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Senior Darcy Wilmot (2021-)

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‘Ripper of a kid’: Darcy Wilmot’s rise from delivering pizzas in Doreen to the AFL grand final

When the ball is bounced for the AFL grand final, more than a few shouts of encouragement for Brisbane and one of its young players will come from the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

They will be for a dashing young Lion from Doreen with strong ties to the Magpies.

Darcy Wilmot’s father, Grant, played for Collingwood in 1980, coached by Tom Hafey.

That season the Magpies were routed by Richmond in the grand final, and on Saturday Grant Wilmot’s 19-year-old son and his Brisbane teammates will be out to do something similar to the black and white.

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore will be among Darcy Wilmot’s opponents at the MCG.

Their fathers were teammates at the Magpies, and in 1989 they were together at Eltham, where Brownlow Medal-winning Peter Moore was the senior premiership coach.

Grant Wilmot died of a heart attack in 2016 at the age of 59.

Five years later the son he loved watching play junior football was drafted from the Northern Knights.

Wilmot senior was a formidable footballer in the old Diamond Valley league.

He started and finished his career in the “DV’’, and in between had three years with Preston in the VFA and three with Collingwood in the VFL.

Wilmot was in the 1978 Preston team that lost to Prahran in the grand final. Reported for striking, he was suspended for six games.

It was a rugged era in the VFA but Wilmot had done some boxing as a middleweight. He was happy to accommodate anyone wanting to mix it up.

“Grant was a hard player and a skilful player,’’ former Preston coach Peter Weightman says.

Referring to the 1978 VFA grand final, he says: “There were quite a few melees in that particular game. And both sides had players that wouldn’t take a backward step. Grant Wilmot was one of those players.’’

Wilmot played five games for Collingwood in 1980.

In his third appearance he kicked four goals and had 20 touches against St Kilda, earning Brownlow Medal votes.

Peter Daicos, the father of brilliant brothers Josh and Nick, was a teammate.

Former Collingwood captain and coach Tony Shaw says Wilmot was a “ripper bloke who trained like a demon and got every ounce out of himself’’.

Shaw remembers him doing boxing for extra training and fitness.

After finishing at Collingwood, Wilmot went back to Montmorency, and then spent time at Heidelberg West, all the while enhancing a reputation as one of the best and toughest players in a league where fists flew freely.

When Peter Moore took over as coach at Eltham in 1989, Wilmot was lured across as a playing assistant coach.

Garry Ramsay has coached across the competition – now the Northern league – for the past two decades but was then a callow 20-year-old at the Panthers.

He says Wilmot was the enforcer the young team desperately needed.

“Grant was right at the end of his career, he would have been in his 30s,’’ he says.

“We weren’t the toughest side and we were pretty quiet, but he protected the young fellas. He made us all walk taller.’’

Eltham won the Division 2 premiership that year, the only flag of Peter Moore’s distinguished career.

After stints coaching Croydon and Heidelberg, Wilmot returned to Eltham, coaching another Division 2 flag in his own right.

Ramsay was his vice-captain.

“He was a great developer of kids and a great coach. He was a massive influence on me,’’ he says.

Wilmot then found his way back home to coach his beloved Montmorency to close the 1990s. He was named on the half forward flank in the Magpies’ team of the century in 2000.

In the following years he got a kick from watching his son come through junior football, with sufficient promise to gain selection in the Victorian Under 12 schoolboys team.

Darcy Wilmot started his football in the Auskick program at Yarrambat juniors and across 107 games became one of their most decorated players.

He was also a club favourite and a “ripper of a kid’’, president Warren Casey says.

“Very humble. You couldn’t wish for a better junior,’’ he says.

“Even when he was playing with the Knights and he wasn’t meant to be training with us, he’d be down training with the boys because he felt he needed to give back to his club.

“When he gets back to Melbourne he comes down every now and then with his mum (Mel) for a parma on the Thursday nights and catches up with the club and the people around it.

“Yeah, much loved around here. How he is around Brisbane is how he is around us.’’

Wilmot was part of five Blue division premiership teams, won best and fairests at Under 11 and 15 level, took the Under 15 league medal, and twice represented the Northern league in AFL Victoria metropolitan carnivals.

In 2019 Yarrambat presented him with its perpetual trophy for “outstanding achievement’’.

His teammates at the club included North Melbourne’s Cooper Harvey, 2023 draft prospect Nate Caddy and Carlton VFL-listed Noah Barnes.

Long-serving Yarrambat official Sam Barnes, Noah’s mother, is a family friend of the Wilmots and one of Darcy’s biggest fans.

“My eldest son played with Darcy right from Auskick all the way through so I’ve had the benefit of enjoying his journey for a long time,’’ she says.

