The 2025 AFL U18s Boys National Championships get underway this weekend, with the country's best draft talent set to go head-to-head on the biggest of stages.
Every year, the U18s carnival sees the cream of the crop represent their state or territory, with the 2025 championships looming as quite the contest for the five sides involved.
Vic Metro are coming off their thrilling title of 2024, but with a large majority of their squad moving on to the AFL, a new contender could emerge.
Each side is home to AFL Academy stars, club-tied prospects and teenagers looking to make their name known, with this year's edition of the National Championships set to be a close one.
Here are 77 prospects to keep an eye on at this year's National Championships and in the run-in to the 2025 AFL Draft.
VIEW: CURRENT 2025 AFL DRAFT ORDER
3. Vic CountryÂ
The regional Victorian side is filled with headline acts and familiar surnames, with perhaps none better than Gippsland utility Willem Duursma.
Likely to be the fourth sibling from his family to be drafted to the top flight, Duursma is able to have a resounding impact across all three lines of the field as a 191cm talent.
His versatility will be crucial to success for Vic Country, which will be able to move magnets across the field to set up their push for the championships title.
AFL Academy gun Josh Lindsay could get a bigger run through midfield, but will also be banked on as a clean kicker of the ball out of defence.
Murray Bushrangers midfielder Riley Onley, who stands at 194cm, adds plenty of size to centre stoppage, with Dandenong duo Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves and Callum Smith also rolling through the middle.
Vic Country are home to a host of club-tied teenagers, with Melbourne NGA wingman Toby Sinnema and Geelong NGA duo Jesse Mellor and Ben Rongdit among the most exciting names.
Mellor could be a leading threat up front at ground level for Rhett McLennan's side, with Dandenong's Tairon Ah-Mu likely to spearhead as the top tall forward option.
Adelaide is tied to Gippsland's Mitch Stevens via father-son eligibility, while Carlton has a pair of familiar names coming through in 2026 midfielder Cody Walker and Murray Bushrangers key defender Harry Dean.
Walker could be one of the most impactful midfielders for Vic Country in his bottom-age run, having enjoyed a stellar start to the year with Bendigo in the Coates Talent League.
Another 2026 prospect who could have a say is Gippsland's Wil Malady, who, at 190cm, has been a proven goalkicker for the Power across the past 18 months.
Bendigo's Hunter Wright, Gippsland pair Jobe Scapin and Zach O'Keefe, and GWV's Harley Hicks add to a solid Vic Country unit for 2025.
Vic Country's U18s Boys campaign will begin on Saturday, June 7, away to Western Australia at Mineral Resources Park.
