An incredible weekend of Under-18 footy showcased the next wave of AFL stars going head-to-head across the country.

A high-scoring National Championship clash between the Allies and Vic Metro headlined the action, alongside five enthralling Coates Talent League matchups.

The Allies wrapped up their carnival campaign with a 42-point loss to Vic Metro, finishing the tournament with just one win over WA.

This weekend belonged to the small forwards, with Lachy Dovaston, Adam Sweid, and Hussien El Achkar combining for 11 goals.

Dovaston is beginning to draw comparisons to Nick Watson, while Essendon will be licking their lips at the form of their NGA prospects Sweid and El Achkar.

With the 2025 draft race heating up, here’s a breakdown of the standout performers from the National Championship game over the weekend:

Allies (86) vs (128) Vic Metro

Allies

Tyan Prindable

Lions Academy prospect Tyan Prindable was the Allies best, finishing with 21 disposals, 2 goals, and a game-high 7 tackles. Prindable has been in outstanding form, and Brisbane will no doubt be closely watching this emerging talent.

Kaiden McNamara

Sydney Academy’s Kaiden McNamara was also among this matchup’s best, collecting 18 disposals, 7 marks, and booting 3 goals. Capable of playing in all areas of the ground, the Swans will be licking their lips at the prospect of securing McNamara as a priority pick.

Lachlan Carmichael

McNamara’s Sydney Academy teammate impressed again off half-back, finishing with 19 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles, 3 clearances, and even a goal. Sydney are already blessed with elite half-backs, but Carmichael is shaping up as a strong future addition.

Dan Annable

Tyan Prindable’s Brisbane Academy teammate and potential top 5 pick Dan Annable led the way with a team-high 22 disposals, 5 tackles and a goal. He’ll finish the Allies carnival as arguably their best player, and will be a valuable midfield option for Brisbane in this year’s draft.

Dylan Patterson and Koby Coulson

The Suns Academy midfield duo had a quieter outing by their usual standards, but still contributed well. Coulson gathered 18 disposals, 3 clearances, and 3 tackles, while Patterson finished with 17 disposals, 4 marks, and 3 tackles. If this is considered a quiet game for them then Gold Coast will have an elite midfield duo on their hands.

Vic Metro

Lachy Dovaston

A best-on-ground performance from small forward Lachy Dovaston helped steer Vic Metro to victory. He kicked 4 goals, collected 18 disposals and laid a team-high 5 tackles. Dovaston has kicked 22.14 from eight Coates Talent League games and now 7.4 from three National Championship matches. The Eastern Ranges product is absolutely killing it, and may very well be the best small forward in this year’s draft.

Adam Sweid

Essendon NGA prospect Adam Sweid was right up there with Dovaston. He also booted 4 goals, along with 5 clearances, 10 score involvements, 17 disposals, and 4 tackles. Sweid’s unbelievable performance showcased his ability to impact all over the ground.

Hussien El Achkar

Another Essendon NGA talent, El Achkar followed up his 2-goal performance last week against WA, with 3 goals from 10 disposals this week. He was electric around goal and helped round out a brilliant day for Vic Metro’s small forward patrol.

Tyson Gresham

The brother of Essendon’s Jade Gresham, Tyson showed off his elite running and aerial ability, taking a game-high 9 marks along with 20 disposals and 2 goals. If he can carve out a career anything like his brother, he’ll be one to watch.

Oliver Greeves

The 191cm big-bodied midfielder dominated inside the engine room, with a game-high 23 disposals, 6 clearances, and a goal. Greeves continues to build a strong case that he could be the best midfielder in the 2025 draft class.

Zac McCarthy

Collingwood NGA prospect Zac McCarthy showed his attacking presence again. The 200cm key forward kicked 2 goals and clunked 5 marks. If the Pies select and develop him, they could have a future star spearhead on their hands.

Xavier Taylor

Defender Xavier Taylor played a key role in Vic Metro’s win, providing plenty of run and carry off half-back. He finished with 17 disposals, 3 marks and 3 tackles.

Cooper Duff-Tytler

It was a quieter game for the potential No. 1 pick, with Duff-Tytler finishing with only 11 hit outs. Despite the lower hit out tally, he still managed to impact excellently around the ground with 13 disposals, 2 clearances, and a goal.