“Just a great kid. My son met him on their first day of prep. He knew nobody, Darcy knew nobody and they were buddied up in prep on their first day at Yarrambat Primary. And he has not changed one bit. He’s the most genuine-hearted and driven young man.’’

Sam Barnes can recall Darcy Wilmot doing deliveries on his bike for the Doreen pizza shop.

Last Saturday she was torn when the club she supports, Carlton, met the Lions in the preliminary final.

“I’m like, OK, Darcy is playing but it’s been a long time for Carlton,’’ she says.

Yarrambat is a juniors-only club (and, aside from Darcy Wilmot and Cooper Harvey, counts AFLW trio Kirsty Lamb, Gabby Newton and Brooke Plummer as past players).

When it came time to find a senior team, the Wilmot family was happy to see Darcy align with the black and white of Montmorency in honour of his late father.

Despite being part of the Northern Knights squad, he took on the extra work of a pre-season at ‘Monty’ ahead of the 2021 season.

By coincidence, it was Grant’s old teammate and pupil at Eltham, Ramsay, who was in charge.

“You could tell,” Ramsay says.

“He was a 17-year-old competitive beast. Any competitive stuff in pre-season he was smashing away with the best senior footballers, he loved the physical stuff.”

Ramsay selected him for his senior debut against Monty’s great rival Greensborough when he was on a break from the Knights.

He remembers the impact Wilmot had in the local derby.

“It was a night game and there would have been 3000 people there. He absolutely dominated, was best on ground and we caused an upset,’’ he says.

“He played on the back flank, he was just dashing, bouncing and running, and they couldn’t tackle him, couldn’t catch him.

“He kicked it ten metres longer than anyone else and he was pretty tough too.”

Ramsay believes the confidence gained from starring against men in the black and white jumper his family held so dear helped propel Darcy Wilmot towards the 2021 AFL national draft.

“He was only just going at the Northern Knights before then, he was probably averaging 15 possessions a game, but that night game just spring-boarded him,’’ he says.

“The next week we played against North Heidelberg and there were nine recruiters there watching him.”

Perhaps a Lions scout was among them: they swooped on the dasher from Doreen, with AFL draft oracle Kevin Sheehan describing him as a “very special talent’’.

Like a lot of people in the north of Melbourne, Peter Weightman, 74, has enjoyed following Darcy’s rise at Brisbane.

“He’s doing really well,’’ he says.

“He has a crack. He’s quite an aggressive player when it comes to attacking the footy and his father was exactly the same. I can see a lot of Grant Wilmot in his son.’’
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Fried rice, pillows and 'a bit of a pest': Inside the world of Darcy Wilmot

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DARCY Wilmot is a young man who marches to the beat of his own drum.

When Brisbane travels, the 20-year-old is happy to cart his own pillow around airports and hotels to ensure a good night's sleep. No matter what ribbing he gets from teammates.

He'll eat cheap fried rice before an away game.

Wilmot bought his first house this year., yet unlike most Lions that live in Brisbane's inner east, he headed to the leafy west, closer to the club's training facility in Springfield and at least 15 minutes from any teammate.

"I've always been like that, just do my own thing," Wilmot told AFL.com.au.

"I'm not really one to follow people."

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Yet, he's like a magnet, popular among his peers, both young and old. The coaching staff love him, and it's little wonder.

Since starring in his 2022 elimination final debut against Richmond, Wilmot has not missed a game, playing 42 straight ahead of Saturday's trip to Adelaide Oval to face Port.

And in 2024 he has made the half-back position his own, averaging 20 disposals and demonstrating a great combination of attacking flair with defensive desperation.

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He has been one of Brisbane's most dependable players.

"Consistency is something I value and if I can be consistent and be at the top of my performance each week, I'll know I'm helping the team out," he said.

Developing that consistency has come through trial and error.

After being taken with the 16th pick in the 2021 AFL Draft, Wilmot – the youngest in his draft pool having been born on December 31 – had to bide his time in the VFL during his first season with Brisbane.

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It gave him a chance to see what worked, and what didn't.

"Fried rice obviously worked," he joked.

"Getting into a good headspace … I just make sure I'm happy and have a clear head.

"I'm not superstitious, it's more OCD with certain things.

"With footy, I try and keep it as simple as I can. But the radio has to be an even number. I can't have an odd number. Everyone knows that gets to me."

Same goes for the pillow. It's now a must-have on away trips.

"I think people get embarrassed to take it with them. I don't know if they want to be seen walking around with a pillow, but I don't care," he said.

"I'd rather have comfort over a bad sleep at the hotel.

"A lot of the boys respect it because they know pillows can be uncomfortable. It's all fun and games – I sleep happy."

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Wilmot made his debut in the highest pressured environment and immediately looked right at home.

