Round 15 AFL Rising Star nomination Finn O'Sullivan on his draft class, midfield future
O'Sullivan earned the round 15 AFL Rising Star nomination for his polished 18 disposal effort in Saturday's win over Carlton, a reward for a strong debut season in which he has played 12 out of 13 games.
That debut season has largely been spent on at half-back or the wing, with the No.2 pick happy to learn another position as the Roos balance an already deep midfield rotation.
This year, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Luke Parker, Tom Powell, George Wardlaw, Jy Simpkin and Harry Sheezel have averaged the most centre bounce attendances for the Roos alongside ruck Tristan Xerri, leaving the likes of Colby McKercher and O'Sullivan looking for a way in.
Like most youngsters, O'Sullivan sees himself as a midfielder when he matures, but it might not be easy to crack the rotation in coming years.
'To be honest I get pretty toey when I hear all the blokes who aren't playing midfield already that will turn into midfielders,' he said.
'We have already got one of the best midfields in the comp I reckon and then you add in blokes playing in different positions, obviously Colby is playing as a half-backer.
'When you hear the names in there and the names that will be in there in the next few years you get very excited and then for me, playing off the half-back and a bit on the wing has been awesome to see what it is like in those positions.
'Hopefully that will give me a bit more understanding of the game when I play midfield.'
O'Sullivan has become the frontman of a four-man North Melbourne 2025 draft class that includes pick 27 Matt Whitlock, No.57 selection Luke Urquhart and father-son River Stevens.
Whitlock has already drawn headlines after the Roos gambled by trading their 2025 first-round pick to Richmond in November to select him, and he has played one game, while the other youngsters continue to develop.
O'Sullivan, from Koroit, west of Warrnambool, has run his eye over his draft class in his laid-back style, and the budding star defender nobody is talking about. FINN'S DRAFT CLASS TAKES Matt Whitlock
Pick 27, 1 AFL game, 8 VFL games
The swingman made his AFL debut in round 4 against Sydney and has played largely as a defender in the VFL, with some solid outings.
O'Sullivan says: 'You have big Matty Whitlock who is about 29kg lighter than some of the boys he is playing against who are more like 28 years old.
'I think for any of the boys he plays on (at training) like big Souva (Nick Larkey) or even sometimes when he is up forward and on big Corry (Aidan Corr), he is hard to play on. He is pretty switched on, very skilful, composed. He will be no worries.' Luke Urquhart
Pick 57, 8 VFL games
A tough midfielder, Urquhart has shown some strong signs – including a 23 disposal, seven mark VFL game against Collingwood – but has recently been battling a hip flexor injury.
O'Sullivan says: 'With Urq, obviously he is a big body frame and you can already see that he is putting it to the older midfielders like LDU (Luke Davies-Uniacke) and Jyser (Jy Simpkin) and the explosiveness and power is definitely a strength of his. That is something he will keep working with.' River Stevens
Pick 67, 11 VFL games
The son of former skipper Anthony, young Stevens has been playing as a small forward in the VFL side.
O'Sullivan says: 'With Riv, he is one of the most skilful players at the club. So dangerous around goals, got obviously great goal sense, so can't wait to see how he keeps developing.' UNDER THE RADAR GEM
When asked to nominate a young Roo who's development has gone unnoticed externally, O'Sullivan quickly named half-back flanker Riley Hardeman.
Hardeman has only missed one game since round 4 and the No.23 pick from the 2023 draft has found plenty of ball in defence.
O'Sullivan says: 'I think he is already well known now but he is an absolute gun. The way he has been playing has been exceptional and definitely been a key for us winning. He will definitely be one to keep improving and he will definitely be on the radar I am sure in the next couple of years.'
