roos had a late golden opportunity to take a tall goalkicker who’d slid down the board to support Nick Larkey and Jack Darling.

Grade: B

PORT ADELAIDE

Picks (at the start of the draft): 49

Selections: N/A

A weird old draft for the Power — or lack thereof! For Port took, *checks notes*, no players in the draft! It was never going to be a busy night for the Power, who went in with just Pick 49 after pushing a bunch of selections into next year. There’s talk the Power were interested in some of the mature aged players in the draft, but clearly there was no one there they liked at Pick 61, passing on their only selection. It’s part of the club’s plan dating back 12 months ago, targeting the 2025 draft where it had three picks Joe Berry (15), Jack Whitlock (33) and Christian Moraes (38) — inside the first two rounds. The Power are also prioritising the 2026 and 2027 drafts, with academy and father-son ties to Dougie Cochrane (2026), Louis Salopek, Tevita Rodan and Zemes Pilot (all 2027). They’re reasonably well placed for 2026 and matching an early bid on Cochrane, who could be the No. 1 pick, for Port has the third-most total draft points total value of any club next year. But no incoming youngsters for now ahead of Josh Carr’s first season as coach.

Grade: N/A

RICHMOND

Picks (at the start of the draft): 3, 4, 38

Selections: Sam Cumming (7), Samuel Grlj (8), Zane Peucker (31), Noah Roberts-Thomson (54)

It was hard for Richmond to go wrong with its opening pair of selections, having the choice of the open pool after Willem Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler were the first two non-club-tied players off the board. In a telling pre-draft move, the Tigers — who’d been strongly linked to Sam Cumming, Sullivan Robey, Xavier Taylor and Sam Grlj with their first two picks — visited Cumming and his family in the days prior to the draft in a clear indication of the club’s interest. And the Tigers got a good one in the North Adelaide product, who’s highly regarded for his class, power, speed, agility and competitiveness. Cumming has drawn Isaac Heeney comparisons due to his ability to go forward and hit the scoreboard. Then Richmond swung a surprise, opting to take Eastern Ranges line-breaker Grlj with the eighth overall pick after it seemed he was destined to fall out of the top 10. Could they have traded down from no.8 and still gotten Grlj? That’s a question worth asking. “Was surprised, we thought maybe Sullivan Robey might get taken, but they have gone for maybe more of the need,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy. “They have loaded up through the midfield and forward half of the ground, now they get the explosive half back that can set the game off on counter-attack.” Passing on Robey and Taylor in particular was notable, but it’s hard to pick a fault in the two top talents the Tigers came away with. Gieschen and company then took bolter Zane Peucker in the second round. The forward-midfielder averaged 25 disposals, 1.5 goals, and 5.5 score involvements this year for the Woodville West-Torrens under-18s. They capped their work by pouncing on Noah Roberts-Thomson — cousin of former Sydney Swans dual premiership player Lewis — in the late third round, but Louis Kellaway went undrafted, suggesting he’ll be a rookie pick come Friday.

Grade: B-

No. 2 pick ticks off childhood goals | 02:01

ST KILDA

Picks (at the start of the draft): 50, 62

Selections: Charlie Banfield (41), Kye Fincher (52), Ryan Byrnes (62)

It took until Pick 41 for the Saints to enter the draft, but they made an immediate splash, bidding on Eagles father-son prospect Charlie Banfield – the son of dual premiership Eagle Drew Banfield – and landing him after West Coast opted not to match. The Saints have targeted strong runners in past drafts – think Tobie Travaglia and Hugh Boxshall last year and Darcy Wilson in 2023 – and didn’t hesitate to take Banfield, who ran the WA state combine 2km trial in 6:08. Kevin Sheehan said: “A versatile tall midfielder who can also go forward and have an impact, Banfield is strong and courageous overhead and can be damaging by foot.” But the big win for the Saints was the late bid on their NGA prospect Kye Fincher. Sources suggested pre-draft St Kilda would be less likely to match for Fincher if his name was called before Pick 35. Well, the bid came at Pick 52 for the 184cm Fincher, who has the appealing combination of strength and speed, as well as good kicking and marking ability, to break games open. After going so hard during the trade period, to add another two draftees in this manner is a solid result.

