Tom Bellchambers Biography

Tom Bellchambers retires after 136 AFL games.

"This club has been a huge part of my life for the last 13 years, I can genuinely say I have enjoyed all the ups and downs that my career has thrown at me," Bellchambers said.

"I've been lucky to live out my childhood dream and in doing so have created some amazing memories and friendships along the way that I will cherish forever.

"Physically, my body is telling me my time is up and I go out knowing that I couldn't have given any more to this great club."

Tom Bellchambers undergoes knee surgery, a procedure that is expected to keep him sidelined from running for the next fortnight.

Now at his third club, Andrew Phillips wants to be the Bombers' No.1 ruckman in 2020, a spot he will be competing for, or sharing, with Tom Bellchambers.

"I'd love for us both to be out there on the field but the chances are, with the way things are going, teams don't really go that way as much anymore," Phillips said.

"It's obviously hard, we're both jostling for the same spot and we both want to be out there playing but the reality is it's probably only going to be one of us.

"At this stage, obviously I've just walked in the door, and we're both trying to put our hand up. Match [simulation] training is starting to heat up now and drills are getting more intense so it's a good opportunity for both of us to try and put our best foot forward to stamp our claim on round one."

Tom Bellchambers will miss the club's final game of the 2018 season after having shoulder surgery.

"Tom has, for a while, been battling pain in his AC joint," Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow said.

"He's had surgery – which is a distal clavicle resection – so he'll start his rehab this week."

Tom Bellchambers says the horrors of 2016 may have prolonged his career after signing a new contract with Essendon to remain at the club until the end of 2020.

"I only ticked off my 100th game five weeks ago so although I've been around the football club for 11 years, I haven't actually played 200 games like most 11-year players would have. I still feel I've got a lot of footy left in me," he said.

"That year off, as shit as it was, it probably came at the best time possible for me. The way my body was feeling at the time and the way I couldn't string games together, if I had another year of that then who knows, I might not still be in the system now.

"That year off was frustrating and difficult at the time, but it's probably been a God-send for me."

Tom Bellchambers admits to having doubts about returning to his best form after struggling with ankle injuries.

"I didn't lose faith [in myself], but the questions always go through your head about whether you can get back out there and do it. I had a couple of frustrating years with injury so those questions are always there about whether you're going to be able to get back out there," Bellchambers said.

Tom Bellchambers suffers a setback in his preparations for a blockbuster round one return to football, with a knee injury set to sideline the big man for two months.

"Tom, like Joe, has a knee surface issue from a number of years ago that raised its head before Christmas," Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow said.

"He was in rehab after a rest and progressing well until a week ago.

"He’s not quite at 100 per cent so today we sought the advice of his specialist, Julian Feller, and Tom is going to go in for a clean-out of his knee to try to get him to 100 per cent."

Tom Bellchambers recommits to Essendon after agreeing to a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the end of 2018.

"The time away from the football club has allowed me to freshen up physically and mentally, Bellchambers said.

"Missing this season and a big chunk of 2015 through injury makes me want come back fitter and stronger in 2017.

"I really appreciate all that Essendon has done for me over my career, they gave me the chance to pursue my dream of playing AFL and I'm looking forward to repaying the faith they've shown me."

Essendon's worst fears have been realised with the Court of Arbitration for Sport finding 34 past and present players guilty of taking banned substance Thymosin Beta-4 and suspending them for the entire 2016 season.

Twelve players still on the Bombers' list and five now at other AFL clubs who took part in Essendon's 2012 supplements program have been hit with two-year bans beginning on March 31 last year.

However, most of the suspensions will come to an end on November 13 this year, taking into account provisional suspensions already served.

Bombers skipper Jobe Watson, vice-captain Dyson Heppell, reigning club champion Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley, Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Travis Colyer, Michael Hibberd, Ben Howlett, David Myers, Brent Stanton and Tayte Pears will all miss the Bombers' 2016 campaign.

