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Sport Nation
Shades of JHF: The star SA “bull” making waves
Jaiden Sciberras • July 6th, 2025 12:38 pm
The 2025 AFL Draft is set to feature an impressive collection of South Australian talent, with a number of standout players making waves amongst the junior and lower leagues.
Each expected to be selected within the upper echelon of the draft, SA’s impressive crop of young talent has continued to impress, featuring both for the state's under 18s collective as well as frequent appearances in the SANFL.
Assessing the best of the best, draft guru Kevin 'Shifter' Sheehan has declared one talented midfielder as a potential number one pick, comparing him to one of the competition’s most explosive talents.
Dyson Sharp entered his draft year as a clear contender for the top pick in the draft, bolstering his talents via the SANFL before dominating the National Championship as part of a stacked South Australian team.
Sharp, a contested bull and natural born leader, featured in two games for Central District early in the season, collecting 17 disposals and three clearances in his second appearance against Glenelg in Round 2.
In the National Championships, the star midfielder captained SA to their fifth U18 championship, claiming the Most Valuable Player award across the championships after dominating through the midfield, averaging 27 disposals a game.
With his draft stock skyrocketing off the back of his dominance at state level, Sheehan has handed Sharp a stellar comparison to Port Adelaide’s former No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis.
“He’s a star, he’s a bull, he’s a fantastic competitor,” he said on SEN SA’s The Run Home.
“He’s a great young leader out on the ground. He said, ‘come with me boys, we’re up for this’.
“You could see that demonstrative type of personality. He’s a contested ball-winner who averaged 27 disposals and six clearances a game.
“He had a great set of four games and set the standard for every moment.”
What type of player is he?
“For the boys over your way it would be Horne-Francis or someone like that,” said Sheehan.
“He’s got good very speed, a good change of direction as well. I don’t see him up in the air. He’s strong under the ball, no doubt about that, but Horne-Francis can really jump right over packs.
“He’s had that senior footy too, like Horne-Francis had, leading into the Championships last year and this year of course.”
Beyond Sharp, a number of other South Australian talents stood tall within their historical championship run, with a Crow father-son, an elite front-half prospect, and a bolter key forward.
Mitch Stevens (Son of Mark Stevens, former Crow)
“He played on the half-back flank for Vic Country. He’s had a very good year, last year as well as a 17-year-old at Gippsland Power.
“He was thrown from attack where he’d played all his junior footy and most of the best kids are put in the middle or in attack at underage level.
“They’ve eventually found that his ball-winning ability, his reading of the play and his ball use can be used as a half-back, a running defender.
“He’s had a very good year overall. He was solid in both of Vic Country’s games to date.
“He’s under the father-son rule which is a wonderful bonus for the Adelaide Crows later in the year.”
Mitch Marsh
“He’s in the top handful (of draft prospects).
“He played well in the big games. He kicked five against Vic Country when it was all on the line the other day. They had to win that, they were challenged by the Country side early, and he was fantastic.
“He kicked 12 goals in four games. He’s a beautiful, relaxed kicker of the footy.
“Ben (his father) didn’t play enough games for father-son. A premiership player at Adelaide of course who went across to Richmond for a few games.
“So, he’s in the open pool and no doubt his skillset was really on show over the month. He has leaped right up.”
Aidan Schubert
“Along with the young Schubert. He’s the one I want to really mention.
“A kid of 197cm from Centrals (Districts) had four terrific games. He kicked 10 goals.
“He stood out with his one-touch marking. He’s very mobile for a boy of that size and can help out a little bit in the ruck.
“As a lead-up forward he outclassed his opponents. So, Aidan Schubert is the one that has jumped right up.”
Listen to Shifter's National Championships and draft analysis below:
