Every player to have nominated for the AFL mid-season draft
A host of new AFL players will join the league on Wednesday night when the mid-season rookie draft takes place.
VFL star Tom McCarthy is expected to go to West Coast with the No.1 pick, but there are also a stack for former AFL players hoping to get another chance.
Geelong premiership hero Brandan Parfitt is among a group of ex-AFL players to have nominated, including Adam Tomlinson, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Nathan Kreuger and Charlie Lazzaro.
Over 300 players have nominated from around the country.
Check out the full list below.
Every nominee and their club
Tahj Abberley - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Oscar Adams - Glenelg (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Zach Adams - Central District
Coen Ainsworth - Murray Bushrangers (Coates Talent League)
Alex Alessio - Calder Cannons (Coates Talent League)
Christian Algeri - Collingwood (VFL)
Rod Ali - Eastern Ranges (Coates Talent League)
Matthew Allison - Coburg (VFL)
Harry Arnold - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Jaxon Artemis - South Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Jake Arundell - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Riley Baldi - Casey Demons (VFL)
Jack Baldwin - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Isaac Baldwin - GWS Giants Academy (Coates Talent League)
Zac Banch - Werribee (VFL)
Max Beattie - Eagles (SANFL)
Dominic Bedendo - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Nelson Beikoff Smart - Gold Coast SUNS (Coates Talent League)
James Bell - Glenelg (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Tom Bell - South Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Joshua Bennetts - Collingwood (VFL)
Kane Bevan - Western Australia (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Trent Bianco - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Lachlan Blakiston - East Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Thomas Blamires - Frankston (VFL)
Riley Bonner - Casey Demons (VFL)
Ryan Borlace - South Adelaide
Evan Bradley - North Adelaide
Dom Brew - Werribee (VFL)
Jackson Broadbent - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Hugo Bromell - Coburg (VFL)
Joshua Browne - Collingwood (VFL)
Lachlan Bryce - Casey Demons (VFL)
Samuel Buck - Sandringham Dragons (Coates Talent League)
Charlie Burke - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Floyd Burmeister - Greater Western Victoria Rebels (Coates Talent League)
Jack Bytel - Coburg (VFL)
Noah Cachard - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Archie Caldow - Peel Thunder (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Jonah Campigli - Sandringham (VFL)
William Cassidy - East Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Will Chandler - Glenelg (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Jack Cheep - Sandringham (VFL)
Aaron Clarke - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Jack Cleaver - East Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Shane Clough - Essendon (VFL)
Zane Cochrane - Collingwood (VFL)
Adrian Cole - Dandenong Stingrays (Coates Talent League)
Nathan Colenso - Williamstown (VFL)
Riley Collier-Dawkins - Williamstown (VFL)
Sam Conway - Werribee (VFL)
Lukas Cooke - Eagles (SANFL)
Billy Cootee - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Marlin Corbett - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Cooper Craig-Peters - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Jesse Craven - Casey Demons (VFL)
Paddy Cross - Casey Demons (VFL)
Brayden Crossley - Southport (VFL)
Sam Darley - Melton South Football Netball Club
Jayden Davey - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Kye Declase - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Clancy Dennis - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Oliver Depaoli-Kubank - Tasmania (Coates Talent League)
Riley Disisto - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Kade Dittmar - Central District
Jordan Doherty - Frankston (VFL)
Max Donohue - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Boston Dowling - Collingwood (VFL)
Connor Downie - North Melbourne (VFL)
Blake Drury - Adelaide Football Club
Elliot Dunkin - South Adelaide
Oliver Eastland - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Jared Eckersley - Essendon (VFL)
Ben Edwards - Sydney Swans (VFL)
