A DRAFT date has been set, the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships are over, and the season is into its last few weeks for many hopefuls across the country.

It makes for a good time to update AFL.com.au's Phantom Form Guide, which has seen us extend the group from 20 to 25 of the best prospects in this year's draft pool.

This is our ranking of the best players – it is not a mock draft, and nor does it take into account where the players will be picked and what selections clubs hold.

The next update for this year's Form Guide will come after the NAB AFL Draft Combine in October.

Weitering hasn't put a foot wrong all year, is the dominant key back in the draft pool and in our view the best player. The Dandenong Stingrays star reads the play with poise and smarts, is nearly impossible to get around in one-on-one marking contests, and has a damaging right-foot kick that sets up the play. The 17-year-old would have played in most AFL backlines this season. His under-18 championships followed a brilliant start to the season, and he has overcome some sore ribs in recent weeks to slide back into form seamlessly.

With a strong set of hands, a big motor and a precise left-foot kick for goal, Schache has many of the traits clubs look for in key forwards. He kicked 24 goals in the under-18 championships for Vic Country (an all-time record) and has continued in that rich vein of form for the Murray Bushrangers. He booted four goals on the weekend at TAC Cup level, taking his tally to 56 goals for the year (including four earlier this season for the NAB AFL Academy). The Larke Medal winner can find space on the lead and has the natural instincts of the best forwards.

Mills returned from a long-term shin injury for the Sydney Swans' reserves team in July, and gathered 20 disposals in about 35 minutes of game time. Unfortunately he hasn't played since, as he deals with some plantar fascia issues that surfaced in his foot (he is a chance to play next week). Mills' game for the Swans was a good reminder of his talent as a midfielder: he's hard, tough, prolific and could step into any AFL club tomorrow and understand how it works. That's partly a by-product of his attitude, but also being a member of the Swans' academy program. It will see the Swans secure the highly-rated midfielder at this year's draft with an early bid expected.

Listen to Mills on the Road to the Draft podcast

There isn't another midfielder like Parish in this year's draft, such is his ability to win the ball but also take the game forward. He's got plenty of dash and dare, but is just as comfortable fighting the ball, ripping it out of a stoppage and getting things going. His form since the championships has been excellent: last week he was Geelong Falcons' best player in the TAC Cup, and the week before he had 28 touches, kicked two goals and made 13 clearances. He plays with the take-it-on style that cuts through traffic and congestion and makes an impact.

Hopper continues to impress wherever he plays his footy, using his bigger frame and mature body to create space and make things happen. He wills himself into contests, and isn't afraid of throwing himself at the football. Two weeks ago he gathered 24 disposals (13 contested) and kicked 3.3 for the North Ballarat Rebels, and that came at a time he had been playing plenty of footy across the TAC Cup and school level. Clubs know Hopper would be able to come straight into their AFL line-ups, but only one really needs to worry about that: as a GWS academy player, Hopper is headed to the Giants.

Across the national championships Francis proved his game-breaking abilities. When he was stationed across half-back, his intercept marking and attacking run kick-started South Australia's play. In the midfield he was a big, strong option who burst out of clearances and was hard to contain, and when he was near goal his marking was dangerous. Each club has a slightly different view about what Francis will be at AFL level, because his running isn't yet at heights needed to be a midfielder there. But he is a dynamic player who changes games.

Balic's season is over, after he had surgery last week on his scaphoid. He had carried the injury through this season (and a while before that), which adds more weight to his performances across 2015. Balic won All Australian honours for Vic Metro as a half-forward and midfielder, and continued his good form for Sandringham Dragons after the carnival, including a two-goal and 23-disposal effort against NSW/ACT in round 13. Balic is a mix of creativity and class, with a good dose of competitiveness thrown in, and in the future looms as a tall midfielder who can mark and drift forward.

An ankle injury has kept Weideman out of action for the last few months, a period on the sidelines that saw him miss the under-18 championships. But he is making positive steps in his recovery from the fracture, and should be back running within a week. If he had played all season the tall forward would be even further up the ranks, so impressive was his form early in the year for the AFL Academy. The key forward can jump into packs, take the ball at a high point, and then convert his shots. When up and going he has the ability to control games in attack, and his set-shot kicking is of high quality. 

Kennedy is another top-end prospect whose season has been halted by injury, but at least he got the runs on the board early. The clever midfielder, who collects plenty of the ball, marks well overhead and likes to sneak forward, has suffered with a knee injury in the second half of the season. He's aiming to play again this year, possibly on Grand Final day for the Allies in the curtain raiser against the next national academy squad. Kennedy is able to join the Giants via their first access to Riverina players in their academy. 

If you could bet on which player will get the first kick of a game, you'd almost put the house on it being Mathieson. He is a rugged, no-frills, nothing fancy midfielder who finds the ball, attacks the contest and isn't afraid of body contact in the process. In the middle of the ground he more often than not gets the clearance and kicks the ball long into his team's forward 50, and he regularly gets the first possession at a stoppage. He stepped up to a new level last week and had 18 disposals and 10 clearances for Geelong's VFL team, showing wherever he plays he will do the same things.

Tucker has been another prospect to benefit from getting a taste of VFL footy in recent weeks, playing for the North Ballarat Roosters two weeks ago and collecting 19 touches. After a solid championships mid-year, he has moved back in the Rebels set-up and has been used at half-back, where his control, smarts and speed helps position the play ahead of him. He doesn't waste too many touches, and in time will be able to be a midfielder. Tucker has the physique to play early in his AFL career and looks a first-round pick at this November's draft. 

