There is a great variety of defenders who look set to enter the AFL system at the National Draft on November 19.
Led by a pair of Gold Coast Academy boys, the top group includes a mix of rebounders, interceptors and lockdown players.
Here are the 10 best defenders from the 2025 draft class.
8Blake Thredgold (Sturt)
An athletic lockdown defender, Thredgold played just one game at the U18s National Championships but is widely viewed as the best openly available tall defender at the AFL Draft.
Some assignments on Mitch Marsh have strengthened his stocks as a forceful one-on-one matchup who suits a club looking for a player to build their backline around.
With such a gap between he and the next best openly available tall back, he's one who could be picked quite high.
