Jump to content

Tom Burton (footballer)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Burton
Burton in May 2026
Personal information
Full name Thomas Burton[1]
Born (2007-01-09) 9 January 2007 (age 19)
Original teams Western Jets (Talent League)
Point Cook (WRFL)
Draft 2026 Pre-season supplemental selection period signing
Debut Round 7, 2026, Richmond vs. Melbourne, at MCG
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Position Forward
Club information
Current club Richmond
Number 45
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2026– Richmond 5 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 15, 2026.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Thomas Burton (born 9 January 2007) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). An endurance running half-forward, Burton was signed as a train-on player by Richmond in the 2026 pre-season, after being overlooked by all 18 AFL clubs in the draft periods at the end of the 2025 season.

Early life and junior football

[edit]

Burton grew up in Point Cook, a suburb 22 kilometres south-west of Melbourne.[2][3] He played junior football with the local Point Cook Football Club in the Western Region Football League from under 9s level.[4][1] He won the league's Under 16 division 1 best and fairest award in 2022 and made his senior debut for the club at age 16 in the 2023 league division 1 grand final.[5][6][7]

Burton played representative football for Victorian state sides at Under 14 and Under 15 level, including being named Under 15 All-Australian in 2022.[1] He also represented the Victorian Metropolitan region the Under 16 National Championships in 2023 and played his first matches for the Western Jets in the top-level junior competition the Talent League.[8][1] In the same year he received a scholarship to attend and play for Caulfield Grammar School, where he remained through the conclusion of year 12 studies in 2024.[1][9] Burton also played in the 2024 AFL Futures game for players in the penultimate season of junior eligibility, in which he recorded 26 disposals.[10]

Burton was selected as a member of the AFL Academy ahead of the 2025 season.[4] As part of the program, he completed a pre-season training period with AFL club the Western Bulldogs and played matches with an academy side against VFL teams including the Richmond reserves in April, where he recorded 20 disposals.[10][6] During that final year of junior eligibility, Burton began university studies while continuing to play with the Western Jets.[4] Over 12 matches as captain of the Jets in 2025, he averaged 29.6 disposals and 4.4 tackles per game, while leading the league for total disposals.[11][4] For his exceptional performances that season, Burton was named the Jets best and fairest player and was selected to the Talent League Team of the Year.[10] In that season, Burton was selected to represent Victoria's metropolitan region at the 2025 AFL Under 18 Championships and was named the side's co-captain.[4] He played four matches at the carnival and averaged 15.5 disposals.[12]

At the 2025 national draft combine, Burton recorded top five results in the 20 metre sprint (2.916 seconds) and standing vertical jump (74 cm) tests.[13] In the week prior to the 2025 AFL draft, he was listed as a top 40 prospect by ESPN.[14]

Despite his accomplishments as a junior, Burton was overlooked by all 18 AFL clubs in both the national and rookie drafts of November 2025.[10][11]

AFL career

[edit]

In the days immediately following the drafts, Burton accepted a place in Richmond's pre-season training squad.[10][11][12] After a three-month period in the program, he was offered a contract under the pre-season supplemental selection period rules, taking up the final slot on the club's 2026 list.[15][16]

He started the season with the club's reserves side in the Victorian Football League, featuring in three matches over March and April, with an average of 17 disposals and 1.3 goals per game.[17] Burton made his AFL debut in round 7 of the 2026 season, in the ANZAC Day eve match against Melbourne at the MCG.[17]

Player profile

[edit]

Burton plays as a high half forward and is notable for his transition running.[18] In his junior years, Burton played as a rebounding defender and midfielder.[10]

Statistics

[edit]

Updated to the end of round 15, 2026.[19]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2026 Richmond 45 5 0 2 22 31 53 4 5 0.0 0.4 4.4 6.2 10.6 0.8 1.0
Career 5 0 2 22 31 53 4 5 0.0 0.4 4.4 6.2 10.6 0.8 1.0 0

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "#10 Thomas Burton". Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  2. ^ Howe, Peter (29 March 2025). "Burton is all in". Wyndham Star Weekly. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  3. ^ Ralphsmith, Jonty (29 May 2025). "AFL Draft: Behind the growth of the Jets' AFL Draft prospect". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ralphsmith, Jonty (23 April 2026). ""Setting up a career": Richmond debutant's relentless drive to succeed". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  5. ^ "Local and country footy/netball: Every league's premier and best and fairests". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  6. ^ a b Cavanagh, Chris (6 May 2025). "Coates League Top 50: Exclusive ranking points after round 5". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  7. ^ May, Brayden (15 September 2023). "The key players who can win the WRFL Division 1 decider". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Two WRFL stars named in Under 16 Victoria Metro Team". WFNL. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  9. ^ Cavanagh, Chris; Batten, Dan (1 April 2025). "Ultimate Coates Talent League guide: Every list, top draft prospects, father-sons, academy guns to watch in 2025". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Young ball-winner trains with Tigers after missing out at draft". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  11. ^ a b c Keating, Mitch (24 November 2025). "Overlooked draft gun lands SSP chance with Victorian club". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Burton and Krasnadamskis to train on". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  13. ^ Chellappah, Jasper (6 October 2025). "AFL Draft Combine 2025: The biggest takeaways from the weekend". ESPN. Disney. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  14. ^ Chellappah, Jasper (12 November 2025). "AFL Draft 2025: ESPN's final, top 50 power rankings". ESPN. Disney. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Tigers sign young defender just days before season start". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Tom Burton is a Tiger". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  17. ^ a b Pavlou, Anna (22 April 2026). "Burton becomes fifth Richmond debutant of 2026". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  18. ^ Pavlou, Anna (23 April 2026). "Yze on debutant's role, team news". Richmond FC. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  19. ^ "Tom Burton". AFL Tables. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom Burton (footballer).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Burton_(footballer)&oldid=1360563368"