Senior Kai Lohmann (2021-)

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Kai Lohmann
Height: 185cm
Weight: 76kg
D.O.B: 06-05-2003
Leagues: NAB League Boys
POSITION: Medium Forward
SNAPSHOT: "An elite athlete who has a combination of speed, evasion and vertical leap, making him a damaging forward who is clean overhead and can also get things done at ground level."

Kai Lohmann is an exciting talent out of the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels who has come on in leaps and bounds this year. The athletic talent can do some serious damage with ball in hand, and is clean in the air and at the coalface. He does have areas to improve such as his off-ball work and accumulation, but his overall potential is quite high and could be one of the bolters in the draft.


The Lions have gone back to a successful hunting ground with the selection of Kai Lohmann with pick 20 in the NAB AFL Draft.

The Club’s second pick comes from the same footballing nursery in Ballarat that produced Hugh McCluggage, the Berry brothers, Tom and Jarrod and Harry Sharp.

Lohmann played on the wing and across half back at 16s level for Vic Country, however he has been used with great effect across half forward this season in a strong Greater Western Victoria Rebels team.

Considered one of the more eye-catching players in the draft, Lohmann roared up the draft rankings this season with his ability to sniff out a goal.

Considered equally dangerous in the air or crumbing at ground level, National Recruiting Manager Stephen Conole describes Lohmann as a competitive player that demonstrates high level AFL traits with his strong overhead marking for his size, pace and willingness to attack the game.


 
Jun 17, 2006
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NFL - Green Bay Packers
Difficult trying to find something on-line ...... but:
Found a highlight video of St Pats Ballarat covering their Grand final win in 2021.
Not a lot of football highlights, but I have cut those involving Kai (don't blink), as well as some non playing glimpses as well.
(Credit to the creator of the original - Kade Towk)

 

mish33

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Feb 19, 2008
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Thanks for posting that :thumbsu: I really hope he keeps the long sleeves. It would please the Darryl White fan boy in me greatly!
 
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the Tigers chose Brown to add to their talented defensive group and as a partner to Gibcus in an exciting young backline. Eye-catching forward Kai Lohmann was also in the Tigers' mix.

Brown had also been linked to the Swans, who looked at Lohmann but chose Angus Sheldrick, the hard-nosed midfielder from Western Australia who had interest from Geelong early in the second round.

...


The Tigers remained active, seeing if they could package picks in the 20s to nab Brisbane's final pick of the first round, but the Lions stuck with it and drafted Lohmann, who had also been a chance for North Melbourne's early second-round choice.

 
Lohmann Excited to Join Childhood Friend

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Kai Lohmann could not be more excited to be a Lion and join his close mate, Harry Sharp.

Speaking to the Roar Deal, the 18-year-old explained that heading north is a full circle experience.

"I was at Sharpy's house when he was drafted. Hearing him called and seeing the likes of Zorko and Rayner message him I just thought "I hope that can be me next year," and to now be heading up myself, I'm over the moon."

Hailing from the rural town of Maryborough, Lohmann and his brother moved to Ballarat to pursue football, where he quickly reconnected with childhood friend, Sharp.

"I've known Sharpy since I was about 4. We had a caravan down in Ocean Grove and so did his family. My brother and I wanted to advance our football, so we moved up to Ballarat and Harry introduced me to the friendship group."

That friendship still stands strong to this day, with the Lions winger one of the first to contact Lohmann on draft night.

"Harry FaceTimed me as soon as I got drafted. He got emotional and it was a pretty special moment to share.

"He was celebrating graduation at the time and was super excited and I didn't expect it, it was a great moment."

Lohmann's journey up to Brisbane will have to wait a little longer however, with borders not set to open to Victoria until December 17th.

"I think we'll be up after Christmas or early next year. It's pretty frustrating because you're wanting to get up and meet everyone and get stuck into it.

