Clayton Oliver smiles in his new colours for 2026.
It’s November, and that means the AFL draft is around the corner as the best prospects from around the country have the opportunity to realise their childhood dream of booking a spot on an AFL list.
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In 2025, Shepparton United’s Riley Onley looks to be the Goulburn Valley’s best shout at boasting a local claim to fame, expected to land between picks 30 and 45, according to Rookie Me, in a highly compromised draft class.
It’s a shallow draft pool for talents out of the GV region, while just two other Murray Bushrangers teammates in Carlton father-son Harry Dean (Lavington) and tall key forward Liam Hetherton (North Albury) are expected to be selected by a top flight club on November 19 or 20.
Taking a look back a decade ago, it was a not too dissimilar situation for Vic Country prospects up north.
Just three Murray Bushrangers were also selected in the 2015 AFL draft, although the Goulburn Valley laid claim to two of those picks - both of which were called in the top four.
So where are they now? How did our locals’ careers pan out a decade on from the night their dreams became reality?
Josh Schache
Drafted out of Seymour, Schache was a hot prospect set to shape a struggling Brisbane Lions’ key stocks.
The current reigning premiers finished second-last in 2015 and hence drafted Schache with pick two, where the then 18-year-old would go on to make his debut in round one the following year.
Schache would play two seasons in the Sunshine State, yielding 27 games, before making a move back home to Victoria where he would join the Western Bulldogs.
However, a run of form not reaching his drafted potential as well as injury interrupted campaigns left Schache on the fringe of the Bulldogs - although he did feature in the 2021 grand final loss - as well as his third home at the Demons.
Schache was delisted in 2024 by Melbourne, and in 2025 played premier division Eastern Football Netball League football for East Doncaster, where he won the league’s leading goalkicker award, kicking 67 for the year.
The former pick two will play for the Lions of the East Doncaster variety again next year, with the club announcing his 2026 re-signing last month.
Seymour’s Josh Schache as a draft prospect in 2015.
Photo by
Ray Sizer
Clayton Oliver
Drafted at pick four from Mooroopna, Oliver was a late bolter in his draft class, ascending to the top rungs and gaining attention from the perennially struggling Demons.
Oliver was loyal to Melbourne for the first decade of his career, winning a 57-year drought-breaking premiership with the club in 2021 before a tumultuous 24 months soon followed.
With rumours of both the club and Oliver pushing for an exit in 2023 and 2024 to Adelaide and Geelong respectively, all amongst a litter of well-documented off-field issues and an on-field form slump, push eventually came to shove in this year’s AFL trade period, with Oliver departing for greener - or more orange - pastures.
In 2026, Oliver will hope to recapture his game-breaking best in orange and charcoal with a move to interstate club Greater Western Sydney, despite a contract signed in 2022 initially tying him to the Demons until 2030.
Oliver was traded for a future third-round pick, but at 28 years of age, still has time on his side to fulfil the form he’s shown he can possess, and boost the Giants’ engine room, which placed 13th for clearances in 2025 - a steep decline from recording the eighth most in 2024.
With a fit and firing pre-season this summer, there’s no reason why Oliver can’t add a couple dozen games to his 205 career tally next year.
Mooroopna’s Clayton Oliver ahead of draft day in 2015.
Photo by
Ray Sizer
