Top Sturt prospect Blake Thredgold is firming to be selected in the first round of the 2025 AFL Draft.
Viewed widely as the leading openly available tall lockdown defender in the crop, Thredgold played just one game of South Australia's title-winning U18s National Championships due to a broken hand.
The frustratingly cruel absence denied recruiters an extended look at him matching up on the best spearheads in the country, but provided him with an opportunity to improve his mindset.
For the past two years, Thredgold has spent a few minutes before bed meditating and journaling, giving him clarity and gratitude.
A noticeably vivacious and warm character, mentality is something he invested more time in during 2025 and reaped the benefits.
“It's something that just helps me feel refreshed and helps me know what I have to do,” Thredgold told Craft of the Draft of his journaling.
“Writing the three things to do tomorrow and three things that I'm grateful for helps me to relax and wind down and go to bed as part of my routine.
“And then I do positive affirmations in my meditation and look for the positive in everything.
“So obviously the injury was a bit annoying, but I like looking for the positive.”
Out for seven weeks with that hand injury, he averaged 13 disposals and seven marks in the last two months of the season after building into form in his first four games post-injury.
“I worked a lot mentally and physically to get over (the injury) so I would come back feeling really strong and feeling like I had done the work, and I was mentally prepared," Thredgold said.
“I found figuring out how to be the defender I want to be was a big challenge of my year.
“And I found out how I wanted to play during the break: a lockdown player who also intercepts as a key defender that can run off the ball.”
The lifelong Adelaide supporter watched his role model Darcy Moore do a number on his Crows in the 2025 AFL qualifying final, but said that performance inspired his SANFL U18s Best on Ground showing.
Playing on fellow first-round prospect Mitch Marsh for the third time in four games, he confirmed his status as a likely bolter in the draft class, taking 12 marks and nullifying the West Adelaide spearhead.
“I found that match up awesome,” Thredgold said.
“It was awesome to play on a really good competitor, and it brought out the best in me, and I was always looking at how to perform better against him.
“And then before that grand final I sat down with my player agent, and I sort of went through how I could play better and win the matchup.
“We found that I think I was playing a bit too lockdown in those, like not giving him an inch, but I wanted to show my weapons more.
“I found that game was perfect for how I want to play as a defender moving forward.”
While his confidence overhead, reading of the play and ability to win his one-on-one matchups is suited perfectly for his current defensive role, he's played across the field during his time in the talent pathway.
Time forward this year has given him an awareness of preferred leading patterns, and spending time in the ruck across recent seasons has aided his footwork.
Viewed as a late first-round or early second-round prospect, Thredgold could be selected even higher in the draft, given standout tall defender Harry Dean is tied to Carlton, and there is a scarcity of bona fide lockdown marking backmen, putting a premium on his services.
Equipped with that knowledge and aided by his mental awareness, Thredgold feels ready for the step up to the big league.
“I think I'd offer a boy who's very caring for this team and wants to get better and learn more game styles and be a better player,” Thredgold said when asked what he would offer an AFL suitor.
“I want to be the best I can be, physically and mentally and help my teammates in any way I can.
“And I think I can be a very reliable defender who can work, works very hard, and can develop into a, hopefully a long term key defender.”
