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Richmond Rant / Re: Pick 54: Noah Roberts-Thomson
« Last post by one-eyed on Yesterday at 09:31:18 PM »Noah Roberts-Thomson
Height: 181cm
D.O.B: 29-03-2007
Position: Midfielder-Forward
State/Club: South Australia/Sturt
Leagues: AFL U18 Championships
SNAPSHOT:
“A workhorse midfielder-forward with sharp acceleration and the ability to kick important goals.” – James Bell
Noah Roberts-Thomson is a familiar name in footballing circles and one that recruiters have been monitoring, having been part of South Australia’s state academy pathway since the Under 16s.
In 2025, he was involved in multiple successes, including an Under 18 Premiership for Sturt. He was also a feature of South Australia’s National Championship state side, playing all four games in their unbeaten title-winning run.
Despite this, the powerful midfielder-forward has largely flown under the radar, with fellow South Australian on-ballers and forwards commanding the spotlight.
He has set him self a high bar, modelling his game on star GWS midfielder Josh Kelly, who possesses a similarly penetrating left boot. Roberts-Thomson has another role model to lean on in his cousin, Lewis, who was a two-time premiership player with Sydney.
STRENGTHS:
+ Agility
+ Clean hands
+ Contested ball
+ Footy IQ
+ Running capacity
+ Scoreboard impact
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Defensive transition
- Impact-per-possession
Roberts-Thomson's versatility makes him a difficult player to pigeonhole. At the coalface, he is a sturdy ball-winning midfielder with clean hands who generally makes the right decision. Then, as a forward, he has the ability to seize upon slight opportunities and hurt opposition sides with score involvements. He has also had stints across half-back during his junior career, where he utilised his penetrating left boot and aggressive ball use to affect forward forays.
Standing at 181cm, he is not an overwhelming presence across the ground, but he isn’t held back by his relative lack of size. He’s a player who possesses a low centre of gravity and core strength that allows him to explode out of congestion. He demonstrated these attributes at the combine, particularly in the 20m sprint and agility test, where he finished sixth overall in both events, ahead of such highly-touted prospects as Sam Grlj and Zeke Uwland.
His output at Under 18 level was impressive in its consistency, averaging 22 disposals and one goal per game for Sturt. During the National Championships, his numbers were halved due to a lack of midfield exposure and a step-up in competition that challenges many players. But Roberts-Thomson has been open about his deficiencies, signalling his intent to address his defensive transitioning, something he believes he has already made inroads on this season.
AFL U18 Championships
Season Team K HB D M CP UP T HO CLR I50 R50 GL GM K H D M HO T G DC
2025 South Australia 22 23 45 12 12 34 13 0 5 7 1 1 4 5.5 5.8 11.3 3.0 0.0 3.3 0.3 46
Total - 22 23 45 12 12 34 13 0 5 7 1 1 4 5.5 5.8 11.3 3.0 0.0 3.3 0.3 46
DRAFT RANGE: 40-60
SUMMARY:
Roberts-Thomson is an intriguing prospect, one that can make a tangible impact on a contest in a brief window, but can also stay the course because of his deep gas tank. It’s still to be seen whether his defensive running can be increased at a higher level or whether his dynamism will translate to AFL level. But his recent strong combine showing will serve as a reminder of his potential. Most clubs will be enticed by a forward half player such as Roberts-Thomson and will have an opportunity to select him most likely around the midway point of the draft, or potentially even later.
https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/noah-roberts-thomson/
Height: 181cm
D.O.B: 29-03-2007
Position: Midfielder-Forward
State/Club: South Australia/Sturt
Leagues: AFL U18 Championships
SNAPSHOT:
“A workhorse midfielder-forward with sharp acceleration and the ability to kick important goals.” – James Bell
Noah Roberts-Thomson is a familiar name in footballing circles and one that recruiters have been monitoring, having been part of South Australia’s state academy pathway since the Under 16s.
In 2025, he was involved in multiple successes, including an Under 18 Premiership for Sturt. He was also a feature of South Australia’s National Championship state side, playing all four games in their unbeaten title-winning run.
Despite this, the powerful midfielder-forward has largely flown under the radar, with fellow South Australian on-ballers and forwards commanding the spotlight.
He has set him self a high bar, modelling his game on star GWS midfielder Josh Kelly, who possesses a similarly penetrating left boot. Roberts-Thomson has another role model to lean on in his cousin, Lewis, who was a two-time premiership player with Sydney.
STRENGTHS:
+ Agility
+ Clean hands
+ Contested ball
+ Footy IQ
+ Running capacity
+ Scoreboard impact
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Defensive transition
- Impact-per-possession
Roberts-Thomson's versatility makes him a difficult player to pigeonhole. At the coalface, he is a sturdy ball-winning midfielder with clean hands who generally makes the right decision. Then, as a forward, he has the ability to seize upon slight opportunities and hurt opposition sides with score involvements. He has also had stints across half-back during his junior career, where he utilised his penetrating left boot and aggressive ball use to affect forward forays.
Standing at 181cm, he is not an overwhelming presence across the ground, but he isn’t held back by his relative lack of size. He’s a player who possesses a low centre of gravity and core strength that allows him to explode out of congestion. He demonstrated these attributes at the combine, particularly in the 20m sprint and agility test, where he finished sixth overall in both events, ahead of such highly-touted prospects as Sam Grlj and Zeke Uwland.
His output at Under 18 level was impressive in its consistency, averaging 22 disposals and one goal per game for Sturt. During the National Championships, his numbers were halved due to a lack of midfield exposure and a step-up in competition that challenges many players. But Roberts-Thomson has been open about his deficiencies, signalling his intent to address his defensive transitioning, something he believes he has already made inroads on this season.
AFL U18 Championships
Season Team K HB D M CP UP T HO CLR I50 R50 GL GM K H D M HO T G DC
2025 South Australia 22 23 45 12 12 34 13 0 5 7 1 1 4 5.5 5.8 11.3 3.0 0.0 3.3 0.3 46
Total - 22 23 45 12 12 34 13 0 5 7 1 1 4 5.5 5.8 11.3 3.0 0.0 3.3 0.3 46
DRAFT RANGE: 40-60
SUMMARY:
Roberts-Thomson is an intriguing prospect, one that can make a tangible impact on a contest in a brief window, but can also stay the course because of his deep gas tank. It’s still to be seen whether his defensive running can be increased at a higher level or whether his dynamism will translate to AFL level. But his recent strong combine showing will serve as a reminder of his potential. Most clubs will be enticed by a forward half player such as Roberts-Thomson and will have an opportunity to select him most likely around the midway point of the draft, or potentially even later.
https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/noah-roberts-thomson/
