Darcy Wilmot opens up about anime, gaming and why Brisbane has become his happy place
Dashing defender Darcy Wilmot refuses to be a slave to the footballer stereotype and at the Brisbane Lions, he has found the perfect club to embrace what he calls the ‘Wilmot Way’.
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Darcy Wilmot is ready for the world to know more about the “Wilmot Way”.
It means six straight hours of anime. It means taking a PlayStation on away trips. It means blasting “doof” music on your very first day at training – and it means playing every game in succession for a perennial premiership contender since making your AFL debut in a cutthroat elimination final.
Wilmot is the unheralded other half of Brisbane’s halfback blitzkrieg; a face of the AFL’s new age of unapologetically “me” stars.
The 21-year-old Victorian refuses to be a slave to the footballer stereotype and at Brisbane, he has found the perfect club to be himself.
“I probably didn’t give them a choice,” jokes Wilmot, having just exchanged his training kit for a black T-shirt with the popular anime ‘Dragon Ball Z’ emblazoned on the front.
“I still remember my first pre-season day, I came in with a speaker playing some doof music. I didn’t really let anyone else have a choice or a say in what I could and couldn’t do.
“I’ve definitely matured a bit since then, but I’ve always stuck to who I am. I don’t really care what you think of me. I will just always be the bloke that I am.”
When he isn’t dashing out of defence for the Lions and leading the celebrations after every goal Wilmot happily spends his time at home, in the riverside suburb of Kenmore, with his partner and their two dogs, sausage-cattle cross “fur babies” Billy and Milo.
'A few more Pepsi Max!' 😂
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) November 24, 2021
It's party time for Darcy Wilmot 🎉 pic.twitter.com/frNZttxU1l
“We’ve been doing some nice renos recently,” he says of his home about 20 minutes west of the Gabba.
“I love gaming. Love playing basketball. Just love being active, whether that’s on the tools at home, going down to the courts or walking the pups.”
On away trips, Wilmot will often sit himself at a window and open up his Crunchyroll app, which he uses to stream anime.
In the hours after they land, when training and games allow, he is often plugged into his hotel room’s television playing PlayStation.
He also used to bring a monitor with him as extra checked luggage until, he says, the airline broke it.
Wilmot is a much-loved member of the Lions. His energy is infectious and he makes everyone feel at home. Just ask Sam Day, the ex-Sun who was picked up by the club in the off-season and whose practice match goals were routinely met with Wilmot’s loud roar of approval from the opposite end of the ground.
He calls it the “Wilmot Way”. A personal creed to not let the world tell him who he should be or how to live his life.
Brisbane fans immediately got a glimpse of the dashing defender’s effervescent personality when he slotted a go-ahead goal on debut against the Tigers, celebrating with teammates before turning and cheering in unison with the Gabba crowd.
The following week he was whipping the MCG into a frenzy after the Lions’ semi-final comeback victory over the Demons, while his teammates waited by the race.
Vision of that moment, with veteran Dayne Zorko calling for “Motty” before putting his head in his hands while the youngster celebrated with the Brisbane cheer squad, remains a core memory for many Lions fans.
Darcy Wilmot loved his moment on stage 😅#AFLGFpic.twitter.com/86gwmSw24k
— AFL (@AFL) September 28, 2024
It is fitting now that Zorko and Wilmot form one of the most devastating rebound defender pairings in the competition.
The evergreen Zorko has deservedly received his plaudits after an All-Australian 2024 campaign but his livewire lieutenant, 14 years his junior, has become just as crucial to the Lions’ success.
A set and forget addition to the AFL 22under22 team last year, Wilmot’s star is on the rise.
When he puts his foot down he is almost impossible to catch.
While Zorko cuts through opposition defensive zones via precision kicking akin to a surgeon’s scalpel, Wilmot waltzes past with a burst of speed and raking right boot.
They are the perfect one-two punch at a time where clubs are crying out for elite rebounding defenders to transform their transition game.
“It gives us a lot of variety of different ball movement,” Wilmot says.
“Watching him (Zorko) play, the way he moves off the ball and is able to set up his teammates with his kicking and stuff is something I’ve tried to replicate for myself. He’s brilliant.
“(Brisbane has) allowed me to play how I play and given me the confidence – you could say a licence – to do that, but all within the team values and rules and stuff.”
With the likes of Zorko, Wilmot, Ryan Lester, Brandon Starcevich and the soon-to-return Keidean Coleman, the Lions have a litany of lethal rebounding defenders capable of turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.
It is a big reason why Chris Fagan’s side has been so successful in recent years – and why the Lions finally made good on their potential by winning the 2024 premiership.
Last year’s decider was Wilmot’s 10th final in just 56 games. He had played in two grand finals – and won a premiership – before his 21st birthday.
Since that fateful debut against Richmond in 2022, he has played every possible game for Fagan’s side.
It is a remarkable achievement given the depth of talent at the Lions and the incredible physical strain of modern football, particularly on young players just entering the AFL system.
“I wouldn’t say I have that longevity just yet. Hopefully I can get to the point like Zorks is doing (playing at 36),” Wilmot says.
“But each week I’m just attacking it, trying to build my game and get better. I’m watching vision, working on craft, and finding ways that I can improve.
“Playing a lot of games in a row is good because it has helped me build on that consistency each week and gives me a lot of chances to try new things and become a better player.”
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