VFL Coburg ruck Cooper Keogh has emerged as a leading contender for Essendon's Mid-Season Draft plans, following a string of injuries to the club's tall stocks.
Sam Draper was the latest casualty to join the Bombers' injury list, adding to Nick Bryan's season-ending knee injury.
Multiple NGA prospects continue to stake their claims as future AFL stars while a St Kilda midfielder's younger brother suffers a crucial injury.
Mature-aged VFL ruck Cooper Keogh looms as a readymade Mid-Season Draft selection for the Bombers, following the losses of talls Nick Bryan and Sam Draper across the past fortnight.
With Thomas Edwards also sustaining an early-season ACL injury, the Dons will have the option of taking as many as three players at the Mid-Season Draft.
Essendon still has veteran Todd Goldstein available, though he has served more as a ruck coach for the club this year, while untried 19-year-old Vigo Visentini is also listed but is unlikely to feature in the short term given his rawness.
Craft of the Draft reported that Keogh had suitors, including the Dons in last year's national and rookie drafts, before he was ultimately overlooked.
Keogh has rapidly improved since crossing from North Melbourne VFL, with his combativeness, follow-up work in the contest and unbelievable tank setting him apart.
He has started the season with a bang against some highly regarded direct opponents.
Keogh dominated Richmond ruck trio Ollie Hayes-Brown, Mate Colina and Samson Ryan in round 1, shared the chocolates with fellow Mid-Season Draft aspirant Brayden Crossley in round 2, before dominating against Mason Cox, with a 35 hitout, 25 disposal, 14 hitout showing.
On Good Friday, he helped Coburg win the contested footy in a competitive battle with VFL State Representative Tom Downie, winning 22 hitouts, 20 disposals and eight clearances to 19, 17 and nine for the Williamstown tall.
Fellow VFL draft prospect Massimo Raso was another who performed strongly in the state league this weekend, kicking three goals.
Ryda Luke, remember the name.
Luke finished with the stunning stats-line of eight goals from eight disposals in South Fremantle's WAFL Colts victory on Saturday.
Unbelievably, it all happened in the first half, with Luke having six goals by quarter time.
An athletic type who's hard to contain at ground level around the big sticks, he's long been known by those in the west but has been viewed as more of an outside chance among several Dockers NGA prospects.
It's not his first dominant outing this season either, with Luke having eight shots on goal in a practice match - but managing just 2.6.
In the same game, fellow Freo NGA prospect Toby Whan had 27 disposals and two goals, and bottom-aged NGA midfielder Lucas Robinson combined 24 disposals with two goals.
Robinson is viewed as the leading WA prospect in the 2026 crop.
Around the grounds, Josh Nomlatyu and Basil Hart were other Dockers NGAs in action and kicked two goals apiece.
Other prominent WAFL Colts performances included Blake Kelly who gathered 23 disposals in a losing cause, West Coast NGA Wes Walley kicked two goals and Sam Swadling had 30 disposals.
Having started the season playing WAFL senior footy before an AFL Academy game last weekend, Fred Rodriguez and Dyson Sharp were yet to find their best form before the weekend, but both were excellent at u18s level on Saturday.
Rodriguez gathered 29 disposals to go with seven inside 50s and a goal to help his team dominate the midfield and give him some confidence going into the second AFL Academy game this weekend.
Meanwhile, Sharp had 27 disposals and seven clearances in a bustling performance for Central Districts.
They will hope to take confidence out of their respective season-best outings to take into the second and final AFL Academy game this weekend.
Following the first three rounds of Coates League footy, the competition this weekend made way for a pair of Vic Country and Vic Metro trial matches on Good Friday at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee.
Smooth-moving Oakleigh midfielder Sam Grlj was the chief standout.
A speedy and clean ball-user, Grlj has rocketed up draft boards after a strong start to the year, averaging 21 disposals and five tackles.
It follows a solid bottom-aged season highlighted by a brilliant performance in the u17s Futures showcase on AFL Grand Final day.
Essendon NGA midfielder Adam Sweid kept his strong form rolling with another strong showing before sitting out the final quarter with a minor injury.
Defender Xavier Taylor, winger Blake Chambers and forward Charlie Sizer, all Eastern Ranges players, were also impressive for Vic Metro.
Dandenong Stingrays forward Tairon Ah-Mu kicked six of his team's nine goals, putting on a clinic as Vic Country's go-to forward after threatening to tear a game apart with his strength several times for Dandenong in the first three rounds.
His Stingrays teammates Toby Sinnema – a Melbourne NGA prospect - and Jay-De Varlet, both speedy players, and inside mid Sam Lewis also pressed their cases for nationals selection.
Gippslander Brodie Atkins racked up plenty of the footy and kicked two goals in a season-best outing.
Mid-Season draft prospects Rod Ali, Floyd Burmeister and Zac Walker continued to press their case for selection at the draft next month, and will feature for the Young Guns across the next fortnight.
The AFL Academy players were rested with matches against VFL opponents on either side of the Easter Weekend.
Vic Metro played Vic Country in a pair of trials on Easter Thursday, providing industry insiders with a great opportunity to see the best Victorian 2027 prospects in action.
Essendon-tied midfielder Koby Bewick was arguably the best afield, while his Calder Cannons teammate Slayde Law also caught the eye.
Port Adelaide father-son prospect Louis Salopek was exciting for Vic Country, while fellow Port father-son – and Essendon NGA – Tevita Rodan was also in action.
Oakleigh hard nut Lachie Alexander, Gippsland left-footed winger Oscar Henwood and ruck Cohen Dent were other strong contributors for their respective sides.
Booming left-footed Collingwood Next Generation Academy prospect Eli Kravic and Geelong NGA prospect Tom Steinfort both showed promising signs.
Other familiar names in action included Alex Whitlock, younger brother of AFL twins Matt and Jack, Tom Ough, younger brother of GWS' Jack and Riley Travaglia, who plays a similar style to his older brother, Tobie.
Most of the u16s national championships will take place across the next Victorian school holidays on the Gold Coast.
Woodville-West Torrens midfielder Jevan Phillipou broke his arm during the second quarter of the Eagles' loss to West Adelaide on Saturday.
The injury is set to sideline him until the second half of the season, limiting his involvement in the national championships.
It's a devastating blow for a player viewed as the state's best draft prospect outside the AFL Academy, who has started the season in red-hot form.
