Roan Steele to make Collingwood AFL debut less than 12 months after last game for Frankston YCW

It’s less than 12 months since Roan Steele played his last game for his junior club Frankston YCW. On Friday, he’ll make his AFL debut in front of a packed MCG as a Magpie. This is his story.

Collingwood’s new man of Steele has taken the road less travelled to an AFL debut against Carlton at the MCG on Friday night.

Roan Steele, 23, did not play junior interleague football, nor in the elite Under 18 competition for his region, the Dandenong Stingrays.

The skills that have taken him to the top were forged at Mornington Peninsula club Frankston YCW and refined at Casey Demons in the VFL.

Collingwood selected Steele, a Maggies supporter, in the mid-season draft after he crossed to the WAFL this year to play with West Perth.

After averaging 20.3 disposals from four VFL games for the Pies, they promoted him for a senior bow against the Blues, setting off a hum of excitement at his home club.

Roan Steele playing for Frankston YCW. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Steele featuring in the VFL for Casey Demons.

“He’s one of ours, from all the way through,’’ a chuffed YCW senior coach Paul Goonan said. “It’s a fantastic story. This kid didn’t go to the Stingrays or anything like that. He was in our juniors, our Under 19s and then the seniors.

“Casey gobbled him up and he went from strength to strength. We’re just a little bit proud of him, as you could imagine.’’

Former Stonecats president Andrew Schneider added: “His dedication … if he had a middle name it would be ‘Dedication’. He was so dedicated and yet so humble at the same time. I remember doing his first contract, for something like $175, and I knew every single cent of it would go back into his recovery, his rehab and his gym membership.’’

A large Stonecats contingent will head to the ‘G to watch Steele, who started in the Under 9s in 2009 and played for the club every season until 2024.

Even after he joined Casey in 2022 he squeezed in a few games for YCW.

His win in the 2021 best and fairest – in his first season at senior level – prompted Goonan to recommend him to Casey.

“When I was doing the reviews for our players who were on Casey’s list, they always asked if we had any other players they should be looking at,’’ he said.

“And I would regularly put in Roan Steele. I said, ‘You’ve got to let this guy train, give this guy a go’.

Steele marks on the MCG as a VFL Demon.

Roan Steele has impressed since being taken in the mid-season draft.

“I just thought he had something there. He’s a super-coachable kid, he’s got silky skills and he’s clean on the ground, a one-touch player. His ball-handling is elite, he’s very good left and right foot, and he covers the ground well.’’

Casey Demons coach Mark Corrigan and the Melbourne recruiters took the advice and invited him to the pre-season.

He made the list alongside Goonan’s son Luca, and across the next three seasons played 51 games, first under Corrigan, then Taylor Whitford.

Last year he was runner-up in the best and fairest behind former Melbourne player Mitch White.

Corrigan, now coaching Geelong’s VFL team, said of Steele: “Stories like his are the ones you love in footy. He worked so hard on his footy and eventually the recruiters saw something in him.’’

34 days have passed since Roan Steele became a Pie and he has already been named to play his first AFL game! 🤯

Enjoy the best moments our persistent and forever running 23-year-old, has had in the black and white stripes at VFL level 🏃💨 pic.twitter.com/tsUlOnvprF

— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) July 2, 2025

He said Steele was an “elite runner’’ and had exceptional football IQ.

“He’s got great composure with the ball and he makes really good decisions,’’ Corrigan said.

“But his workrate is what made him stand out from a lot of the guys who join VFL programs. He’s got a great appetite to get better. When I say super-coachable, his thirst to understand and improve was as good as we saw coming through our program. He was so consistent in what he would do Monday to Friday. No surprises he was able to transfer that on to the field.’’

Steele’s emergence at Casey took in the disappointment of being left out of the 2022 grand final team after he had played 15 games.

The Demons thought he was in their best team but they needed a defender, not a wing or half forward, to match up against Southport.

“He was so stiff to miss out, but his character was immense in the way he took it. He was incredible,’’ Corrigan.

“But right now you love the fact that the footy gods are repaying him.’’