COMING off the back of two consistent years of high-quality football, Oakleigh Chargers prospect Sam Grlj was included in Richmond’s Round 19 VFL side. In what was essentially an audition for one of the Tigers’ top picks, his inclusion proved a welcome addition to a side devoid of AFL-listed talent.

Grlj is a unique player in this year’s crop who possesses blistering linear speed and dazzling agility. He was a solid contributor to the Chargers’ finals charge late in 2024, where they narrowly missed out on a grand final berth. Then, he mostly operated off half-back.

Since being inserted into the midfield this year, his impact has been noteworthy. He has increased his production levels from last season and will continue to be a key figure in Oakleigh’s claim for Coates Talent League supremacy in 2025.

His top-end attributes had him rocket up draft boards early in the year, and having improved as the National Championships progressed, he seems to be finding top form once again. We put Grlj’s performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Oakleigh Chargers, Vic MetroMidfielder-Defender

Sam Grlj

Height: 182cm

Weight: -

DOB: 26-07-2007

STRENGTHS:

+ Agility
+ Dare
+ Evasiveness
+ Speed
+ Tenacity

SEASON AVERAGES:

2025 AFL U18 National Championships (4 games)
17.0 disposals, 2.5 marks, 1.8 tackles, 2.0 inside 50s

2025 Coates Talent League (3 games)
21.0 disposals, 3.0 marks, 5.0 tackles, 3.3 inside 50s

PLAYER FOCUS

2025 VFL Round 19
Gold Coast Suns 10.18 (78) def. Richmond Tigers 9.7 (61)

#54 Sam Grlj (Richmond Tigers)
Stats: 18 disposals (72% efficiency), 12 uncontested possessions, 6 marks, 5 tackles, 7 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER:

It wasn’t long before Grlj exhibited his trademark run-and-gun style. He won his first possession in a one-on-one against the more experienced Tom Berry inside 50, where he was pushed out and rewarded a free kick. He instinctively played on and sent it long down the line.

Shortly after, he characteristically ran past a teammate for a handball and took off through the centre of the ground, sidestepping oncoming traffic before wisely handing the ball off to a nearby Tiger. Moments later, he intercepted a ball inside the defensive 50 and safely chipped laterally to a teammate.

He also performed a 30-meter chase to bring down Jake Rogers just after he disposed of the ball. He then ran down to support his teammate and was able to release a handball before being slung to the ground. All up, an eight-disposal opening quarter marked a bright start for Grlj.

SECOND QUARTER:

After his impressive opening quarter, Grlj continued to show poise in the second. On one occasion, deep inside 50, he methodically assessed his options before pinpointing a teammate on the edge of the centre square with a 50-meter pass.

He steadily became more audacious as he found his feet in the contest. At one point, he pivoted through a tackle before nailing a kick to a teammate on the wing, proving he has the physicality to take it up to more mature frames.

He also took it to his more senior opponent, laying a fierce tackle on Berry, which ended in a free kick to the Gold Coast forward. In an attempt to rectify the mistake, he stood in front of an approaching pack, looking to intercept and was unlucky not to be paid the mark.

HUGE CONGRATS to Sam Grlj, who makes his Richmond VFL debut today! ? pic.twitter.com/p41ao6rLjQ

— Richmond VFL ? (@RichmondVFL) August 2, 2025

THIRD QUARTER:

The first round prospect showed off more of his evasiveness and quick thinking in this term. When corralled by an opponent, he thought his way through the situation before identifying and executing a short pass.

He had the opportunity to take a kick-out and, unsurprisingly, launched long to the wing for decent meters gained.

Grlj started finding space across the ground in the second half, receiving uncontested passes in the centre and kicking the ball inside 50 a couple of times.

The Oakleigh midfielder demonstrated a ruthless streak when he took the opportunity to run through Leo Lombard as he was distributing the ball. Fortunately, nothing came of the incident.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Grlj was absent early in the last, but re-entered the game in the final stanza firstly by pouncing on an opponent who failed to release the ball in his forward 50 and then, once again, finding space in the centre square before moving the ball on quickly to the top of the forward arc.

Before the final siren, he was fortunately able to attend a centre bounce. Although nothing came of the stoppage, it would have been reassuring to have been entrusted with that responsibility.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Impressively, Grlj was largely able to translate his free-wheeling, high-meters gained style to senior football. He did most of his work by foot, finishing with 16 kicks out of his 18 disposals, and was unafraid to take the game on despite possessing a lighter frame than the majority of his opponents.

The speedster worked hard throughout to present an option in the defensive half of the ground before incrementally sneaking up the ground later in the game. He showed a positive intent all game and was lively even without ball-in-hand, proving particularly active on the mark and unrelenting one-on-one.

Having shown promise as a bonafide midfielder this year, Grlj’s base as a running defender is arguably where he has played best at high levels. If he can produce the same spark through the middle late in the year, he will undeniably in the frame for 10 top selection given his competitiveness and athleticism.