Proof Swans’ era won’t end soon; three clubs totally missing — Top 25 AFL players under 25

Talent-bolstered AFL clubs are diving into the pre-season in preparation for the 2025 season. So, in anticipation of a new and exciting campaign, what better time to take stock of the league’s brightest talent?

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Foxfooty.com.au has identified and ranked the top 25 AFL players under the age of 25 ahead of the 2025 season, based both on what they have shown to this point in their career and their potential heading into next season and beyond.

Note: For players to be eligible for this list, they must be under the age of 25 at the start of next season. (For example: an eligible player can be 24 years and 11 months old at Opening Round/Round 1.)

25. JAMARRA UGLE-HAGAN (WESTERN BULLDOGS)

Ugle-Hagan has had his share of coming-of-age moment to date, but inconsistency in performance — he kicked two or fewer goals in 11 of the Dogs’ first 14 games this season. — is why the 22-year-old doesn’t find himself higher on this list. Still, his 2.0 goals per game was considered above average for a key forward, while his 4.7 shots at goal was elite. Once those inaccuracy issues — 1.6 behinds per game this year — are sorted, the athletic, 197-centimetre marking target will be well and truly on a long-term trajectory to superstardom.

24. MILES BERGMAN (PORT ADELAIDE)

Bergman might be the most unheralded player on this list, but after his admirable efforts during the Power’s finals campaign, he shouldn’t be. The 23-year-old’s value to a Port Adelaide defence whose keys have had their issues defending can’t be overstated, as the 189-centimetre general defender averaged an elite-rated 6.5 marks per game this season while matching up against mid-sized and bigger opponents. He was also involved in counterattacking chains this season, managing an above-average 3.3 score involvements per game.

23. GEORGE WARDLAW (NORTH MELBOURNE)

Wardlaw played 18 games this season after eight in his rookie season, averaging 19.1 disposals, 9.6 contested possessions, 6.3 ground-ball gets and 4.8 clearances per game. At 20 years and five months old, the 26-gamer is among the youngest on this list, but his unadulterated hunger for the football in the contest has ensured he stood out from the get-go. Alongside Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Colby McKercher and yet another high draftee in Finn O’Sullivan next year, Wardlaw should continue to flourish as a fearsome ball-winner.

22. LUKE JACKSON (FREMANTLE)

Jackson mightn’t have set the AFL world alight after his high-profile trade move from Melbourne to Fremantle, but the athletic ruck-forward hybrid still has plenty of growth in him and figures to be a central part of the Dockers’ finals push in 2025. The 23-year-old’s efficiency in possession was a highlight this year, averaging an elite-rated 11.8 effective disposals per game, while his aforementioned athleticism paved the way for 5.7 ground-ball gets — considered elite by a ruckman’s standards. Jackson’s durability has been another welcomed attribute, playing at least 22 senior games in each of the past four seasons.

21. SAM DARCY (WESTERN BULLDOGS)

Of the players on this list, Darcy has one of the highest ceilings. At just 21 years of age, there is plenty of development left in this father-son gun, yet he has already shown plenty for Bulldogs supporters to be excited about. The 28-gamer’s 46 contested marks this season ranked third in the competition behind only Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan and dual All-Australian defender Harris Andrews. He kicked 38 goals from 21 appearances while sharing forward-50 targets with Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Darcy’s pressure game has also been impressive, laying an elite-rated 2.9 tackles per game.

20. JOSH TREACY (FREMANTLE)

Treacy was one of the biggest improvers of the season to cement his place in this list, and he is on a trajectory to being one of the league’s dominant key-position forwards. The 22-year-old Bendigo product played a career-best 20 games this season for averages of 2.3 goals and 6.1 marks per game — which ranked as elite among key forwards. Treacy also finished 10th in the overall goalkicking with 45 goals despite playing a couple fewer games than his peers. His six score involvements per game was also considered elite among fellow key forwards. Supplemented by Jye Amiss and Luke Jackson, expect Treacy’s game to go to another level.