The guilty decision impacts four other AFL clubs with former Essendon players on their lists, with Jake Carlisle (St Kilda), Stewart Crameri (Western Bulldogs), Jake Melksham (Melbourne), Angus Monfries and Patrick Ryder (Port Adelaide) to be sidelined for the season.

Former Essendon players Mark McVeigh and Brent Prismall are set to be suspended from their respective roles at Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs until November 13 as support staff are banned from any WADA-complaint sports under the sanctions.

McVeigh is an assistant coach at the Giants, while Prismall is a player wellbeing and welfare manager with the Bulldogs.

Essendon champion and former club coach James Hird slammed the guilty verdict and suspensions.

"I am shocked by this decision," Hird said in a statement.

"I firmly believe the players do not deserve this finding.

"They do not deserve to face a twelve-month suspension from the sport. This is a miscarriage of justice for 34 young men."

Tom Bellchambers says he and Matthew Leuenberger can form a strong ruck partnership for the Bombers.

"This time last year I was missing sessions and in the altitude room, so it’s actually good to be out on the track with the boys," Bellchambers said.

"Obviously "Leuey" has had some injuries as well.

"He and I are both out on the track now and we’ll get to know each other’s games and hopefully we can form a good duo like Paddy and myself."

Tom Bellchambers has turned his back on free agency by signing a two-year contract extension to stay at Essendon until the end of 2017.

"I'm really happy to have signed on for a further two seasons," Bellchambers said.

"The group of guys we have at the club makes coming to work enjoyable, and the strong bond amongst the playing group made my decision very easy in the end."

Tom Bellchambers is set for an extended stint on the sidelines due to a stress fracture in his foot that will prevent him from training for at least eight weeks.

"He became sore in the first few minutes of training last week," Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid said.

"Scans have confirmed he has a stress fracture of the third metatarsal in his foot."

Tom Bellchambers is set to dive into full pre-season training before Christmas after successful surgery to fix his painful ankle problems.

"We would be really disappointed if he weren't back in full training before Christmas," Essendon's head of coaching development and strategy Neil Craig said.

"There are no guarantees, but we are not sitting here saying 'gosh, that is a serious ankle surgery there, we could be in a bit of trouble'."

Tom Bellchambers has had further surgery on the injured ankle that disrupted his season.

After playing in last week's elimination final loss to North Melbourne, the 25-year-old underwent follow-up surgery to the reconstruction he had in January.

"The doctors decided that it would be worth going in and investigating a bit further to see if there's anything that needed to be cleaned up there," Essendon football operations manager Rob Kerr said.

"He was a bit sore throughout the year and he was obviously pushing his recovery. It never really completely settled down for him so he's gone in to try and tidy it up now."

Essendon is unsure when Tom Bellchambers will be fit to return to its senior team after the ruckman complained of soreness.

Bellchambers, who had an ankle reconstruction in January after a training mishap, has played the past three games with the club's VFL side.

However, having pulled up sore this week, the Bombers are waiting to see how his body responds to training before setting a date on when he will be able to play his first AFL game of the season.

"It's a bit of a concern for us," Essendon coach Mark Thompson said.

"I think they're trying things to get him right so he can play a game at the AFL level, which he's not capable at the moment."

Tom Bellchambers may return two weeks ahead of schedule after responding well to the ankle surgery he had last month.

"He was walking around in normal shoes last night and a week ago he was in a moon boot," Bombers assistant coach Matthew Egan said.

"He's progressing really well.

"He's a really important part of our forward line last year … he just gives really big contests and it allows Joe Daniher to get a smaller opponent too, which will help him."

Tom Bellchambers is placed on Essendon's long-term injury list, almost three weeks after he underwent ankle surgery.

Tom Bellchambers will miss at least three months after undergoing ankle surgery.

"To lose a player of Tom's ability for that amount of time is not ideal, but we have to look at the positives and Tommy is a resilient character," Essendon coach Mark Thompson said.

"Tom will have the full support of the fitness and medical team to help him get back out playing as soon as possible."

Tom Bellchambers will miss at least a month of pre-season training after injuring his ankle during a training drill.

