Blake Acres

Acres was selected with the 19th pick in the 2013 AFL draft by St Kilda. He made his debut in Round 7, 2014, against Hawthorn, in a game in which St Kilda were defeated by 145 points.

He earned the AFL Rising Star nomination following a breakout performance against Melbourne in Round 6, 2016.

At the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season, Acres was traded to Fremantle, along with a number of draft picks, as part of a trade to get Bradley Hill to St Kilda.

Acres made his debut for Fremantle during Round 4 of the 2020 AFL season in their clash against St Kilda. Acres played seven games during 2020 due to a hamstring injury, disrupting his start to the season. Acres returned during the latter half of the season with strong form, averaging almost 25 disposals a game. Acres played 18 games in 2021 and played in Fremantle's 2022 finals campaign.

Following the 2022 season, Acres sought to explore the trade market after being given a low-ball offer from Fremantle, and was traded to Carlton in exchange for a future third round draft pick. Acres immediately established a permanent wingman position in the Carlton team, and recorded career best numbers in disposals and rebounds.

Acres made a memorable impact in the 2023 finals series, which was Carlton's first finals series after a club record nine-year drought: in the final quarter of the six-point elimination final win against Sydney, Acres made two diving saves for rushed behinds, and kicked a steadying goal to put Carlton 14 points ahead in the 22nd minute; and in the two-point semi-final win against Melbourne, he kicked the go-ahead goal with less than a minute remaining.

Updated to the end of round 22, 2026.

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