Originally published as Round 15 AFL Rising Star nomination Finn O'Sullivan on his draft class and future at North Melbourne
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Thug act': North Melbourne star reported after off the ball hit
North Melbourne's Paul Curtis could be set to spend the remainder of the season on the sidelines after being reported on Sunday. The 22-year-old forward was put into the umpire's book at the end of the first quarter for striking St Kilda's Angus Hastie. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. As teammate Nick Larkey's shot after the siren sailed through for a goal, Curtis appeared to land a left jab to the neck/head region of Hastie. 'The fact it's behind the play – these things are usually graded as intentional,' Fox Sports' David Zita said on the coverage. Watch the incident in the video player above 'So that will already lower the threshold for what the impact has to be for this to be a one-match ban. 'We know the AFL doesn't like this – behind the ball shots at other player.' Geelong legend Tom Hawkins said a one-week ban would 'seem about right'. 'It doesn't bode well for him. I've been in that situation and it's likely that there's something coming his way,' Hawkins told Fox Footy. It could ultimately be the second time this season Curtis has copped a suspension after he was handed a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle in April. The North star fought to have the eyebrow raising ban overturn but it was upheld by the AFL Tribunal. But as Zita pointed out on Sunday: 'This one is purely of his own doing. He's put himself on the MRO's radar.' Fans watching on were quick to call for Curtis to cop a lengthy ban over the incident. One wrote on X: 'Absolute thug act. The game has no place for it. Enjoy your break.' A second added: 'Off the ball, intent to hurt. 3 weeks minimum.' A third posted: 'Enjoy the early end of season holiday Curtis.' While Curtis will face a nervous wait, the Saints endured one on Sunday as North threatened to steal the win away. In a game that essentially meant nothing other than a cherished victory for two success-starved fan bases, the game seesawed before the Saints gained control and survived a late scare to record the 11.12 (78) to 10.9 (69) victory. In a stark contrast to last week, the Saints all but stopped in the final term with the Roos getting within three points with 1:36 remaining. St Kilda held on just, kicking its only goal of the last term courtesy of a 50-metre penalty after the siren. Earlier on, the Saints had the opening goal through Max Heath in no time, but North Melbourne were able to get on top for the remainder of the opening term through superior midfield strength. Three consecutive goals gave the Roos an early buffer before the Saints found their feet and seized control as North's pressure fell away. They followed that Roos' run with four goals in a row to lead by a point at the main break after trailing by as much as 19 points early in the second quarter. The Roos came out better in the second half with two quick goals - including a third goal to Nick Larkey – to regain the lead. Both sides had their surges, but the Saints were able to get out to a 21-point at the last break after a six-goal quarter. The Roos nearly pinched it in a frantic final term, but fell just short.
Herald Sun
9 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Saints skipper Steele to start as sub v North Melbourne
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera notched up yet another three-vote performance to bring himself right into Brownlow Medal calculations as St Kilda recorded two consecutive wins on Sunday. The superstar – who engineered last weekend's 'Miracle at Marvel' – again ran riot with 36 disposals and nine clearances as St Kilda ran out 11.12 (78) to 10.9 (69) winners. It was his fourth best afield performance in the past five weeks in a performance that is likely to see his Brownlow odds slashed by bookmakers. In a game that essentially meant nothing other than a cherished victory for two success-starved fan bases, the game seesawed before the Saints gained control and survived a late scare. In a stark contrast to last week, the Saints all but stopped in the final term with the Roos getting within three points with 1:36 remaining. St Kilda held on just, kicking its only goal of the last term courtesy of a 50-metre penalty after the siren. Earlier on, the Saints had the opening goal through Max Heath in no time, but North Melbourne were able to get on top for the remainder of the opening term through superior midfield strength. Three consecutive goals gave the Roos an early buffer before the Saints found their feet and seized control as North's pressure fell away. They followed that Roos' run with four goals in a row to lead by a point at the main break after trailing by as much as 19 points early in the second quarter. The Roos came out better in the second half with two quick goals – including a third goal to Nick Larkey – to regain the lead. Both sides had their surges, but the Saints were able to get out to a 21-point at the last break after a six-goal quarter. The Roos nearly pinched it in a frantic final term, but fell just short. CURTIS ON REPORT Kangaroos star Paul Curtis faces a nervous wait after being reported for an off-the-ball strike on Angus Hastie. The pair became tangled on the quarter-time siren, when Curtis struck Hastie high with a Hastie was seen grabbing at his throat following the incident, with the MRO sure to look at the incident.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Son of AFL champion Luke Hodge to make VFL debut
A famous name is back in the big time. Cooper Hodge, the son of AFL champion Luke, will make his VFL debut for the Brisbane Lions this weekend. The 17-year-old is tied with the Lions through their academy, but he also has the option to select Hawthorn through the father-son pathway. He trained with Hawthorn only a few weeks ago but will make his VFL debut for the Lions on Saturday against Coburg at Barry Plant Park. Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell liked what he saw last month but was reluctant to heap pressure on the emerging talent. 'He's getting a game in the seniors at the moment, so he had to go back up to Brissy to make sure he holds his spot,' Mitchell said. 'He was with us for a few days, which was great. We've got Mark Williams' young lad out here today. 'It's great when we can see some of our father-sons come down and have a run around with the boys. 'I think the thing with a guy like Coop is he's still a young man and because of his dad's fame and accolades there's a lot more pressure on him. 'The last thing I want to do is add anything to that. He was great, he is a really energetic kid, (but) he's quiet, respectful and goes about his business. 'He wants to learn, he's going to be a nice talent.'
