DOB: 25/05/1994
Height: 189cm
Weight: 88kg
Club: Gippsland Power/Vic Country
Bio: Powerful medium forward with strong hands on the lead and a long, accurate kick for goal. Has the ability to keep his feet and rarely fumbles, showing clean hands below the knees as well as overhead. Showed his capabilities at Etihad Stadium against SA, kicking four goals after being hampered by injury earlier. AIS-AFL Academy graduate.
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Upside: Membrey brings a fierce physical presence to the forward half and can be counted on to fight his way to the footy in a pack-marking situation or with the ball on the ground. He is a superb long kick for goal, either on the run or from a set shot, and finished the TAC Cup season with an impressively accurate goal tally of 45.22. He is quick off the mark when leading and takes the ball with arms outstretched to minimise the defender's chance of spoiling.
"Some can handle being captain of a TAC Cup team and some can't, but Tim just got better and better as the year went on. He's really team-oriented - as many goals as he's kicked he's given probably twice as many. We think he'll play that high half-forward role [at AFL level] and could even venture into the midfield. He's just such a magnificent kick and has such good hands - he's just such a 'true' footballer. He has a really good footy brain and I think he'll be a terrific player wherever they want to play him." - Power region manager Peter Francis.
Downside: With his superior size Membrey has played predominantly as a key forward throughout his junior footy days. This hasn't allowed him to hone his skills as a midfielder or develop the endurance base he'll need at the next level although those close to him are confident he is capable of building on his tank.
Plays like: Membrey has been widely likened to West Coast's Jack Darling in that he played most of his junior footy as a key forward, but is a little undersized for that role at AFL level. He has the same booming kick and brute strength that could see him emulate his Eagles' role model.
Draft range: Membrey will likely be taken somewhere between picks 10 and 20 at the NAB AFL Draft. He is the sort of fierce competitor who could really add something to Carlton's forward mix with the Giants and North Melbourne also good fits.
In his own words: "[Recruiters] know I can play forward, but they'd like to see me push up the ground a bit more and play a bit more of a higher role and on the ball. They'd like to see me get my fitness up [too]. Coming into an AFL club, I obviously wouldn't be a key tall, so I've got to learn that third tall role, where it's about leading into space, then getting out of it, or giving second and third leads."
Stats from NAB AFL U18 Championships:
| Matches | Kicks | Handballs | Marks | Disposals | Disposal efficiency | Contested possessions | Tackles | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 77.8% | 11 | 3 | 5.1 |
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
