Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean is widely viewed as a top-10 talent in the 2025 AFL Draft class after a sensational season for Murray Bushrangers and Vic Country.
The marking defender averaged 15 disposals and six marks for Vic Country and was equally influential aerially and with his distribution for Murray Bushrangers.
Dean's game against Vic Metro at the U18s National Championships, and the entire carnival, was when his name started being spoken about in the wider AFL landscape.
But that period of his season was set up by a scintillating start to the season at Coates League level.
Within the recruiting and talent pathway space, it was a practice match Harry Dean played against Bendigo in March at the Swinburne Centre where his talent first shone through.
The teenager was highly touted by Murray for some time despite playing just one game due to injury and basketball commitments.
In the short space of time in that game against GWS Academy Dean played, his intercept marking and athleticism were so compelling that the Bushrangers successfully lobbied for his inclusion in the Vic Country summer hub.
That outing against the Pioneers came after a diligent pre-season and provided an entree for what was to come in 2025.
"Harry was everything that we flagged he could be that day," Murray Bushrangers coach Brown told Craft of the Draft.
"You know, he's a very good in the air sound decision maker, highly competitive and highly combative, and they're two very different things.
"People often get them confused and think, ‘well, if you're competitive, you're combative', but that's certainly not the case.
"You can be highly competitive, but the actual physical part of the game may not come as naturally to you. But with Harry, he's highly competitive, he likes to win, and he's also highly combative.
"He's physical. He seeks out physical contact. And when you combine those two attributes with a 195 centimetre frame, really good overhead, sound decision maker, neat left foot, kick, I think you've got a pretty good package.
"That came to the fore very quickly in that practice match against the Pioneers, and he just got better from there."
Speaking to Craft of the Draft at October's AFL Draft National Combine, Dean spoke of his bold ambition to play Round 1 in 2026.
Several sources across the industry have indicated he has the skillset to impact early, a sentiment echoed by Brown.
"I would think, given how combative and how competitive he is, that will hold him in good stead for playing (AFL) early in his career," Brown said.
"Now, so much of that will depend on injuries and what Carlton chooses to do with him, but the fact is, he can play as a third or a lockdown defender as he puts on size. He's highly combative and highly competitive.
"I think those two traits lead pretty well to playing early, but time will tell in that space."
Brown also highlighted what Liam Hetherton could bring to an AFL list.
A back stress fracture ruled the 198cm forward out of any footy from May onwards, but he showcased his talent in nine games last year, kicking eight goals and learning off now AFL-listed twins Jack and Matt Whitlock and 2024 Coates League leading goal kicker Josh Murphy.
Hetherton is believed to be a player in second-round contention and was viewed as a player who could have pushed much further up the board if he played in 2025.
The North Albury local was believed to have sustained the injury in the aforementioned practice match against Bendigo, yet still kicked 11 goals in three games this year and showcased his contested marking, forward presence and mobility.
"I think while there wasn't much good to come out of the essentially season-long layoff, I think from his perspective, it just reinforced how much football means to him, how much he loves the game, how much he loves playing it with his friends," Brown said.
"What we did see throughout the preseason was a definite uptick in his training, in resilience, and his training standards.
"He's a highly talented individual, athletically, he's got really good power traits, and is incredibly good at ground level, so there's always a lot to like.
"It was just embracing the grind and his resilience to keep backing up in pre-season improved; unfortunately, he didn't get the opportunity to translate that into match day.”
Riley Onley is the Bushrangers' other leading draft contender for 2025.
The 194cm midfielder did not test at the National Combine but impressed with his 2.884 second 20-metre sprint at the Coates League pre-season testing and was a standout for Vic Country at the U18s National Championships, averaging 23 disposals.
"I think as a big-bodied mid who is built in the mould of a (Patrick) Cripps or (Marcus) Bontempelli from a size perspective, the point of difference for Riley is certainly his speed," Brown said.
"He's genuinely fast and runs a 6:20-minute two-kilometre time trial.
"When you combine that with his size and height, he becomes a real point of difference.
"Riley's best footy was when he was inside the state academy, when he was showcasing his power and speed coming out of stoppage and was settled and comfortable in the midfield."
