This weekend's state game between the SANFL and VFL will set the stage for Mid-Season Draft hopefuls and ex-AFL names to make their case in front of AFL scouts just over a month out from this year's mid-year talent intake.
Last year's clash, which saw the South Australians claim a 14-point victory, featured now-AFL-listed quartet Ben Jepson, Jack Henderson, Harry Boyd and Ned Long, with the latter earning a top-flight reprieve via last year's Mid-Season Draft.
While all of Jepson, Henderson and Boyd were left to wait until the following summer's Supplemental Selection Period, their outings in the showcase game added to career-best campaigns at the state league level that would eventually earn them AFL contracts.
Fellow SSP train-ons Dom Brew, Brayden Crossley and Baynen Lowe also played in the 2024 game.
This year's clash between the VFL and SANFL will again see some of the country's best non-AFL-listed talent flex their value on a higher platform, with some already having AFL experience and others looking to build their case in the hope of a promotion to the top level.
Here we've previewed six of the lesser-known players to keep an eye on during Saturday's game at Barossa Park ahead of the 2025 Mid-Season Draft.
2. Liam McMahon (VFL, Carlton)
The former Collingwood tall looks set to spearhead Zane Littlejohn's attacking unit that will consist of Williamstown's Brodie McLaughlin, Frankston's Corey Ellison, Geelong addition Nathan Kreuger and Box Hill recruit Kye Declase.
McMahon is coming off a stellar second season with the Blues, having booted 45 goals in 16 games - managing multiple majors in every appearance for the year.
This weekend's contest will be McMahon's first since March 21, with the athletic forward hoping to add to his strong four-goal outing and place himself back on the radar of AFL clubs.
With opposition in Max Proud and Dyson Hilder awaiting, a dominant display against some of the SANFL's premier defenders will only buoy his chances.
