Toast Tom Lonergan

[David the Cat]

There's lots of talk about Jimmy and Joel ( Corey and Selwood ), Kelly, Scarlo etc....

But I want to put in a big toast to Tom Lonergan. Lonners did it again tonight...just like he did on Buddy !

Dawes has been enormous for the Pies this year, and he was completely nullified by an ultra efficient Tom Lonergan tonight. In fact, it is fair to say he rendered Dawes impotent throughout the game.

Furthermore, he frees up Scarlo and Taylor to do their jobs.......superb again Tom Lonergan.

You will get votes from me.

 

[BrisWesty]

True, he has turned into a stopping machine! Maybe we should start calling him handbrake?

I was concerned for his long term future and wondered whether he should play again after losing the kidney, saw him get absolutely owned by J Brown a couple of years ago, but kudos to him for getting back to full fitness and becoming such an important part of the backline. Two years on he's improved that much I reckon he'd be our first choice to take on Browny now.

 

[ATSAM]

Yes have to agree, Well done TL. You won a VFL Premiership in 2007 for us after being moved to FF, when another Tom had done nought.
Now turned yourself into a great backman. Pat on the back.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Yeah I was trying to find the last toast for Lonners last night... Nother victim for lonners! Very impressive so far this year!!!

 

[Catlad]

Is this one that we actually give credit to Bomber for? If so thank god for his favourites list because I reckon most clubs would have delisted him. Bomber persisted with him and it now looks like all Lonners needed was confidence

 

[Ninty]

When would you have delisted him? They wouldn't after that injury, made a very fine comeback to AFL as our forward when Hawkins was yet to be up to it and N Ablett was gone in 2008.

He didn't play much in 2009, but in 2010-now he has been a very important part of our defence unit.

I can't believe he's still not getting recognised in the media - I was watching AFL teams on Thursday, and Parko comes up with "Scarlett will be on Dawes, Taylor will be on Cloke..." / Clearly he hadn't watched a Geelong game in a while, and was probably thinking last night what the hell is this.

Well done Tom, huge achievement to get to where he is now.

 

[Glassjaw]

Is this one that we actually give credit to Bomber for? If so thank god for his favourites list because I reckon most clubs would have delisted him. Bomber persisted with him and it now looks like all Lonners needed was confidence

It was clear before he got injured that he was a backman. So no, I want to chastise Bomber for trying to play him as a bloody key forward for so long.

 

[muttonchops]

Can't argue with the other assessments he has been great. My knock on him has been his disposal and decision making. While his stopping of an opponent is his mainstay when he has won the pill his decision making and disposal has been much improved. I know this is getting ahead but i would love to see him with a premiership medal around his neck. So deserving, he nearly died remember.

 

[Ninty]

He kicked 36 goals in half a season. He definitely wasn't as bad as people make him out to be as a forward.

 

[oozeboss]

True, he has turned into a stopping machine! Maybe we should start calling him handbrake?

Handbrake it is.

(Capable of stopping runaway trains!)

Pure gold!!!

 

[Ricketts]

Does the grunt work for Scarlett and Taylor.

What a man, so strong.

 

[hamG]

Him and his opponent being barely sighted is a good result for me.

 

[Partridge]

He kicked 36 goals in half a season. He definitely wasn't as bad as people make him out to be as a forward.

36 in 16 games, when the team was at their absolute peak. But the warning signs were there. He failed to have any impact in the two games against the Dogs that year and was the same against Hawthorn. Most of our problems in the Grand Final were in the forward line and he was one of them. Simply not a strong enough overhead mark to make it as a key forward.

But he has become a very, very good key defender. And easily the toughest and most courageous player in the competition. Without question in my view.

Unbelievable effort.

 

[vinum coupe]

Thread is endorsable
He has been a rock.


Does anyone worry when he is in a contest now?

Let's face it. We used to shit ourselves. But the boy is loaded with belief now.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Still waiting to hear thehoff's opinion on Lonergan circa 2011 - a certain delisting, he said!

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Agree VC.

I barely even worry about Lonergan now.

His positioning is so much better now (just about always playing in front) and his bodywork so good that he makes it incredibly hard for his opponent to get the ball. Doing fantastically well every week.

