Sam Walsh

Sam Walsh received the football on debut as the number one pick in the 2018 draft, disposed of it with the calm of a hundred-game veteran, and Carlton supporters exhaled. They had found their man. In the seasons since, Walsh has delivered on every expectation that comes with being the first name called — a silky midfielder whose disposal is so clean, so efficient, that it makes the chaotic seem simple. His composure under pressure is extraordinary, his ability to find the ball in contested situations a gift that earned him the NAB Rising Star award as a teenager. Alongside Patrick Cripps, he forms a midfield partnership that is the envy of most clubs in the competition.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Through 140 games and 42 goals, Walsh has continued to improve each year — adding contested-ball work to his disposal game, adding midfield hardness to his natural skill. At twenty-four, his ceiling remains tantalisingly high, and Carlton’s supporters believe they are witnessing a player who will be central to the premiership they crave. In 2026, Walsh anchors the Blues’ engine room alongside Cripps, two contrasting styles that together create one of the most formidable midfield partnerships in the AFL.

EC — Senior features writer, australiafootball.com