Tom Sims (Australian footballer)

Last updated

Tom Sims
Tom Sims 01 230325.jpg
Sims with Richmond's VFL side in March 2025
Personal information
Full name Thomas Sims
Date of birth (2006-05-12) 12 May 2006 (age 19)
Original team(s) Northern Knights (Talent League)
Draft No. 28, 2024 AFL draft
Debut Round 9, 2025, Richmond  vs. West Coast, at MCG
Height 199 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Key forward / ruck
Club information
Current club Richmond
Number 38
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2025– Richmond 9 (3)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 19, 2025.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Thomas Sims (born 12 May 2006) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A tall forward and relief ruck, Sims was drafted in the second round of the 2024 AFL draft and made his debut mid-way through the 2025 season.

Contents

Early life and junior football

Sims was raised in Wallan, a regional town 45 kilometers north of Melbourne. [1] He played football for the local Wallan Junior Football Club as a pre-teen, before joining Montmorency in the Northern Football League, including at senior level in 2023. [2] Sims attended high school at Parade College in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and played in the school's Herald Sun Shield premiership winning side in 2024. [3]

Sims played representative grade football for the Northern Knights in the Talent League beginning in 2023. [4] In 2024 he kicked a league-best five goals in the opening round of the season and later had a seven-goal haul in a match against the Oakleigh Chargers. [5] He finished the year with 23 goals from 15 matches. [5]

In 2024, Sims represented the Victoria Metropolitan region at the 2024 AFL Under 18 Championships, averaging 8.5 disposals, 4.5 marks and one goal per game in his four appearances in what was an undefeated championship winning run for his side. [5] [6]

AFL career

Sims was drafted by Richmond with the club's seventh pick and the 28th selection overall in the 2024 AFL draft. [7]

He made his first appearance for the club in limited minutes in a pre-season AFL match against Collingwood in late-February 2025. [8] He spent the next two months playing at reserves level for the club, appearing in five VFL matches and kicking five goals. [9] Sims made his AFL debut in round 9, 2025, in a match against West Coast at the MCG. [10]

Player profile

Sims plays as a tall forward and a relief ruck. He is notable for his leap and agility for a player of his size. [4] [11]

References

  1. ↑ "WALLAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB NEWSLETTER". Wallan Junior Football Club. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Slevison, Andrew (29 March 2024). "The forward/ruckman with Briggs-like qualities who starred for the Knights". SEN. Sports Entertainment Network. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  3. ↑ Batten, Dan (16 August 2024). "Herald Sun Shield: Scouting notes from Parade v Emmanuel and St Kevin's v Western Heights". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "#18 Thomas Sims". Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Higgins, Ben (19 November 2024). "Key forward prospect Tom Sims discusses his journey to the AFL Draft". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Forrest, Matthew (24 June 2024). "AFL Draft 2024: Stats and standouts from Vic Metro v WA under-18 championships game". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "Sims leaps into Tigerland". Richmond Media. Telstra Media. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Cavanagh, Chris (27 February 2025). "Richmond v Collingwood: All the news, intel and key takeaways from pre-season practice match". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Thomas Sims". AFLM Stats. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Pavlou, Anna (9 May 2025). "Sims set to soar on AFL debut". Richmond Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Cavanagh, Chris (13 November 2024). "AFL Phantom draft 2024: Chris Cavanagh maps out the top 35 picks on the AFL Draft". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
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