Jimmy Toumpas Biography

Port Adelaide delist Jimmy Toumpas and Emmanuel Irra.

"Jimmy and Emmanuel have given great service to our club, both on the field and within our community programs as leaders in the multicultural space, but we have reached a difficult time of the year when the club needs to make decisions for its future regarding our playing list," the Power's general manager of football Chris Davies said.

"We thank both players for their professionalism and we wish them well for their futures."

Jimmy Toumpas signs a new deal with Port Adelaide to remain at the club in 2018.

The 23-year-old struggled to become a regular part of the Power's senior side in 2017, playing just two games and spending the majority of the season in the SANFL.

Power coach Ken Hinkley says he has urged ex-Demon Jimmy Toumpas to focus on positives at his new club after the young midfielder struggled to have an impact in his three seasons at Melbourne.

"Like anyone who has a kick in the bum, you try and make sure it doesn't happen again," Hinkley said.

"I spoke to him about the opportunity, not the negative stuff, and I told him 'this is the next phase of your football'.

"The first phase didn't work out the way you'd like it to work, but that doesn't mean the next phase can't. So attack it with that in mind, attack it with enthusiasm.

"He was a high draft pick and he's carried some expectation, but he's incredibly proud and he wants to show that pride for himself and his family."

New Port Adelaide recruit Jimmy Toumpas says he takes responsibility for his performances at Melbourne, and has worked exceptionally hard on earning the respect of his new teammates.

"There were definitely things that didn't work out for me in Melbourne," Toumpas said.

"I've definitely put my hand up and taken responsibility for a lot of those things.

"One of them was my contest, and it definitely needed to improve over another pre-season."

The AFL's Multicultural Program will expand to 18 player ambassadors in 2016 and will also include two female players.

Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Darcy Vescio will be joined in promoting some of the many diverse backgrounds in Australia’s Game by Brisbane Lions Vice Captain Dayne Zorko, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, Fremantle’s Tendai Mzundu, Gold Coast SUNS players Adam Saad and Tom Nicholls, Sydney Swan Aliir Aliir and Western Bulldogs player Jason Johannisen.

The new additions in 2016 join existing Australia Post AFL Multicultural Player Ambassadors David Zaharakis (Essendon), Stephen Coniglio (GWS GIANTS), Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn), Shem Tatupu (Hawthorn), Alipate Carlile (Port Adelaide), Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide), Bachar Houli (Richmond), Nic Naitanui (West Coast) and Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs).

“The expanded list of 18 ambassadors, representing 13 AFL Clubs and two female Clubs, will play a crucial role in raising cultural understanding, inclusion and participation at all levels of Australian Football,” AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said.

Demons Jeremy Howe and Jimmy Toumpas and Magpies Paul Seedsman and Ben Kennedy got to their preferred new homes in a complicated four-club trade on Monday afternoon.

Howe was traded to Collingwood, Toumpas to Port Adelaide, Kennedy to Melbourne and Seedsman to Adelaide.

In the complex deal:
- Adelaide received Seedsman and gave up pick No.32;
- Collingwood received Howe and pick No.68 and gave up Seedsman and Kennedy;
- Melbourne received Kennedy and picks No.29 and 50 and gave up Howe and Toumpas;
- Port Adelaide received Toumpas and pick No.32 and gave up picks No.29, 50 and 68;

Melbourne skipper Nathan Jones says young midfielder Jimmy Toumpas can be a key player for the Demons if he can improve his consistency in 2015.

"I think his best is good, but the distance between his best and worst footy is too far, and he has been working really hard on that," Jones said.

"He can be a vital cog for us. He has got that outside run and the skill that we're after and I know he is hungry for the contest as well."

Melbourne coach Paul Roos has urged Demons fans to be patient with Jimmy Toumpas and is expecting the midfielder to feature more for the club in 2015 after a strong pre-season.

"What we're trying to establish at the footy club is for players to just listen, learn and improve every single day," Roos said.

"You can't get too outcome focused. If you do that, you're going to get into trouble.

"You've got to keep getting better and that's what Jimmy's really knuckled down to do this pre-season, and I think we'll see the rewards from it."

Jimmy Toumpas admits he is feeling the pressure to perform at AFL level, but believes he can cement a spot in Melbourne's line-up in 2015.

"It's not the start that I imagined I'd come to in the AFL system but I've loved every minute of it," Toumpas said.

"I've learned a lot so far and definitely feel like I've improved as a player and a person as well.

