One of the best small forwards in the 2026 AFL Draft class, Sandringham Dragons prospect George Dimer is also regarded as one of the finest characters.
Across the year, he has balanced school captaincy duties at Haileybury, captaincy of Haileybury's firsts footy team and Talent League and Under-18s National Championships commitments.
Across a 20-minute conversation with Zero Hanger, he opens up on his values, growth as a footballer, iconic mentors and more.
Jonty Ralphsmith: How did you assess the year overall from a footy perspective?
George Dimer: Loved it. Loved every minute of it. This time last year, I probably wasn't going to be drafted if the draft was last year, so I think having come into the season, played good footy and shown my strengths is something I'm grateful for, but I'm also proud of myself to have done that. I always had the belief in myself that I was always good enough to be in this position but I wasn't there last year ad now I have managed to change that. I made the teams I wanted to, and to play good footy, gaining the best in the country, felt pretty good.
JR: Your pre-season punctuated you so much with the stress fractures in your back. What did that look like?
GD: In effect, I didn't have a pre-season. I started getting symptoms in my back when we started training in November, so I was doing managed training until the physios told me to get the scans and then did not return until Round 3 of the Talent League season. So I basically didn't have one, so it was pretty tough when I first got the news because, naturally, I came into my top-aged pre-season thinking I was going to have a massive one, get fitter and stronger, and that was stripped from me, but I was able to shift my focus well. My pre-season focus became recovery after a little bit of time recovering. It was a different way of setting up for the season, but I still came back in good shape.
JR: What did the time on the sidelines teach you?
GD: It was my first experience with a long-term injury - I had three- to four-weekers previously with muscle strains but never a long-term injury like that, and it showed me the reality of the sport. Injuries will happen - you have to learn to overcome them. My ability to adjust my perception of a situation was a skill I developed through that period, and I hope it holds me in good stead for when I do inevitably get knockbacks with footy and life.
JR: So you gain that perspective. What was it you missed the most about footy - the draft is one side of it and the fact you wanted to pursue a career but what did you miss about footy at its core?
GD: I think the toughest part was going to every training for rehab and seeing the boys run out and working hard and laughing, and I was stuck on the sidelines. The toughest part was losing the spark of footy. I was stripped down to the more mundane side of it.
JR: Through everything, your character has always had glowing references. How much is that something you pride yourself on, and what do you want to be known for?
GD: It's not something I focus on; I just strive to be a good person in everything I do. It's the way I've been raised by my parents, and that's how I want to be known. With the leadership, I knew it would be a big year being school captain and chasing my footy dreams, but I think I care about my academics and leadership and more personal side of myself just as much as my footy, so I want to keep chasing that.
JR: The school captaincy side of things - when did that become a goal for you?
GD: I think my first experience with wanting to desperately be a good leader was year 10 footy at Haileybury. I played in the firsts that year, and I remember Mitch Kirkwood-Scott being captain and him being an incredibly inspiring leader and someone I idolised. From that point forward, I got to see the impact a strong leader can have and it instilled a desire in me to want to do the same.
JR: What has the school captaincy looked like for you this year?
GD: It's been busy. It's like doing another subject at school, from a workload perspective. A lot of organising events, and there was a team of us, and we all did it together. I got to have the title, but it was not just me doing it. I got a lot of credit for their work, but the organising and ideating was a big part. As a school, we did a lot of charity work, and we got to visit the Monash Children's Hospital and do a donation collection for them. Little things like that were powerful, and so were speeches throughout the year at assembly. At the end of the year with our graduating class, I got to own those moments a little bit and leave a bit of a lasting message for our cohort. At times, the school would ask me to come in to talk about more serious matters like student discipline to get a student perspective on it. Lots of tasks here and there but very rewarding overall.
JR: You talked about the legacy Mitch left for you - what legacy do you hope you've left for Year 10 Haileybury students?
GD: That's a tough one. Within the footy program, I would like to think I have left a legacy of people buying in, and that's something we as a school pride ourselves on, so I would like to think I have continued to build on those foundations.
JR: And then outside of footy?
GD: That's another tough one. I think the importance of being a good person. I would like to think about having a smile on your face when you walk past someone in the hallways. Similar to footy - no drastic changes, but little reminders of the way that we should all conduct ourselves.
JR: You have talked about the importance of being a good person a couple of times. What are those values you hope people associate with you?