19. MAX HOLMES (GEELONG)

Holmes is listed as a defender but is expected to play increasingly more between the arcs as he continues to develop, utilising his damaging run-and-carry and ball-winning capabilities. The 22-year-old, who played in every possible game this season, averaged 24.2 disposals, 3.3 clearances, 15.4 uncontested possessions and 6.5 ground-ball gets — all considered elite for a general defender. The 76-gamer’s ability to find the ball in space and use it sensibly makes Holmes one of Geelong’s most valuable long-term assets as the Cats look to go a step further in 2025.

18. WILL ASHCROFT (BRISBANE LIONS)

The 20-year-old has played just 31 senior games thus far, yet his place inside the top-20 is unquestioned. The first of two Ashcroft father-son guns became a Norm Smith medallist in just his second season after recovering from a devastating knee reconstruction in his rookie year. Ashcroft’s electricity at stoppages and ability to hit the scoreboard killed the Swans on the final day of the season — as well as other opponents earlier in the campaign — having averaged 22.9 disposals and 6.3 score involvements per game through the home-and-away season. The Sandringham Dragons product played just 13 games this season but quickly became a central figure in Brisbane’s late-season premiership push.

17. WILL DAY (HAWTHORN)

One of the best ball-users at just 23 years of age, the 70-gamer — health permitting — is primed to explode next season leading a burgeoning Hawthorn brigade. Day’s 77 per cent disposal efficiency this year rated elite in comparison to the league’s midfielders. The South Australian’s 19.3 disposals-per-game mark is skewed by the fact he was substituted out of his final two games this year due to injury. A superb decision-maker with the ball in his hands, Day shapes as one of the league’s most dangerous centre-forward players of the next decade, provided he can remain on the park.

16. HARLEY REID (WEST COAST EAGLES)

It could be argued this ranking is premature given the Bendigo Pioneers junior has played just 20 games at the level, but it is impossible to argue his impact on a lowly Eagles side in his rookie season wasn’t immense. It shouldn’t be a secret that he has the brightest future in the game of anyone on this list, even if he isn’t quite a ‘superstar’ just yet. Reid averaged 18.5 disposals, 4.0 tackles and 5.0 clearances per game in 2024, as well as posting an elite contested possession rate of 52.7 per cent. Like North Melbourne’s Wardlaw and Port Adelaide’s Horne-Francis, the 19-year-old Reid has a hunger for the Sherrin few can rival.

15. JAI NEWCOMBE (HAWTHORN)

The 23-year-old has a case as the most successful mid-season draftee in history, having developed into a formidable ball-winner and near untackleable force for the rising Hawks. Newcombe’s 5.9 clearances, 18.9 effective disposals and 6.5 score involvements per game this season were all considered elite among AFL midfielders, with the 76-gamer going on to amass 24 Brownlow votes en route to a head-turning top-10 finish. The Box Hill product was knocking on the door of the top-10, but another step forward in 2025 could cement it.

14. HAYDEN YOUNG (FREMANTLE)

After making a fruitful transition from half-back to the engine room, Young has quickly become the Dockers’ most threatening offensive weapon from the centre bounce. The 23-year-old’s 134 total inside-50s this season were the third-most in the league, with his average of 5.8 per game ranking elite compared to his midfield peers. The Victorian’s 2.5 centre clearances were also considered elite, as were his 7.0 score involvements and 1.2 direct goal assists. It isn’t outside the realm of possibility for the booming left-footer, whose average of 1.3 shots at goal were also elite for a midfielder, to overtake Caleb Serong at Fremantle, given his nous on the defensive side of the ball, too.

13. KYSAIAH PICKETT (MELBOURNE)

Simply, Pickett is a havoc-wreaker on either side of the ball. While he hasn’t put it all together just yet — with inconsistency sometimes getting the better of him — he is an absolute menace on his night, having averaged an elite 1.7 goals from an elite 3.2 shots at goal per game this season. He also posted 5.5 score involvements per game and showcased his ability to impact as a centre-bounce player in stints. Defensively, the 23-year-old is just as impactful, putting up an elite-rated 20.5 pressure acts per game and laying an average of 1.3 tackles inside forward-50. The 106-gamer is a game-changer.

