Pick one contender, Cooper Duff-Tytler's season came to a close last weekend with Calder Cannons bowing out of the Coates League finals.
Duff-Tytler's attention throughout much of 2025 has been focused on showcasing his capabilities as a forward, having long established himself as a premium ruck capable of impacting as an extra midfielder.
Duff-Tytler's Round 1 performance against Oakleigh, where he had 26 disposals and two goals, underlined his capabilities and laid the foundation for an U18s All-Australian campaign.
But in a different way, just as pleasing as that Round 1 outing was his Wildcard Round game, where he had 21 disposals, 11 marks and kicked 2.5.
Accuracy was the only thing that stopped him from tearing that game apart, and it followed a three-goal haul in his one-off game for Essendon VFL.
"The marks he takes where he takes it at its highest point is really damaging," Calder Cannons coach Sam Willatt said.
"Even when he was playing school footy and get away with taking chest marks, he was committed to showing what he could do overhead.
"We know what he can do from a ruck and a transition and getting around the ground, but for him to show what he has forward has been really promising.
"I think his craft has definitely improved.
"He did some work with Essendon VFL around his footwork, and we've continually challenged him to take the ball at the highest point, so it's a combination of a really clear focus throughout the year and some craft improvements."
Willatt declared him ready both on and off the field for the environment of the top level.
"He's very down to earth, very present, doesn't get too carried away in things and just focuses on what he needs to do.
"He gets what's required week to week outside of the contact hours. He'll walk into a professional environment with the skills all ready to go, but in terms of his temperament, he doesn't shy away from the attention; he embraces it and rolls with it.
"He's a really balanced young man, which is great."
Another player on the radar from the Cannons is Felix Kneipp.
The last three games of Calder's season proved important for the halfback/midfielder as he vies for selection in the latter stages of the AFL National Draft.
He had 30 and 31 disposals across Calder's two finals after 20 touches on limited minutes in his first game back, playing as a halfback/midfielder.
Highly touted early in the year after a bottom-aged season where he went toe to toe with top-five selection Jagga Smith and had 47 disposals in a school game for Wesley College, Kneipp missed the middle four months of the season with a back injury.
It wiped out his U18s National Championships, despite being selected in the Vic Metro squad, and there were grave fears about whether he would feature at all in 2025.
But he attacked his rehabilitation hard, which not only allowed him to showcase his skills, but will also enable him to test at the AFL State Combine in early October
"He showed what his strength is, so his ability to come back and play the way he did after so much time off is very special," Willatt said.
"We played him halfback and released him mid-way through Wildcard Round.
"His running, contest running, and ball use drove us forward so much.
"I think he showed exactly what he needed to for the end of the year."
Halfback is viewed as Kneipp's consensus best position if he reaches the AFL, and he showcased his rebounding in Round 1 against Northern Knights before getting injured weeks later. His competitiveness and grit are well established.
"I think that (position) makes the most sense," Willatt said.
"He's a lovely kick and has the ability to break lines."