GD: For me, I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt when I interact with them. I don't want to be quick to make a judgment or throw shade to someone for one thing they have done because the reality is everyone is bigger than one action so giving people that respect that they deserve and showcasing that through relationships and interactions with them. And being warm and open to everyone. Sometimes people will be uncomfortable in certain situations, but when someone is willing to give them the time of day to chat to them, it makes everyone more comfortable.
JR: Have you been able to take a step back and take a breath and enjoy the year and everything that comes with it between the footy and the setback?
GD: It has been full on; there hasn't been much breathing room. We have had our graduation now from school, and the draft is coming up, so I have started to look back on it and think it has been an incredible year and one I will cherish for the rest of my life because of the opportunities I have been blessed to have.
JR: What role has Haileybury had in your upbringing holistically?
GD: Massive. The overall school culture at Haileybury has been important through these formative years, with a strong focus on excellence in all aspects. Despite having four campuses, we're pretty connected, which I have cherished.
JR: You said off camera that academia is an outlet for footy. What has that balance been like?
GD: It's funny; people often ask me how I manage my studies and footy, but I see them as going hand in hand. My footy is an outlet from the stress of my studies and my studies are an outlet from footy. It has been important for me to have two focuses so I'm not spiralling if things go wrong. Having that balance has been key in a busy year.
JR: How do you go with writing speeches?
GD: I'm not actually that good at writing speeches. In the end, I would like to think they come out well, but I spend a lot of time on them. A lot of the time, I'm staring at a Word document with the blinking cursor. It doesn't come straight to me; I have to put work into it...
JR: ChatGPT?
GD: I never use ChatGPT. Sometimes I use it for ideas, but the words on the page are always mine. I don't like the way ChatGPT writes; the cadence of it seems off to me, so I prefer to speak with my own words.
JR: How has Matthew Lloyd grown you as a footballer?
GD: He's had an incredible impact. I couldn't praise his coaching any higher. We are blessed at Haileybury to have the coaches we have. The two things 'Lloydy' has taught me are the importance of hard work - that is always his number one focus, and he's not the coach to grill us, but he upholds high standards, so he often talks about the importance of not losing the habits we build, which comes back to my ethic of needing to have devotion. And the other one is the importance of collective buy-in to succeed. That has shown in recent years, when we have not had the talent other schools have had. We won the premiership last year without a single player drafted, and that is rare to see in an APS setting. His ability to garner a group of 22 schoolboys into a high-performing team who can go up against the best in the country is impressive.
JR: What about Pendles? What have you learned off him?
GD: He's, interestingly, not quiet, but he does not speak as much as I was expecting, but the boys often say that when he speaks, it's gold. He's, in effect, a coach at Collingwood, and it's the same for us. He'll say one thing, and we'll think, 'wow, that makes so much sense'. I spent a lot of time with him in Year 10 to improve my bodywork. I was playing midfield that year, and I am pretty small, and I was going up against bigger figures, so he was massive for me in understanding when to engage and when to just back my speed instead. A lot of our game plan is based on his understanding of the game.
JR: You talked about your size there. Have you ever been doubted as a result, and how have you coped with that?
GD: Other people have doubted me, but if I'm being honest, I don't even notice my size when I'm playing footy. I sometimes get a surprise when I watch back my vision and see myself compared to everyone else because when I'm out there playing, it's not a factor in my mind. People have questioned whether I'm a bit small, and I have been pushed into the small forward role a little bit because of my size, but I have never seen it as a disadvantage, and often it is an advantage because my speed and agility come from the lower centre of gravity.
JR: Do you see yourself as a deep front-and-centre crumbing forward or a hard-working high half forward?
GD: I think I see myself as a high half forward - that is where I can best showcase my strengths because I have been a midfielder throughout junior footy. I am able to impact high up the ground, but also being able to rip back towards the goals is another strength I have.
JR: How have you improved as a footballer this year?
GD: A lot of it has been the forward understanding. The understanding of the half forward role and my running patterns and crumbing timing is something I spend a lot of time on, so the forward half side of my game has improved a lot this year.
JR: If a club reads out George Dimer next week, what are they getting?
GD: A hard-working half forward who will work hard to prove myself within the league. I will keep doing what the coaches ask. I don't have deadlines or expectations of how it will pan out for me, but I know if I go through the process properly, it will give me the best chance of having success in the AFL system.
JR: Thanks for your time, George.
GD: Thanks for coming out.