Thomas Edwards-Baldwin - Western Australia (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Corey Ellison - Frankston (VFL)
Mutaz Elnour - Richmond (VFL)
Caleb Ernst - Coburg (VFL)
Tom Evans - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
Connor Evans - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
Ryan Eyers - Werribee (VFL)
Liam Farrar - Northern Knights (Coates Talent League)
Oskar Faulkhead - North Adelaide
Jake Fazldeen - Brisbane Lions (Coates Talent League)
Luke Fellows - North Adelaide
Ashton Ferreira - South Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Kristian Ferronato - Carlton (VFL)
Brodie Findlay - North Adelaide
Ty Fitzgerald - Gold Coast SUNS (Coates Talent League)
Joel Fitzgerald - Williamstown (VFL)
Zachary Fleiner - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Matthew Foley - Essendon (VFL)
Zac Foot - Southport (VFL)
Nicholas Francis - Gold Coast Suns (VFL)
Samuel Frost - West Adelaide (SANFL)
Joe Furphy - Coburg (VFL)
Aiden Fyfe - Gold Coast Suns (VFL)
Julian Galbally - Sandringham Dragons (Coates Talent League)
Joel Garner - Richmond (VFL)
Hudson Garoni - Werribee (VFL)
Jake Gasper - Central District
Flynn Gentile - Coburg (VFL)
Kobe George - Geelong Falcons
Ryan Gilder - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Jordyn Gillard - Coburg (VFL)
Glen Gillbee - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
Lachlan Gollant - Williamstown (VFL)
Maison Goodman - Northern Bullants (VFL)
Thomas Graham - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Baron Grant - Endeavour Hills Football Club
Harry Grant - Central District
Finlay Gray - Gold Coast SUNS (Coates Talent League)
Olly Green - Casey Demons (VFL)
Joshua Green - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Wyatt Greenaway - Brisbane Lions (Coates Talent League)
George Grey - Frankston (VFL)
Corey Grocock - South Adelaide
Jhett Haeata - Richmond (VFL)
Jed Hagan - East Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Hugo Hall-Kahan - Williamstown (VFL)
Josh Hamilton - Northern Bullants (VFL)
Riley Hamilton - GWS Giants Academy (Coates Talent League)
Cooper Hamilton - Carlton (VFL)
Mitchell Hardie - Casey Demons (VFL)
Zac Harding - Murray Bushrangers (Coates Talent League)
Matthew Harms - GWS Giants (VFL)
Joe Harrison - Sydney Swans (Coates Talent League)
Otis Harvey - Swan Districts (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Jett Hasting - Eagles (SANFL)
Jackson Hately - Essendon (VFL)
Henry Hayes - Dandenong Stingrays (Coates Talent League)
Taiquin Hayes - Southport (VFL)
Jack Hayes - Eagles (SANFL)
Cooper Herbert - Calder Cannons (Coates Talent League)
Kade Herbert - Eagles (SANFL)
Marcus Herbert - Geelong Cats (VFL)
Jacob Heron - Southport (VFL)
Dyson Hilder - North Adelaide
Coby Hilton - GWS Giants Academy (Coates Talent League)
Joseph Hinder - Western Australia (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Oscar Hine-Baston - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Darby Hipwell - Frankston (VFL)
Tom Hird - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Will Hoare - Essendon (VFL)
Damon Hollow - Williamstown (VFL)
Alex Holt - Sturt
Ben Hopkins - North Melbourne (VFL)
Noah Howes - South Adelaide
Liam Hude - Collingwood (VFL)
Ethan Hunt - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Lucas Impey - Williamstown (VFL)
Solomon James - South Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Matt Johnson - Frankston (VFL)
Brock Johnston-Smith - South Cairns Cutters
John Jorgensen - Northern Bullants (VFL)
Deacon Kalpakis - Coburg (VFL)
Luke Kelly - Swan Districts (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Judd Kelman - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Ben Kennedy - Murray Bushrangers (Coates Talent League)
Doug Kerr - Oakleigh Chargers (Coates Talent League)
Mitchell Kirkwood-Scott - Casey Demons (VFL)
Nathan Kreuger - Geelong Cats (VFL)
Sebit Kuek - East Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Ajang Kuol Mun - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Sean Lai - Richmond (VFL)
Campbell Lake - Southport (VFL)
Charlie Lazzaro - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Riley Leedham - Essendon (VFL)
Caleb Lewis - Casey Demons (VFL)
Mani Liddy - Central District
Matthew Ling - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Mitchell Lloyd - Geelong Cats (VFL)
Zaydyn Lockwood - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
