It will be even better when Brownlow Medalist Sullivan Robey presents Coleman Medalist Sullivan Robey with the Norm Smith medal before also handing Sullivan Robey the premiership cup.
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In the same season as winning the AFL Coaches Association awards Senior Coach Of The Year title.
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There should be a vacancy as Chairman of the AFL very soon. Logic suggests that Sullivan Robey is the only viable option to fill the void.
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Jesus christ he is still 18 lmao.
I thought he would be 19 almost 20 now.
Wow.
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Is he and Sharp in the middle round 1 next year? Vigo, Durham, Sharp, Robey?
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Jesus Christ that’s Jason Robey
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Aaaaaand he didn’t have a proper preseason.
As an overthinker, I too fall into the trap of putting too much emphasis on coaching, strategy and culture and too little on list quality.
This talk of a new role for Rosa is nonsense. Let him keep picking guns
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Does Gus Teixeira rotate with Sharp or Durham In round 1?
Had Sully 4th in my Rising Star award at:
Here’s his write up:
4th: Sullivan Robey
Despite missing the entire pre-season with a back stress injury and then the final four matches of the year with a knee complaint, Robey produced a debut season that few 18-year-olds could realistically hope to match.
Standing at 192cm, he arrived with a frame rarely seen in first-year midfielders and immediately used it to his advantage. His ability to absorb contact, break tackles and release teammates into space gave Essendon a different dimension around the contest, drawing comparisons to the power and presence that Jobe Watson once brought to the Bombers’ midfield.
While he ranked seventh among eligible players for disposals, the more telling numbers came in the contested game. Robey finished second for contested possessions, first for hard-ball gets and second for clearances. Remarkably, those clearance numbers were accumulated despite spending more than half of his game time at half-forward. There were multiple occasions throughout the season where he was shifted into the midfield after half-time and immediately generated more clearance wins than any Essendon player around him.
His impact wasn’t confined to stoppages. Robey ranked fifth among eligible players for goals and led the group for set-shot goal-kicking rating, highlighting his ability to punish opposition teams when resting forward. Despite those attacking numbers, he also finished second for tackles and fourth for pressure acts. That level of defensive output is impressive for any young player, but even more so considering he spent his entire pre-season unable to build the aerobic base required.
Robey’s first season challenged many of the assumptions about what a first-year inside midfielder can achieve. He bullied seasoned opponents with his strength and power, while providing Essendon with something it has lacked for years: a genuine inside bull capable of exploding from congestion and driving the game forward. His marking ability and forward craft offered tantalising glimpses of what may come, and if this debut campaign is any indication, the ceiling on what Robey could become is extraordinarily high.
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Let’s tell it like it is. It wasn’t just any seasoned opponents.
He bullied, rag dolled & overpowered Patrick Cripps for a full game.
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I just hope they don’t try to slim him down.
Have to say out of our whole 2025 recruitment class, which I am very bullish about after this season. Robey seems the one to me that really has ‘best player in the comp’ potential. The others have great attributes, but he really does seem like he will have the ability just to rip games open by himself.
Don’t want to jump the gun too much - but so bloody exited to see him next year.
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I agree. He was second to Duursma in my 2025 draft rankings, and there’s every chance he ends up the best player from his cohort. When you consider how raw he is comparably, and also his rapid rate of improvement, there’s no telling what his final form looks like.
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He seems to be close with Sharp, which is gonna be so valuable in the future.
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Add on hopefully competent and improved development staff too…
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With Merret gone, Parish gone or playing VFL, Robey and Sharp will head up our engine room from March 2027. Great material for Spike to work with to turn the club around, together with a good draft crop this year.
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Hopefully we can draft a quick, skilful, dynamic midfielder to complement Robey and Sharp around the ball.
Heath Mellody come on down.
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