Everyone better get ready to learn small forward!

Thomas Matthew’s …small forward

He doesn't have an apostrophe in his name.

Can never have enough good small forwards!

Apparently he’s best mates with Bailey Humphrey.

Tom Matthews is a highly rated prospect in northern Australia, known for his endurance and inside game. He has elite kicking, great vision, decision-making, and class. Matthews is a traditional outside midfielder who plays more in defense, averaging 13.5 touches and 3.3 rebounds in the National Under 18 Championships. He is not afraid to tackle, laying almost five per day, and excels in overhead marking for his size. Despite being 184cm tall, he has a good vertical jump, which helps him win in one-on-one contests.

Rookie Me

Wrong Tom Matthews @manny100 !

1 minute ago, manny100 said:

Tom Matthews is a highly rated prospect in northern Australia, known for his endurance and inside game. He has elite kicking, great vision, decision-making, and class. Matthews is a traditional outside midfielder who plays more in defense, averaging 13.5 touches and 3.3 rebounds in the National Under 18 Championships. He is not afraid to tackle, laying almost five per day, and excels in overhead marking for his size. Despite being 184cm tall, he has a good vertical jump, which helps him win in one-on-one contests.

Rookie Me

Think that’s another player, the one week took is a small fwd 171 cm

Tom Matthews (Gippsland Power, small forward)
The athletic forward was lauded for an enormous pre-season and a big start to 2025 earned him selection in the Vic Country squad at the U18s National Championships. Remarkably, though, he did all that with a PCL knee injury, suffered early in 2025 which meant he hardly trained, working hard just to get himself on the park on Saturdays. Eventually, the injury worsened and he featured in only half a game after early game - a wildcard round final for Gippsland where he showed his point-of-difference - forward 50 pressure - on a treacherous day for footy. The stymied year was highlighted by a four gaul outing in a Vic Country trial game against the Young Guns in May.
Draft range: Late-rookie

https://www.zerohanger.com/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-nine-injured-prospects-on-afl-draft-radar-170173/

2 minutes ago, bing181 said:

a four gaul

Zee [censored] French 🇫🇷

5 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Wrong Tom Matthews @manny100 !

That is an oops. Apologies.

Mfc pick 30, Melbourne selects a huge bolter in Victorian forward Thomas Matthews who Fox Footy had ranked 71st.

That’s a JT smokie!!!

Lots of talented youngsters passed up for the punt here

In JT we trust

Edited November 20, 2025Nov 20 by spirit of norm smith
K

Is it an indication of how highly we rate Tom Matthews, that this topic is yet to bear his name in the title (when they’re usually updated within seconds). Poor… what was his name again?

Was hanging out for a high profile slider to get excited about at P 30.

Surely we cld have taken TM at 56 and opened up a list spot.

2 hours ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

@Ted Lasso If all three are there which one are you taking?

None apparently. This draft is wild. There has to be some off field concerns or something

He was the captain for gippsland power in a team that included the number 1 draft pick Willem Duursma

Played with X Lindsay last year so our scouts would of seen a fair bit of him and liked what they saw from a bottom age player, i would of thought X Lindsay has a high opinion of him and suspect he would of had a similar view with JT of matthews abilities

https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/thomas-matthews-2/

On 17/11/2025 at 23:59, spirit of norm smith said:

Preliminary final Dragons v Gippsland Power. Rory Wright was clearly best on ground and the main reason why Sandy Dragons made it into the grand final. His ballwinning, skill and kicking was a highlight. At pick “37”, he’s as good as any youngster in that range.

Can't be that good..

Didnt even get picked up at all.