12. SAM WALSH (CARLTON)

Walsh has already played 119 AFL games at just 24 years of age, having appeared in at least 17 games in all six seasons to date. Statistically, the Blues’ ball-magnet has been slightly down since his standout 2022 campaign, but his per-game averages of 28.4 disposals — 18.8 effective — 4.9 inside-50s and 8.8 ground-ball gets this year remained elite among fellow engine-roomers. While he falls outside the top-10, complemented by dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps and No. 3 draftee Jagga Smith in ‘25 should propel Walsh as he aims to put forth another strong season for the flag-contending Blues.

11. NOAH ANDERSON (GOLD COAST SUNS)

A perfect complement to Matt Rowell and Touk Miller, the accumulating Anderson had a career-best season under first-year coach Damien Hardwick — notching a 29.0 disposals-per-game clip; a career-high mark and one that was considered elite among fellow midfielder. Further, Anderson’s 139 inside-50s this season were the second-most in the league behind. The continued emergence of the Suns’ young ball-winning talent will only help free up the durable Anderson — who has never missed more than two games in a season — going forward, with this Gold Coast list now surely primed to contend for its first September campaign.

10. MATT ROWELL (GOLD COAST SUNS)

Rowell often proved the match-winning difference for the Suns this year with his hard-nosed efforts at stoppages — his 14.0 contested possessions per game this year ranked third in the competition. The Victorian’s dedication to competing at the coalface ensured he won an elite-rated and career-high 2.4 free kicks per game. Rowell averaged a healthy 23.0 disposals per game, but it was his 8.0 tackles and 7.1 clearances that were considered elite compared to AFL midfielders. His place in the top-10 is thoroughly deserved.

9. HARRY SHEEZEL (NORTH MELBOURNE)

North Melbourne has had some lean years, but it boasts one of the league’s brightest emerging talents in second-year utility Sheezel, who, while he is listed as a defender, will quickly become a midfield mainstay for Alastair Clarkson’s Roos but can play almost anywhere — which superstar Magpie does that remind you of? The 20-year-old posted an array of elite-rated figures in just his second AFL season, including 29.8 disposals — of which an average of 22.6 were effective — 6.3 marks, 3.8 tackles, 3.5 clearances, 3.6 inside-50s, 18.3 uncontested possessions, 7.7 ground-ball gets and 5.2 score involvements.

8. JASON HORNE-FRANCIS (PORT ADELAIDE)

The 21-year-old has blends the contested hunger of Rowell and the explosiveness from stoppage of Wardlaw, but Horne-Francis adds polish with his disposal — culminating in a seriously appealing variety of midfield traits. Alongside Zak Butters and Connor Rozee in a tantalising Port Adelaide engine room, the 65-gamer averaged 21.8 disposals, 10.5 contested possessions, 5.8 clearances, 4.8 inside-50s, 7.2 score involvements and 1.1 goals per game. Those 7.2 score involvements ranked equal-ninth in the competition this season, as he played a massive hand in the Power’s attacking chains.

7. CALEB SERONG (FREMANTLE)

It must be quite the treat for Fremantle supporters watching Serong, Young and Andy Brayshaw do their thing between the arcs. Serong in particular is turning heads externally after having impressed inside the four walls for a while now. His 29.4 disposals per game this season didn’t quite reach the heights of his staggering 30.7 average in 2023, but it was still plenty enough to rate as elite among his midfielder peers. The Victorian’s 7.6 clearances per game ranked fifth in the competition this season, as the 23-year-old rocketed to a fourth-placed finish in the Brownlow with 28 votes. Further to his standing as one of the league’s most impressive players, aside from the COVID-affected 2020 season, the durable Serong has never played fewer than 22 games in a season.