Taj Logan - Carlton (VFL)
Jordan Lukac - Eagles (SANFL)
Seth MacDonald - Eastern Ranges (Coates Talent League)
Cooper Macdonald - Sydney Swans (VFL)
Ewan Mackinlay - North Adelaide
Darcy Macpherson - North Melbourne (VFL)
Zavier Maher - North Adelaide
Harry Mahoney - Collingwood (VFL)
Max Mahoney - Collingwood (VFL)
Jack Manly - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Archi Manton - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Riley Mason - Collingwood (VFL)
Jayden Matz - Central District
Archer May - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Ayden McCarroll - Western Jets (Coates Talent League)
Tom McCarthy - Richmond (VFL)
Tadhg McCarthy - Collingwood (VFL)
Curtis McCarthy - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Charles McCartin - Geelong Cats (VFL)
Fergus McFadyen - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Billy McGee Galimberti - GWS Giants (VFL)
Zac McGown - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Solomon McKay - Essendon (VFL)
Brodie McLaughlin - Williamstown (VFL)
Jez McLennan - Port Adelaide (SANFL)
Liam McMahon - Carlton (VFL)
Zai Millane - Gold Coast SUNS (Coates Talent League)
Alex Mirkov - Old Ivanhoe Grammarians
Diesel Moloney - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Rhett Montgomerie - Central District
Harper Montgomery - GWS Giants (VFL)
Louie Montgomery - GWS Giants (VFL)
Milan Murdock - East Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Cooper Murley - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Joshua Murphy - Collingwood (VFL)
Tobyn Murray - Geelong Cats (VFL)
Amin Naim - Northern Bullants (VFL)
Caleb Nancarrow - Gold Coast SUNS (Coates Talent League)
Jacob Newton - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Olivier Northam - South Adelaide
Cam Nyko - Essendon (VFL)
Finbar O'Dwyer - Williamstown (VFL)
Blayne O'Loughlin - North Adelaide
Xavier O'Neill - Essendon (VFL)
Hewago Oea - Southport (VFL)
Charlton Offermans - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Charlie Orchard - Dandenong Stingrays (Coates Talent League)
Daniel Orgill - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Cameron Owen - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Gus Papal - Calder Cannons (Coates Talent League)
Brandan Parfitt - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Luke Parks - Williamstown (VFL)
Patrick Parnell - Glenelg (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Lochlan Paton - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Will Patton - West Adelaide (SANFL)
Cohen Paul - Euroa Football Netball Club Inc.
Jye Peacock - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Luka Pecer - Dandenong Stingrays (Coates Talent League)
Elwood Peckett - Sandringham (VFL)
Flynn Penry - Greater Western Victoria Rebels (Coates Talent League)
Jovan Petric - Williamstown (VFL)
Nathan Philactides - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Baxter Philip - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Ethan Phillips - Carlton (VFL)
Mitchell Podhajski - Coburg (VFL)
Oliver Poole - Carlton (VFL)
Dayne Posthuma - Central District
Liam Purcell - Sandringham (VFL)
Nicholas Quigg - Essendon (VFL)
Sebastian Quirk - Frankston (VFL)
Harrison Ramm - Glenelg (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Heath Ramshaw - Carlton (VFL)
Wil Rantall - Greater Western Victoria Rebels (Coates Talent League)
Massimo Raso - Richmond (VFL)
Lucas Ravenhill - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Billy Richardson - Sandringham (VFL)
Max Rider - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Jack Riding - Werribee (VFL)
Jez Rigoni - Oakleigh Chargers (Coates Talent League)
Flynn Riley - Carlton (VFL)
Max Roney - Tasmania (Coates Talent League)
Fraser Rosman - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Charlie Rozenes - Sandringham Dragons (Coates Talent League)
Tom Ryan - Sydney Swans (Coates Talent League)
Mitchell Ryan - Sandringham (VFL)
Kobe Ryan - West Adelaide (SANFL)
Beau Ryan - Central District
Jack Saunders - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Galen Savigni - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Taj Schofield - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Mitchell Schofield - East Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Kaden Schreiber - Northern Bullants (VFL)
Elijah Scoble - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Angus Scoble - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
