A quartet of club-tied AFL draft prospects have given themselves excellent springboards for 2026 in a showcase game on Saturday.
Eli Kravic (Collingwood NGA), Tevita Rodan (Port Adelaide father-son, Essendon NGA), Moustafa Darwish (Essendon NGA), Zemes Pilot (Port Adelaide NGA) and were among the best performed players in a Multicultural vs Indigenous All Stars game at Kennedy Community Centre, Dingley.
Kravic and Rodan were described as the standout leaders of the Multicultural side, co-captaining them to victory, with Kravic finishing with 21 disposals as an inside midfielder and Rodan's composure impressing as he had a game-high 28 disposals.
Darwish had 21 disposals and kicked two goals with his efficiency and finishing polish impressive. All three represented Vic Metro's side last year.
Vic Country 2025 U16s representative Corey Ah-Mu was adjudged best on ground, using his frame to dominate in the ruck, finishing with 14 hitouts, four clearances and five tackles - all team-highs - to accompany his 19 touches.
Port Adelaide Next Generation Academy wunderkind Zemes Pilot represented the Indigenous Academy and had 11 touches, launching for the footy with great confidence and kicking a checkside goal.
Tasmanian Archie Devine had a game-high 22 disposals, while Xavier Little and Gary Lawford also played with great intensity.
Percy Burgoyne, a 2027 draft prospect tied to Hawthorn and Port Adelaide as the son of former great Shaun, had just three touches but provided the highlight of the day, a running shot from 50 metres after taking two bounces.
The AFL Indigenous and Multicultural Academies comprise talented 17 and 18-year-old Indigenous and Multicultural footballers, many of who meet the AFL's Next Generation Academy criteria.
Players selected in the Academies currently participate in state Talent Pathways programs.
Each of the Academies for boys and girls will support up to 25 players who will feature in two high-performance football camps throughout the 2026 season.
Following the weekend, a second camp will be conducted in September, which will also include a selection of 16-year-old players to support progression ahead of next year's Talent Pathways programs.
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