Sandringham Dragons first-round prospect Kye Fincher is currently in the midst of the most action-packed week of his life.
For all AFL Draft prospects, the third week of November is life-altering either way, given the potential of joining an AFL list.
Fincher, who has an interest in project management, finished his last year 12 exam on 13 November, will celebrate his birthday on 18 November, his best mate Archie Ludowyke's birthday is the following day, and if he doesn't get listed the same day, he'll find an AFL home early the next night.
A bid for the St Kilda Next Generation Academy prospect is expected either in the late 20s or early 30s, and the Saints are not anticipated to match a bid in that range.
It would be the second time in two years the Saints overlook a tied prospect if he goes elsewhere, having allowed Geelong to snaffle defender Lennox Hofmann last year.
North Melbourne is among several clubs in that range that Fincher has been linked to, and he has family lineage at the club, with grandfather Noel playing 15 of his 61 AFL games at the Roos, after starting his AFL career at Footscray in 1964.
| 30 RANK |  | Kye Fincher Sandringham Dragons Defender/Midfielder HEIGHT: 185cm | â–¶+ |
“It was a bit more dirty when he played,” Kye said. “He was with Ted Whitten and Bobby Skilton.
“He was super influential for me, I grew up in a footy family and I was always down at their place.
“They live in East Keilor and I would go down there and kick the ball in their backyard with Dad and take pretend species so that's probably where I get my leap from."
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That leap and marking ability was the most eye-catching part of Fincher's early season form off half-back, which sealed his selection in the Vic Metro squad.
Having trained in pre-season alongside St Kilda's midfield group as part of the NGA program and in the Dragons' engine room across pre-season, the coaching staff decided to play him at half-back early in 2025 to best advertise his skillset and maximise the likelihood of Vic Metro selection.
While he showed promise off half-back, it was what Fincher did when he went into the midfield that cemented his status as a bona fide prospect.
Ahead of his debut for the Saints' VFL-aligned outfit Sandringham, coach Brendon Goddard asked him where he wanted to play, to which Fincher replied that he was keen to play in the midfield.
He went on to have 26 disposals as a starting onballer and was named best on ground in what is now a frequently referenced performance when discussing Fincher.
It was the game that saw Fincher arrive.
What is lesser known among draft fans is that seven days earlier, Fincher was hospitalised following a school game and played the match with a cricket-style chestguard.
“I was in hospital spitting up blood and had cracked my ribs in a school game,” the Brighton Grammar graduate said.
“I was crook and feeling sh*t after the game the previous Saturday and I was doubting whether I would play football again for the rest of the year.
“It was such a weird injury, and I didn't know whether I should just rest and let it heal over but I knew I had to keep performing and get my name out there a bit more.
“It was a win-win situation, I thought, playing VFL footy. If I didn't get a touch, not many people expected me to get a touch against AFL listed boys at this age, but if I did well it would be really good for me.
“At the first bounce, Angus Hastie handballed it up in the air and I sat under it and put my arms up and got a whack straight to it so I think getting that whack early helped me adjust to it.”
Fincher played out the season with those broken ribs, with his standout finals series coming under injury duress.
Playing through the injury reinforced Fincher's high pain threshold, having played through a torn meniscus for several games at the tail end of 2024.
By playing out the 2025 season, he showed marked improvement in his power around the contest and put together a consistent body of work in the engine room, which has clubs confident he could be a long-term midfielder.
Having learned from Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera during his time at St Kilda, Fincher has enjoyed observing his career trajectory as a halfback who has been able to impact since going into the midfield.
“As a midfielder, driving your legs out of stoppage is what makes a midfielder look so good and at the start of the year, that was an area of focus,” Fincher recalled.
“In pre-season especially I was running backwards to find that halfback running past me.
“That's good at some points, if we need to retreat out of a stoppage that's fine, but (Sandringham Dragons coach) Rob (Harding) said ‘we'd rather you get caught holding the ball driving the ball forward towards our goal than running backwards and getting caught' so as the year progressed I started surging the ball a lot more.
“I'll continue work on it as I get on a list because I feel like my explosiveness, speed and power can make me a tough matchup.
“Long term I feel like I have the attributes to be a midfielder, and my field kicking is not bad having distributed off halfback.”
Fincher started the season as a well-skilled prospect with a reasonable athletic base, but has finished it noted for his kicking and athleticism – a perfect foundation skillset for modern footy.
He has become the poster boy for critique of the AFL's current Next Generation Academy system, given his parents are both Australian, but he was born overseas while his Mum was working in Hong Kong for a few years.
The utility acknowledges the quirkiness of his qualification for the NGA and is grateful for the development it has provided him, which has best positioned him to reach the AFL, but is open to a career at any club.
“My big brother was born in Melbourne but they moved over and lived over there for a few years when they had me,” Fincher said.
“Soon after (I was born) we came back and started living in Melbourne.
“I think it's a bit of a rort and I don't know if it's fair but the rule's the rule and St Kilda were able to get me through the program and they've been a great program so I couldn't ask for a better.”
Night one's watch party is set to be intimate given the uncertainty around where he'll land, but if he is overlooked until Thursday, there will be more guests at the Finchers' Brighton household.
Wherever he lands in the draft, Fincher is keen to get stuck into his first AFL pre-season and, having been doubted at times across his journey, will use those questions as fuel as he reaches for an AFL debut.
“The more people that overlook you and don't like you is something I really thrive on,” Fincher said.
“I feel like that fuels me to play better footy to prove people wrong.
“I have a saying with Dad that football's about proving people wrong. If people don't like me or think I'm as good as what I am, I just blow by and don't care what people say.
“I don't get caught up in the media. It adds fuel to the fire and I love it.
“If people don't like me, bring it on.
“When I was younger I would say to Dad that it would be so good to play in a stadium that hates you.
“Imagine 90,000 Richmond fans and you're playing for Tasmania in a few years and they've only got 10,000 fans at the ‘G and everyone doesn't like you.
“I feel like that's an environment I'd thrive on and it's where real players would show their true colours.
“Whether you go into your shell or live up to the big occasion and that's something I would like to do.
“The external noise people give you, obviously you don't listen to it when you're playing but to shove it up them and show them what you can really do would be special and I love the thought of it.”
Sandringham Dragons coach Rob Harding on Kye Fincher: “I think Kye is suited to the ball coming at him. He's found a good balance of attacking and defending and become much better at defending. He's a good kick who opens the game up and has a pretty good knack of taking hangers.”
