How Robey became the draft 'bolter of the decade'

Sullivan Robey's astronomical rise up the draft boards is as unprecedented as any jump in draft history.

Failing to make a draft board until September, the Eastern Ranges midfielder/forward has exploded onto the scene following an exceptional close to the 2025 Coates Talent League season.

Cut from the Dandenong Stingrays prior to this season, Robey trialled with the Ranges before returning to local football, and is now just weeks away from hearing his name called inside the top 10 of the AFL National Draft.

Earning his opportunity in the Talent League, Robey has hardly taken a backwards step, dominating against top opposition before a four-goal Grand Final performance solidified his place amongst the best prospects in this year's crop.

And while a number of clubs have the 18-year-old firmly on their radars, it's expected that the Ranges' talent will be snapped up before 14 teams reach their first selection.

Robey's Ranges coach Lauren Morecroft provided some insight into his incredible rise to a potential top-10 pick.

“The bolter of the decade, he’s been labelled,” Morecroft told SEN Sportsday.

“He’s an interesting story, he came in and trialled early in the year, and we didn’t really know much about him. He went back and played a bit of local footy, and we kept an eye on him.

“He was playing seniors at Rowville footy, kicking consecutive twos and threes as a 17-year-old so we thought it was probably time to bring him in. He came in and trained for a couple of weeks and played and he didn’t come out of our side since then.”

After trialling with the Eastern Ranges, the club decided not to guarantee him a spot on the list, determined to ensure Robey could perform at a consistent level before committing a list spot for the season.

“He wasn’t in our initial squad,” she continued.

“His dad had called up, he was in the Dandenong Stingrays region, but they had him as a 16-year-old and he didn’t make their 18s squad.

“With their permission, after having a look at him and playing footy in our region, it kind of all worked. He trialled in a pre-season game in February, but we just didn’t want him to leapfrog other kids that were already in the squad.

“We wanted to go and watch him at local level and see if he could do it consistently, and he could. We always leave two to three spots open per year, and he grabbed his spot mid-year and not come out of the team.

“He has grown a fair bit since he was a 16-year-old at Dandenong, he’s grown 10-12 cm and he’s put on a lot of size, gone away and he’s worked on his game so he’s going to get his reward on draft night.”

Being cut from one side and rejected from another can have serious implications on the confidence of young players, however Robey refused to give up on his determination, forcing his way into the side and up the draft board.

“It’s a kick in the guts to not be invited in first in the initial squad in Dandenong, and then for us to have a look at him but to say, go away and play consistent footy,” Morecroft admitted.

“But he went away and did it, at senior level too. From there coming in, his confidence grew with us, and we obviously put a fair of trust in him.

“Early days with any kid, I try to say, ‘try to play your best, showcase your strengths as much as you can’ and he did that to a tee. He’s got a great set of hands, his lead-up, his work rate, he’s really clean with the footy too, all of those things.

“The belief just keeps growing as well, kept playing on really good opponents, really good levels through the finals and now he could be a top 10 draft pick. It didn’t take long (before the club calls came in).

“He played one at Gippi (Gippsland) and Melbourne called on Monday, and it probably only took two or three more. By the end of the season, he had 15 club interviews.

“He kicked four in the Grand Final, so I think he well and truly earnt it. Because we’ve only seen a small sample size, the upside is really there.”

A half forward/midfield combo, Robey has earnt comparisons to an elite premiership Pie.

“I think he’s got a bit of Jordan De Goey – that forward/mid mix and obviously impact in big games.

“(He is) kind of a high half-forward, connecting type player that also has stints in the middle where he can show his burst and really nice speed, he gets out of contests really well, he’s clean and he’s going to be a really good talent for years to come. 192cm at the moment, but I can see him getting up to 195.

“He can flush it form 50, he can take strong marks inside 50, he can go inside in the midfield and burst through and connect up as well. That’s what I see at the moment.”

The National Draft is set for November 19 and 20.