"They were doing match practice type drills and he landed on Michael Hibberd's foot," club doctor Bruce Reid said.

"It will cost him a few weeks at this stage."

Following the departures of Steward Crameri and Scott Gumbleton, Tom Bellchambers has been earmarked to spend more time up forward in 2014 for the Bombers.

"He's (Bellchambers) obviously fantastic in the ruck but he's very dangerous up forward, so he'll spend a bit of time up there for sure," teammate Dyson Heppell said.

A report is made on Melbourne radio station 3AW that two Essendon players, one of which has been named as Tom Bellchambers and the other believed to be Cale Hooker, had left an Albert Park restaurant without paying their bill.

The players reportedly told staff that two young women eating at the restaurant would pay their bill, which wasn't the case.

"We take it seriously and we know all the facts. Even though it's a unfortunate thing to happen, there wasn't much in it," Thompson said.

"That's all been handled. It shouldn't have happened and we're not happy but there was no intent.

"I think [Bellchambers] had been at the restaurant, knew the owner, and had eaten there a lot of times so it's not a big issue."

In-demand ruck Tom Bellchambers signs a new two-year deal with Essendon after months of speculation.

"I have so many great mates here and I wanted to repay the loyalty the club had shown me," Bellchambers said.

"With my contract out of the way, I'm just looking forward to next season, getting back into training and working really hard over summer because as a club we know we are heading in the right direction."

Essendon says it is confident of securing a deal with Tom Bellchambers despite interest from opposition clubs.

"Obviously Tom Bellchambers is out of contract and I am extremely optimistic that we can get that one done," Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro said.

"We are not far away at all in talking with his management."

Despite being linked to GWS, Tom Bellchambers is adamant he wants to remain at Essendon.

"It doesn't play a role in my head at all. I go out there to play football for the Essendon Football Club and that's all I can control at the moment," Bellchambers said.

"My manager's in constant talks with the footy club and hopefully we'll get something done sooner rather than later."

Essendon are keen to re-sign Tom Bellchambers as rival clubs express their interest in the big man.

"We hold Tom in very high regard, he's an excellent ruckman, an excellent person around our club and we want to sign him up," Essendon coach James Hird said.

"We're very keen to get that done as soon as we can."

Essendon coach James Hird says Tom Bellchambers will likely to shoulder most of Essendon's ruck work in 2013.

"I think Tom Bellchambers is training very well and is looking to take the No.1 ruck mantle at the moment," Hird said.

"We've got good back-up in David Hille as well so Tommy's really been outstanding with his pre-season so far."

Tom Bellchambers tells Callum Twomey he sees himself as Essendon's number one ruckman.

"I'm the number one ruckman at the moment and that's where I see myself," Bellchambers said.

"Obviously David Hille is out at the moment and I've got the number one ruck mantle, and it's up to me to hold it and to make it hard for him to kick me out of the team when he's back."

Essendon has been left with just one geniune ruckman due to the injuries to Tom Bellchambers and Jason Laycock.

Laycock has battled navicular problems since late last year but made his comeback with VFL affiliate the Bendigo Bombers the weekend before last.

"He's training and was playing with discomfort," Essendon coach Matthew Knights said.

"It's not ideal. He hasn't been able to get a run at it, which is frustrating because he would have been perfect to come in."

Youngster Patrick Ryder will be expected to carry Essendon's rucks in their absence.

"We're going to have to be a bit creative and share the workload. It's probably far to say Paddy is going to have to do the majority of the work, but we're going to have to find him support," Knights said.

"We'll have a chat about that this afternoon and try to come up with a plan that will give Paddy enough support and do our best to nullify Adelaide's strengths as well."

While Essendon ruckman Tom Bellchambers will have an MRI scan later today to determine the full extent of damage to an injured knee, teammate Adam McPhee believes the return of some mature-bodied Bombers should help the club's cause in coming weeks.

"He probably might miss a couple of weeks, but I don't think it's as bad as what we expected," McPhee said.

Tom Bellchambers is set to play a larger role supporting David Hille in the ruck for Essendon in 2009.