Vic Metro has announced its 28-player squad for the U18s National Championships boys carnival.
The squad is headlined by AFL Academy members Cooper Duff-Tytler, Ollie Greeves, Tom Burton, Archie Ludowyke and Louis Emmett.
There are also seven club-tied players: Carlton NGA pair Tyson Gresham and Jack Ison, Collingwood NGA pair Zac McCarthy and Jai Saxena and Pies father-son prospect Tom McGuane, Essendon NGA pair Adam Sweid and Hussien El Achkar and St Kilda-tied halfback Kye Fincher.
Another familiar name is Hunter Holmes โ the brother of Geelong star, Max.
Six players have been elevated from outside the summer hub to the squad after excellent starts to 2025, headlined by Sandringham midfielder Rory Wright, who has bolted into first-round calculations.
Little-known Western Jets defender Jacob Marron and skilled Oakleigh tall Max Kondogiannis have been rewarded for taking their games to the next level in 2025 at Coates League level and for Wesley College and Carey Grammar respectively in the APS competition.
Fellow key back Jackson Barber, Calder's co-captain, was also added to the squad.
The trio add to a strong complement of talls for coach Lauren Morecroft to showcase, with ruck-forward trio Duff-Tytler, Louis Emmett and Zac McCarthy all selected, alongside key forward Ludowyke and Eastern Ranges 191cm pair Andrew Barker and Xavier Taylor.
Among the bevy of players vying for midfield minutes will be Greeves, Sandringham's Xavier Bamert, Western's McGuane, Calder's Felix Kneipp, Oakleigh's Ison, Chargers running machine Sam Allen and squad additions Wright, Holmes and Sweid.
Demonstrating versatility will therefore be an important step for those players to take throughout the carnival.
โI'm really excited to take the state's talent and see how we go,โ Vic Metro coach Morecroft told Zero Hanger's Craft of the Draft last month.
โI'm excited to showcase the best players and hopefully it's a good result, but my main philosophy is to develop players further.
โVic Metro has had success in the past but I'm not huge on the win-loss; I'm more focussed on getting the players AFL-ready and bringing excellence to their game.โ
Smooth-moving Sandy Dragon Jack Dalton and Ison have both made the squad despite not yet playing any footy in 2025 due to injury.
Burton, Aaron Sharkie and Fincher are the recognised half-backs in the squad, while Lachy Dovaston, Gresham and El Achkar lead the small forward brigade.
Arki Butler is the sole bottom-ager in the squad, having kicked five goals in an eye-catching first three games for Sandringham, while Northern Knights key-position trio Lewis Houndsome, Tate Hodgson and Harry Van Hattum are part of the train-on squad.
Knights midfielder Mitch Moate, Eastern winger Bailey Lloyd and Western defender Finn Davis have also been given the opportunity to train with the squad, having had their start to 2025 stymied with injury.
The silky-skilled Blake Chambers and combative ruck Miles Tyrer round out the train-on squad.
The most represented region is the Oakleigh Chargers with nine players, with all programs represented.
Full Vic Metro squad
Tyson Gresham โ Northern Knights
Hussien El Achkar โ Calder Cannons
Adam Sweid โ Calder Cannons
Lachy Dovaston โ Calder Cannons
Jack Dalton โ Sandringham Dragons
Tom McGuane โ Western Jets
Felix Kneipp โ Calder Cannons
Tom Burton โ Western Jets
Jai Saxena โ Oakleigh Chargers
Arki Butler โ Sandringham Dragons
Sam Allen โ Oakleigh Chargers
Sam Grlj โ Oakleigh Chargers
Aaron Sharkie โ Oakleigh Chargers
Rory Wright โ Sandringham Dragons
Kye Fincher โ Sandringham Dragons
Xavier Bamert โ Sandringham Dragons
Hunter Holmes โ Oakleigh Chargers
Jack Ison โ Oakleigh Chargers
Max Kondogiannis โ Oakleigh Chargers
Xavier Taylor โ Eastern Ranges
Andrew Barker โ Eastern Ranges
Ollie Greeves โ Eastern Ranges
Jackson Barber โ Calder Cannons
Jacob Marron โ Western Jets
Archie Ludowyke โ Sandringham Dragons
Zac McCarthy โ Oakleigh Chargers
Cooper Duff-Tytler โ Calder Cannons
Louis Emmett โ Oakleigh Chargers
Training squad
Bailey Lloyd โ Eastern Ranges
Mitch Moate โ Northern Knights
Blake Chambers โ Eastern Ranges
Finn Davis โ Western Jets
Tate Hodgson โ Northern Knights
Harry Van Hattum โ Northern Knights
Lewis Houndsome โ Northern Knights
Miles Tyrer โ Sandringham Dragons
By the numbers
Seven elevations from outside the Vic Metro summer hub
Eight club-linked players
Five AFL Academy members
Club-by-club
Oakleigh Chargers: Nine players
Sandringham Dragons: six players
Calder Cannons: five players
Eastern Ranges: four players
Western Jets: Three players
Northern Knights: One player