Last week Curnow returned to the field after a three-month stint on the sidelines with a kneecap injury. The younger brother of Carlton midfielder Ed kicked four goals from 12 disposals and six marks, in a promising display first up. Recruiters think if he can pick up his fitness, Curnow will be a tall, bullocking, goalkicking midfielder at the next level, and that would give him another chance to use his aggressiveness around the ground. He was building up to that before his injury in May, and would have been given more chances to play there. He could push up the board with a big next month.  

Keays does what he does really well, pretty much every time he plays: he finds (usually lots of) the ball, runs relentlessly, fights for his touches and enjoys pushing forward to hit the scoreboard. Keays' form has been evident no matter who he plays for, too, given his consistent performances for Queensland's under-18 team, the Brisbane Lions' NEAFL team and this week will play for Redlands. As a member of the Lions' academy, the Brisbane side will get first choice on Keays when a bid comes, which is expected some time in the first round.

As soon as the under-18 championships finished, Ah Chee played for South Fremantle's reserves team for the first time. He only needed one game there before being picked in the senior team, and on debut he helped them win a tight game with three goals and 14 disposals. Ah Chee didn't have the under-18 carnival he was hoping for, but his form at senior level in the WAFL has been encouraging. With his speed, kicking and marking skills, Ah Chee has the class that is rare at the top-end of this year's pool. He has been inconsistent, but his best is very good. 

The key position prospect has had a year of exciting games at both ends of the ground. In the forward line he leads hard and kicks straight, and in defence he competes hard, is agile when the ball hits the ground and reads it well in the air. He will be rested this week after a long year that started with the AFL Academy's tour to America, but he has already shown enough signs to attract an early bid from a club. Hipwood is another member of the Brisbane Lions' academy program, so the club will have the right to match any bid that comes for the 200cm player.

Dunkley is one of the harder players to judge in the opening 20 or so selections of this year's draft. He missed most of the first half of the year with a back injury, and since returning has played purely for Richmond's VFL side, having struck up a program with the Tigers during the week which sees him go to the club and use its facilities. He played as a midfielder on the weekend and showed his capacity to direct the play, set up the ground and be a strong leader, and in time he looks to be a forward/midfielder who can mark well above his head. Dunkley is eligible to join the Swans under the father-son rule, and recently spent time with the club, but is also considering entering the open draft.

You have to go back to last year to find vision of Burton's footy, but you don't have to dig too deep to see his talent. As a bottom-aged key forward he kicked five goals and took 10 marks for South Australia against Western Australia in round one of the 2014 championships, before illness and then a serious broken leg ruled him out of the rest of the year. He hasn't played this year yet either as he recovers from the injury, but he has lifted his program in recent weeks and is doing more training with his local club North Adelaide. If he had played, he would have been in the mix as a top-five pick. 

Bonner made his senior SANFL debut for West Adelaide last week, having pieced together an impressive season at under-18 level. He was picked in the All Australian team after an eye-catching display across the mid-year championships, with his long left-foot kicking his key attribute. Bonner is able to mark above his head, can find space and offer run, and teammates try to get the ball into his hands knowing he can deliver it where it needs to go. His size is another strength: at 191cm, he is tall enough to match up on bigger and smaller opponents in defence.

With a turn of pace, a good goal sense and the capacity to pick up plenty of possessions, Gresham has a few important tricks as a smaller midfielder. He was Vic Metro's most consistent player during the carnival and was named in the All Australian team, and he won his team's best and fairest for that six-game patch. The indigenous captain of the Northern Knights is skillful and likes to run down the wing and take a bounce, but is also honing his forward craft over the last couple of weeks in the TAC Cup season.

There's every chance McKay will get drafted higher than this, because he has the type of attributes AFL clubs look for. He's 200cm, athletic, can jump and take marks and he can kick goals. His blocks of form were exciting during the under-18 championships for Vic Country and since then he has still produced some moments that make you think he will be a quality AFL player. At this stage he hasn't yet been able to string them together consistently, but he is new to the talent pathway and scouts realise he is a raw talent with plenty of developing to go.

Milera is the type of forward who will turn heads: he has good pace, can turn an opponent inside out, and he's crafty inside 50 near goal. The South Australian's highlights package will excite many. He can come in and out of games, however, so improving his consistency is a focus. There aren't a heap of half-forwards who are around the top 25 spots in the draft, so it wouldn't surprise if a club jumped up and took Milera a little earlier than here given his talent.

Cole gathered 26 disposals and laid eight tackles for the Bendigo Pioneers last week in their big loss to the Eastern Ranges, and he remains the best prospect out of that region this year. The 18-year-old can be used in a handful of different spots – half-back, the midfield and closer to goal – which makes him a flexible prospect. His kicking is good on both feet and his taste of VFL footy for Geelong was a valuable experience for him. 

Intercept marking is perhaps the most valuable asset as a key defender, so when Collins started to bring that into his game about a quarter of the way through this season, his draft stocks began to rise. He is a competitive, disciplined defender who sticks to his task and plays his role. But he has also added some more run and offensive drive to his make-up this year which has made him among the handful of best tall backs available to clubs. 

Carlton and St Kilda have both played a part in Rice's 2015 season, with the Blues and Saints vying for his services as a father-son pick. Rice has the choice between both clubs given his father Dean played more than 100 games for the Blues and Saints in his career. Bailey has had a consistent season through the midfield and half-back, where he has shown an ability to provide rebound, kick long with penetration, and shut down opponents.   

Hibberd was eligible for last year's draft but was overlooked after a shocking run of injury. He had a knee reconstruction at the end of 2013 and then as he was returning required a shoulder reconstruction. But his size, athleticism, pace and versatility has generated some significant interest from recruiters. He could even creep up the rankings a little from here as the season reaches its end and some of the athletic testing comes along.