In the first week of every month throughout 2025, Craft of the Draft will drop an updated and expanded prospect power rankings, taking into consideration a combination of form and potential.
Our July rankings are a list of the 30 best prospects, with plenty of South Australian talent making the cut following the Croweaters' charge to the U18s National Championships triumph.
This edition is the fourth released, featuring 10 club-linked players, while Central Districts forward Aidan Schubert is the big mover.
415th-11th
15 – Lachy Dovaston (+6)
Has turned himself into the most bankable junior forward in the country. Bags of five and four highlighted a sterling month for the small forward, with his clean skills, crumbing and finishing ability making a nightmare matchup, particularly at forward 50 stoppages where he can get on the move and doesn't need much space. But the big improvement in his game this season has been his engagement in the game when he doesn't have the footy, averaging more than five tackles per game, which rounds out his skillset as a bona fide small forward. Will be in hot demand as the clear standout for his position in the open pool.
14 – Sam Cumming (+6)
It wasn't the enormous U18s National Championships by numbers or influence that perhaps he would have liked to have had, but he showed what he needed to. The AFL Academy member has the runs on the board as a midfielder and when he ran through there for South Australia, he looked damaging, clean and powerful, but more impressive was his presence forward of the footy. Compared to Isaac Heeney, he will likely start his career inside 50 and showed that he's a tricky matchup given his strength, marking and forward craft, which helped him average a goal per game.
13 – Beau Addinsall (+4)
A hamstring injury will rule him out of the rest of the U18s National Championships, which will greatly frustrate the hard-working Sun, but he already has a glittering CV. Covers the ground well, finds the footy, excellent in and under and uses it smartly. There is a view that he'll likely start his career off half-forward, but will do his best work in the middle as his career develops.
12 – Aidan Schubert (NEW)
The big riser of the month, Schubert showed something a little bit different in each of his four U18s National Championships games for South Australia. Four goals in game one looked a hard performance to top, but his capacity as a relieving ruck with contested marking, athleticism, work rate and field kicking were all on show in the remaining three games. Is now ensconced as one of the best talls to watch.
11- Fred Rodriguez (+1)
Western Australia's leading prospect has had two strong games and a quieter performance for the Black Swans so far. Hasn't had huge numbers, but has made the most of his possessions, bursting out the front of clearance on several occasions, and kicking some goals from long range. Western Australia's captain is becoming a consistent asset at all levels.