Tyler Sellers - Essendon (VFL)
Michael Sellwood - Peel Thunder (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Liam Serong - Coburg (VFL)
Travis Shearer - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Marc Sheather - GWS Giants (VFL)
Josh Shepherd - Oakleigh Chargers (Coates Talent League)
Kobe Shipp - Casey Demons (VFL)
Blake Simondson - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Luca Slade - Sturt
Oskar Smartt - Essendon (VFL)
Jake Smith - Werribee (VFL)
Harshul Sodhi - Kambalda Football Club (Goldfields Football League)
Phoenix Spicer - Footscray Bulldogs (VFL)
Riley Sprigg - Western Australia (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Ethan Stanley - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Roan Steele - Western Australia (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Andreas Stefanakis - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Dakota Sterzl - South Adelaide
Tom Stevens - North Adelaide
Luke Strnadica - East Fremantle (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Gabriel Stumpf - Northern Knights (Coates Talent League)
Nathaniel Sulzberger - Tasmania (Coates Talent League)
Frank Szekely - North Adelaide
Mahmoud Taha - Essendon (VFL)
Will Tasker - North Adelaide
Benjamin Thomas - Brisbane Lions (VFL)
Beau Thomas - Central District
Nick Thompson - Bendigo Pioneers (Coates Talent League)
James Tidemann - Sydney Swans (VFL)
Adam Tomlinson - North Melbourne (VFL)
Sam Toner - Richmond (VFL)
Donovan Toohey - Coburg (VFL)
Lucas Tovey - Oakleigh Chargers (Coates Talent League)
Cooper Trembath - North Melbourne (VFL)
Joel Trudgeon - Coburg (VFL)
Clay Tucker - South Belgrave (Eastern Football Netball League)
Noah Tullio - Werribee (VFL)
Izaak Twelftree Conor - Norwood (South Australia National Football League (SANFL)
Austin van der Struyf - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
James Van Es - Port Melbourne (VFL)
Samuel van Rooyen - Claremont (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Alex van Wyk - North Adelaide
Cooper Vickery - Carlton (VFL)
Jackson Voss - Frankston (VFL)
Lachlan Voss - Sandringham (VFL)
Tommy Vrkic - Northern Knights (Coates Talent League)
Zac Walker - Gippsland Power (Coates Talent League)
Samuel Waltham - Sturt
Oliver Warburton - Carlton (VFL)
Lane Ward - Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
Jack Watkins - Port Adelaide (SANFL)
Blake Watson - Sandringham (VFL)
Kyle Weightman - Coburg (VFL)
Tom Wheaton - South Adelaide
Hugh White - Northern Knights (Coates Talent League)
Cooper Whyte - Werribee (VFL)
Nick Williams - Southport (VFL)
Ethan Williams - Sandringham (VFL)
Zane Williams - Eagles (SANFL)
Tom Williamson - Ararat Football Netball Club
Conor Willis - Collingwood (VFL)
Riley Wills - Perth (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Lachlan Wilson - Richmond (VFL)
Kai Windsor - Casey Demons (VFL)
Hayden Windsor - Subiaco (West Australian Football League (WAFL))
Oliver Withers - GWS Giants Academy (Coates Talent League)
Mohammad Ali Yassine - Richmond (VFL)
Flynn Young - Werribee (VFL)
Noah Yze - Casey Demons (VFL)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Crows solidify top 4 with Swans smashing
AFL: A celebration of the Sydney Swans 2005 premiership turned into a nightmare as the Crows secured a huge win at the SCG.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Aussie Harper wins and Yates rides into pink at Giro
Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life - but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who'd started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left the Briton sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink. He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him," said Harper. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." "Mentally and physically it's been a challenging Giro," added Adelaide rider Harper, who became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and another Jayco man Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief. "When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say," said Yates. "I'm still a bit speechless really." Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life - but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who'd started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left the Briton sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink. He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him," said Harper. