Andrew Lovett

Andrew Lovett (born 11 November 1982) is an Aboriginal[1] Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for Essendon between 2005 and 2009. He was traded to St Kilda at the end of the 2009 season, but his contract was terminated in February 2010 before he ever played a game for the club.[2][3]

Andrew Lovett
Personal information
Full name Andrew Lovett
Date of birth (1982-11-11) 11 November 1982
Original team(s) Northern Knights/East Perth
Draft 42nd overall, 2004 Rookie Draft
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 75 kg (165 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Essendon(stk)2010
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2005 Australia ? (?)
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2005.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Lovett has Indigenous Australian heritage and his tribal ancestry can be traced to the Gunditjmara.[1] He is the cousin of Nathan Lovett-Murray.

Lovett played for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup and North Heidelberg in the Northern Football League before relocating to Perth to play for East Perth in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), where he hoped he could be drafted into the AFL.[4]

AFL career

Lovett was selected by Essendon in 2003 in the Rookie Draft. He remained a rookie, playing for the Bendigo Bombers, until he made his AFL debut against Hawthorn.

Lovett was a member of the Australian team that won the Cormac McAnallen Cup during the 2005 International Rules Series. He also won the Anzac Day Medal in 2005.[5]

At the end of the 2008 season, Lovett was mentioned as a potential trade for Essendon.[6] The Geelong Football Club were said to be the most interested in securing the lively forward who still had one year to run on his contract at Essendon. Although a trade did not eventuate,[7] his form in the 2009 season saw another offer - this time from St Kilda, who traded their first round pick (#16). Lovett accepted the move despite other offers (from the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide) to remain in Melbourne with his family and friends whilst having the prospects of being involved in a premiership team. He was later given the number 9 guernsey, which was last worn by goalkicker Fraser Gehrig.[8]

In December 2009 Lovett was suspended indefinitely by the St Kilda Football Club following allegations of being involved in a sexual assault[2][9] and on 16 February 2010 he was dismissed from the club when rape charges were laid.[3] On 25 July 2011, Lovett was acquitted of the charges.[10]

In the time between his dismissal from St Kilda and his acquittal, Lovett returned to East Perth to play the latter half of the 2010 WAFL season.[11] He then played for the NFL's Fitzroy Stars Football Club in 2011.[12]

Lovett nominated for the AFL rookie draft in 2011 and again in 2014 but was not selected in either draft.[13]

As of 2019, Lovett is once again playing for the Fitzroy Stars in the Northern Football League, having also played for the Port Melbourne Colts, Sorrento and Red Cliffs since leaving the Stars.[14]

References
  1. AFL Record; Round 9, 2009. Slattery Publishing, p75
  2. Langmaid, Aaron with AAP (24 December 2009) Andrew Lovett suspended by St Kilda over police probe; Herald Sun
  3. AAP AFL star Andrew Lovett sacked by St Kilda; Fox Sports
  4. "Andrew Lovet". Deadly Vibe (101). July 2005. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013.
  5. Stevens, Mark (1 October 2008). "Sydney Swans chase Essendon's Andrew Lovett". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  6. Cooper, Adam (5 October 2008). "Clubs cautious trade week". The Daily Telegraph.
  7. Robinson, Mark (21 November 2009). "Sorry ... the chant of Andrew Lovett". Herald Sun.
  8. "St Kilda trade week summary". St Kilda Football Club. 9 October 2009. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  9. Dowsley, Anthony and Murphy, Padraic (26 December 2009) Woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Andrew Lovett as she slept; Herald Sun
  10. "Former AFL Player Andrew Lovett Acquitted Of Rape Charges". The Age. Melbourne. 22 July 2011.
  11. Clarke, Tim (11 June 2011). "Lovett to make Royal return". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  12. O'Meara, Patrick (24 March 2011). "Fitzroy Stars sign ex-Bomber Andrew Lovett". Melbourne Leader. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  13. Hogan, Jesse (23 April 2015). "Andrew Lovett accepts career over after failed 2014 draft bid". The Age. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  14. http://nfnl.org.au/2019-nfnl-transfer-news/
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