Round 15 of the Coates Talent League also saw some of the potential Victorian draft stars prove their worth for the 2025 draft.

Bendigo Pioneers ruckman Zaydyn Lockwood was the standout performer of the round, finishing with a massive 155 fantasy points. Lockwood dominated with a game-high 10 marks and 24 hitouts, while also collecting 29 disposals, which is incredible numbers for a ruckman. He also added 8 tackles and a goal to his game, in what was one of the most complete performances of the season.

Lockwood’s Pioneers teammate Tom Evans topped the disposal count for the round with a remarkable 38 touches. Evans has recorded 25+ disposals in 8 of his 10 games this season and has firmly established himself as a proven ball winner. Averaging 31 disposals per game, the hard-running midfielder knows how to find the footy and use it well.

Toby Sinnema, a Melbourne NGA and Vic Country prospect from the Dandenong Stingrays, was among his side’s best in a tough loss. The wingman gathered 19 disposals, 4 marks, and 4 rebound 50s. Sinnema’s work rate is elite, and he’s well and truly putting himself on the radar for the Demons.

Below are the 10 best performers for Round 15 in the CTL, based off fantasy points:

1 - Zaydyn Lockwood (Bendigo Pioneers) – 155
2 - Tom Evans (Bendigo Pioneers) – 148
3 - Jasper Russell (Dandenong Stingrays) – 131
4 - Sonny Beasy (Bendigo Pioneers) – 121
5 - Patrick Blake (Bendigo Pioneers) – 117
6 - Sam Harris (Calder Cannons) – 116
7 - Kobe George (Geelong Falcons) – 114
8 - Macauli Buck (Western Jets) – 110
9 - Jonty Davis (Bendigo Pioneers) – 108
10 - Angus Ford (Geelong Falcons) – 105

Gippsland Power (70) - (101) Calder Cannons

Power lost just their second game of the season, ending their 6-game win streak. The Cannons have now won their last 2 and sit at 6th on the ladder.

1 - Sam Harris (CC) – 116
2 - Zachary O’Keefe (GP) – 94
3 - Willem Hanegraaf (CC) – 88
4 - Jackson Watkins (CC) – 82
5 - Jobe Scapin (GP) – 82

Geelong Falcons (123) - (53) Western Jets

The Falcons thrashed the Jets in a game that the Jets never looked like getting close, sending the Geelong Falcons out of the bottom 4.

1 - Kobe George (GF) – 114
2 - Macauli Buck (WJ) – 110
3 - Angus Ford (GF) – 105
4 - Angus Tippett (WJ) – 98
5 - Archer Chamberlain (GF) – 95

Bendigo Pioneers (140) - (29) Murray Bushrangers

This was a one-sided, percentage boosting shellacking, where the Pioneers demolished the 17th placed Bushrangers. This monstrous win boosted the Pioneers into the top 8.

1 - Zaydyn Lockwood (BP) – 155
2 - Tom Evans (BP) – 148
3 - Sonny Beasy (BP) – 121
4 - Patrick Blake (BP) – 117
5 - Jonty Davis (BP) – 108

Dandenong Stingrays (63) - (83) Sandringham Dragons

The Dragons were only up by 2 points heading into the last, but ended up kicking away to win by 20. It was a hard-fought contest between these two mid-table sides.

1 - Jasper Russell (DS) – 131
2 - Miles Tyrer (SD) – 97
3 - Arki Butler (SD) – 94
4 - Gus Teixeira (SD) – 94
5 - Bennett Martin (SD) – 91

GWV Rebels (113) - (76) Oakleigh Chargers

The Chargers were actually winning this game before the final break, but ended up losing by 6 goals to the Rebels. The Chargers have now slipped to the bottom 4.

1 - Wilbur Shea (GWV) – 103
2 - Charlie Whitehead (OC) – 101
3 - Fraser Molan (GWV) – 92
4 - Riley Holloway (GWV) – 85
5 - Flynn Penry (GWV) – 85

See the fixture for the remaining games of the U18 National Championships below:

• Sun, July 20: Vic Country v Vic Metro, 11am AEST, RSEA Park