Zac Banch and Flynn Young are the latest Werribee Tigers graduates to make their way to the AFL, joining an illustrious but increasingly widening group.
Both Banch and Young were selected in the 2025 Mid-Season Draft to continue the strong contingent of Tigers players living out their boyhood dreams, with North Melbourne and Carlton making that happen.
It follows a long line of former and current top-flight footballers entering the elite ranks after spending time at the VFL standalone club, ranging from Fremantle star Michael Barlow, to Kangaroos and Melbourne forward Ben Brown.
SEE MORE: EVERY 2025 Mid-Season Draft selection
Sam Clohesy (Gold Coast), Riley Bice (Sydney), Aidan Johnson (Melbourne), Jack Henderson (Melbourne) and Shaun Mannagh (Geelong) are the most recent AFL additions coming directly from Avalon.
Banch was taken by North Melbourne with Pick 2, and after a minor stint at Williamstown Seagulls in 2023, he made the switch last year to the Tigers, rarely missing since debuting in Round 8.
The small forward was pivotal in the club's 2024 premiership victory over Southport Sharks, and began this season in fine form, ultimately leading to his AFL opportunity.
"He plays a high half forward, small forward role and has a great running ability. He gets up the ground and then he's a bit of a handful when he's streaming back to goal," North Melbourne Recruiting Manager Will Thursfield said.
"He's very clean, he's very crafty, he doesn't need much time to make his decisions, and he's a very nice kick of the footy.
"He's an impact player. Half his touches have ended up in scores, so he's damaging and is very good defensively, too.
"He's honest, he'll step in, he'll tackle, he's a tough little man, and he's a pretty infectious sort of personality."
Young was selected with Pick 4 by the Blues, and had spent the past four seasons at Werribee, playing his first game for the club in Round 22, 2022.
He has since played 26 VFL matches, including the first eight of this year, before being snapped by the Blues.
The multi-faceted Young boasts the ability to play in a variety of roles, which is what attracted Carlton.
"Flynn has gone from strength to strength in the last little while, and we couldn't be happier to bring him to the football club," Carlton Head of List Management Nick Austin said.
"At 23 years of age, it hasn't been the conventional path to the elite level for Flynn - what he has shown in his time at Werribee is his appetite for getting the best out of himself and leaving no stone unturned.
"He's produced some big moments in some big finals at VFL level, and we think he offers something different as a dynamic player in the front half.
"He can play multiple roles, he backs in his ball use and he's a threat in the air and on the ground: we're excited to see what he can produce at our footy club."
Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna was ecstatic that Banch and Young AFL dreams became a reality.
"From a club perspective," Penaluna added, according to the club website.
"It is a credit to Jimmy Allan, our coaches and Football Manager Kyle Hartigan and his staff. Indeed, all elements of the Werribee Football Club, from the board, sponsors and volunteers, help create an environment where people are given every opportunity to reach their potential."
The two Tigers graduate as numbers 31 and 32, continuing an impressive legacy.
