It has been a thrilling start to the 2025 season for Victorian footy fans, with 21 players with strong ties to Victorian community footy debuting across the AFL's Opening Round and Round 1. Impressively, in Round 1, there was at least one debutant with Victorian roots in every single game.
There were debutants of all ages, from recent U18 draft picks to VFL stars who finally achieved their ultimate goal of making it to the elite level, electric footy was on display across the board.
Several debutants scored their first goal or contributed to their teams' first win of the year. Keep reading to uncover the local footy roots of some of the stars of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
OPENING ROUND
Sydney v Hawthorn @ SCG
Tom Hanily (Sydney) - Leongatha JFC
The small forward was overlooked in the 2023 Telstra AFL Draft after injuries impacted his draft year at Gippsland Power. After returning to Inverloch to work on his uncle's dairy farm shortly after finishing school, Hanily grabbed the attention of the Swans and was selected with pick No. 14 2024 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
Debut performance: Six disposals (two kicks, four handballs), one mark and three tackles in Sydney's 20-point loss to Hawthorn.
ROUND 1
Richmond v Carlton @ MCG
Sam Lalor (Richmond) - Bacchus Marsh
Pick No.1 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft - Lalor played more than 100 games of junior footy with the Bacchus Marsh Cobras before progressing to the Greater Western Victoria Rebels in the Coates Talent League.
Debut performance: R1 Telstra AFL Rising Star Nominee - Two goals, 18 disposals (six kicks, 12 handballs), two tackles in the Tigers 13-point win over Carlton.
Luke Trainor (Richmond) - St Peters FC (Bentleigh East)
With pick No. 21 in the 2024 National Draft, the Tigers snapped up key defender Trainor after an impressive season at the Sandringham Dragons.
Debut performance: 15 disposals (11 kicks, four handballs), five marks and two tackles.
Harry Armstrong (Richmond) - Ormond JFC
A highly-touted key forward and teammate of Trainor at the Sandringham Dragons, Armstrong was selected with pick No. 23 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.
Debut performance: Five disposals (two kicks, three handballs), one mark and one tackle.
Hawthorn v Essendon @ MCG
Isaac Kako (Essendon) - Northern Saints FC
Kako has long been a part of the Bombers’ Next Generation Academy (NGA) program. His family has Iraqi heritage and his progress via the Northern Saints Football Club and Calder Cannons made him one of the top draft prospects in 2024, being selected with pick No. 13 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.
Debut performance: One goal, 14 disposals (eight kicks, six handballs) and three clearances in Essendon's 26-point loss to Hawthorn.
Geelong v Fremantale @ GMHBA Stadium
Murphy Reid (Fremantle) - South Melbourne Districts JFC
The 18-year-old midfielder was taken with pick No. 17 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, and became the first Fremantle player to debut in Round 1 - immediately following the Draft - since No. 2 pick Andrew Brayshaw in the 2018 season opener. Reid kicked four goals in under 10 minutes in the third quarter of his debut game.
Debut performance: Four goals, 13 disposals (10 kicks, three handballs). Top goal scorer for Fremantle, alongside Jeremy Cameron who had four goals for Geelong in the Docker's 78-point loss.
Sydney v Brisbane @ SCG
Riley Bice (Sydney) - Werribee VFL
Off the back of a strong season in the VFL mature-age defender Riley Bice was recruited to the Swans on night two of the 2024 Toyota AFL Draft with pick No. 41. Hailing from the Albury Tigers and Werribee Football Club, the 24-year-old played an integral part in clinching the 2024 Smithy's VFL premiership for Werribee.
Debut performance: 12 disposals (eight kicks, four handballs) and two marks in the Swans' four point loss to Brisbane.
Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane) - St Kilda City JFC
Ashcroft was named All-Australian in the U18 National Championships where he played for Victoria Metro, once at Under 16 level before back-to-back Under 18 selections. He is a dual-CTL Team of the Year member, too, and a dual-Sandringham Dragons best and fairest winner. He was selected by the Lions with pick No. 5 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, as a father-son selection to join his older brother Will.
Debut performance: 25 disposals (16 kicks, nine handballs) and five marks in the Lions' four point win over Sydney.
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium
Sam Davidson (Western Bulldogs) - East Brighton JFC/Ormond JFC/Richmond VFL
Davidson is a mature-age tall forward from Richmond VFL who was selected with Pick 51 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft. He played for St Kevin’s (VAFA) in 2021, after coming up through the East Brighton & Ormond junior programs.
He then hit the road, assigned to various rural placements for his Monash University medical degree, playing local footy for Sale City (North Gippsland League), South Mildura (Sunraysia League) and Maffra (Gippsland League) until connecting with Richmond’s VFL recruiters.
He kicked 26 goals across 17 games to claim the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medal as the league’s most promising young player in 2024.
Debut performance: One goal, 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs) and four tackles in the Bulldogs' 16 point win over North Melbourne.
Josh Dolan (Western Bulldogs) - Beaumaris JFC & Beaumaris FC (VAFA)
A creative midfielder-forward who was taken with pick No. 31 from the Sandringham Dragons, Dolan was touted as one of the 2024 Draft’s most underrated prospects.
