Draft Dreams & NGA Hopefuls: Essendon’s 2025 National Draft Preview

AFL National Draft Date: November 19–20, 2025

Essendon's current picks: 5, 6, 21, 27, 30

With trade week in the rearview mirror, attention turns to the 2025 National Draft and how Essendon can convert a strong hand into long-term list value. This week we had Rick Edwards join us to discuss the shape of the class, the names likely to be in Essendon’s range, and a few under-the-radar prospects who could become draft-night value.

🎧Listen to the Full Episode

This article is an exert, from the episode recorded on October 30, 2025. You can listen to this episode in full, here.

The Top 10 (Rick’s board)

Rick’s current top 10 features a mix of high-end talent and role certainty. He’s seen Willem Duursma, Sullivan Robey, Cooper Duff-Tytler (CDT) and Xavier Taylor live, with strong views on their AFL translation.

Willem Duursma

Zeke Uwland

(Finn) Sharp

Cooper Duff-Tytler

Sullivan Robey

Xavier Taylor

Sam Cumming

Daniel Annable

Aidan Schubert

Dylan Patterson

⸻

Prospect Snapshots (in Essendon’s orbit)

Willem Duursma

Strengths: Line-breaking, decision-making under pressure, scoreboard impact.

Style: Modern two-way mid/wing who can hurt you by foot.

Watch-outs: Typical junior-to-AFL transition — strength and consistency week to week.

Cooper Duff-Tytler

Strengths: Power, aerial threat, versatility.

Style: Hybrid who can impact multiple lines.

Watch-outs: Role clarity at AFL level.

Sullivan Robey

Strengths: Competed at a high level and held his form; impactful in contest and transition.

Style: Ready-made contributor with senior-footy traits.

Watch-outs: Ceiling vs floor debate compared to peers.

Xavier Taylor

Strengths: Composure, defensive craft, ball use.

Style: High-IQ defender; could be a system piece for a decade.

Watch-outs: Positional discussion vs midfield needs. List need vs talent for Essendon.

The “next bracket”: live options in the 20s

This draft appears relatively flat outside the very top, meaning boards will differ and clubs will back their models. Names who could be in Essendon’s mix at 21/27/30 (no order):

• Jacob Farrow (WA)

• Sam Grij (Oakleigh)

• Oliver Greeves (Eastern)

• Lochy Dovaston (Eastern)

• Mitch Marsh (WA)

• Thomas Burton (Western)

• Brodie Atkins (Gippsland)

• Noah Hibbons-Hargreaves (Dandenong)

• Jos Landy (Eastern)

• Blake Chambers (Eastern)

• Marcus Krasnadamskis (Eastern)

• Felix Kneipp (Calder)

• Oskar Taylor (Eastern)

• Rory Wright (Sandringham)

Expect “reach vs steal” debates all through this range; interviews, medicals, and role fit will determine boards.

Rick’s Smokeys (all seen live)

Names not getting constant headlines but with tools that could translate:

• Bailey Lloyd (Eastern)

• Mitch Stevens (Gippsland)

• Zadyn Lockwood (Bendigo)

• Luke Cheffers (Gippsland)

• Zachary O’Keefe (Gippsland)

• Xavier Bamert (Sandringham)

These are the profiles that often land late-second to third-round and become development wins if a club gets the role right.

Photo Credit: Essendonfc.com.au

Next-Gen Academy (NGA): match rights

Two NGA prospects have drawn the most focus for Essendon this year, and the club has the right to match on draft night.

Adam Sweid

• 13 games: 25 disposals avg, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 3.6 inside-50s, 7.9 goals total

• Seven games of 25+ disposals

• One of only 10 players to average 25+ touches

Read: A consistent ball-winner with forward half impact — productive profile that matches modern roles.

Hussein El-Achkar

• 11 games: 28 goals, 12.7 disposals, 2 tackles, 2 inside-50s

• 6 goals vs runners-up Sandringham; two other 4-goal outings

Read: Genuine forward threat with scoreboard contribution; production pops in big games.

Looking ahead: potential future Bombers

Rick also highlighted three names for fans to bookmark for the coming seasons:

• Blake Justice

• Koby Bewick

• Tevita Rodan

Different timelines, different roles — all worth early attention for long-range list planning.

Draft strategy: How Essendon can play it

At 5 & 6: Resist overpaying for Pick 1; target two high-end outcomes (e.g., Sharp, Taylor, Cumming) if the headline quartet are gone.

In the 20s: Lean into the class’s variance — back interviews and role clarity; there will be starter-level talent in this band.

NGA: Be ready to match on Sweid and El-Achkar if the draft board and list profile say yes.

Optional trade flexibility: If a preferred profile slides into the teens, stay opportunistic.

Final Word

Essendon enters the 2025 National Draft with five picks inside 30 and multiple avenues to add both role players and upside. Whether the night breaks for a premium talent at the top or a cluster of value in the 20s, this hand should deliver real depth — and, with the NGA, a chance to secure two productive juniors already familiar to Bombers fans.

Rick Edwards launches Patreon

Rick has announced a new Patreon to help cover the time and costs of his work capturing Essendon training vision, Coates League footage, and even U16s this year. He’ll continue to post training clips on X, with extras, monthly interviews, and deeper cuts hosted on Patreon. Rick’s journalism background (interviews spanning Paul Keating to Damien Fleming to Kevin Sheedy) will underpin the interview series.

Link.