The young guns in contention to be this year’s No.1 draft pick

AFL draft expert Cal Twomey believes the race for this year’s No.1 pick is as open as it has been in years, with several young prospects in contention.

Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Twomey noted the lack of a standout top prospect compared to previous years.

“This year’s number 1 pick is hard,” he said.

“It’s not as clear as the past couple of years. I'll put it this way - there’s no Harley Reid in this year’s group.”

Instead, Twomey compared the 2025 draft class to the one that saw Sam Lalor taken first overall by Richmond.

“It’s probably more of a Sam Lalor number one group, where there’s a few different contenders,” he explained. “Basically, it’s up for grabs.”

Among those in the mix to go pick 1 is Willem Duursma, the younger brother of Xavier, Zane and Yasmin Duursma.

“Willem Duursma’s one of them,” Twomey said of the Gippsland Power product.

Another top contender is South Australian midfielder Dyson Sharp.

“Dyson Sharp’s another one,” he added.

Twomey also highlighted ruckman Cooper Duff-Tytler, who comes from a basketball background.

“'The Duff Man’, he’s a basketballer. I’m really encouraged by what I saw from him at the end of last year.”

One of the more exciting names in the conversation is Zeke Uwland, who is tied to Gold Coast's Academy.

“Zeke 'The Freak' Uwland, who’s the younger brother of Bodhi (Uwland), he’s a gun.”

While some other Academy players are impressing, Twomey doesn’t see them challenging for the top spot.

“There’s some academy players in the mix, I don’t think they will get the number one pick.”

Twomey also joked about his knack for creating memorable nicknames for potential draftees, referencing how dubbing Nick Watson 'The Wizard' boosted his early profile.

“The nickname elevates these guys, there’s no doubt about that,” he said, hinting that more draft hopefuls could soon receive their own monikers.

With the Coates Talent League starting this weekend in Victoria, Twomey expects more clarity on the top prospects in the coming weeks.

“Coates Talent League starts this weekend in Victoria, so we’ll see a little more over the coming weeks.”