Former top-10 draft pick Liam Sumner to play in the Outer East league

An Outer East league club has made a big signing on the eve of the season, securing an ex-AFL Giant and Blue. Here’s how it happened…

Liam Sumner celebrates a goal for Carlton. Pic: Michael Klein

He played alongside Patrick Cripps and was a top-10 draft pick.

Now Liam Sumner is headed for the Outer East league.

The former Greater Western Sydney and Carlton forward has been cleared to Division One club Powelltown, where his good mate Ryan Handley is coach.

The pacy right-footer was the No 10 selection in the 2011 national draft, joining the Giants from Sandringham Dragons.

He went on to play 32 matches at AFL level.

Handley confirmed Sumner would play “a fair portion” of the season with Powelly.

“Things have changed with his work schedule which has allowed him to be freed up potentially on weekends,’’ he said.

“It’s still not one hundred percent set in stone in terms of just how much freedom he will potentially have but it’s definitely looking likely more than unlikely.

“And he said, ‘mate, why don’t we just put the clearance in?’”

Liam Sumner of the Giants.

Sumner playing for the Blues. Picture: (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Handley and Sumner have been training together.

“He’s getting really fit, we went on some long runs together in the off season, swimming, running together,” Handley said.

“We caught up regularly in the summer, and he’s fit, he’s ready to go, he’s in a really good head space.

“So someone who’s played 32 games at league level who gets their fitness back is a dangerous commodity.”

Sumner has played country and metro football since being delisted by Carlton in 2017, including stops at East Malvern, Lang Lang, Warragul and St Paul’s McKinnon.

Asked how many games he would play for Powelltown in 2025, Handley said: “Not too sure, just a bit of an asterisk next to him at the moment, we’re hoping for a fair portion. But at the moment we’ll just wait and see. Work obviously comes number one. He definitely will play. We’re just not too sure how much we’re going to get out of him just at this stage.”

Liam Sumner, Kade Simpson, Michael Jamison, Ciaran Byrne and Patrick Cripps of the Blues sing the team song in 2016. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media)

Powelltown won back-to-back premierships in 2022-23 but finished on the bottom of the ladder in 2024.

Handley’s appointment as playing-coach has whipped up excitement and attracted a raft of recruits, raising hopes of an improved showing.

“We’re tracking okay,’’ Handley said.

“It’s hard to get everyone up there at the same time. We’ve had a really disrupted pre-season in terms of availability, weddings, guys working or going away. We just haven’t had them there at the same time.

“But it’s a long season, it’s all about man management, you don’t win them in February and March.’’

Handley said Powelltown would start the season with modest expectations.

“We’re going okay, we’re exited,’’ he said.

“We’re starting at the bottom. A lot of people see a lot of transfers to Powelly and they get pretty excited. But the reality is we lost every game by 15 to 20 goals last year. You can have as many recruits as you want but you need system, you need personnel, buy-in, a combination of things.

“We’re willing to put in the hard yards and are looking a bit more at long term sustainability.’’

Handley said Avenel recruit Liam Lucas would make his mark this season.

“The calibre he brings, he’s a tough, gritty in and under player but he’s also got some great poise, just a competitor. I think he’ll ruffle up a few feathers, he will be one to watch.”