Tom Blamires Biography

After working in Collingwood's commercial department, Tom Blamires will line up against the Magpies.

The 23-year-old left two football clubs simultaneously this week to join a new one when the Kangaroos signed him as a rookie ahead of the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) deadline on Monday: Frankston, where he played in the VFL, and Collingwood, where he worked in the commercial department.

"I've always had belief in myself, but you never actually know until you get told, so when I finally found out, it was crazy, to be honest," Blamires said after signing with North Melbourne this week.

"I then had to roam around the club for a couple of hours pretending nothing had happened and just to act normal. So it was a bit of a weird couple of hours, to be honest."

Tom Blamires is the latest in a long line of Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winners to land on an AFL list as a pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) recruit.

The Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal recognises the most promising player in the VFL aged 24 or under, and Blamires is the 19th winner in a row to end up on an AFL list.

Tom Blamires snags the last spot on North Melbourne's list for 2026.

Having impressed over the pre-season, including in last week's match simulation against Melbourne, the 23-year-old has joined the club as a pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) signing.

Blamires won the 2025 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young gun in the VFL after moving from the Sandringham Zebras last off-season, and becomes the 19th successive winner of the award to make it to an AFL list following the honour.