Debut performance: Five disposals (two kicks, three handballs), two marks and two tackles.
Jacob Konstanty (North Melbourne) - Drouin FC
The small forward who grew up playing for Drouin FC in the Gippsland League joined Sydney as a first-round draft selection in 2022, taken at pick No.20, before arriving at Arden Street in the 2024 Trade Period after playing 23 games for the Swans' VFL side.
Debut performance: 10 disposals (six kicks, four handballs) and six tackles in the Kangaroos' 16 point loss to the Bulldogs.
Finn O'Sullivan (North Melbourne) - Koroit Saints
The Koroit Saints product was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, after after standing out as a junior for Victoria Country and the Oakleigh Chargers (he boarded at Xavier College in Melbourne for high school).
Debut performance: 16 disposals (10 kicks, six handballs) and three marks.
Collingwood v Port Adelaide @ MCG
Joe Berry (Port Adelaide) - Wangaratta
Hailing from the regional Victorian town of Benalla, Berry played for the Murray Bushrangers in 2023 where he kicked 27 goals and was selected at half forward in the Team of the Year and was also awarded All-Australian honours after kicking nine goals from four games for Victoria Country. He was selected with pick No. 15 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.
Debut performance: Nine disposals (six kicks, three handballs) and six marks in Port Adelaide's 91-point loss to Collingwood.
Adelaide v St Kilda @ Adelaide Oval
Harry Boyd (St Kilda) - Shepparton FC
The SANFL ruckman was picked up by St Kilda after training with them over the summer. Boyd was a joint Magarey Medalist (SANFL Best and Fairest) and a two-time Norwood Best and Fairest winner. He grew up in regional Victoria, playing for Shepparton and the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League. He also spent two seasons with Werribee in the VFL and played in the Goulburn Valley Football League in 2019.
Debut performance: 12 disposals (four kicks, eight handballs), 27 hit outs and four clearances.
Max Hall (St Kilda) - Montrose FC/Wandin JFC/Yarra Glen JFC
Hall began his footy career at Yarra Glen JFC, before moving to Wandin JFC and then playing seniors for Montrose FC. He played VFL for Box Hill Hawks before being selected with pick No. 4 in the 2024 Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
Debut performance: Two goals, 16 disposals (nine kicks, seven handballs) and five marks.
Melbourne v GWS GIANTS @ MCG
Matthew Jefferson (Melbourne) - Ashburton/Casey VFL
Jefferson grew up playing footy for Ashburton Redbacks (YJFL) and was drafted to Melbourne with pick No. 15 in the 2022 AFL Draft. Having played the last few years in the Casey VFL side, Jefferson kicked 29 goals in 2024 and won the Troy Broadbridge Memorial Trophy as the club's best VFL player.
Debut performance: Two goals, five disposals (three kicks, two handballs) and two tackles.
Harvey Langford (Melbourne) - Mount Martha JFC
A top 10 selection in last year's Draft, the Mount Martha JFC product was selected with pick No. 6 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft. He was co-captain of the Dandenong Stingrays and won the Larke Medal for MVP in the U18 National Championships where he played for Victoria Country.
Debut performance: Five disposals (three kicks, two handballs) and one mark.
Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne) - Inverloch-Kongwak/Leongatha
The 2024 Coates Talent League Best and Fairest winner was selected with pick No. 11 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft after a sensational season at the Gippsland Power and for Victoria Country. He grew up playing footy for Inverloch-Kongwak and Leongatha.
Debut performance: 22 disposals (12 kicks, 10 handballs) and six tackles.
Aidan Johnson (Melbourne) - Yarraville Seddon Eagles/Old Brighton/Werribee VFL
Johnosn hails from Gooramadda, a small town in on the north-east Victorian border. He started his footy career with Lavington Panthers in NSW, and as recently as 2023 he played seniors for Yarraville Seddon Eagles in the Western FNL, after stints at the Brock-Burrum Saints (NSW) and Old Brighton Grammarians (VAFA). Johnson kicked 11 goals in a five-match mid-season spell for the premiership-winning Werribee VFL side last year, before being selected as a mature-aged recruit with pick No. 68 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.
Debut performance: One goal, seven disposals (five kicks, two handballs) and five tackles.
Jack Henderson (Melbourne) - St Mary's Geelong/Werribee VFL
Born in New South Wales, Henderson moved to Geelong during his school years, playing for St Mary's and the Geelong Falcons (Coates Talent League) before signing with Werribee in the VFL. The 2024 Norm Goss Medalist in Werribee's VFL Grand Final win, Henderson was picked up by Melbourne in the pre-season Supplementary Selection Period.
Debut performance: One goal, 13 disposals (six kicks, seven handballs) and three tackles.
West Coast Eagles v Gold Coast SUNS @ Optus Stadium
Archer Reid (West Coast) - West Gippsland FNC/Inverloch-Kongwak
The Inverloch product and younger brother of Essendon defender Zach Reid was selected by West Coast with pick No. 30 2023 AFL Draft.
Debut performance: Six disposals (one kick, five handballs), three tackles and six hit outs.
AFL Victoria would like to congratulate all the local clubs, talent pathway program staff, coaches, volunteers and families who have played such big roles in the development of these players that has led to their AFL debut.