Sport
Armstrong is headstrong: Shepparton United-Rumbalara young gun is ready for top-age Bushies
At eight years old, with the energy and dogged nature of a Jack Russell and a mind crackling with football nous and strategy, Tanner Armstrong took to the field for the first time.
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Only his teammates and opposition weren’t in Year 2 like Armstrong, they were starting to use deodorant, knew all the big swear words and were becoming proficient in social media.
Armstrong’s father Brad remembers watching Tanner’s first game of football as an eight-year-old in the under-14 competition for Rumbalara.
Having started his football journey in a similar fashion playing under-12s as an eight-year-old, Brad recalls how his son, despite his small stature, stood head and shoulders above the rest.
“From the first day (Tanner) started playing footy, everyone was like, ‘Wow, this kid can play’,” Brad said.
“(Playing under-14s), if he gets hit, he is either not going to like it too much or he is gonna dust himself off and go again.
“When he finally got to go on the footy ground himself, he would get in the way of the biggest kids and tackle them — he was like a little Jack Russell.”
The Armstrongs are a large and sports-mad family, Brad and Dani are the parents and Jayden, Bailey, Ellie, Tanner and Kiara-Lyn make up the children.
When asked what kind of relationship the Armstrong siblings have, one word quickly sprung to Brad’s mind.
“Competitive,” he said with a laugh.
“That is the bottom line.
“We had those four kids in roughly four years and then we have our little niece (Kiara-Lyn), who we took on as a one-year-old.
“They are super competitive, trying to outdo each other, even verbally.”
Despite having a big family, Tanner doesn’t get lost in the Armstrong herd.
Brad said even as a young child, Tanner was always his own person; an individual with a sharp mind for his one true love, football.
“(Tanner) was footy crazy, the only time he would stop and sit still was when he was watching footy,” he said.
“He would see (football) differently; even as a little boy, he would pick things out and say, ‘He shouldn’t have done that, he should have kicked it over there’ or ‘He didn’t look here, he should have gone back there’ — he was always picking things out.
“His training ethic, he used to just run lap after lap after lap after training, just to get that extra fitness.
“I don’t know what drove him, I guess he just wanted to be a good footballer and wanted to be an AFL player and he just started working on it.”
Those hard yards that young Tanner — who plays for Shepparton United, Scotch College and the Murray Bushrangers — put in are already reaping rewards for the 16-year-old.
Armstrong’s football resume is already a lengthy read.
This year he was selected as part of Vic Country’s side for the Under-16 National Championships, with his efforts across the half-back line in the white and navy blue earning him a spot in the All-Australian side.
Tanner Armstrong’s performance for Vic Country at Under-16 National Championships
Disposals per game: 21.3
Contested possessions per game: 10
Position: Half-back flank
All-Australian: Interchange
The championships were held across June-July — mainly on Gold Coast — and, while Armstrong was a star performer throughout the tournament, a golden-point victory stands out most to the gun junior.
“(We were) playing South Australia — they were probably favourites to win it, they were undefeated all carnival,” he said.
“Three-quarter time, we were down by about four goals.
“We slowly came back in the last quarter playing a good brand of footy.
“Towards the end of the quarter, roughly 30 seconds left, we were up by a point and then they kicked a point and time ran out.
“Since it was a draw at the end of the game, it went to golden point, and we were lucky enough to get it down our end and kick a point to win the game.”
Reflecting on playing opposition six years his senior in his first-ever game, like his father, Armstrong said he thought it was a good way for him to learn the craft quickly.
It also helped his competitive drive that his two older brothers, Jayden and Bailey, featured in that particular under-14 Rumba side.
“I have two older brothers and I always wanted to compete against them,” he said.
“Playing at that age, I wanted to be tougher and better than them, that probably helped me a lot with my confidence.
“Siblings help out a lot with my competitiveness and stuff like that.
“Without family, I wouldn’t be where I am now — they help with travel and providing support.”
Although Armstrong played as a defender at the championships, the rest of his career has been spent as a midfielder and forward.
This season the young bull has been working on his physicality and contest work alongside fellow football prodigy and Vic Country star Cody Walker — son of former Carlton gun Andrew Walker.
“(Cody Walker) is a freak of nature,” he said.
“I have known him since maybe 11 or 12.
“I have played a lot of footy with him, so I feel like we have got pretty good chemistry on the footy field.
“I love playing with him, he is a good bloke, a good kid off the field as well, really good to talk to.”
Armstrong and Walker may continue their football journeys together in the next few years, given the pair is part of Richmond’s Next Generation Academy.
This means in 2026, Armstrong and Walker could be drafted to Tigerland.
Being in the Richmond academy — which his sister Ellie is also part of — has given Armstrong a glimpse into life as a professional athlete.
“(The academy) sets you up for a professional life as a footballer, it gives you experience to see what it is like to be a pro-AFL player or athlete,” he said.
“We did a camp last week, an overnight camp, we went through the day of an AFL player and pretty much copied it.
“Went to the gym, played footy, learned about what to eat, recovery and things like that.”
The football world may shut down for the next month or so, but Armstrong said he was already plotting and planning how he can go roaring into round one, 2025.
Cadet Sports Journalist