Having not missed a game since the 2023 season, Harry Grintell is set to extend his streak after putting pen to paper to re-sign with Werribee for the 2026 Smithy’s VFL season.

The 2025 campaign was a significant one for Grintell, who brought up his 50-game milestone in Round 18 against Richmond at Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval. He was recognised for the achievement on Bruce Montgomery Trophy night by veteran teammate Louis Pinnuck.

Grintell was one of just five Werribee players to appear in all 18 games throughout 2025, marking the second consecutive season he has achieved the feat after playing all 21 games in Werribee’s premiership campaign. Remarkably, he and Dom Brew remain the only two Werribee players to have featured in every game dating back to the 2023 season.

This season saw Grintell average a career-high 13.5 disposals and five marks per game, using the ball as well as he ever has while stationed across half-back. He finished seventh in the Bruce Montgomery Trophy count, his best finish to date, in a campaign that again highlighted his consistency and reliability.

After starting the season in defence, Grintell opened the year with 20 disposals in the Grand Final rematch before a career-high 22 touches against Essendon in Round 2. Later in the season, he was moved forward following the mid-season AFL Draft departures of small forwards Flynn Young and Zac Banch, and he made an immediate impact, kicking six goals across the final block of games.

It proved an easy decision for Grintell, who said:

“I’m super pumped to re-sign for 2026 and get back to the level we want to be at. A great club, so it was an easy decision to make in the end! Bring it on!”

Grintell enters the 2026 season with 72 VFL games to his name, including 52 in the black and gold, placing him among Werribee’s more experienced players.

The 2025 campaign marked his third at Werribee, having joined ahead of 2023 after two years with the GWS Giants’ VFL side, where he developed through the Giants Academy. He featured in 13 games during his first season at the club and was a late inclusion in Werribee’s 2023 Grand Final side, where he made the most of the opportunity with two goals. That match began his current streak of consecutive appearances, with Grintell yet to miss a game since.

In 2024, Grintell’s versatility was evident as he was used in multiple roles across the ground. After starting the season as a small forward and hitting strong goal-kicking form with six goals across Werribee’s opening four games, he was moved onto the wing midyear in a negating role during the club’s interstate win against Gold Coast. He quickly adapted to the position, holding the spot on the wing for the remainder of the season and becoming a consistent contributor throughout Werribee’s premiership campaign.