SANDRINGHAM Dragons were delivered a boost in Round 4 with the return of explosive midfielder-forward Gus Teixeira. After a foot injury delayed the start to his top-age campaign, the 181cm prospect posted 20 disposals and two goals as the Dragons thrashed Calder at RSEA Park on Saturday.

Teixeira was part of Sandringham’s Grand Final side last year and captured a few headlines after St Kilda was denied Next Generation Academy access to him. He’s an Essendon supporter who models his game on the likes of Max Holmes and Chad Warner, channelling their line-breaking running power.

We put Teixeira’s performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Sandringham DragonsMidfielder-Forward

Gus Teixeira

Height: 181cm

Weight: -

DOB: 29-03-2008

STRENGTHS:

+ Ground balls
+ Kick penetration
+ Line-breaking
+ Power
+ Scoreboard impact

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Contested work
– Kicking composure

SEASON AVERAGES:

2025 Talent League (9 games):
19.6 disposals, 4.2 marks, 3.0 tackles, 5.0 inside 50s, 0.4 goals (4 total)

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 Talent League: Round 4
Sandringham Dragons 19.16 (130) def. Calder Cannons 6.7 (43)

#10 Gus Teixeira (Sandringham Dragons)
Stats: 20 disposals (65% efficiency, 9 contested possessions), 6 marks, 2 tackles, 3 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 goals

FIRST QUARTER:

Teixeira eased into proceedings, needing a few contests to bring his reactions, intensity and ball handling up to the level. He tended to hang off the contest and float between the arcs when out of possession, but showed he was capable of being strong over the ground ball.

Having started in midfield, Teixeira rotated forward and drifted into a pocket of space to catch the Calder defence napping. He was found among a sea of opponents to mark uncontested, before slotting the late set shot goal. There wasn’t too much scoring otherwise amid a scrappy start.

SECOND QUARTER:

The second term saw Teixeira lift his ball winning intensity and defensive application, while again impacting the scoreboard as Sandringham kicked away. He showcased his ability to drive at the ground balls and fire off forward handballs, building up to his usual explosive self.

Teixeira wasn’t necessarily the primary ball winner, but went when his number was called and began to hunt defensively. Most notably, he produced a couple of great chases as Calder transitioned out of defence, shutting down ball carriers with his speed from behind.

Another positive was Teixeira’s continued ability to find pockets of space inside 50. He held front position well to mark a quick entry before slotting home his second major, highlighting how useful he can be on his rotation. He tends to run a 50/25/25 split between midfield, forward, and the bench.

THIRD QUARTER:

With the rain ceasing and Sandringham entering party time to lead 102-17 at the final break, Teixeira began to find more freedom. He attended only three of nine centre bounces but was threatening through the middle third, providing spurts of overlap run to drive the ball forward.

One such example saw him hit a short kick on defensive wing before following up to get it back and launch inside 50. Teixeira’s punchy foot skills were on show, although he perhaps could have been a little more clinical when heading long into attack. Still, he caught the eye with each foray.

Teixeira also held up a little better under physical duress, fighting to keep his hands free and flick the ball out. He also did his best to apply repeat tackle efforts, even if he couldn’t quite wrap up each opponent. Overall, it was a quarter where he got to show his best traits.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Teixeira was afforded his longest run at the centre bounces during term four and picked up a high of seven disposals. He showed good attacking instincts when coming away from the contest, looking to combine with one-two passages or overlapping on the outside.

He played for holding free kicks at times and could have been stronger when contact came, but again looked dangerous as a receiver who could drive his legs forward. Teixeira also tracked back to fill his boots and changed the angles nicely when going quickly by foot.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

It was an intriguing start to Teixeira’s campaign, coming in with eyes on him having missed the first few rounds. He took a little time to get up to speed but eventually began to show his best traits. His clean handling at ground level – albeit a touch inconsistent – and power coming out of congestion made him dangerous heading forward.

Teixeira can continue to enhance his contested acumen, and despite a positive overall game, the numbers attest to that. Calder won the clearance count 33-21 despite being minus-66 for overall disposals and in-arrears for hitouts, showing how Teixeira offered more value as a receiver, rather than the go-to first possession winner.

As a centre bounce midfielder, he can be dangerous with the right support around him. Teixeira is all the more impactful given he can hit the scoreboard when rotating forward. He jumped into the talls’ way on a couple of occasions but finds space well and has good kick penetration to finish the job. A strong season awaits for the top-ager.