 

[Linx]

I remember back in round 15 2009. Cats were playing the lions at the Gabba a week after the epic St Kilda encounter. This is the game where we rested around 9 players with half the the team still sore. A prime Jono Brown and Bradshaw absolutely destroyed Lonergan. Cameras after the game in the cats room showed Lonergan with tears running down his face and looking like a man whose career was ended that night. Don't think he played another game for the year and missed out on the premiership. To be able to come back from that in 2010 and to become one of our most important defenders today is a testament to his heart and will - which we knew he had in spades.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

I remember back in round 15 2009. Cats were playing the lions at the Gabba a week after the epic St Kilda encounter. This is the game where we rested around 9 players with half the the team still sore. A prime Jono Brown and Bradshaw absolutely destroyed Lonergan. Cameras after the game in the cats room showed Lonergan with tears running down his face and looking like a man whose career was ended that night. Don't think he played another game for the year and missed out on the premiership. To be able to come back from that in 2010 and to become one of our most important defenders today is a testament to his heart and will - which we knew he had in spades.

The worst part about 2009 for Tom was that he was in and out of the team almost on a weekly basis - he wasn't able to develop any fluency to his game and people here crucified him for it - it was pretty obvious that he was re-learning how to play as a defender, and given that he was showing promise in the position on the day he had his incident it seemed to me that Thompson only played him forward in 2008 because there was nobody else. If he'd been given a full season in 2009 who knows how much better he'd be now? Arguably the only thing keeping him out was the fact that Harley was captain, most of Harley's games in 2009 were painfully mediocre on the back of his injuries, and that he'd earned an AA the year before. Watching his output in the 09 grand final, I'm pretty sure Lonergan would have contributed more.

But thats all moot now, it's really good to see a genuine against all odds story happen to an AFL player who ISN'T a complete scumbag.

 

[The Casey Cat]

I take my hat of to him I really do. I was convinced if our defense was to improve to the level it has this season from last then there was no way he could remain a part of it. But he has lifted and is now not someone I would want to go into a game without. Proved me very wrong.

 

[The rabbi]

I remember the Brizzy game well. Tom had a horrible habit of grabbing has opponent by the jumper to ****** them in their leads. He got pinged, and rightly so, every time.

It seems that Tom sets the agenda now, to some extent, by playing in front. They now have the problem of how to counter his 197cm body that is in their way. As one of the earlier posts suggests, he looks much better when he plays in front. He does not have to attempt to spoil an opponent who is 2 yards in front of him.

The bloke has knuckled down, adjusted his game and getting the benefits of persisting. Good luck to him.

One of reasons that I would love to see the Cats win another flag is that I would love to see Lonergan get to hold onto that premiership cup at 5pm on that last Saturday in September.

 

[Monniehawk]

After the injury, I admired his comeback but painfully believed he would never be the same.
I happily eat those words.
Well done, Champ!
(Not an over-used term in this case!)

 

[barmy44]

thread on the main board, discussing a reliance on KPFs. one argument put forward by a north supporter was its fine, until they come across lake or lonagan (his mistake, not mine).

regardless of the fact he does not know how to spell the guys name, quite amazing that he is now being put forward by opposition supporters as an example of a defender who can shut out a gun forward.

who would have thought? i love they way tom plays, have always been hoping he would get it together. absolute team oriented player.

 

[witsend]

Does anyone else get the feeling Lonners is rested for structural reasons, but is listed with a calf injury to avoid embarrassment to him or unnecessary attention/speculation?
He's been outstanding this year but seems to be injured as soon as we play a small forward heavy opponent.

 

[JUBJUB]

Does anyone else get the feeling Lonners is rested for structural reasons, but is listed with a calf injury to avoid embarrassment to him or unnecessary attention/speculation?
He's been outstanding this year but seems to be injured as soon as we play a small forward heavy opponent.

He probably is carrying a calf injury.He missed Rds 2 & 3 with it.
If they were going to leave out a tall defender to rest I think they might've left Taylor out.

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

round 1, 2009. I remember going to the game and even though buddy and rough kicked a few in the last, I thought lonners was very good. It was a big year for him, even though he played some poor games he learnt that he was capable but needed to lift to a higher consistent standard. love how he has come on, very Nathan bock like...both byrnes and lonners are great credits to our clubs ability to get the beat out of folk!