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." "Mentally and physically it's been a challenging Giro," added Adelaide rider Harper, who became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and another Jayco man Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief. "When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say," said Yates. "I'm still a bit speechless really." Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life - but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who'd started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left the Briton sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink. He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him," said Harper. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." "Mentally and physically it's been a challenging Giro," added Adelaide rider Harper, who became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and another Jayco man Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief. "When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say," said Yates. "I'm still a bit speechless really." Australian Chris Harper has won the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia with the ride of his life - but he was still happy to play second fiddle to his one-time British teammate Simon Yates, who sensationally exploded the race to grab almost certain overall victory. Harper, a 30-year-old stalwart for Australian team Jayco AlUla, enjoyed his first ever individual grand tour victory with an epic solo effort on the brutal 20th 'queen' stage from Verres to Sestriere, conquering one of cycling's most brutal climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, to battle home alone one minute 49 seconds clear of the field. It was a wondrous moment for Harper, a fine 12-year pro, as he rode clear of a breakaway near the top of the climb on Saturday and then held on for his first race victory for nearly six years, as an incredible story was building behind him. His ex-Jayco teammate Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, dropped race leader Isaac del Toro on the Finestre with another monumental ride to clinch the leader's pink jersey with just one flat, largely ceremonial flat stage left. Yates, who'd started the day 1min 21sec adrift, ended it 3:56 ahead of del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, and he'll ride into Rome with a second grand tour title in the bag. The great irony is that 32-year-old Yates, a former Vuelta winner, had lost the Giro to Chris Froome by cracking on the same climb seven years ago when he was with the Jayco team known then as Mitchelton-Scott. Sunday's redemption ride left the Briton sobbing with joy. "I don't know what I'm happier about, though, getting a stage win or seeing Yatesy win pink. He's an awesome guy, I had the pleasure of racing with him for a couple of seasons and I don't think anyone deserves the pink jersey more than him," said Harper. "It means a lot for me to win on this stage. It's such a famous climb and I'm pretty proud to win the stage here. It's a super challenging one, and I'm really happy I could pull it off." "Mentally and physically it's been a challenging Giro," added Adelaide rider Harper, who became Australia's third stage winner of the 2025 Giro after Kaden Groves took the sixth stage and another Jayco man Luke Plapp soloed away in the eighth. "I came here looking for GC (the general classification) and I was feeling good in the first week, but then got sick on the second rest day. "I started to feel pretty bad and ended up on antibiotics, and then slipped off of the GC. After that, I was looking for a stage win." It came in dramatic fashion as he made one key push with 16km left and then finally rode his last challenger, runner-up Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), off his wheel. Harper still couldn't be sure of the win, though, with Yates catching him fast in third place. "I asked the (team) car one last time how big the gap was, I knew Simon was coming, I wasn't super confident. Only once I got to about 1.5km to go, I knew I could hold on. It was a bit of a relief. "When the route was released I always had in the back of my mind to try and do something here and close the chapter, let's say," said Yates. "I'm still a bit speechless really."
