Tom Rockliff Biography

Tom Rockliff announces his retirement from AFL football after a horrid run with injuries.

Rockliff was restricted to a wheelchair in early May following surgery on both knees after landing awkwardly in a marking contest while playing SANFL. Just a week later, he was hospitalised and diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis after reporting acute onset of calf pain and found multiple blood clots on his lungs.

"I spoke with the specialist and the clot is still there. They can't guarantee it'll go away and if you get hit where that clot is, it can transport up to your lungs, so the risk factor was too high and it's not really worth risking your life over," Rockliff said.

"It is the best thing in the end for me to call time on my career. The people I have spoken to have celebrated with me but there have been a few tears shed. It's been emotional but also the right thing to do."

Tom Rockliff suffers a rare setback, with scans revealing the veteran ball-winner injured both of his knees in the same incident in the SANFL.

Tom Rockliff has declared he'll be ready to go for the start of next season as he ramps up his training after a third bout of shoulder surgery.

"The first two times I had the full reconstruction and last season I had the latarjet surgery, which is a quicker recovery time, but a bit more major surgery," he said.

"I've ticked all the boxes along the way, it's just about continuing to build the strength back and now the left side is just a little bit not as strong as the right side.

"Just trying to balance that out and get up to strength as quick as we can."

Tom Rockliff will miss most of the pre-season after undergoing his third shoulder reconstruction within the past two years.

The 29-year-old had a complex Latarjet-Bristow procedure performed on his left shoulder in Adelaide on Tuesday night.

He will have his left arm in a sling for six weeks and won't resume contact drills until after Christmas, but is aiming to play in the Power's first pre-season game in 2020.

"It's frustrating. These shoulder injuries have become pretty debilitating at times, but hopefully this surgery will do the job," Rockliff told News Corp.

"If all goes to plan, I hope to be ready to play the first pre-season match next year, but we'll have to wait to see how things go with the recovery.

"I'll be out of all contact drills until after Christmas, which is frustrating, because you want to have a full pre-season, especially at my age. But I’ll just have to get on with things."

Tom Rockliff puts his hand up for an immediate senior recall after racking up huge numbers in the SANFL on Saturday.

In his return from a hamstring injury, Rockliff put on an incredibly prolific display, collecting 57 disposals, 14 clearances, 12 tackles, and eight inside-50s.

Tom Rockliff leaves the field early in the third quarter of the Power's clash with Brisbane after sustaining a heavy hit to the head in a clash with Hugh McCluggage.

While not appearing to lose consciousness, Rockliff was very slow to move and needed to be helped from the ground by medical staff.

Rockliff was ruled out of taking any further part in the match, watching the rest of the contest from the boundary line.

Tom Rockliff will return to the Gabba this week for the first time since his departure from the Lions to face his former teammates.

"I don't think we left on bitter terms or anything like that," Rockliff said.

"Both parties were happy with how it panned out in the end. I wish the Lions nothing but the best – obviously not this weekend."

Tom Rockliff's disappointing first season with the Power is over, with shoulder surgery ruling him the club's final regular season match against Essendon at Adelaide Oval.

"Rockliff has a shoulder issue. It's been causing him some problems for a little while and it needs repairing," Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

"He's had some issues from the start to the finish."

Tom Rockliff admits he wasn't physically prepared at the start of the 2018 season.

Rockliff struggled through the first four rounds of the season, averaging 12 possessions per game, before a calf injury forced him to miss round five.

He then spent two weeks regaining his form in the SANFL before being recalled for the round eight Showdown against Adelaide, where he starred with 31 disposals in the Power's five-point victory.

Rockliff then backed that performance up with 26 touches in last weekend's 40-point win against Gold Coast in Shanghai.

"It was a pretty big call from the coaches at the time and one I'm thankful they made," Rockliff said.

"The hardest thing for me was earning the respect of my teammates, that's the most important thing when you get to a new club.

"You want to earn that respect, and I wasn't able to do that in the first four games."

Power coach Ken Hinkley says the decision to drop Rockliff back to the SANFL was the right call after the former Brisbane skipper tallied 31 disposals, nine tackles and six clearances in the Power's thrilling five-point Showdown win against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

"We made a really courageous decision to leave him back in the SANFL for a couple of weeks," Hinkley said.

"Tom is a proud person, he would much rather be in the AFL, but I think we ran him into a bit of touch."

Tom Rockliff has had a slow start to his career at the Power after joining the club on a four-year deal as a free agent.

Rockliff has averaged just 12 disposals per game with his new club, and a recent calf injury has not helped matters.

Tom Rockliff, who is battling knee soreness, is likely to enter the 2018 season without participating in the pre-season competition.

Tom Rockliff is included in Port Adelaide's leadership group before playing a single game for the club.

