Charlie Robinson-Cay

Charlie’s story

For years, Charlie Robinson-Cay was one of the best players in his local teams on the Mornington Peninsula. He was a talented junior cricketer and a promising footballer who put his team first. The representative call-up never came. When he got older, he trialled for VFL reserves sides year after year and was cut before the final squads were named.

Charlie kept playing and working on his game. Away from footy, he started Groovin Surf Co, an online surfwear brand. Building it gave him another place to put his energy and taught him what it takes to get an idea off the ground while still pursuing a goal in sport.

Then the Glenelg Tigers offered him a SANFL contract. Charlie moved from the Mornington Peninsula to Adelaide to see how far he could take his footy. He worked his way into Glenelg’s league side and kicked two goals from 13 disposals on debut in 2026. After years of trying to earn a place in a state-league program, he was playing senior footy for Glenelg and taking another step towards his AFL goal.

What Charlie brings as a mentor

Charlie knows how hard it can be to keep backing yourself when you’re playing well locally and the next opportunity still feels a long way off. He can help you work out what to focus on in the team you’re in now, build a training routine you can stick to and recognise progress between games.

He also knows what it’s like to have ambitions outside footy. If you’re balancing sport with school, work or something you want to build yourself, Charlie can help you decide where to put your time and set goals you can realistically follow through on. Each time you check in, you’ll look at what moved forward, what got in the way and what you want to work on next.