SANFL enhances its standing at 2025 AFL Draft

By ZAC MILBANK

The South Australian talent production line enhanced its standing even further with a significant haul of 14 SANFL players having their dreams realised at the 2025 AFL Draft.

After a record seven Croweaters had their name called in the opening round on Wednesday night, edging past the League’s previous best of six in 2012, a further seven were read out in Thursday’s second round.

With a total of 60 picks made by the AFL clubs across both evenings, it ensured SANFL would provide an eye-catching 23 per cent of the total pool of players chosen.

This equals the League’s best national draft percentage of 23, registered in 2020, while the total of 14 players selected is just one shy of the 15 taken in 2012 and 2018.

Of the 14 South Aussies snapped up in 2025, 10 were members of the victorious AFL U18 National Championships team which secured the State its first title since 2018. Eagle Jevan Phillipou was a member of the squad but was unavailable due to a broken arm.

Mature-agers in Glenelg’s Latrelle Pickett (Melbourne), Norwood’s Billy Cootee (Sydney) and Sturt’s Angus Anderson (Collingwood) also showed why the Hostplus SANFL League is so highly-regarded for its exceptional standard after they earned opportunities at elite level.

SANFL had four players in attendance for the opening night of the AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium, North Adelaide’s Sam Cumming, Central District pair Dyson Sharp and Cameron Nairn and last minute inclusion Pickett.

And it was hard-as-nails Rooster Cumming who got things rolling for the Croweaters, selected by Richmond at pick No.7 on Wednesday night.

Described by SA U18 coach Tony Bamford as a ”silent assassin”, 183cm Cumming hails from Wentworth in NSW and has modelled his game on Swans star Isaac Heeney.

Pickett, who was ushered into the Victory Room without any fanfare, was the shock selection from SA when he was taken by Melbourne at pick No.12.

The fleet-footed Tiger was presented his Demons guernsey by cousin Kozzy Pickett in a memorable moment, leaving him to soak in the fact he was playing for Tumby Bay just over twelve months earlier.

SA U18 captain and Larke Medallist Dyson Sharp, who measures in at 188cm, was next to have his name called, by Essendon at pick No.13.

A readymade midfield prospect who has gained plenty of experience playing in Central District’s Hostplus SANFL League team for the past two seasons, Sharp has been likened to Carlton Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps.

Hailing from Barossa District where he followed in the footsteps of his club legend father Darren, Sharp has the capacity to play in Round 1 for the Bombers in 2026.

It caused Bulldog Cameron Nairn, who received a late invite last week to attend at Docklands, to sweat a little longer than expected before being snapped up by Hawthorn at pick No.20.

Nairn has impressed with his versatility in being able to play as a roaming forward, or as an athletic wingman, where he shone with Central in the SANFL U18s in the second half of this season.

Measuring in at 188cm, Nairn – from Willaston in the Barossa – attracted the attention of scouts with his seven-goal haul against Western Australia at the National Championships whilst also running a slick time of 6:13 in the 2km time trial.

He will be joined at the Hawks by another Bulldog in Aidan Schubert, who slid to pick No.23 in a frenetic night of South Aussie selections.

Schubert, from Gawler Central Football Club, brings great versatility in being able to play as a key forward while also pinch-hitting in the ruck with his 197cm frame.

In between, West Adelaide’s Mitch Marsh became the first ever draftee from the Kangarilla Football Club when he landed at Adelaide with pick No.22.

Marsh, the son of 1998 Crows premiership ruckman Ben Marsh, is a roaming tall forward who is strong overhead while also possessing a lovely left-foot kick for goal or in general field play.

Sturt’s Harley Barker was the seventh and final Croweater chosen on night one, finding an AFL home at Geelong with pick No.24.

From the Mount Barker Football Club, the athletic wingman presents great value for the Cats at this position in the draft as he recovers from an ACL injury.

An U18 All-Australian, Barker has great aerobic capacity which he used effectively with his superb ball use by foot for the Double Blues.

Sturt’s Blake Thredgold, an athletic rebounding defender, was the first South Aussie selected on Thursday night, taken at pick No.26 by North Melbourne.

Eagle Zane Peucker then made it nine Croweaters inside the first 31 choices when he landed at Richmond at No.31, the son of former North Adelaide Rooster Simon Peucker catching the eye with his spring-heeled style.

Fellow Eagle Phillipou surprisingly slid to Sydney at pick No.35, almost falling to St Kilda at pick No.41 where he could have joined older brother Mattaes.

Then the shock of night two was Norwood best-and-fairest Billy Cootee, thought to be a chance for the Rookie Draft, finding a new home at Sydney with the 42nd pick.

Sturt left-footer Noah Roberts-Thomson then made it the third South Aussie to arrive at Punt Road, when Richmond selected him at pick No.54 to join Cumming and Peucker.

Central winger Matt LeRay became the fourth Bulldog to be provided an AFL chance, joining fellow Elizabeth teammates Cameron Nairn and Aidan Schubert at Hawthorn with pick No.56.

And then it was the turn of Sturt’s Jack Oatey Medallist Angus Anderson, the 24-year-old midfielder enticing Collingwood with his 190cm frame at pick No.57.

Port Adelaide’s Jack Watkins, who featured in the West End State team and was a member of the The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year, was the sole SANFL selection in the 2025 AFL Rookie Draft, when he was chosen by the Power at pick No.4.