"The boys voted for that and with the discussions with Kenny and Trav, they sort of left it up to me," Rockliff said.

"I said, I'm here to win and perform any role that they want me to, and that was to go into the leadership group and I think I've got something to provide."

Travis Boak will remain captain of Port Adelaide in 2018 with Ollie Wines serving again as vice-captain.

Recruit Tom Rockliff has been given a leadership role as has Charlie Dixon.

Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett and Tom Jonas round out the leadership group.

Tom Rockliff says he made a special effort to reach out to Port Adelaide's new draftees.

"I called them all, because you never forget that phone call, from especially senior players," Rockliff said.

"I remember mine like it was yesterday. Luke Power called me when I first got drafted.

"It just makes you feel a little bit more comfortable when walking through the doors."

Tom Rockliff opens up on the difficulties he faced as Brisbane Lions captain in 2015 and 2016, saying it was the most challenging time he has gone through.

"I found it really hard to go to the football club and perform my role as captain, be upbeat and try to lead through that really difficult period we went through," Rockliff said on NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"It was probably the worst time as a footy player. We lost our coach and had so much instability around the place.

"Everyone was coming pretty hard for me, which as a leader of the football club you have to expect that, it was just a real challenging time and as I said, you couldn’t really escape it at all.

"It's something you have to deal with, and it's something I didn’t deal with all that well as an individual.

"You have to try to get away from it as best you can and have an outlet, and I didn't have that, I didn't have those support mechanisms in place."

Tom Rockliff is officially a Port Adelaide player after Brisbane chose not to match his free agency offer.

Rockliff considered an offer from Carlton, but eventually settled on Port Adelaide for the security of a long-term deal and opportunity to chase finals success.

"With a young family, I've got to think about them as much as you do yourself," Rockliff said.

"Port Adelaide has so much history and I think they're very close to success and hopefully I can fit into that and drive for September action."

Tom Rockliff officially accepts Port Adelaide's free agency offer reported to be worth about $650,000 a season.

Rockliff, 27, was also hotly pursued by Carlton, with the Blues rolling out club greats Stephen Kernahan and Chris Judd in a meeting with the All Australian midfielder in an attempt to sway him to move to Ikon Park.

Brisbane have the opportunity to match the Power's offer to Rockliff who is a restricted free agent, but are expected to accept a compensation pick instead.

Tom Rockliff nominates Port Adelaide as his club of choice as a free agent.

"We're pleased Tom has shown a willingness to come to Port Adelaide over the other clubs that he's spoken to," Power football boss Chris Davies told NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"It's up to us now to work with his management to finalise what a potential deal could look like."

Brisbane concede that Tom Rockliff is most likely leaving the club as a free agent.

"I think that's the intent at this point in time," Lions football manager David Noble told NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"We had an offer on the table, he wanted to explore (other options) and we haven't really heard different from then."

Dayne Beams and Tom Rockliff are booked in for shoulder surgery following the end of the season. Both are expected to be available for the start of pre-season training in November.

"Dayne needed a few injections over a few weeks to get on the paddock but both boys did a good job," Lions senior physio Clint Frazer said.

"They made a good recovery and they were playing well with their injuries.

"That's part of being an AFL footballer. It's part of what you sign up for."

Lions coach Chris Fagan is optimistic that Tom Rockliff will stay with the club in 2018.

"I haven’t asked him, but the way he's acting and talking around the footy club I don't think he's going anywhere," Fagan said.

"He seems very happy at the moment, his wife is pregnant, he's just built a new house. I'd be hopeful that he stays."

Tom Rockliff is playing sore, but Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has given no thought of resting his vice-captain in the final month of the season.

"Tom obviously hurt his shoulder in the game in Tassie against Hawthorn, made a recovery from that, but it's still lurking around," Fagan said.

"Tom would be the first to come and put his hand up if he thought he wasn't right to go. If he wasn't right to be playing, we wouldn't be playing him. No excuses there."

Tom Rockliff says his family will be his top priority when making a decision on his future.

"The most important factor for me is going to be my family, and what's most important for me, Sharna and the young fella when he comes out," Rockliff said.

"That's a selfish way to look at it, but I think you've got to do what's right for yourself."

Tom Rockliff has told Brisbane he wants to turn his back on free agency and play on at the Gabba.

"Tom has indicated that he wants to stay, so I think those talks are happening now," Brisbane CEO Greg Swann told SEN radio.

"He's had a super year, Tom, and we think that indications are really positive, so we'll see how that unfolds."

Tom Rockliff will be sidelined for two weeks with a dislocated shoulder.

Rockliff suffered his injury in the dying minutes of Brisbane's loss to Hawthorn.

New Lions skipper Dayne Beams says former club captain Tom Rockliff is still an integral part of the club despite recent controversies.

