Derek Eggmolesse-Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derek Eggmolesse-Smith
Eggmolesse-Smith with Richmond's VFL side in May 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-05-04) 4 May 1998 (age 27)
Original team	Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup)
Draft	Category B rookie signing, 2018 rookie draft
Debut	Round 16, 2019, Richmond v. Gold Coast, at Metricon Stadium
Position(s)	Half-back
Career highlights
VFL VFL premiership player: 2019

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (born 4 May 1998) is an Australian rules football player. He used to play for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was the first player ever signed by Richmond under the special Next Generation Academy rules in November 2017. Derek made his AFL debut in 2019 and later that year helped his team win a VFL premiership.

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith: An AFL Journey

Early Life and Junior Football

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith grew up in Wentworth, New South Wales. This is a country town near Mildura, right on the border with Victoria. Derek is from an Indigenous Australian family, specifically the Barkindji people.

He started playing junior football in Wentworth with the local team in the Sunraysia Football League (SNFL). In 2014, he even won a championship with the Under 16s team. Two other players from that team, Jarrod Brander and Kobe Mutch, also went on to play in the AFL.

At first, Derek could have joined the Greater Western Sydney academy because of where he lived. But his family moved to Mildura, which meant he could join the Richmond academy instead. This happened in 2016, and he was one of the first young players in Richmond's new Next Generation Academy. This program helps young Indigenous and multicultural players from the Sunraysia area.

In 2016, Derek was a fantastic player for Wentworth in the SFNL. He won two big awards: the league's Rising Star award and the Best and Fairest award. He also played three games for the Bendigo Pioneers, a junior representative team, in the TAC Cup. Richmond wanted to sign Derek through a special academy rule if other clubs didn't pick him in the draft. However, he wasn't drafted by any club, and Richmond decided not to sign him at that time.

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith with Richmond's VFL team in August 2017, when he was part of the club's Indigenous Academy.

Before the 2017 football season, Derek moved to Melbourne. He wanted to play higher-level local football and train with Richmond's reserve team. That year, he played for the Fitzroy Stars in the Northern Football League. He also played a few games back in Wentworth and with the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup. In May 2017, he played his first game for Richmond's reserve team in the VFL. That same month, he played in a special game for promising young Indigenous footballers at the MCG, right before the Dreamtime at the 'G AFL match. By the end of the VFL season, Derek had played five games.

Richmond again showed interest in Derek before the 2017 draft. News reports suggested they might even pick him in the main draft, and it was very likely they would sign him if he wasn't drafted by anyone else.

Starting His AFL Career

First Season (2018)

In November 2017, Richmond officially signed Derek Eggmolesse-Smith as a Category B rookie. This was done under the league's special academy rules. He was the very first player from Richmond's Next Generation Academy to join the club's main AFL team list.

Derek first played for Richmond in some special AFLX games in Sydney in February 2018. But before the season officially started, he got a stress fracture in his lower leg. This meant he spent most of the year recovering. Derek finally returned to play with Richmond's reserve team in the VFL in early August. His team made it to the finals, but they lost two games and were knocked out. Derek played four VFL games in 2018 but didn't get to play in an AFL game that year.

Making His Mark (2019)

After signing a new contract, Derek started the 2019 season playing for Richmond's VFL team. He played well in the pre-season games in March and continued to impress his VFL coach, Craig McRae, with his strong defensive play. In early May, McRae said Derek had "arguably the best game he’s played for the club." He had 21 kicks and helped move the ball out of defense seven times in a VFL win. Later that month, he played well in the club's Indigenous Round VFL match and took part in the team's special war cry performance.

Because he was playing so well in the VFL, Derek was named as an emergency player for the AFL team in round 13. He finally made his AFL debut three weeks later in round 16. This happened because a star player, Alex Rance, was injured for a long time. Derek played his first AFL game against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium. He had 19 kicks and helped move the ball out of defense four times. He kept his spot for the next game against Greater Western Sydney. In that game, Derek was one of five Indigenous players for Richmond, which was a new record for the club!

After playing two AFL games, Derek went back to the VFL team in late July. He immediately played a fantastic game with 26 kicks and nine marks. He stayed with the VFL team for the rest of their season. The VFL team finished at the top of the ladder. In the VFL finals, Derek played well in two games, helping his team reach the Grand Final. In the VFL Grand Final, he was named one of Richmond's best players. His team beat Williamstown to win their first reserve grade championship since 1997!

In 2019, Derek played two AFL games and 19 games for the VFL premiership-winning reserve team.

Playing Through Challenges (2020)

After a full pre-season of training, Derek started 2020 playing VFL practice matches in March. However, the season was quickly put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. The AFL season also stopped after just one round.

After an 11-week break, Derek returned to play in unofficial practice matches with Richmond's reserve team. These games were played because the VFL season was cancelled. After four of these practice matches, Derek was called back to the AFL team for round 6. This happened because Bachar Houli chose not to travel with the team after a virus outbreak. In round 7, Derek had an amazing game! He was one of the best players on the field, getting two votes for the Brownlow Medal and eight votes from the Coaches Association. He gained 471 metres for his team and had a team-high 23 kicks in the win against North Melbourne.

He stayed in the senior team for four more games. But after a tough game in round 11, he was sent back to the reserve team. Derek continued to play reserve football for the rest of the shortened season and during the club's AFL finals. He wasn't chosen to play in the AFL finals, even though his teammates went on to win their second AFL championship in a row. He finished the 2020 season having played six AFL games. At the end of the season, Richmond decided not to offer Derek a new contract. He had played eight AFL games over three years with the club.

A Return and New Beginnings (2021)

After not being picked by any clubs in the 2020 drafts, Derek was given a chance to earn his spot back at Richmond. He trained very hard over the summer, focusing on getting stronger and improving his fitness. He played in one official pre-season match, getting eight kicks in limited time. In March, Richmond officially re-signed Derek for a one-year contract.

He played two games with the VFL team at the start of the season. Then, he was chosen to play in the AFL for round 3 against Sydney. However, he only had nine kicks in that game. When veteran player Bachar Houli returned from injury, Derek was sent back to the VFL team after just one AFL game. He was not offered a new contract by Richmond at the end of the 2021 season.

Playing in the Gippsland League (2024)

In 2024, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith is playing for the Sale Football Club in the Gippsland League. He plays as a half-back, which means he helps defend and then moves the ball forward. As of round 4, he is playing very well, getting about 27.5 kicks per game and using the ball effectively. He also averages two intercept marks per game for his team, the Magpies.

Playing Style

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith plays as a rebounding half-back. This means he is good at getting the ball from the back of the field and kicking it forward to start attacks. He naturally kicks with his left foot. He is known for his creative and powerful kicks that can break through the opposition's defense. Some people think Derek was unlucky to be let go by Richmond. In his nine AFL games, he was one of the top three players on the field twice. He was also very young and had a lot of potential to improve.

Career Statistics

Here are Derek Eggmolesse-Smith's statistics from his time in the AFL:

Personal Background

Derek Eggmolesse-Smith is a Barkindji Aboriginal man.