Tom Lonergan (Australian footballer)

Infobox afl player NEW


playername = Tom Lonergan
fullname = Tom Lonergan
image capt = Tom Lonergan


birthdate = Birth date and age|1984|5|17|df=y
birthplace =
originalteam = Yarrawonga / Calder U18
draftpick = 23^rd overall, 2002
Geelong Cats
50^th overall, 2006 Rookie draft
Geelong Cats
heightweight = 197cm / 97kg
position =
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
currentclub =
guernsey = 13
years = 2003 –
clubs = Geelong
games(goals) = 23 (42)
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = 2008
careerhighlights =Geelong Football Club
* AFL Pre-Season NAB Cup Premiership Player (2006)
* Runner up VFL Best & Fairest (2006)
* VFL Premiership Player (2007)
* Geelong Community champion (2007)
* Norm Goss Medal (2007)

TAC Cup
* TAC Cup Premiership Player (2005)
* Vic Country U/18 (2002)

Tom Lonergan (born 17 May 1984) is an Australian Rules Football player for the Geelong Football Club.

Career

Early career

Geelong acquired the tall forward from in the second round of the 2002 AFL Draft. After spending two years in the club's VFL side, Lonergan made his AFL debut in Round 9 of the 2005 season.

2006: Injury

On 26 August 2006, Lonergan suffered serious internal injury to his kidney whilst playing in a Round 21 draw against Melbourne - which was also just his seventh AFL-level match.cite web|first=|last=|title=Geelong's Lonergan tipped to play on|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Geelongs-Lonergan-in-an-induced-coma/2006/08/28/1156617261109.html|publisher=The Age|date=2006-08-28|accessdate=2008-09-27] Lonergan's kidney was severely damaged when he backed into a marking contest against Melbourne's Brad Miller.

Lonergan was immediately hospitalised, and had been in a stable condition before his blood pressure rose overnight,cite web|first=|last=|title=Aussie Rules player loses kidney in clash|url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=39&art_id=qw1156671720514S163|publisher=Independent Online|date=2006-08-27|accessdate=2008-09-27] forcing him to undergo emergency surgery to remove his right kidney. His kidney was found to be badly lacerated and bruised, which was accentuated by the scar tissue caused by a previous footballing injury he had suffered as a 16-year-old. During the six-hour procedure, Lonergan's entire blood supply had to be replaced three times, flushing it through with up to 40 units of bloodcite web|first=Mike|last=Sheahan|title=Cat reveals his brush with death|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20448399-11088,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2006-09-21|accessdate=2008-09-27] , placing him into an induced coma.cite web|first=Lyall|last=Johnson|title=Cats cheer Lonergan's VFL comeback|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cats-cheer-lonergans-vfl-comeback/2007/06/12/1181414299399.html|publisher=realfooty.com.au|date=2007-06-13|accessdate=2008-09-27] Lonergan remained in a coma for four days, with it taking six hours to bring him back to consciousness.cite web|first=|last=|title=Geelong's Lonergan taken out of coma|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Geelongs-Lonergan-taken-out-of-coma/2006/08/31/1156817025478.html|publisher=The Age|date=2006-08-31|accessdate=2008-09-27] He also lost 17kg during the ordeal.

Lonergan decided to continue his AFL career, after considering premature retirement, with Geelong agreeing to delist Lonergan, but then re-draft him via the Rookie Draft,cite web|first=Justine|last=McCullagh-Beasy|title=Lonergan to don hoops next season|url=http://www.sportsaustralia.com/articles/nov06/artid6878.html|publisher=sportsaustralia.com|date=2006-11-14|accessdate=2008-09-27] cite web|first=|last=|title=Lonergan to don hoops next season|url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200611/s1787688.htm|publisher=ABC Sport|date=2006-11-14|accessdate=2008-09-27] with Geelong hoping that other clubs would avoid drafting Lonergan due to the extent of his injuries. Lonergan believed the outcome would benefit both the club and himself, with the club able to draft a new talented youngster through the National Draft, and himself able to continue his recovery at a stable rate. The club is reported to have taken this decision to help Lonergan if he wished to continue his career. Lonergan himself considered retirement following the surgery, but opted to return. Club doctor Chris Bradshaw compared Lonergan's efforts to return to professional sport with those of Jason McCartney, who was injured in the 2002 Bali Bombing before playing one final game.

The day after being re-drafted by Geelong, Lonergan was again involved in another potentially life-threatening incident, this time in the form of a serious car accident.cite web|first=|last=|title=This Cat has nine lives|url=http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,20921734-5005401,00.html|publisher=PerthNow|date=2006-12-13|accessdate=2008-09-27] The accident occurred when Lonergan was driving to training, and another car careered into his passenger-side door and pushed him into oncoming traffic. He was lucky to escape with just a scratched leg, but the accident did write off his car. This was another chapter in Lonergan's run of bad luck, with his car getting broken into just a week and a half before the accident. Lonergan stated to the media that he hoped his bad luck had finally come to an end, and jokingly attributed the bad luck to the fact he wore the "unlucky" number 13.

2007: VFL comeback and glory

Lonergan made his return to the sport on June 17, 2007, playing for Geelong's VFL team against Tasmania. He played the second half of each quarter, kicking one behind, as well as marking five times and making ten disposals. Speaking to reporters after the match, he indicated that he had no time-line for returning to the top league, but fully intended to do so. [cite web|first=Scott|last=Gullan|title=Lonergan returns to footy sans kidney|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Lonergan-returns-to-footy-sans-kidney/2007/06/17/1182018933485.html|publisher=The Age|date=2007-06-17|accessdate=2008-09-27] He had previously remarked on the unusual nature of his injury, claiming that it was a very different feeling to having damaged a joint or a limb.

To cap a fairytale return to football Lonergan played in the 126-52 VFL Grand Final win over the Coburg Tigers kicking six goals earning him the Norm Goss Medal for best on ground. As a result of his strong form and full recovery from his injuries, Lonergan was elevated to Geelong's senior list for the 2008 AFL Premiership Season.

Lonergan was the recipient of the club's Community Champion award, presented at the club's Best and Fairest dinner. [cite web|first=Scott|last=Gullan|title=Ablett turns the tables on Bartel in Geelong B&F|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22534275-11088,00.html?from=mostpop|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2008-09-29] [cite web|first=Jennifer|last=Witham|title=Ablett tops off a grand year for Geelong|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52149|publisher=AFL BigPond Network|date=2007-10-04|accessdate=2008-09-29]

Personal life

Following his injuries, Lonergan became an ambassador for Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation, an organisation raising awareness of organ donation. The Geelong senior side wore rainbow-coloured laces (the symbol of the foundation) in their boots during their match against the Brisbane Lions immediately following Lonergan's VFL match.cite web|first=Scott|last=Gullan|title=Lucky Tom at end of rainbow|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21902205-11088,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2007-06-14|accessdate=2008-09-27] Lonergan was in fact wearing rainbow laces during the match in which he was injured. [cite web|first=Jason|last=Shields|title=Tom Cat's new goal|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/06/14/4609_geelong_sports.html|publisher=Geelong Advertiser|date=2007-06-14|accessdate=2008-09-27]

tatistics

: "Statistics are correct as of end of 2008 season" (September 27, 2008)cite web|first=|last=|title=Tom Lonergan statistics|url=http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/T/Tom_Lonergan.html|publisher=AFL Tables|date=|accessdate=2008-09-27]

References

External links

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