Grade: C

SYDNEY SWANS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 31, 32, 42, 60

Selections: Harry Kyle (16, Academy), Jevan Phillipou (35), Billy Cootee (42), Max King (49, Academy)

So much of the night revolved around managing bids on their Academy prospects. The Swans matched crosstown Giants’ bid on Kyle — which came earlier than they would have liked, at 14th overall — but chose to let Lachie Carmichael head to the Bulldogs in a decision they’ll hope doesn’t come back to haunt them. Kyle, a 188-centimetre defender-midfielder, has the potential to play in the midfield down the track, with his run and dash a big feature of his game — drawing comparisons to Giants star Finn Callaghan. But Sydney wasn’t going to let Max King walk, especially with a bid coming much later than expected at Pick 49 as one of the big steals of the draft at Pick 49. Also brought in Jevan Phillipou, younger brother of Saint Mattaes, and mature-aged SANFL bolter Billy Cootee, who was unranked on the Fox Sports Lab list.

Grade: C+

Pick No.1! Duursma becomes an Eagle | 04:17

WEST COAST EAGLES

Picks (at the start of the draft): 1, 2, 13, 34, 41

Selections: Willem Duursma (1), Cooper Duff-Tytler (4), Josh Lindsay (19), Sam Allen (29), Tylah Williams (39, NGA)

West Coast’s moves at the top of the draft were widely expected, but it still had to make them. Willem Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler is a tantalising tandem to add to Andrew McQualter’s young brigade. Duursma was widely considered the draft’s number-one player, having this year exhibited his elite kick, great lateral movement and versatility to play in multiple positions on the field. He’ll join forces with Duff-Tytler — an athletic 200-centimetre ruck in the Luke Jackson mould — and Harley Reid in an Eagles midfield with delicious long-term potential. They then nabbed Josh Lindsay at Pick 19 after trading up a spot, with the Geelong Falcons product arguably the best pure kicker in this year’s class. But you sense their higher priority at that point of the draft was a pure midfielder, hence their bids on Suns academy prospects Jai Murray and Beau Addinsall. While the Murray match was expected, there was a good chance Addinsall got to them, only for the Suns to find the points to retain their midfielder. Addinsall would’ve been a great get for the Suns. The Eagles were able to get another open-pool player in (Sam Allen) before a Tylah Williams bid came. The small forward was clearly ranked the top-ranked Eagles-tied player for the club, so to get him at Pick 39 was a huge tick. They were hopeful Koby Evans (NGA) and Charlie Banfield (father-son) would fall to the rookie draft, but they both attracted bids close to where Williams was taken, so they let the duo slide to the Lions and Saints respectively. Fox Footy draft expert Mick Ablett said of the Eagles’ haul during Wednesday night’s broadcast: “This is a huge draft for them. This could really be defining for the next 10 years. They’ve started the rebuild in earnest now … We know they just need to get the best talent on the board and play them early. Let them play.”

Grade: A-

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Picks (at the start of the draft): 14, 33, 53

Selections: Lachlan Carmichael (21), Louis Emmett (27), Will Darcy (67, father-son)

They clearly wanted a halfback and got one with Lachlan Carmichael after Sydney decided against matching a bid on its Academy-linked player. But you sense Josh Lindsay and Oskar Taylor might’ve been higher on their draft boards. Their second pick, Louis Emmett, is an exciting ruck-forward with great athleticism and running ability. But most clubs think Emmett can be a key defender at AFL level. Could he be the answer to their void in that position over the coming years? Capped off their draft – and the final pick of the draft – with Will Darcy, younger brother of Sam. It’s as much of a romantic pick as anything. Will, 198cm, isn’t quite as tall as Sam, 208cm, and clearly isn’t as highly touted. But the raw youngster is very much a long-term, high upside play as a potential unicorn. And fair to say the Dogs have had a good track record with Darcy’s.

Grade: C+