"But it's been nice to spend some time with family before the journey begins. I've been trying to do as much as I can training wise to prepare and organise where I'll live when I'm up there."

With mercurial ability, the GWV Rebels product draws comparisons to the likes of Isaac Heeney and Brisbane's very own Lincoln McCarthy.

"I'm a bit of a high-flying half-forward and like to play a bit through the midfield," Lohmann said.

"I'm pretty quick and love a one-on-one situation. I love the marking contest and bringing teammates into the game."

Asked how he goes in comparison to close friend and running machine Harry Sharp, Lohmann backed his ability.

"Over a short distance I think I've got him, he takes a while to get off the mark... I'm not sure he'll like me saying that.

"But everyone knows how strong an endurance runner he is and he's shown that when he played earlier in the year."

Lohmann becomes the fifth Ballarat recruit for the Lions, joining Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod and Thomas Berry and Harry Sharp.
 
VFL Match Report: Lions Fall Short in Geelong

It was a fiery clash as both sides jostled for territory in the opening half. First year forward Kai Lohmann showcased his pressure game, getting under Cats defenders’ skin with his physicality around the contest. He added 2 more goals to his season tally and clunking 5 marks.
 
Lohmann's Draft Selection Five Years In The Making

In a process so complicated that few outside list managers and others involved fully understand it, the future first-round pick Brisbane received in the Beams deal was traded each year until it became pick #20 in the 2021 draft – the final pick of the first round. Lohmann.

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There was a moment late in the third quarter of Thursday night’s Easter thriller at the Gabba when Brisbane Lions debutant Kai Lohmann chased down Collingwood veteran Jack Crisp in the middle of the ground to win a free kick. And then a 50m penalty.

It was like the exorcism of Dayne Beams. The final chapter of an eight-year story built around the Queenslander turned Collingwood premiership player turned Brisbane captain and club champion turned Collingwood early retiree/salary cap problem.

Because Crisp was part of what Brisbane, coached by Justin Leppitsch at the time, gave up to get Beams from Collingwood at the end of 2014. And Lohmann is part of what they got back for sending him back to Collingwood four years later.

It’s all part of a long and complicated trade/draft process that is finally at an end.

Initially, it was pick #5 and pick #25 in the 2014 draft plus Crisp for Beams and pick #67 when Beams decided he wanted to move to Brisbane to be near his unwell father.

Crisp, originally drafted from the Murray Bushrangers with rookie pick #40 in 2011, had played 18 games with the Lions from 2012-14. He was the proverbial ‘steak knives’ in the original trade, added late to get the deal over the line.

Now 28 and a senior figure in a young side rebuilding under ex-Lions star Craig McRae, Crisp has played 162 games in a row since joining the Magpies and won the Pies B&F last year.

When Beams decided he wanted to go back to Melbourne in 2018 Brisbane received pick #18, pick #56 and a future first-round pick for the 58-game midfielder and captain, plus pick #41 and #48. It was the last deal of the official trade period.

Pick #18 in the 2018 draft slid to #21 and became 21-year-old midfielder Ely Smith from the Murray Bushrangers, who is still knocking on the selection door of the now powerful Brisbane line-up. Pick #56, which slid still further back, was not used.

In a process so complicated that few outside list managers and others involved fully understand it, the future first-round pick Brisbane received in the Beams deal was traded each year until it became pick #20 in the 2021 draft – the final pick of the first round. Lohmann.

The electrifying small forward from Ballarat via the Greater Western Victoria Rebels was the second of the Lions’ three picks last November – after Darcy Wilmott from the Northern Knights at #16 and before James Tunstill from East Perth at #41.

From the same area as Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod and Tom Berry and Harry Sharp, Lohmann has done remarkably well at 18 to break into a near full-strength Brisbane side in Round 5 of the 2022 season.

And while his debut statistics on Thursday night of nine possessions, five tackles, one goal assist and 166m gained were not exactly earth-shattering he looked right at home at the level. And he played only 66% game time.

