The path back to your best is simple – be better than you were yesterday.<\/p>\n
For key forward Tom Sims, getting better one day at a time has been his focus as he looks to return from injury in preparation for a big 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Sims sustained an ulnar ligament injury in Richmond\u2019s Round 20 VFL game against Sandringham last year, cutting his debut season short. Additionally, after a routine medical scan, results showed a navicular stress fracture in his right foot.<\/p>\n
With a long road of rehab ahead of him, the 19-year-old began to shift his mindset towards maximising his potential and returning to football as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a bit of a crazy couple of weeks,\u201d Sims admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t really have a nice off-season. I spoke to Ivan Maric (Player Development Coach) and Jacqui Hilton (Player Development Manager) about what mindset I\u2019ll need to have.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trapped at home, I couldn\u2019t drive, and I couldn\u2019t even walk. I started feeling guilty that I wasn\u2019t doing enough because all I could do was upper body or swimming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I wasn\u2019t doing enough because I wasn\u2019t living the lifestyle I was a month ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then I shifted that mindset and thought, well, if I can\u2019t be the best on the field, I\u2019m going to be the best in the pool, or I\u2019m going to be the best on the bike, or I\u2019m going to be the best in cross training.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat helped push me, thinking that they (his teammates) are out there dying because of running, well, I\u2019m going to be in the gym dying because I can\u2019t pedal enough or I can\u2019t keep swimming, so that was my mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before his injury setback, the 28th overall pick in the 2024 AFL Draft demonstrated why he belonged at the elite level, making an immediate impact in his debut game during the Round 9 victory against West Coast, finishing the contest with six disposals, three tackles and a goal.<\/p>\n
Navigating his way within a young forward line brigade, Sims credited Tiger veteran Tom Lynch for imparting invaluable knowledge to him in his first season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first got here, I was like ok, he is definitely going to be someone who I have to ask and be curious with him,\u201d Sims said of Lynch.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has kicked 400 or 500 goals, so it was good to have him. I lived with him for a couple of weeks when I got drafted, and it was good to see his life away from footy as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would say, \u2018I\u2019m going to pilates, do you want to come?\u2019 and I would say, ‘yeah’…even when you are outside of training, you are still preparing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the track, he tries to teach us stuff, even just playing against him in aerial contests, he will beat you, but he will teach you how he did it, so it\u2019s good to see how he dissects what happens on the field, and for us forwards, it definitely helps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sims lauded fellow forwards Harry Armstrong and Jonty Faull for consistently driving one another to improve as they prepare for their second season at the Swinburne Centre.<\/p>\n
The trio of Tigers will look to become the key pillars of the forward line for years to come, a challenge Sims embraces.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of us have our own strengths and flair, and we are all learning together,\u201d Sims said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we are all just trying to learn, and that will probably be the Richmond forward line for the next couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just have to try and fast track each other, and soon enough, hopefully, all three of us will be on together at the same time, kicking snags and assisting each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Standing at 199cm tall, Sims found success as a swing ruckman in support of captain Toby Nankervis, stepping up at stoppages to compete around the ground.<\/p>\n
Rucking was an attribute he developed in his junior career, with the hope that it would put him on notice and improve his chances of getting picked up in the draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into my 18s season, no one really knew who I was,\u201d Sims said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I made Vic Metro, I was playing with all these people who were going to get drafted, and I thought I could be one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cToward the end of that season, I played a new role by playing more ruck to deepen my bag. It was good to show recruiters that I could play ruck and forward, which was a point of difference in my draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year I did a bit of rucking to give Nank a chop out, and I was playing against big men, so it was hard for me to try and match them physically, but I\u2019ve got Samson Ryan, I\u2019ve got Ollie Hayes-Brown, and I\u2019ve got Nank, and they are all good resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving that versatility sets me apart from most other tall keys, and if I try to add as many strings to my bow as I can, it will help me play more games and help us win more games.\u201d<\/p>\n