Traded Tom Fullarton (2018-2023)

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Tom Fullarton has dusted off his football boots and signed with the Brisbane Lions as a Category B Rookie for the remainder of 2018 and 2019.

Fullarton grew up on the Sunshine Coast excelling in both basketball and AFL. At the age of sixteen, he decided to pursue a career in basketball,and has been at the Brisbane Bullets since 2016.

Today he informed the Bullets of his intentions to return to AFL and join the Lions.

http://www.lions.com.au/news/2018-05-23/fullarton-signs

 

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Why new Lion is now choosing AFL over NBL

TOM Fullarton chose basketball over footy more than three years ago but after playing in the NBL with Brisbane Bullets, he has officially swapped his basketball for a football and signed with Brisbane Lions to pursue his AFL dream. TOM Fullarton says the toughest part of making the switch from the NBL to the AFL was telling long-time mentor and Brisbane Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis.

The Brisbane Lions have won a cross-sport tug of war for the talented 19-year-old with Fullarton signing a Category B rookie contract with the AFL club for this year and 2019. Fullarton was elevated to the Bullets’ 11-man roster for the 2018-19 NBL season after serving as a development player with Brisbane last season when he got limited court time.

A Category B rookie contract will allow the former All-Australian under-15 schoolboys selection to join the Lions immediately and avoid going into the draft.
His first day at the Gabba is June 1. The 200cm Fullarton has a strong background in Australian football having played at the Caloundra Panthers from the age of four and being part of the Brisbane Lions Academy set-up.

Brisbane has kept a very close eye on Fullarton ever since he shelved football more than three years ago after making the All-Australian side. Fullarton has been a mainstay of Australian and Queensland under-age basketball teams and was captain of the Australian side at the under-17 World Cup in 2016. He also attended the AIS-Centre of Excellence in Canberra where Lemanis worked in his role as Boomers head coach before joining the Bullets.

“That was probably the hardest thing, to tell Andrej and Richard (Clarke, Bullets General Manager) because of the respect I have for them and the club,’’ Fullarton said. “I’m so grateful that they gave me the opportunity to get my foot into the NBL and start my professional career straight out of high school. Not many kids get that opportunity. “In the end, it (AFL) felt like it was the right opportunity at the right time. The desire to pursue a career in the AFL is really strong. It’s something I’ve always thought about.

“Footy is something I’ve put a lot of time and effort into as a kid. I played when I was four to when I was 15. I hadn’t forgotten about it, it was always in the back of my mind. “I feel like it’s the best opportunity for me.’’

Fullarton was set to get more court time in the 2018-19 NBL season as the team’s back-up small forward behind a yet-to-be signed American import. He rejected US college basketball offers and the AFL when he first signed with Brisbane two years ago. He can play in the NEAFL as soon as this season but will need to do a mini pre-season with Brisbane to physically prepare for senior football.

With his height, athleticism and skill, Fullarton shapes as a key position player for Brisbane with the ability to pinch-hit in the ruck. The Lions are stockpiling an impressive arsenal of homegrown tall timber.

Fullarton will join fellow Caloundra junior Eric Hipwood at Brisbane who also have new vice-captain Harris Andrews as a key position bookend. Hipwood and Andrews were two of Brisbane’s best in the win over Hawthorn on Sunday.

Lions General Manager of Football David Noble says Fullarton shows great potential. “We’re excited that Tom has made a decision to pursue his football dream. We know from Tom’s time in the Lions Academy he’s a talented, tall key position player,’’ Noble said. “He will need to work extremely hard to transition his body and mentality for football but we have every confidence he will make this a success.’’

 

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Dom talking about Tom:

 

[acuguy]

Will play Round 1 2019.

 

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[jackess]

The way he jumped up and marked the ball at the highest point in those videos reminded me of Kurt Tippett.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Nice work below the knees too for a tall guy.

 

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NEAFL Wrap: Fullarton raring for debut

Category B Rookie Tom Fullarton will make his NEAFL debut this week against Sydney University in Blacktown this weekend. Fullarton came to the Lions in late May via the NBL Club the Brisbane Bullets. The 200cm utility has spent the last few months building up his fitness and strength to reach AFL standards.

Development Coach Paul Henriksen said the 19-year-old is raring to go. “He’s just finished training really strongly out there on the Gabba this morning so we’re excited. He comes into the side and looks ready to go,” Henriksen told lions.com.au. “There’s been a number of things that I know the fitness staff have worked with Tom on, to get him to sort of six or seven weeks under his belt of physical work to get him ready to play. “There’s still growth there but he’ll be ready to go on the weekend.”

 

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Season 2019 has kicked off in style for Connor McFadyen and Tom Fullarton, both signing contract extensions to remain at The Gabba until at least the end of the 2021 season.

http://www.lions.com.au/news/2019-01-19/two-lions-sign-on

 

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Draftee watch: How are your club's new faces tracking?

Most of the Lions' draftees came to the club under injury clouds and have spent much of their first two months in rehab. Basketball convert Tom Fullarton has shown he has a future in the game with his strong hands and good mobility in the forward 50.

The standout
For the sheer surprise element, it's Fullarton. After leaving behind his promising basketball career seven months ago, the rangy forward has looked right at home.

 

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From an extremely small sample size, I think Tom looks like the best option as our second ruck in Martin's absence and looks more likely than Smith, Eagles and Ballenden.

 

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[DERRINALPHIL]

Was pleased to hear him say he enjoyed being out on the GABBA, where he had watched so many games as a kid. These sort of things are important s we move on.

I can't wait for a father/son recruit to say the same thing.

We need to build a footy culture

 

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