Tom Lonergan Biography

An emotional Joel Selwood pays tribute to retiring teammates Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan after the Cats' preliminary finals loss to Adelaide.

"It's going to be sad not having them. Being next to 'Domsy's' (Lonergan's) locker for a long time and Mack's just such a great person," Selwood said.

"Two individuals who really set the standard for this club for a long time and not just on the field, but off it.

"They set the right tone, behaved really well. They're going to be missed in many ways."

Tom Lonergan being a late withdrawal due to food poisoning for the Geelong's semi-final clash against Sydney actually inspired his Cats teammates, according to Harry Taylor.

Longergan drove to Melbourne hoping to feel well enough to play, but went downhill once arriving at the MCG and ended up driving back down the highway again.

Having announced his retirement at the season's end, a loss would have signalled the end of his career.

"Us as defenders, we spoke about that, we wanted to make sure that it wasn't his last game the previous week," Taylor said on the morning after the 59-point win.

"Just knowing that a good mate had had such a great career for us would potentially end the way it did was something that I was certainly spurred on by and wanted to play well to make sure he got another shot."

Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan will retire at the end of the 2017 season.

The defenders told Geelong teammates of their decision in the middle of Simonds Stadium immediately after the Cats' 44-point win over Greater Western Sydney.

"There is no one in the game I respect more than those two," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"They give to the team, they help their teammates, they sacrifice their own interests if it is necessary for the betterment of not just the team itself but the football club."

Tom Lonergan will play on for a 15th season after agreeing to terms for a new one-year contract with Geelong.

"Tom's football is still of the highest quality and we are confident he will continue to be a leader and mentor to our young defenders in 2017," Geelong football manager Steve Hocking said.

Tom Lonergan lauds the contribution of one of the Cats' unheralded recruits this year, namely Lachie Henderson.

"(Henderson) has been exceptional ... I still remember watching him as a defender when he played for Carlton and thought he just read the game so well," Lonergan said.

"He's so tough - he goes for his marks, he's very brave and strong in a contest.

"That's what we love, what he's brought to our team. We know what we're going to get from him every week."

Geelong has decided to take a cautious approach with Tom Lonergan, withdrawing the key defender ahead of its duel against Collingwood at the MCG after he was concussed in the opening minutes of the Cats' match against Adelaide.

Following numerous challenges that have threatened his career, Tom Lonergan will finally play in his 150th match this weekend against Collingwood.

"He's had a fantastic journey," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"To take this long to get to 150 games is a bit unfortunate for Tom really.

"It feels to us he's more like a 250-game player such is his experience on the field and the way he works with our other players."

Tom Lonergan signs a one-year extension with the Cats through to the end of 2016.

"Tom's contract extension will see him remain a one-club player," general manager of football Steve Hocking said.

"We value his dedication and commitment to the club, to be where he is today is a testament to him as a player and person."

The Western Bulldogs have approached Geelong key defender Tom Lonergan about a move to the Whitten Oval as they seek to bolster their undermanned defence.

Tom Lonergan is confident he can return to the Cats' side to face the Blues this week after recovering from a bout of concussion.

"I'd never been concussed before, so I wasn't sure about the symptoms. I thought I'd be OK. I woke up on the Saturday morning and thought, 'Oh yeah, I'll be fine.'" Lonergan said.

"I went for a drive and had to pull over. Mum was in the passenger seat and I said, 'Mum, you're going to have to drive here.' I was no good.

"I had blurry vision and all those things that you hear about. All Saturday and Sunday I was no good, and I was 10 to 15 per cent off all week.

"Most of the boys just thought it was normal for me, but it hung around and I couldn't shake it."

After squaring up many times together at training in the past, Tom Lonergan now looks forward to taking on former teammate James Podsiadly in the Cats' opening round match against Adelaide.

"He was a great player for Geelong over so many years, and I respect him highly," Lonergan said.

"He's a pretty smart footballer, knows where to run. He's got a lot of good attributes.

"He's obviously a pretty strong sort of fella and moves really well, and he'll be pretty keen to show Adelaide his worth."

Tom Lonergan says he didn't hesitate to re-sign with the Cats for three years in October, despite becoming a free agent at the end of 2013.

"Holding out just doesn't suit my personality or values. We settled very quickly and I think that suited both parties," Lonergan said.

Unlucky defender Tom Lonergan was forced to watch two Cats premierships from the stands before tasting the ultimate success in Geelong's 2011 grand final win over Collingwood.

"It's the pinnacle. If you ask any AFL player, their ultimate dream is to win a premiership," Lonergan said after the game.

"My circumstances were a little bit different to most and it was a pretty overwhelming feeling when the siren went. I'm really happy and I don't have the words to describe it."

Cats defender Darren Milburn says Tom Lonergan is the man to replace former skipper Tom Harley in the back six after a solid performance against the Bombers in round 1.

"I thought Tom Lonergan played a very good game. He came in for Harles and played his role very well. I thought his opponents didn't get sighted. He was a very good player for us tonight," Milburn said after the game.

"He's had a very good pre-season and every task that has been set he has done it really well. I'd say he'd be in line to take his role."

Geelong's narrow loss to St Kilda takes a heavy toll with four of the Cats' premiership players to miss this week.

Matthew Scarlett, Cameron Ling, Darren Milburn and James Kelly have all been sidelined.

The loss of All-Australian defenders Scarlett and Milburn has opened the door for 19-year-old Tom Gillies to make his debut, while Ryan Gamble, David Wojcinksi and Tom Lonergan come back into the side.

Scarlett has back tightness, Ling has knee tendonitis, Milburn rolled his ankle and Kelly was left out after pulling up this week with a tight hamstring. Kelly and Scarlett are expected to return for the round 16 game against Melbourne, while the club last night said Ling's condition would be monitored over the next week.

Geelong forward Tom Lonergan is in danger of becoming a Hawthorn statistic should he be dropped this week.

Three of Lonergan's past 10 AFL matches have been against the Hawks and his performances will ultimately be judged by those games.

And right now his figures v Hawthorn compared with the rest don't stack up.

Arguably the greatest concern is his return of just one contested mark in those three matches.

Cameron Mooney will miss the NAB Cup grand final with injury, setting up a Round 1 audition for Tom Hawkins and Tom Lonergan.