Draft
Melbourne has added another small forward to its stocks.
MELBOURNE has added to its forward line mosquito fleet, selecting the Gippsland Power’s Thomas Matthews with pick No. 30 in the 2025 Telstra AFL National Draft.
The Demons could have found value in the Gippsland captain, after a knee injury left the 171cm forward sidelined for much of 2025 and put a ceiling on his draft prospects.
In 2024 the powerful tackling machine thrived on pressure and powerful athleticism, bringing plenty of x-factor to kick 18 goals in 13 matches.
A dynamic pre-season this year, including four goals in a trial match for Vic Country, had Matthews poised to make a name for himself before injury hit.
Despite his height, Matthews is a pocket rocket in every sense of the word, regularly flying high to pull down soaring grabs.
Matthews joins fellow small forward Latrelle Pickett who was taken at pick No. 12 in last night’s first round.