Tom Blamires surges onto draft radar after star turn against Collingwood — where he works

Collingwood might have found a player — in its commercial hospitality division. Tom Blamires torched the VFL Magpies with 44 disposals and has charged into draft contention.

Tom Blamires on the burst for Frankston.

Collingwood Football Club staff member Tom Blamires got a warm reception when he turned up for work on Monday morning.

“Everyone got around me … they were all very nice,’’ Blamires, part of the Magpies’ commercial hospitality division, says.

Two days earlier, the 22-year-old played a starring role in Frankston’s stirring Round 18 win over Collingwood under lights at Kinetic Stadium.

Often using Jordan De Goey as his starting point at stoppages, and running 16.5km on the tight Frankston ground, Blamires had a career-high 44 disposals, thrusting his name forward as a candidate for the VFL’s Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal and the AFL draft.

“You know one thing: Collingwood know all about him now!’’ an AFL recruiter said with a chuckle on Monday afternoon. “They might actually sack him after that!’’

Tom Blamires at the VFL standalones carnival at Ballarat in March. Photo: Rob Lawson /AFL Photos

A few of Blamires’ fellow staffers made the trip to Frankston to watch him play against the club which put him on the payroll in May.

The Collingwood contingent — carrying cardboard cut-outs of their colleague — saw him have 25 kicks and 19 handballs. It followed his 34 touches in Round 14 against Coburg, 35 against Port Melbourne in Round 16 and 30 against the Northern Bullants in Round 17. If he keeps this up he will chucking a sickie at Collingwood, falling to leather poisoning.

Blamires – in his first year at Frankston after spending two at Sandringham – started the season at halfback and moved into the midfield four weeks ago.

The rain has stopped at Kinetic Stadium and so has Collingwood’s midfield. Jackson Voss should be on an AFL list and Tom Blamires has the ball on a string. pic.twitter.com/6jyhMcCmIF

— 💎Dan vanWinkel (@SackedbySheedy) July 26, 2025

A crowd 5551 has seen Frankston take a bold step towards the VFL top-four by putting away Collingwood 16.10 (106) to 10.10 (70) after trailing by 16 points at QT. Four goals each for Corey Ellison and Harrison Jones and 43 touches for Tom Blamires.Dazzling stuff from the Dolphins

— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) July 26, 2025

What a kick from Tom Blamires to put Frankston in front 😮

🎥: Watch the Smithy’s VFL live and free on the AFL website and AFL Live Official App: https://t.co/3V9lTkSGTMpic.twitter.com/gPleNF85Ra

— VFL / VFLW (@VFL) April 18, 2025

“It’s been a good change,’’ he said. “I’ve built a bit of confidence … I guess ‘Jacko’ (coach Jackson Kornberg) and all the coaches trusted me in there when some injuries opened it up,’’ he said.

“I haven’t really played that much midfield, not even in my junior years.

“It’s been good so far, fun, but I’ve still got so much to learn at the same time.’’

A setback at Sandringham in 2022 makes Blamires’ rise the more commendable.

Coming out of the Sandringham Dragons, he was overlooked for the Sandy list.

After a season with Old Brighton on the VAFA, he tried again with the Zebras 12 months later and this time made the cut.

Last year he ran fourth in the best and fairest. When St Kilda announced it would be taking a Sandy player as a rookie, stalwart Zebras administrator John Mennie suggested Blamires was the most improved player at the club and could be the ones for the Saints.

Tom Blamires playing for Sandringham.

As it turned out, they chose no one, and Blamires and teammate Darby Hipwell headed for the Dollies.

“He’s a good runner, he’s balanced, he’s a nice kick, his speed is good enough without being electric, he puts his head over it and obviously he can find it,’’ the recruiter said of Blamires.

He added: “He’s got to generate interest after that game (against Collingwood).’’

Kornberg agrees. He will be nominating Blamires for the Fothergill-Ropund-Mitchell Medal and promoting him to AFL clubs.

“We just wanted to add a different dynamic to our midfield,’’ he said.

“Tom gives us that. He’s got burst, he’s got a bit of speed, he’s one of our best runners, he’s got a good balance of outside and inside.’’

He said Blamires was Frankston’s most versatile player.

Coach and player go back to the half-season of 2021 at Sandringham Dragons.

Blamires played half-forward and on the wing in the Under 18s, serviceably rather than brilliantly.

Kornberg said his right-footer had matured and “come into his own playing senior footy’’.

“Back then he found the ball and used the ball well, but he was probably overshadowed a bit by some of the other talent in that team,’’ he said.

“He’s certainly not getting overshadowed now.’’

Originally published as Tom Blamires surges onto draft radar after star turn against Collingwood — where he works