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.
4. Kobe Ryan (SANFL, West Adelaide)
The West Adelaide ball magnet will be one of the youngest on the field come Saturday's game while concurrently being one of the form players representing the Croweaters.
Ryan, 21, was first draft eligible in 2022 but fell short of a selection, instead remaining with the Bloods for the following season where he would go on to claim the 2023 Breakthrough Player Award.
He has since been a staple in West Adelaide's engine room, with Ryan enjoying a stellar campaign last year despite the club's woes towards the bottom of the ladder.
Ryan has begun the current SANFL season as he ended 2024, averaging 27 disposals, 7.5 tackles and 8.5 clearances per game.
He came close to representing the SANFL last year also, having been named in the extended squad for the league's state game against the WAFL, with Saturday's outing to be his first in representing SA at the senior level.
