The fairytale of the draft has a fairytale ending.
Sullivan Robey, who has come from the clouds to put himself in draft contention having started the year playing local footy, has landed at the club he grew up supporting.
After an explosive finish to the season in the Coates Talent League for Eastern Ranges as a modern day forward/midfielder, Robey was widely viewed as a top 10 calibre talent, with Richmond strongly linked to him with their pair of top five selections.
The Tigers ultimately opted for Sam Cumming and Sam Grlj, allowing Essendon to pounce on Robey, a week after he toured Tullamarine with Ranges teammates Lachy Dovaston and Xavier Taylor last week.
He was selected by the Bombers with Pick 9, with powerful Western Australian Jacob Farrow selected at 10 and ready-made midfielder and Larke medallist Dyson Sharp taken at Pick 13.
“It's awesome, being an Essendon supporter and the whole family as well - it's going to be a really awesome couple of months,” Robey said.
“It's pretty surreal when you realise where you are.”
Sharp had an esteemed reputation entering 2025 and rounded out his game at a terrific U18s National Championships and for SANFL side Central District.
The Bulldogs junior was presented with his jumper by namesake and former Bombers skipper Dyson Heppell.
“I was pinching myself a little bit when I was up there,” Sharp said. “Having the same name as him was what got me into the Bombers to start with.
“To have him present the jumper for the team I barrack for was an unreal feeling. I felt like I was in a dream. I'm so glad I'm living it out now.
“He just said ‘soak it all in, it's a great night and whatever happens is going to happen and just take it in your stride and have fun'.
“I'm definitely taking that into account and can't wait for what's to come.”
Sharp has been widely described as one of the most AFL-ready players of the 2025 draft class after getting senior SANFL exposure across 2024 and 2025, averaging 14 disposals through nine games in 2025 and reiterated the role that played in getting him drafted.
“Playing against senior bodies in a fast-paced game was a great opportunity for me to embrace with two hands ...which will hold me in good stead going into next year, particularly playing finals, there's the next step there."
Farrow came from outside the 2025 Western Australian summer squad to get selected in the first round, with his stocks proliferating during a consistent start to the WAFL U18s season as a clean-kicking defender capable of going into the midfield.
“Seeing him play at West Perth, and again, he's another one that just got better as the year went on,” Essendon recruiting manager Matt Rosa said.
"He brings real versatility, we think that he continues to show great power, great agility, so we think he'll be a real versatile prospect for us.
“Those little glimpses we saw of him in the midfield this year, we hope that he can continue to develop, as well as being really good quality, all user off halfback, actually.”
The 2025 crop was widely described as a weak one, but Essendon was keen to have picks available at the top end, at the expense of a club-tied prospect, trading in to get a third top 15 selection on draft night, which allowed them to secure Sharp, who they rated higher than consensus.
“We really believed in the top end of this draft, so we just wanted as much access to the high end draft as we could, and we wanted to pick as high as possible so we worked on that right up until the last couple of days," Rosa added.
“We were really comfortable with the talent pool that we're going to be picking from at the high end and it's great that we've got a really good mix as well.
“We think we've got a half-back that can play midfield, a midfielder that can play forward and a genuine mid so I feel like we've walked out with a really good balance.
The Bombers then overlooked Next Generation Academy prospect Adam Sweid, with Fremantle placing a bid at Pick 25, the final selection of the first round of the National Draft.