He was safe and sound against the Tigers, and after receiving a 50m penalty in the second quarter, showed nerves of steel to calmly slot his first career goal.

Brisbane knew it had a player for the long haul.

"The energy comes from the feeling that I want to do it," Wilmot said.

"I'm a very expressive person. If I'm in a good mood, I'll just show it. The boys get around it. Sometimes I can be over the top and they'll tell me to pull my head in."

His energy is juxtaposed with old school values. Buying a house early in his career was a goal, a "hobby" as he put it. And it didn't matter how far away from his teammates.

"I'm in my third year now and I came in with some good savings," Wilmot said.

"It was just being wise with my money and investing in a good way.

"For me, it was more about what I liked, the position of where I wanted to go. I didn't really factor in where the boys live, I don't care about that.

"I've always been around older people.

"I get my silly, immature side from my mates, but aside from that I'm around older people all the time, so I think I'm starting to get that really nice balance of when's the right time to do things and then when's the right time to be mature."

Co-captain Harris Andrews said his young backline teammate had bought so much value to the club in his two-plus years.

"His ability to be offensively driven and get the ball moving is fantastic, but also defensively at the back of a stoppage, he's great at getting a hand in and turning balls over there so we can go the other way and score," Andrews said.

"He's great fun. He can be a bit of a pest at times. Sometimes he does things and you're wondering why he does it, but we absolutely love playing with him and think he's got a really, really bright future here."

And for Wilmot, that future means constantly improving.

"I'm always trying to get as good as I can get," he said.

"That will always be my drive. Being good isn't good enough. Each year I want to get better, each game I want to get better.

"Hopefully at the end of my career I can say each game I got better. Let's see how far I can go."
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From the Rooms: Rd 16 Darcy Wilmot

Brisbane Lions hold on in a thriller against Melbourne, so we chat to young gun Darcy Wilmot about the game and his performance.
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Wilmot: “We’ve got really good depth”

Darcy Wilmot talks to media ahead of the Round 20 QClash with the Gold Coast Suns. The young defender believes the Lions have the depth to cover key positions and continue to build through the tail end of the season
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The Wilmot Way For 50 Games

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Sometimes hidden in the mass of facts and figures that is the AFL there is a little piece of statistical gold. And so it is with Darcy Wilmot as he prepares to complete a first 50 games in the AFL like no other player.

The 20-year-old defender is the only one of 351 Brisbane players all-time to debut in a final and will become the fifth player in club history to play 50 consecutive games from debut in the monster clash with the GWS Giants at the Gabba on Saturday.

Wilmot will be the eighth-youngest 50-gamer, will reach this mark having played an equal club record six finals, and, with 34 wins and a draw in 49 games, will have a win ratio better than all except five others.

But a long haul through the AFL records reveals a never-before recognised statistic about the 20-year-old defender from Yarrambat, a small town 24km north-east of the Melbourne CBD that was a gold mining centre in the late 19th century and is now a farming community.

Wilmot is one of only two players among now 13,169 players in AFL history since 1897 whose first three games were finals.

The only other player to start in this manner is St Kilda’s 1966 premiership player Travis Payze, who trumped Wilmot when he went loss-win-win in the year of the Saints’ only premiership.

Payze, who went on to play 127 games, debuted in a semi-final loss to Collingwood by 10 points before a 42-point preliminary final win over Essendon and the famous one-point grand final win over Collingwood.

His first three games drew crowds of 95,614 in the SF, 93,453 in the PF and 102,055 in the GF.

And while the aggregate attendance of 174,852 for Wilmot in the 2022 elimination final at the Gabba and the semi-final and preliminary final at the MCG pales in comparison there is another oddity which makes his journey unique.

He will be the first Brisbane 50-gamer suspended by the AFL even before his AFL debut.

Drafted from the Northern Knights with pick #16 in the 2021 AFL Draft ahead of Kai Lohmann (#20) and James Tunstill (pick #41), Wilmot copped a one-match suspension for a dangerous tackle on Adelaide’s Ned McHenry in a practice match that saw him miss the first round of his first season in the AFL.

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He would not have been in the Round 1 side anyway, but it did spoil an otherwise unblemished ‘attendance’ record in his time at the club.

Remarkably, Wilmot has not missed a week of football since then, playing every game in the VFL thereafter, sitting out only when the Reserves had a bye, until he was catapulted into the AFL side for the 2022 elimination final against Richmond at the Gabba.

Ironically, too, Wilmot’s AFL debut came indirectly due to the first career suspension of teammates Cam Rayner and Noah Answerth and a sad omission for Jarryd Lyons.

Rayner and Answerth copped a week each for incidents in the Lions’ 58-point Round 23 loss to Melbourne at the Gabba, which dropped them from fourth to sixth heading into the finals.

