A familiar surname to many given the family ties at Port Adelaide - and now Essendon - Zane Duursma is set to join siblings Xavier and Yasmin at the elite level through next month's National Draft.
The midfield-forward threat is a bonafide match-winner who relies on his athleticism, keen eye for goal and polish to stamp his authority on each game.
The Foster product capped off a stellar carnival with a prolific performance against Vic Metro in Vic Country's final National Championships outing, kicking four goals (three in the third term alone) from his 22 disposals, 10 marks and 15 score involvements in a victory that saw the Country kids break away from their state rivals in the second half - with Duursma having a resounding impact on the result.
That form would continue when Duursma returned to the Talent League with Gippsland, booting 20 goals in his left half-a-dozen appearances for the Power to end the season with 33 majors to his name - good for second most in the competition.
While his attacking impact is evident, Duursma can an impact through midfield with his ball-winning ability and agile nature around stoppages, with the 189cm utility recording 20 or more possessions in five games for the Power this year - averaging two goals in those five games.
Duurmsa would also pull on the red and blue throughout 2023 after being invited to train with the Melbourne Demons in the pre-season before featuring for the club's VFL affiliate Casey on two occasions. Duurmsa would average 11 possessions across his pair of appearances as he looked to add more senior experience to his resume after previously representing Mid Gippsland FNL club the Foster Tigers in May.
Duursma entered 2023 as one of the premier prospects off the back of a strong showing in last year's Future Stars game, with the back-end of his draft campaign only strengthening his place as a likely top-end selection.
With North Melbourne equipped with Picks 2 and 3, the Roos firm as a potential landing spot for Duursma, who would also have interest from following selection holders Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs.
Port Adelaide won't be in the mix to draft their third Duursma, but the youngest of the four, Willem, looms as an exciting prospect for the class of 2025.
Position: Midfielder-Forward
Height: 189cm
Weight: 79kg
State: Victoria
Club: Foster
Strengths
Match-Winner
Clean Hands
Athleticism
Vertical
Goal Sense
Draft Range
Pick 2-6
Potential Landing Spots
North Melbourne (Picks 2+3)
Hawthorn (Pick 4)
Western Bulldogs (Pick 5)
AFL Comparison
Expert comments
"You look at his moments, his ability to win the ball off the tap in the centre, stream away, can hit the scoreboard, great size and athleticism... Zane is going to be right up there." - Michael Alvaro
