Seven players from Smithy’s VFL clubs were selected in the 2025 AFL Mid-Season Draft, including number one selection Tom McCarthy.
McCarthy will head west after being snapped up by the West Coast Eagles with the No. 1 pick following a brilliant start to the 2025 Smithy’s VFL season with Richmond.
The 24-year-old averaged 23 disposals, four marks, three tackles and three rebound-50s across seven matches at half back this year.
It followed a promising debut season for the Tigers in 2024, where he averaged 17 disposals across 15 matches in a midfield role.
Werribee premiership teammates Zac Banch and Flynn Young were drafted within two picks of each other, with Banch selected by North Melbourne at pick 2 before Young joined Carlton at pick 4.
The duo’s selection continued the remarkable draft success of the reigning Smithy’s VFL premiers, with seven Werribee having been added onto an AFL list since the 2023 VFL Grand Final.
Banch and Young followed in the footsteps of Shaun Mannagh, Sam Clohesy, Riley Bice, Aidan Johnson and Jack Henderson, who have all joined AFL clubs over the past 18 months.
Small forward Banch averaged 15.5 disposals and a goal per game across eight matches this year. He produced a competition-high 20 score assists, which included an equal-club record eight in Werribee’s Round 6 win over Frankston.
Classy left-footer Young enjoyed a breakout season during the Tigers’ 2024 premiership campaign after playing one game in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
He elevated his game further this year, averaging 15 disposals, 4.5 inside 50s, 1.9 score assists and 1.5 goals per game.
Banch will be joined at North Melbourne by emerging tall Cooper Trembath, who was elevated onto the Kangaroos’ AFL list at pick 10.
Trembath joined North Melbourne’s VFL program from the Eastern Ranges during the off-season, having made one VFL appearance for Footscray in 2024.
The tall defender was played as a forward in his sole VFL appearance this year and impressed with three goals in the Round 7 defeat to the Brisbane Lions.
Casey Demons’ high flyer Caleb Lewis was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick 14, despite having played only eight State League games across three seasons.
Lewis played four games for Footscray in 2023, booting seven goals, before crossing to the Casey Demons.
He played three games last year, before adding another in the opening round this season, where he kicked two goals in the Round 1 draw with North Melbourne.
Essendon turned to VFL talent with the final two picks in the Mid-Season Rookie Draft, elevating Oskar Smartt from its VFL program with pick 17 before giving Liam McMahon an AFL lifeline with the final selection at pick 18.
Smartt joined the Bombers from the Bendigo Pioneers last year and showed good forward craft, averaging a goal a game across 12 appearances.
He added a further six games this year, which included his best performance at VFL level in the weekend’s defeat to Richmond where he booted three goals from 17 disposals.
McMahon was one of only two previously-listed AFL players to get a second chance in this year’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
Originally drafted by Collingwood with pick 31 in 2020, McMahon failed to make an AFL appearance in two seasons on the Magpies’ list.
He joined Carlton’s VFL team in 2023 and has been one of the competition’s most prolific forwards since, booting 87 goals in 40 appearances for the Blues.
He was named at centre half forward in the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year following a 45-goal season and represented the Smithy’s VFL State Team in its victory over the SANFL in the 2025 AAMI State Game during Gather Round.
In addition to the seven currently-listed VFL players selected in the Mid-Season Rookie Draft, there were two former VFL stars who had their AFL dreams realised.
Tall forward Archie May was selected by Essendon with pick 6 following a strong start to the 2025 season with Subiaco.
May spent the previous two years with Richmond’s VFL team and booted 20 goals during the 2024 campaign, which included a four-goal haul against Essendon in the Round 9 clash at the MCG.
Roan Steele joined Collingwood at pick 8 after impressing in a midfield role with West Perth this season.
Steele made 53 VFL appearances for the Casey Demons from 2022 to 2024, finishing runner-up in the club’s best and fairest award in each of the past two seasons before heading west this year.
