AFL News: Starting with the Collingwood sensation, who turned around a delisting from Hawthorn to quickly become a pivotal part of Craig McRae’s midfield, Trent Simmonds is Him…
From Hawthorn Heartbreak to Collingwood Glory: The Stunning Rise of Midfield Marvel Trent SimmondsBy James McInerney | AFL Insider | June 5, 2025When Hawthorn delisted him in late 2023, few imagined Trent Simmonds would ever wear an AFL jersey again—let alone become the heartbeat of the Collingwood midfield just 18 months later. But in a twist that reads more like a sports film script than a career arc, the 25-year-old has defied the odds, silenced the critics, and ignited the Magpie engine room with a fierce blend of skill, resilience, and heart.
Once considered too light for the modern game, Simmonds now carries the weight of expectation at the biggest club in Australian rules football—and he’s not just surviving. He’s thriving.“I owe everything to this second chance,” Simmonds told AFL Insider in an exclusive sit-down. “Collingwood didn’t just give me a list spot. They gave me a purpose again.”—Chapter 1: The Fall – Hawthorn’s Quiet ExitBack in 2023, the signs were ominous. Simmonds had shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Hawthorn, but inconsistency and questions about his physicality plagued his reputation. The delisting came without fanfare—a short media statement, a few social media farewells, and silence.“I remember packing up my locker at Waverley,” Simmonds recalls. “It was raining, fittingly. No promises, no handshakes. Just me and a boot full of what-ifs.”
His AFL dream appeared all but extinguished. Even VFL clubs hesitated. But Simmonds wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.—Chapter 2: The Call That Changed EverythingWhen Collingwood’s development coach Hayden Skipworth saw a clip of Simmonds training solo at a local park in Richmond, he sent it up the chain.“I saw hunger,” Skipworth explains. “The kid was running drills like he was preparing for a Grand Final. Alone.
In the rain. That’s the kind of madness we like at Collingwood.” An invite to train with the VFL squad followed. Simmonds impressed immediately—his work rate was elite, his vision sharp, his decision-making clean under pressure.
Craig McRae saw enough to offer him a rookie list contract just weeks before the 2024 season opener.“We believed in the human, not just the footballer,” McRae says. “And Trent’s paid us back tenfold.”—Chapter 3: Breakout at the ‘GRound 6, 2024: Collingwood vs Melbourne. Injuries to key midfielders open the door. Simmonds is named on the extended bench but gets the nod on game day.From the first bounce, he makes an impact—13 contested possessions, 2 goal assists, and a match-sealing smother late in the fourth quarter. The Magpie Army erupts.“He played like his life depended on it,” said teammate Jack Crisp. “And maybe it did.”From there, the rise was meteoric. By season’s end, Simmonds had racked up 18 games, averaged 24 disposals per outing, and earned a nomination for the AFLPA Best First-Year Player (despite technically being a delisted free agent
