Lewis Roberts-Thomson | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Lewis Roberts-Thomson | ||
Nickname(s) | L.R.T. | ||
Date of birth | 8 September 1983 | ||
Original team(s) | NSW/ACT Rams (TAC Cup) | ||
Draft | No. 29, 2001 National Draft | ||
Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2003–2014 | Sydney | 179 (54) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2014. | |||
Career highlights | |||
| |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Lewis Roberts-Thomson (born 8 September 1983 in Sydney) is a former Australian Rules Football player, who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League. He has been colloquially known to fans and commentators as either "LRT" or the "Hyphenator". [1]
Roberts-Thomson was drafted by the Swans from the NSW-ACT U18s with the 29th selection in the 2001 AFL Draft.
After being injured for most of the 2002 season, [1] he was awarded an AFL Rising Star nomination in his tenth game in 2003, after making his debut in Round 8. [2] He was then injured again for most of the 2004 season with thumb and achilles injuries. [3]
His performance as a key defender in 2005, [4] including his performance in that year's Grand Final against the West Coast Eagles, secured a permanent position in the Swans' backline. [1]
After an injury riddled 2008 season, Roberts-Thomson not only re-solidified his place at CHB in the Swans' defence in 2009, he improved vastly through the season playing on some of the best forwards in the AFL.
In 2010, Roberts-Thomson continued his strong form and with Craig Bolton suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury early in the year, he and Heath Grundy stepped up manfully to take on the brunt of the defensive work. He injured his hamstring about halfway through the year and was forced to sit out the rest of the season.
For Roberts-Thomson, 2011 was an up and down year as injury and the rapid improvement from Ted Richards and Alex Johnson didn't allow for him to take up his normal position as a tall defender. Consequently, he was used mostly as a 2nd ruckman and tall forward when in the senior side. Illness to Grundy allowed Roberts-Thomson to take up a position in the backline late in the year however, a role that he would fill well for the Swans' run into the finals.
In Round 2 of the 2012 season, Roberts-Thomson reached life membership of the Swans in 2012 after playing his 150th game. [5] He would go on to play in the Swans 2012 Premiership side who were victorious over Hawthorn. [6]
After managing only nine appearances across the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Roberts-Thomson announced his retirement from AFL football in August 2014. [7]
Roberts-Thomson is a rarity in AFL as he grew up playing rugby union as a contemporary of Wallaby Phil Waugh at Sydney Church of England Grammar School. [4] [8] Having only taken up Australian rules football at age 14, he had played less than 40 Aussie rules matches when he was drafted in 2001, [9] although he had already been named in the 2001 under-18 All-Australian team.
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
2003 | Sydney | 30 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 46 | 44 | 90 | 29 | 12 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
2004 | Sydney | 30 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
2005 | Sydney | 30 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 95 | 103 | 198 | 58 | 37 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 1.5 |
2006 | Sydney | 30 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 129 | 116 | 245 | 87 | 30 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 10.2 | 3.6 | 1.3 |
2007 | Sydney | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 13 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 1.5 |
2008 | Sydney | 30 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 152 | 134 | 286 | 108 | 48 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 11.9 | 4.5 | 2.0 |
2009 | Sydney | 30 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 175 | 156 | 331 | 144 | 28 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 7.4 | 15.8 | 6.9 | 1.3 |
2010 | Sydney | 30 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 114 | 80 | 194 | 87 | 34 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 8.1 | 5.7 | 13.9 | 6.2 | 2.4 |
2011 | Sydney | 30 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 71 | 44 | 115 | 42 | 39 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 7.7 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
2012 | Sydney | 30 | 22 | 25 | 10 | 125 | 98 | 223 | 76 | 47 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 10.1 | 3.5 | 2.1 |
2013 | Sydney | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 14 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 9.0 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
2014 | Sydney | 30 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 33 | 13 | 9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 |
Career | 179 | 54 | 29 | 976 | 838 | 1814 | 671 | 297 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 10.1 | 3.7 | 1.7 |
Craig Bolton is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He often plays at full back or on the half back flank. He is unrelated to former Swans teammate Jude Bolton.
Amon Buchanan is a former Australian rules football who played for the Brisbane Lions and the Sydney Swans in the AFL. He is currently serving as the forwards coach of the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Jared Crouch is a former Australian football player with the Sydney Swans of the Australian Football League (AFL), who is colloquially known as "Crouchie" to Swans fans and the media. He currently serves as a development coach at the Sydney Swans.
Nick Malceski is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans and Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A running defender, he was part of the Sydney line-up that won the 2012 AFL Grand Final, and in total played 176 games for the club between 2005 and 2014. He was named in the 2014 All-Australian team, but at the end of that season joined the Gold Coast, where he played two seasons before retiring at the end of the 2016 season.
Martin Mattner is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was traded to Sydney from the Crows in October 2007 in exchange for draft pick number 28.
Heath Grundy is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Nicholas Smith is a former Australian rules footballer, who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Nathan Jones is a former Australian rules footballer known for playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He is the older brother of St Kilda player Zak Jones. He served as the captain of Melbourne from 2014 until he stepped down at the end of the 2019 season.
Jeremy Laidler is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club, Carlton Football Club and Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Kurt Anthony Tippett is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans. He also played for the Adelaide Football Club between 2007 and 2012. Tippett represented Queensland in under-18 basketball before transferring to Australian rules football and playing for Southport Football Club. He was selected by Adelaide in the 2006 AFL draft.
Lewis Jetta is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Swan Districts Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
Sam Reid is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted to Sydney with the 38th selection in the 2009 AFL draft, becoming a third generation footballer at AFL/VFL level. His grandfather Bruce Reid senior played for Footscray, his father Bruce Reid, for Footscray and Carlton and his uncle John Reid for Melbourne, Footscray and Sydney. He is also the younger brother of Collingwood premiership player Ben Reid.
Daniel Talia is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted with selection 13 in the 2009 National Draft from the Calder Cannons. In 2012 he won the AFL Rising Star award as the best young player in the league. Talia is the great-grandson of former Footscray player Arthur Stevens, and the grandson of Harvey Stevens who played in Footscray's 1954 VFL Grand Final victory. His younger brother, Michael Talia, played for the Western Bulldogs before being traded to the Sydney Swans after the 2015 season.
Dane Rampe is an Australian rules football player who plays for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He has served as co-captain of the Swans since the 2019 season.
Isaac Heeney is a professional Australian rules footballer playing with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League.
Toby Nankervis is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played 12 matches for the Sydney Swans from 2014 to 2016 after being drafted by the club with the 35th pick in the 2013 AFL national draft. Nankervis is a three-time premiership player with Richmond, winning in 2017, 2019 and 2020. Nankervis was announced as co-captain alongside Dylan Grimes ahead of the 2022 Season.
Callum Mills is a professional Australian rules footballer and co-captain of the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He won the 2016 NAB AFL Rising Star Award for his outstanding breakout season.
Tom McCartin is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a key defender. He made his debut in round 8 of the 2018 season against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Ryley Stoddart is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a small defender. He made his debut in round 10, 2018 against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
Darcy Cameron is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).