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Origin of the AFL's great challenge: What AFLW can learn from the NRL
Those numbers are impressive – not quite Married at First Sight level, but large enough that if a single AFLW game came within cooee, the AFL would be doing cartwheels (as distinct from customary backflips) and telling us all about it. So, herein lies the nub of one of the AFL's greatest challenges/problems, which will prove more important to the code's future prosperity than the tribunal's travails, Tom de Koning's call or whatever Smith posted on Instagram. The AFLW's lack of marquee events. The AFL is more successful than the NRL on most fronts – crowds, sponsors, participation and relative spread of tentacles. The AFL has clubs that make the NRL look like minnows, on the measures of bums on seats and intensity of followings. But the broadcast ratings is one facet that is heavily contested, in which the omnipresent Peter V'landys can spruik that 'rugba league' has the edge. Whatever one makes of the competing claims regarding TV audiences, it is clear that State of Origin represents the NRL's greatest advantage – and point of product differentiation. This has become even greater due to the rise of women's State of Origin. Further, the ratings for each code's 2024 W grand finals show that the AFL is some goals behind and kicking into the wind. The AFL just released a meat-and-three-vegetables fixture for the AFLW last week. Highlights? A reprise of Carlton v Collingwood as the season opener, some double-headers, and little else that garnered media attention. If the AFLW fixture was an election campaign by a political party, it would be labelled a small target strategy. To avoid continued stagnation in the growth of the women's league (as distinct from growth in grassroots women's footy, which has boomed), the AFL has a desperate need for events that would be a rejoinder to rugby league's Origin franchise. So, what are the options – bearing in mind that the AFL needs at least two major event games for women? TELEVISION AUDIENCES FOR AFLW AND NRLW AFLW grand final, 2024 Total national reach (peak): 1.048 million National average: 379,000 BVOD (Broadcast Video on Demand): 17,000 NRLW grand final 2024 Total national reach (peak): 1.473m National average: 697,000 BVOD: 102,000 *The NRLW grand final was a curtain-raiser before the men's grand final at night. NRLW State of Origin 1 Total national reach (peak): 1.897m National average: 992,000 BVOD: 189,000 NRLW State of Origin 2 Total national reach (peak): 2.079m National average: 1.088m BVOD: 203,000 1. A grand final curtain-raiser Some months ago, Essendon president and television executive David Barham proposed to the AFL that they consider playing the AFLW grand final as a curtain-raiser to the men's grand final (as the NRL/W does). This would ensure the season climax an automatic peak or even average audience of more than two million viewers, and build the occasion; naturally, it would also mean pushing the opening of the W season earlier, to around the bye period of rounds 12 to 14. Both Seven and Fox Footy stand to gain from two or three marquee 'W' event games. 2. Grand final during the bye before men's grand final If that curtain raiser concept faces opposition from those who contend that the AFLW cannot be subsumed by the men, and that their grand final must stand alone, an alternative that this column has proposed is to play the AFLW grand final in the middle of a bye weekend between the (men's) preliminary finals and grand final. This would mean scrapping the pre-finals bye and replacing it with a fortnight's break before the grand final, which would also reduce the risks of gun players missing the grand final via concussion protocols. 3. All-star representative games State of Origin originated with the native game, but the NRL stole the franchise (from the then VFL) and produced an improved and superior product. Apple didn't invent the smartphone, but look where they've taken it. NSW v Queensland, of course, works in a way that the more geographically diverse AFL cannot emulate. South Australia and Western Australia aren't anywhere near Victoria's football size or depth, and, as Queensland's grassroots grows, a reprise of State of Origin is difficult. Too many players are excluded from a state v state, mate v mate Origin framework in the modern AFL. But the AFL can still trial an All-Star game, pitting two teams of elite players against each other. It might be Daisy Pearce's team versus Erin Phillips'. Or East versus West. Seven could televise the selection of the teams, as if this was a reality TV show. Such a game would allow the elite players to show their skills, raising the standard of footy and the horizons of the entire competition that expanded too rapidly; for those knockers of the AFLW and fans who don't follow their own club closely, this would be a glimpse of the future. 4. International rules: Australia versus Ireland This has been mooted as a potential event for the AFLW, and it would be easier than the men's version because there are so many Irish players scattered among the AFLW cohort (33 at last count); you wouldn't need many to travel out from Ireland. It's conceivable that they could compete in a game that is entirely Australian rules – which would be groundbreaking, and more so if the Irish managed to beat the Aussies at our own game. Whichever option is most feasible, the goal must be to maximise the audience and to grow interest in the women's game. Women's tennis reached parity with the men and became the most commercially successful women's individual sport globally by dint of historical quirks, and pioneers such as Billie Jean King.