With memories of his side’s straight sets exit from the 2021 finals, coach Chris Fagan turned to Wilmot while welcoming Callum AhChee back from concussion and recalling Deven Robertson for his first AFL game since Round 15.

He also made the bold decision to leave out Lyons after he’d played 89 consecutive games since joining the club in 2019.

Lyons’ run was the sixth-longest in club history behind Marcus Ashcroft’s extraordinary 170-game streak from 1992-2000, which now ranks 11th in the AFL all-time, and Charlie Cameron’s ‘live’ run of 138 games, which is equal 24th in AFL history. Others to play 100 consecutive games for Brisbane have been Jack Redden (112), Simon Black (107) and Nigel Lappin (103).

Wilmot is one of just 33 AFL players all-time to debut in a final, including two Fitzroy players.
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BRISBANE STATS LEADERS AT 50 GAMES

YOUNGEST 50-GAMERS
Nigel Lappin – 20 years 15 days
Michael Voss – 20 years 30 days
Chris Scott – 20 years 85 days
Justin Sherman – 20 years 127 days
Jason Akermanis – 20 years 159 days
Harris Andrews – 20 years 203 days
Marcus Ashcroft – 20 years 214 days
Darcy Wilmot – 20 years 223 days
Jack Redden – 20 years 241 days
Cam Rayner – 20 years 251 days
Jonathan Brown – 20 years 271 days
Daniel Rich – 20 years 318 days
Eric Hipwood – 20 years 332 days
Alex Witherden – 20 years 341 days

MOST WINS AT 50 GAMES (min 30)
39 - Robert Copeland
38 - Jonathan Brown, Des Headland
36 - Jamie Charman (*),Noah Answerth
34 - Darcy Wilmot (), Ash McGrath (), Tim Notting, Keidean Coleman, Brandon Starcevich
32 - Beau McDonald 32-18, Jack Payne
31 - Jason Akermanis (), Aaron Shattock ()
30 – Simon Black
(*) denotes one draw.

MOST FINALS AT 50 GAMES (min 4)
6 - Robert Copeland, Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Darcy Wilmot
5 - Simon Black, Jonathan Brown, Jamie Charman, Tim Notting
4 - Justin Leppitsch, Danny Dickfos, Tristan Lynch, Craig McRae, Luke Power, Ben Robbins,
Beau McDonald, Ash McGrath, Zac Bailey, Brandon Starcevich
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Wilmot's Star On The Rise With 22under22 Selection

Brisbane Lions defender Darcy Wilmot has been selected in the 2024 AFLPA 22Under22 team following a career best year for the 20-year-old.

Wilmot famously debuted in the Lions 2022 Elimination Final against Richmond has not missed a game since playing in the Lions 2023 AFL Grand Final appearance.

The dashing defender’s ability to rebound off half-back has been eye-catching and has been rewarded with a first-time selection in the backline for the 22under22 team.

Lions backline coach Dale Morris noted Wilmot’s want to improve and the increase in his on-field performance courtesy of his off-field work.

“Motty (Darcy Wilmot) is one of those players who has worked really hard on his craft since joining the Club,” Morris said.

“I’ve had the pleasure of helping him develop this season and to think he is only 20 years old is scary because he still has so much room to grow as a player and a person.

“His selection in the 22Under22 team is reward for a very consistent season where he has continually performed at high level.

“I’m excited to see Motty continue to develop his game over the next few seasons, the sky is the limit for him.”

Averaging career highs in disposals, marks and metres gained this season has Wilmot among Lions senior coach Chris Fagan’s best players each week.

Players are selected in the squad by the AFL Players Association based on match statistics from Champion Data from there, fans voted for who they believed were the best 22.
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Mad as a cut snake, as they used to say. We need his exhuberance.
 

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Five Lions roar their way into 22Under22 team

The exciting future of the Brisbane Lions has been further highlighted following the announcement of the 2025 AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 Team of the Year.

It was a Lions domination with five players selected in the team, the most representatives of any AFL club.

The quintet named was Darcy Wilmot, Jaspa Fletcher, Logan Morris as well as Will and Levi Ashcroft.

The exciting young group were all included in the initial squad before being voted into the final 22 by AFL fans across the country.

Wilmot was named in a back pocket with Fletcher on a back flank, Will Ashcroft starting in the midfield, Morris at full forward and Levi Ashcroft on the interchange.
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Quickest players from V/AFL debut to play in 12 finals
3y 12d - DARCY WILMOT
3y 17d - Dermott Brereton
3y 52d - Bob McClure
3y 87d - John Burns
3y 114d - Glen Jakovich
3y 115d - John Byrne
3y 127d - Steele Sidebottom
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Senior Darcy Wilmot (2021-)

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