Importantly, he excelled in the part of his game that won him AFL selection after three games in the VFL. Forward line pressure. Only McCluggage (6) and Oscar McInerney (6) had more tackles.

Understanding that no one part of any trade can be judged in isolation (and allowing for a little hometown bias), Lions fans will see it as a win. And judging by the warm reception the blonde high—flyer received at the Gabba Thursday night they’ve taken to him already.

Lohmann was something of a surprise when picked at #20 in the draft after he had been tipped to go between 25-40, although even draft experts admitted he may have been flying under the radar a little given his potential and upside’ after he tested fourth in the 20m sprint at the Victorian Country combine.

Presented with his jumper by the legendary Leigh Matthews on the ground in front of family and teammates before the sell-out game, he had the rare distinction of going straight into the AFL wearing the #1 jumper.

Across the entire competition since 2000 only 30 players have worn #1 on debut. Disproportionately, he is the fifth Brisbane player in this group after 2002 premiership player Des Headland, Mitch Clark, Sam Docherty (now at Carlton) and Ben Keays (now at Adelaide).

Others to wear #1 for the club have been inaugural Bears captain Mark Mickan, Richard Champion, 2003 premiership player Blake Caracella and Luke McGuane.

Lohmann is the fourth Brisbane player to debut on the big stage of an Easter Thursday blockbuster at the Gabba behind Jared Brennan (2003), Troy Selwood (2005) and Darcy Gardiner (2014).

He is the first ‘Kai’ and the first ‘Lohmann’ to play not just with Brisbane but across the entire AFL.

And, born 6 May 2003, Lohmann shares a birthday with ex-Bears wingman Darren Carlson, a Southport product who played 25 AFL games from 1987-90 and represented Queensland at the 1988 Bi-Centennial Championships in Adelaide, and Bert Sharpe, a member of the first Fitzroy premiership side in 1898. Sharpe would also have played in the 1899 flag but was a late withdrawal following the death of his father the day before the game. He finished with 99 games for Fitzroy but later played 17 games with South Melbourne.

FOOTY FUN FACT #1

There is another person in the Lions camp who made his AFL debut in #1 – Andrew Crowell. Now the club’s Player Development Manager, who oversees the off-field transition of newcomers like Lohmann into the AFL environment, wore #1 in the first of his 44 games for the Adelaide Crows in Round 1 2000.

FOOTY FUN FACT #2

Marcus Adams’ first goal for the Lions in his 33rd game for the club on Thursday night has wiped him from two unwanted statistical lists on which he had got to second spot. He had been ‘chasing’ Matt Maguire’s record of 52 games to his first goal, and Danny Dickfos’ record of 65 games without a goal.
 
Qscan Injury Update: Lohmann Sidelined

First-year player Kai Lohmann will be sidelined for six weeks, with scans today revealing the 18-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s QClash.

Lohmann acquired the sprain in the second quarter of the Queensland derby, and will undergo a surgical review tomorrow.

It’s unfortunate timing for the young talent who only made his AFL debut a week prior in the Easter Thursday clash against Collingwood.
 
A Forward Line Year in Review

Knocking on the Door

Kai Lohmann


With the ability to take hangers, create goals out of nothing and add plenty of spark to the Lions team – Lohmann oozes x-factor vibes.

His biggest challenge is breaking into the senior team, particularly an already potent forward line full of established players.

An exciting Easter debut against Collingwood gave a hint of what the 19-year-old can do. However, an ankle injury the following week sidelined him for six weeks.

He was one of the main players in the Lions VFL team that fans watched with interest, and Lohmann went on to kick 20 goals from 14 games.

Five of those goals came from his day out against North Melbourne where he also took six marks and racked up 20 disposals.

Lohmann joins the likes of young teammates Darcy Wilmot and Jimmy Tunstill to be putting their hand up for a spot in Chris Fagan’s best 22 next season.
 
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