AFL draft 2025 Willem Duursma is the tap-dancing, bird-watching teen expected to be No.1 draft pick

Many recruiters liken the 191-centimeter midfielder to former St Kilda champion Brendon Goddard; due to their similar height, role and versatility, as well as their overall marking power and penchant for delivering shots that others would not dare.

Known as “The Worm” by his siblings for reasons unknown even to him, Duursma is also drawing comparisons to sweet-kicking Fremantle star Hayden Young. He has a unique approach.

“Honestly, in terms of Zane and Xavier, I think I’m a good mix of both,” he said. “I have Zane’s skill and magnificence, as well as Xavier’s hard work, determination and courage.”

The Duursmas grew up playing against each other in their Foster North backyard. A friend of their father Dean used a digger to clear a field on their property, complete with pipes for goalposts.

It was always Yasmin and Zane against Xavier and Willem. These matches continued until Xavier became an under-16 and was considered a legitimate AFL candidate.

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“If Xavier was bullying us or putting too much pressure on us, he should have gotten on his knees or used one arm to be fair, but I got pushed around pretty easily, so being the youngest, I was dealing with that,” Willem Duursma said. “Yasi would do his best to push me, so it was quite funny.”

Wars did not always end well.

Seven-year-old Duursma cracked her head open one day after Zane pushed her against a log. Their mother, Susie, a well-known dance teacher, then listened to Zane.

But those games helped shape this richly talented quartet of siblings who graduated from the backyard to Foster Football Netball Club, then to the MCG.

“We would like to say this only happened with the tanks in Woorarra West. [near] Foster North,” Duursma said.

“I would say we’re pretty determined and hard-working. I guess that’s the main part. We’ve had our fair share of skill and talent, but skill and talent can only take you so far.”

If you don’t believe him, ask the Casey Demons coaches.

Duursma was unhappy with his skills work last pre-season and felt his batting wasn’t at his usual level, so he contacted the Demons to ask if he could attend training on Tuesdays.

fancy footwork

The Duursma brothers have something else in common in their journey to elite football. While Scott Pendlebury and Christian Petracca have a basketball background, the Duursmas have a dance background.

Their mother runs a dance school, and her children start lessons one by one from the age of two. Duursma performs jazz, tap, ballet and contemporary music. He even competed. Tap dancing is his specialty.

“This is a little different [for a footballer]. It’s actually a really good skill to learn, and I think dancing has been a pretty big part of it for me,” the teen said.

“I think as a tall midfielder you have to be able to move well to stay in midfield and dancing is why I have really good footwork and agility.”

Susie adopts a Disney theme for her school’s end-of-year concerts. This time, he cast his youngest son to play the lead role of Flynn Rider, the charming thief who falls in love with Rapunzel in the 2010 film. Mixed.

Susie’s husband, Dean, was a drama teacher before becoming a principal, so he helps with the acting.

Their families would load up their caravan and drive across the country in their trusty Toyota Prado.

“Are we there yet?” to evade the question. After the questions, Susie and Dean gave their children a bird book; Here they would mark a species when they saw it through the window.

“I’m a big bird nerd. I love carnivores, so I love meat-eating birds,” Willem said.

“We would take trips around Australia in the car and it was an unreal time.

“We had bird books in the back, so every time you saw a bird you marked it. So I was sitting there with my bird book, looking out the window and going, ‘Bang, that’s it.’ I could probably name any bird I saw in Australia.”

Becoming Duursma meant having a public profile since his youth, helping him prepare for the prospect of becoming the No. 1 chosen one.

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The success of his older siblings increased the pressure on him to make it.

“It would be a pretty big accomplishment to get to No. 1, but I think as the year progresses and you start to mature a little bit more, you realize you’re just another No. 1,” Duursma said.

“Of course there will be pressure, but I’m pretty ready for it. I’ve had pressure since I was 16, so I’m used to it. Whether it happens or not, I’m ready to go.”