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Sport Nation
The 12 VFL stars who could be in the Mid-Season Draft mix
Andrew Slevison, Lachlan Geleit & Jaiden Sciberras • May 1st, 2025 12:38 pm
The Mid-Season Rookie Draft is creeping up slowly, meaning it's time to start forecasting which state league stars could be picked up.
We have taken a look at a dozen players strutting their stuff in the VFL who are putting their names forward ahead of May 28.
See our list below:
Mitch Hardie (Casey Demons)
Mitch Hardie spent a season and a half on Geelong’s list after he was picked up from SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens in the 2023 mid-season draft. The 27-year-old has been ripping it up in the VFL for the past few seasons, first with the Cats when winning last year’s best and fairest, and now with the Demons. Hardie said there was some interest in him late last year after his Geelong delisting and that could be the case again this year. His numbers in three VFL games in 2025 have been excellent, highlighted by 37 touches and three goals in the Richmond flogging last weekend.
Riley Bonner (Casey Demons)
Former Port Adelaide and St Kilda half-back Riley Bonner has been filling up for Casey with almost 170 disposals in five games. The 28-year-old remarkably had 28 by half-time on his way to 43 touches against the Tigers last week. He could potentially be an attractive proposition for a club looking for experience in defence, given he has 112 AFL games under his belt.
Cooper Keogh (Coburg)
If there are any AFL clubs out there looking for a ruckman (hello, Essendon), Coburg’s Cooper Keogh would be a nice fit. The 26-year-old has been in superb form so far in 2025, averaging 29.8 hit outs and 18.5 disposals. Keogh is in his second year with the Lions having previously spent time at North Melbourne VFL. Following injuries to Sam Draper and Nick Bryan, which leaves the ageing Todd Goldstein and inexperienced duo Vigo Visentini and Kayle Gerreyn, the Bombers could do much worse than look Keogh’s way to fill a void.
Flynn Gentile (Coburg)
Keogh’s Coburg colleague Flynn Gentile could also attract attention from AFL clubs. The 180cm midfielder is industrious in the clinches and can burst through stoppage to find teammates with sure hands. Last year’s Lions best and fairest has started the season nicely with disposal tallies of 30, 26, 27 and 29. At 22, he could still have plenty to offer an AFL club after being overlooked in the 2021 draft.
Riley Mason (Collingwood VFL)
The 195cm tall forward is in his first VFL season with the Magpies but has quickly made his mark with 12 goals from four games. The 23-year-old played for Seymour last season in the Goulburn Valley Football League where he kicked 72 goals from 18 games. He burst onto the scene with bags of four goals against Sydney and five goals against Coburg in Collingwood’s first two games of the season. Mason could follow in the footsteps of former Collingwood VFL forward Jack Hutchinson who went at pick three in last year’s mid-season draft after playing country footy the year prior.
Josh Green (Port Melbourne)
Josh Green is a big-bodied midfielder who plays much in the same manner as his older brother, Giants gun Tom. He’s been at Port Melbourne for the past couple of seasons, and was great when he played last year, averaging a tick over 21 disposals, almost 14 contested possessions and near seven clearances across 13 games. Green stands over the ball and brings others into the play with his strength and sure hands. He is in great touch this season so far, averaging 24.8 disposals despite the Borough’s winless start to the campaign.
Massimo Raso (Richmond VFL)
Another off the Richmond VFL production line, Massimo Raso has been busy putting himself in mid-season draft calculations in his first season at state league level. The former Western Jet has shared his time as an inside midfielder and a small forward, averaging 15.4 touches while kicking nine goals (twice booting three). At 171cm, Raso relies on his cleanliness at ground level and his expert roving ability, and might become a real mid-season draft threat if he can sharpen his foot skills.
Tom McCarthy (Richmond VFL)
McCarthy has come from nowhere in the last 12 months and AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge is now touting him as a potential No.1 mid-season selection. Standing at a rangy 187cm, McCarthy’s running traits and footy smarts allow him to be used in both the midfield and as a half-back where he's averaged 22.4 disposals a game this season. A late bloomer who turns 25 in July, McCarthy didn’t come through typical talent pathways, instead joining Richmond VFL during last season after starring for Highett in Division 2 of the Southern Football League.
Brayden Crossley (Southport Sharks)
Crossley has been on the verge of an AFL call-up for a number of years off the back of incredible VFL form. Comfortably one of the top few ruckmen in the lower leagues, the former Sun has dominated at the level. Standing at 198cm, the co-captain managed 16 votes and a seventh-place finish in the 2024 JJ Liston trophy after anchoring Southport to a Grand Final berth. After training with the Western Bulldogs over the off-season, the 25-year-old is certainly AFL-ready, averaging 15 disposals, six tackles and 38 hit outs per game for the second-placed Sharks this year.
Ben Edwards (Sydney VFL)
Edwards has previously been in mid-season draft calculations while playing for Claremont in the WAFL and he’ll hope his form for Sydney gets him a proper look this year. After moving to the Swans in 2024, Edwards had perhaps the best VFL game of his career in Round 4 against Werribee when he collected 29 disposals to go with a goal. A midfielder who gets plenty of inside ball, the 26-year-old could be a ready-made option for AFL clubs to look at.
Dom Brew (Werribee)
Will Dom Brew finally get his chance at top-flight footy? The 28-year-old has played ruthless football for a matter of years, commanding a Werribee midfield and captaining his side to the 2024 VFL Premiership. Across last season, Brew collected an abundance of personal awards, claiming the JJ Liston Trophy with a nine-vote buffer to second place, winning the Coaches MVP, named captain of the VFL All-Australian side alongside the coveted premiership medal. Continuing his dominance in 2025 after a pre-season with the Western Bulldogs, Brew will certainly remain on a number of mid-season draft boards. What else can he possibly do?
Lachie Gollant (Williamstown)
The former Crow has only featured in one contest at VFL level, however his prospect for a return to the AFL remains. The 23-year-old does his best work in the forward half, booting 115 goals in 51 games for Adelaide in the SANFL over his four-year span in South Australia. Returning to the VFL this season, Gollant was a standout in his Williamstown debut, booting four goals to hand the Seagulls their first win of the season. At 191cm, the Victorian has plenty to offer at AFL level.
