‘He really cares’: How ‘unreal’ respected figure helped spark Sam Grlj’s first-round draft surgeBen Waterworth and Jack Jovanovski
Fox Sports
October 27th, 2025 Few 2025 AFL draft prospects have an athletic profile like Sam Grlj.
And before we go any deeper, it’s pronounced ‘grill’.
You’ll be hearing and reading a lot about this unique talent over the coming weeks, with Grlj looming as an early first-round draftee.
That’s despite, by Grlj’s own admission, an “up and down” 2025 campaign where he “lost my way a little bit” during a crucial time of the year.
But an excellent finish to his season — he had hauls of 18 and 15 disposals playing predominantly off half-back in two eye-catching VFL outings for Richmond — followed by impressive combine results now has him right in the top-10 mix. Coincidentally, Richmond is strongly considering taking him with one of its first two selections (Picks 3 and 4).
What has scouts so excited about Grlj — who has spoken to 17 of the 18 AFL clubs — and his potential at the top level is his combination of speed, power and endurance.
This was on display at the national combine, finishing second in the 2km time trial (5:59) before producing a 2.926-second 20m sprint — ranked ninth overall — two days later.
“I like to use my speed and agility to take the game on, show my flare and use my skills to try and pick teams apart. I think fans would see that flare and be really excited by the way I play,” Grlj told foxfooty.com.au.
Sam Grlj of Team Sloane in 2024. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty ImagesModern-day AFL is all about speed — and Grlj, pretty evidently, possesses the trait.
But he remains modest about those tantalising strengths translating to the top level.
“I’m still so naive (about) what the AFL is about,” he said.
“I’ve never been at an AFL club and I’m not sure about what it’s all about yet, but I’m really excited for the opportunity and actually for an opportunity potentially.
“Hopefully my attributes can help me stay there and make a successful career — that’s something I’m excited for.”
Grlj emerged in his top-age campaign this year for the Oakleigh Chargers, averaging averaged 20.3 disposals and 5.0 tackles per game.
The 18-year-old, who was selected to the Coates Talent League Team of the Year as a half-backer, projects to begin his top-level career in that position, with scope to push into the midfield as he develops.
It’s why Grlj has been compared to Cats best and fairest winner Max Holmes, who started his AFL career as a winger before moving more inside. But the Canterbury junior, instead, looks to other players.
“I probably look at the way Ed Richards has transitioned his career a little bit,” Grlj said. “Starting half-back, kind of finding his groove a little bit, and then I think moving to midfield is where I’d like to compare myself.
Sam Grlj during the Telstra AFL Draft Combine. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images“I (also) try and play like Zak Butters and, hopefully, one day will be able to get there and play something like him — because he’s a pretty good player.”
Grlj looked at home in the defensive half during his two matches for Richmond’s VFL side in early August.
His stint with the side was short in length, but the experience gave him more self-belief playing against bigger bodies.
“The boys down at Richmond VFL were unreal … I absolutely loved those blokes,” he said.
“I think I played some decent footy there as well. I think it really lit the fire and I was just like: ‘I’m so excited for the opportunity potentially next year to play AFL.’
“I think having that self-belief and confidence to go out there and be like ‘I’m ready for this’, playing against 20 AFL list of players in Gold Coast … it does instil that self-belief in you, and I think that’s something I’m really excited by.
“I thought I was getting involved in as much as I could and didn’t play any differently — I think that’s probably the reason it was my favourite thing about it was that I was able to go in there with a fresh mindset, no pressure on me, no expectation, and just play like free and with that flow.”
Sandwiched between Grlj’s strong start and finish to 2025 was a four-game Vic Metro national carnival.
On paper it was solid — he averaged 17 disposals playing mainly off half-back — but missed the Under 18 All-Australian side and didn’t have a genuine ‘pick me’ game.
Grlj took some time after his VFL experience to reflect on his year — and acknowledged he was “overthinking” parts of the game.