6. IZAK RANKINE (ADELAIDE CROWS)

The 24-year-old’s 1.9 goals per game this year were categorised as elite for a general forward, but the 24-year-old’s ability to push into the midfield and impact the game is his point of difference from other forward-half players — he averaged an elite 18.0 disposals per game; easily a career-high figure. The 83-gamer played just 15 games in his second season at West Lakes due to a hamstring injury, and the void was palpable as the Crows struggled in his absence. The West Adelaide product is already one of the best centre-forward players in the game and shapes as a central figure in Adelaide’s return to finals contention in 2025.

5. TOM GREEN (GWS GIANTS)

The big-bodied Giants star played in all 25 GWS games this year, showcasing his accumulation under pressure in addition to being an immovable object in the middle of the ground. The 23-year-old, who will tick over 100 games played next season, managed an average of 14.5 contested possessions per game this season, trailing only dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps. And speaking of the Brownlow, Green — who was touted in the pre-season as a candidate and will again be expected to finish near the top in ‘25 — finished sixth with 27 votes as he continued his AFL ascension.

4. ERROL GULDEN (SYDNEY SWANS)

Few midfielders in the game have the ability to accumulate at the level of Gulden but also impact the game with those possessions to the same degree. The left-footed Sydney Academy product ranked equal-fifth for score involvements per game this season with 7.3, and he led the competition for inside-50s with 172 — a staggering 33 more than the next-best Noah Anderson — when he gets the Sherrin, he is looking to attack every time. The 22-year-old posted elite-rated numbers for disposals (27.1), effective kicks (11.5), uncontested possessions (18.1), intercept possessions (4.0), inside-50s (6.6), marks (5.6), and goal assists (1.1). And while the main knock on Gulden’s game is his susceptibility to turnovers — recording the fourth-most clangers in the AFL this season — the upside in his game is too overwhelming for him not to manage a top-five finish.

3. ZAK BUTTERS (PORT ADELAIDE)

Perhaps the most diminutive and explosive midfielder in the game at the moment, Butters recorded a third-placed Brownlow finish with 28 votes. The 24-year-old was also named the AFL Players’ Association’s most courageous player for the second consecutive season, as well as earning his second All-Australian nod. Already a 119-gamer at age 24, Butters played in all 26 Port Adelaide matches this season, averaging an elite 27.1 disposals per game — 19.4 of which were effective. The 181-centimetre midfielder’s ability to find the ball in space and use it are more strong suits, averaging 16.8 uncontested possessions and 6.9 score involvements this season. Alongside the ever-improving Horne-Francis and skipper Rozee, the Power’s on-ball brigade is in scary shape.

2. CHAD WARNER (SYDNEY SWANS)

As most Swans players did this year, Warner took his game to another level. The 23-year-old, who missed just one game this year, constantly wreaked havoc exiting stoppage and arguably had the most impact-per-disposal of any player in the competition. A goalscoring force from the midfield position, Warner averaged 23.5 disposals, 5.2 inside-50s — ranking sixth in the competition for total inside-50s with 131 for the season — and 4.0 clearances, as well as an elite-rated 7.3 score involvements, 2.4 shots at goal and 1.4 (!) goals per game. Complemented by Gulden and Isaac Heeney, it formed perhaps the most daunting midfield-goalscoring trios ever seen by the competition. Warner will be topping the charts for the next decade.

1. NICK DAICOS (COLLINGWOOD)

Face it; nobody else was going to take out the No. 1 spot. The electrifying father-son phenom was as influential as ever despite Collingwood’s regression from premier to bottom-10 finisher this year. The 21-year-old’s ability to be deployed anywhere on the ground and impact the game in damaging fashion never fails to draw admiration, polling a whopping 38 Brownlow votes this year. Daicos’ 30.7 disposals, 20.6 effective disposals, 16.3 contested possessions, 7.7 clearances, 5.5 inside-50s, 8.7 ground-ball gets and 7.3 score involvements per game this season were all categorised as elite compared to fellow AFL midfielders. The former No. 4 draft pick’s availability is another in a lengthy line of appealing traits, having never played fewer than 22 games in a season since debuting in Round 1, 2022.