The 2025 AFL Draft is being regarded as one of the most compromised in history, with a likely record number of Northern Academy, Next Generation Academy and father-son talents to join AFL lists.
Craft of the Draft last week named the top 13 prospects to watch, with four members of the top 10 tied to AFL clubs.
While the AFL has tightened rules to ensure clubs have to pay a greater price to secure their talent, the pedigree of many names listed this year will likely incentivise lots of dealings in the trade period as clubs attempt to match points.
Highlighting the strength of the tied-talent, every club has at least one player genuinely on the radar entering 2025.
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These are the names you might need to familiarise yourself with ahead of this year's AFL Draft.
Geelong
The Geelong Falcons have a quartet of Cats-tied players headed by AFL Academy member Ben Rongdit.
A high-octane, athletic rebounding defender, Rongdit is still raw and missed part of his bottom-aged campaign but has a high ceiling, with the Falcons describing him as the most competitive player on their list.
Fellow Falcon Jesse Mellor, an NGA member, has set himself up well to put himself on the radar as a forward presence and clearance-winning midfielder. Geelong also has Jagger Mooney, the son of Cam, and Boston Riccardi, the son of Peter, who have a direct route to the Cats.
