This is it. Our final say. The cream of the crop, the best of the best. With the AFL Draft now less than three weeks away, Craft of the Draft has released its definitive top 50 power rankings after following the talent pathway all year and releasing an expanding list each month.
The 2025 crop is expected to be a shallow pool with roughly 55 names expected to be taken in the National Draft. Despite conjecture about the strength of the Victorian crop, it remains the talent hotspot, with 17 players from Vic Metro programs and six from Vic Country programs.
The U18s National Championships winning South Australia are well represented with 11 members of the top 50, including eight in the top 21. Another major narrative of the AFL Draft in 2025 has been the compromised nature of the pool, with 14 members of the top 50 tied to clubs, including four players in the top seven.
To be clear: This is not a mock draft. This masthead has released two separate first-round mock drafts ahead of the AFL Draft and will release another, expanded one in the week immediately prior to the big day; but this story does not attempt to correspond the ranking with a suited club or interested suitor. This is simply a ranking of the top 50 best prospects available in this year's intake.
Around the mark
Rory Wright is unlucky to miss the list after a brilliant finish to his season across half-back resulted in him drawing widespread comparison to champion Luke Hodge, though clubs question his lack of pace. GWV Rebels small forward Talor Byrne is also stiff after a strong season highlighted by a five-goal game for Vic Country. Sam Swadling is thereabouts as a proven ball winner, but his disposal efficiency is causing some hesitation about where he sits in the pecking order. Swadling's Western Australian teammate Cody Curtin has a wide range, with some viewing him in the 30s and others much further back. Fremantle Academy prospect Toby Whan is also close after an excellent season for South Fremantle as a powerful midfielder in the vein of Hayden Young. Western Jets pair Oskar Ainsworth and Finn Davis are also around the mark. Brisbane Academy prospect Tyan Prindable could attract a bid after a strong season for the Allies and Brisbane VFL as a pressure forward, while Harry Scott and Tom Blamires are viewed as the leading VFL prospects in a shallow pool.
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15 - Oskar Taylor (Eastern Ranges)
Taylor's speed, composure and ability to consistently win one-on-one contests has shot him firmly into top 20 calculations despite not featuring for Vic Metro. A half-back with a sizzling kick and insane athletic profile, which was on show at the AFL Draft National combine, he fits the prototype for a modern footballer.
MORE: THE QUICK RISE OF EASTERN RANGES BOLTER
| 15 RANK |  | Oskar Taylor Eastern Ranges Defender HEIGHT: 182cm | ▶+ |
14 - Lachy Dovaston (Eastern Ranges)
Has been viewed for much of 2025 as the leading small forward in the crop and has doubled down on his defensive pressure and ability to impact in the midfield, which has rounded off his game nicely. A goalsneak who is most dangerous at the foot of a marking contest where he can pounce on the loose ball, the Nick Watson 2.0 tag has followed Dovaston for much of the season, and he continues to produce entertaining moments that the Hawthorn emerging talent would be proud of.
MORE: CLUTCH DOVASTON ON GOAL CELES, HAIRSTYLE AND ADVICE FROM A PREMIERSHIP PIE
| 14 RANK |  | Lachy Dovaston Eastern Ranges Forward HEIGHT: 177cm | ▶+ |
13 - Jacob Farrow (West Perth)
A powerful defender who can run through the midfield, Farrow rose sharply through the middle part of 2025, with many clubs enamoured with what he was able to produce at WAFL Colts level ahead of the U18s National Championships. At 187cm, he has a big frame, which he uses to physically impose himself, and he's hard to beat in one-on-one contests, which provides the base for his intercepting and ball use.
| 13 RANK |  | Jacob Farrow West Perth Midfielder/Defender HEIGHT: 188cm | ▶+ |
12 - Aidan Schubert (Central District)
One of many former state basketballers in this draft class, Schubert chose footy in April last year and has hardly looked back. In 2025, in particular, the athletic tall forward has gone from strength to strength and spearheaded the South Australian forward line, where his crash and bash contested marking and high work rate both made it hard for opponents to beat him. Got a berth for Central District's senior side in a final late in the season, highlighting the esteem the Bulldogs hold him in. All the clubs in his range have shown some level of interest in Schubert.
MORE: MOTIVATION BEHIND FORWARD'S MONSTROUS YEAR
| 12 RANK |  | Aidan Schubert Central Districts Forward HEIGHT: 198cm | ▶+ |
11 - Dyson Sharp (Central District)
The big-bodied South Australian midfielder led his side to an undefeated U18s National Championships and won the Larke Medal for the best-performed player. A beast at stoppages. Sharp has crucially grown other areas of his game, able to impact in transition and capable of pushing forward to kick goals.
MORE: SENIOR FOOTY, LEADERSHIP SEPARATING SA PROSPECT
| 11 RANK |  | Dyson Sharp Central District Midfielder HEIGHT: 188cm | ▶+ |