“I had a week off in between my Richmond VFL and my last Metro game, and I think I reflected on why I wasn’t playing as well as I did at the start of the year,” he said.
“And when we came down to how I was going through the games, I was probably just overthinking a little bit.
“Because I think, for me, I’m playing my best footy when I’m not thinking — and it sounds really silly, but that (playing on instinct) was what I tried to get back to and just controlling what I could control.”
Grlj said that struggle “definitely” presented during crucial Metro carnival games, adding: “You can put a lot of pressure on yourself because it is the biggest stage and everyone wants to play well. That’s why I didn’t get the best out of myself — just too much pressure, I guess.”
The pacy prospect explained what playing with that freedom of mindset looked like in the back end of this season.
“I think I saw it in the last home and away game against Sandy (Sandringham Dragons) where I was playing close to my best footy, just taking the game on, being really free-flowing, not worrying about anything,” he said.
“Just being fully present and trying to get into that flow state and just not caring about what other people are thinking about me and just trying to show my strengths — I think that’s something I did really well in that game.”
Employing the help of long-time performance specialist David Buttifant — who played a crucial role in Collingwood’s success in the Mick Malthouse era — Grlj said he’d improved dealing with those internal negators.
“I did a couple of sessions with him, talking about … things that I can control, how to deal with it when people just talk to you about footy constantly. I think it’s something that I probably grew a lot in throughout the year,” he said.
“Because coming to the year, I was never really earmarked to get drafted as such and I think when you play a bit of good footy, you can kind of build the pressure on (yourself). Then you kind of focus on that rather than focusing on the game as such.
“Getting back to that was through ‘Butters’ and just focusing on what I could control rather than worrying about what the media were saying, or anything like that.”
Grlj spoke glowingly of Buttifant, who’s been around the professional sporting landscape for a significant period, and his valuable guidance.
“He’s unbelievable to me,” Grlj began.
“I think he gives you so much time. I’ve got a really good relationship with him now and I see him really regularly.
“We just talk through lots of things and I do a couple of physical sessions as well. He’s pretty tough still — he definitely puts me through my paces — but he’s been unreal to me.
“The amount of support he shows me, he actually really cares about me — and that’s kind of rare sometimes to find. I think he really has my best interests at heart.”
Aside from his parents’ influence, Grlj credited a large portion of his footy development to two key Oakleigh Chargers figures who’ve since been poached by AFL clubs: Ash Close (now-former Regional Development Coach) and Alex Davey (former Talent Manager).
Close just joined Carlton as a development coach, while Davey has been at Tigerland since the start of the year working across the VFL and AFL programs.
“They put a lot of time and investment into me and helped me discover what my traits were and what I was really good at,” Grlj said.
“I think that’s why I settled more when I came to the 18s program and was able to make certain teams and get a bit more attention and end up at a draft combine.
“I think I always believed in myself that I was always good enough to get there. It was a matter of just showing it and showing that consistently … By no means was I bad as a 17-year-old, I just wasn’t where I wanted to be.
Sam Grlj of Victoria Metro. Picture: Stefan Gosatti/AFL Photos/via Getty Images“I think I’ve put myself in a good position now where I’ve had the trust of Ash to go out there and just play the way I wanted to. And the game style at Oakleigh is unreal, it was all about speed and playing with speed, which really suits me, so I found a lot of enjoyment playing with Oakleigh.”
Grlj said he’s physically and mentally ready to make the step up to play AFL footy in 2026.
“It’s everything I want to do in my entire life. I’ve wanted to be an AFL player and I think I definitely am ready and excited by the challenges and opportunities that come with that,” he said.
“I just want to make the most of it, if I’m fortunate enough to get picked up. Just work hard and repay the favour of them putting the trust in me.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/draft/afl-draft-2025-sam-grlj-feature-wants-to-have-career-like-ed-richards-richmond-vfl-impact-oakleigh-chargers-and-victoria-metro-stats-latest-news/news-story/6ca414e00551d6fbec62231b88f4a833