"Hopefully, it will keep building and I can really cement my spot in the team – which I know I can – so hopefully get another good pre-season behind me."

Melbourne coach Paul Roos is confident young midfielder Jimmy Toumpas can be a quality AFL player, despite an indifferent start to his AFL career.

Toumpas, pick No.4 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft, is yet to lock down a permanent position in the Demons' side.

The 20-year-old has played 18 games in two seasons and will be looking to take the next step in his career as he approaches his third season in the League.

"I think Jimmy can be a quality AFL player and I said that to him in his post-season interview," Roos said.

"He (Toumpas) needs to stop worrying about what pick three or pick six is doing, and it can be hard not to do that. But he has got serious talent to be an AFL player."

Demons assistant coach Simon Goodwin says Jimmy Toumpas will not be traded from the club.

"We see Jimmy having a really bright future," Goodwin said.

"He probably didn't have his best year last year - he had a few little injuries here and there, but we think he's going to have a bit of a breakout year (next season)."

Jimmy Toumpas has been diagnosed with acute appendicitis and will miss the next four to six weeks.

Jobe Watson joins Demon Jimmy Toumpas, Magpie Patrick Karnezis, Giant Stephen Coniglio, and Lin Jong from the Western Bulldogs as new multicultural ambassadors in 2014 to help grow the game alongside existing ambassadors Nic Naitanui, Bachar Houli, Karmichael Hunt, Majak Daw, and Alipate Carlile.

"Since the introduction of the AFL multicultural ambassador program in 2012, we are delighted by the enthusiasm, insight and cultural guidance the ambassadors have provided to communities and the AFL industry," AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said.

"In 2014, we are excited to have Jobe, Jimmy, Patrick, Stephen and Lin as part of this important program and look forward to the 10 ambassadors playing a lead role in encouraging individuals and communities to unite through their passion for Australia's game."

Jimmy Toumpas admits he expected too much of himself in his debut AFL season for Melbourne.

"What I was expecting of myself was way too much and I needed to appreciate where I was at with my body and in terms of my surgeries and my fitness," Toumpas said.

"When I got to the club on November 25, they pretty much said, 'Stop right here, you're going to be going very slowly'.

"It was early to mid-January when I did my first full session.

"That really sucked, because I hate being held back from things and being told to only do one session a week and do a swim."

Jimmy Toumpas makes his AFL debut for Melbourne at the MCG with 9 disposals (6 kicks and 3 handballs), 3 marks and 2 tackles in a 79-point loss to Port Adelaide.

Nathan Jones says the club must take its time in developing young guns Jimmy Toumpas and Jack Viney.

"You can't expect guys who are 17 or 18 to come in and dominate midfields, particularly with how the competition is now," Jones said.

"There are a lot of big bodies, and those younger boys need to develop themselves to cope with the rigours and pressures of the game."

Melbourne re-sign prized recruit Jimmy Toumpas even before he has played a game for the club.

Toumpas' new deal will secure him as a Demon until the end of 2015.

"We're rapt that Jimmy has seen his future at the Melbourne Football Club," Demons list manager Tim Harrington said.

"He's infectious, has the right personality and he's brought a lot of excitement to his teammates.

"I think the fans are going to be really pleased with what they see on field, but we also see him making a good off-field contribution, even in the early years of his career."

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld says the club will take its time in developing prized recruits Jimmy Toumpas and Jack Viney.

"Our plan is not to play those boys every game, be it NAB Cup games or the home and away season," Neeld said.

"We get lots of information and among that the workload increases every week and every season. It's hard for an 18-year-old to come in and make an impact on every game.

"We want them to be long term players for the football club, so we don't want to kill them early."

Nathan Jones says the Demons' midfield will improve considerably with the injection of young talent including draftees Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Viney and Dean Kent.

"They are going to come in and add some real class," Jones said.

"They will eventually catch up in dealing with the rigours of the game and eventually will be the staple of the midfield."

Jimmy Toumpas' father, George Toumpas, says he he has no issues with his son moving out of Adelaide to pursue his AFL dream.

"Obviously as a dad you want to keep your kids in your home state, but we doubt that's going to happen," he said.

"Honestly, anywhere is going to be great. I know everybody probably says that but the fact is that, regardless, we're still going to be in the same country. It's not like Europe where you might have to fly for 10 hours to get to each other. We're only in Adelaide, so if he ends up in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, they're only an hour to 2½ hours away."