Geelong and Shaun Mannagh have continued a unique trend when he was awarded the 2025 AFLCA Best Young Player of the competition.
The award is "in recognition of the player based on performances in his first two seasons of AFL Football and is determined by the weekly votes of the AFL coaches".
Generally, the recipients of the award are between the ages of 19 and 21.
However, the Cats, like they do with most things in the competition, have bucked the movement once again.
Mannagh followed in the suit of Tom Stewart (2018) and Tim Kelly (2019) as winners from Geelong, but also as mature agers.
Both Stewart and Kelly began their AFL life later than most, but made an immediate impact in the blue and white hoops. They secured the award at 25 years of age.
However, the Werribee product did one better, after he was announced the competition's best young player by the coaches at the age of 28.
The Cats have been masters of pulling diamonds out of the rough, and have been known for their unique list management and shrewd recruiting, which has ultimately seen them finish top four 11 of the past 15 seasons.
AFLCA Best Young Player Winners
(The age when the recipient received the award).
| 2025 | Shaun Mannagh (Geelong Cats) - 28 years old |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne) - 20 years old |
| 2023 | Nick Daicos (Collingwood) - 20 years old |
| 2022 | Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn) - 21 years old |
| 2021 | Noah Anderson & Caleb Serong (Gold Coast & Fremantle) - 20 years old |
| 2020 | Sam Walsh (Carlton) - 20 years old |
| 2019 | Tim Kelly (Geelong Cats) - 25 years old |
| 2018 | Tom Stewart (Geelong Cats) - 25 years old |
| 2017 | Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) - 20 years old |
| 2016 | Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans) - 20 years old |
| 2015 | Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) - 19 years old |
| 2014 | Jaeger O'Meara (Gold Coast Suns) - 20 years old |
| 2013 | Jeremy Cameron (GWS Giants) - 20 years old |
| 2012 | Dyson Heppell (Essendon) - 20 years old |
| 2011 | Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle) - 19 years old |
| 2010 | Stephen Hill (Fremantle) - 20 years old |
| 2009 | Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) - 20 years old |
| 2008 | Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats) - 20 years old |
| 2007 | Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) - 19 years old |
| 2006 | Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs) - 20 years old |
| 2005 | Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs) - 19 years old |
| 2004 | Daniel Wells (North Melbourne) - 19 years old |
| 2003 | Chris Judd (West Coast Eagles) - 19 years old |