"Your actions speak louder than your words and I think that's what Tom's focussed on over the last four months," Beams said.

"What he has been able to do is earn back the respect of the group and it's a credit to him.

"Tom's one of the best on-field leaders I've seen in terms of his understanding of the game. The way he communicates to people out on the ground is first class.

"I need him in my corner and I need his help."

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says he is confident Tom Rockliff will remain at the club beyond 2017.

"I reckon the odds are high [of him staying]," Fagan said.

"He loves Brisbane footy club. He wants to see the club do well. This is how he speaks to me, so I can only take him at his word."

Dayne Beams will lead the Brisbane Lions in 2017 after being confirmed as the club's new captain, taking over from Tom Rockliff, who was named vice-captain.

Dayne Zorko is the deputy vice-captain, while Stefan Martin, Allen Christensen, Ryan Lester and Harris Andrews make up the rest of the seven-man leadership group.

"I like to think I'm an action-based leader, I lead by example," Beams said.

"I do what I say and I think the overriding thing is I'm really passionate about the football club and where it's heading.

"We've got some emerging young talent and I'm looking forward to seeing that blossom."

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has mounted a spirited defence of Tom Rockliff, saying the controversial midfielder had been a pre-season standout and could still captain the Brisbane Lions in 2017.

"He's been outstanding around the group, he's trained hard, he's got a great attitude, he's been a leader around the club and he's been very supportive of me in my first few months," Fagan said.

"I just want to put that on the table at this stage."

Tom Rockliff admits to being frustrated with football in 2016.

"I got disheartened very quickly in games. I could feel the game was slipping away and there was nothing I could do to change that," Rockliff said.

"I felt the pressure probably got to me at times and I felt like I could not switch off when I got home.

"I was a different person. I changed into someone who was on edge all the time, someone that was angry all the time."

He then made what can be a fatal mistake for any leader under pressure and withdrew into self-protection mode.

"There is no doubt I definitely did," Rockliff said.

"[That is] not a healthy thing for a footballer and especially a leader of a football club.

"When the defeats come you start to go in self-survival mode and everyone starts to point the finger and look elsewhere when you probably should look inside yourself. That is probably the starting point."

After a difficult 2016, Rockliff says he wants to rediscover his passion for footy.

"If you can walk into your job and you love your job you can perform better," Rockliff said.

"For me it's about finding that and probably recreating [the same feeling as when] you're a six-year-old and what that felt like to be playing footy."

Tom Rockliff says he is willing to accept any decision by the Lions regarding the club captaincy.

"(Fagan) outlined clearly to me that there will be a process that we go through to select the leaders for 2017. If I remain captain, then I remain captain and, if not, I'll fully support who it is," he said.

"That's not why I play football. You play for team success."

New Lions coach Chris Fagan says Tom Rockliff has been informed that the Lions captaincy in 2017 is up for grabs.

Fagan said a decision on whether incumbent Tom Rockliff would remain as skipper would not be made until a player vote before the 2017 pre-season competition.

"He knows what is required and appreciates the fact that I have been clear," Fagan said.

"He will be treated like any other player this pre-season but I expect him to put his best foot forward."

Tom Rockliff's manager Tom Petroro informs the Lions that his client will be seeing out his contract until the end of 2017.

That follows from Rockliff and Petroro having had a meeting with newly appointed coach Chris Fagan and football manager David Noble.

"Tom is 100 per cent committed to where we are headed and the journey we are going to take together as a club," Noble said.

"Chris has spoken to Tom about raising the bar on his performance in the year ahead and there is a definite understanding on that.

"We're happy that Tom is staying at the club and we all look forward to better times ahead."

Despite the Brisbane Lions having publicly speculated about Tom Rockliff's future, the captain is likely to stay at the club, according to his manager Tom Petroro.

"Tom will catch up with Chris over the coming days, and unless something different comes out of that meeting than what I expect, I find it hard to see Tom move through this period," Petroro said.

"At this point, I'm pretty confident. There can be changes through the trade period (but) I doubt Tom will be going anywhere."

Lions list manager Peter Schwab says no firm decision has yet been made on Tom Rockliff's future at the club.

Schwab told Melbourne radio station SEN Rockliff's first priority was to have a discussion with newly appointed coach Chris Fagan.

"Tom knows that it may well be that a decision could be made that we part ways or there's a recommitment from both parties to keep going, because we know he's got great talent," Schwab said.

Tom Rockliff has put more pressure on his relationship with the Brisbane Lions after CEO Greg Swann described Twitter remarks made by the club's captain as "really disappointing".

Rockliff posted comments on Twitter last Sunday that allegedly objectified women before apologising in another tweet posted on Thursday.

"I'd like to apologise for my insensitive comments posted on October 2 – they showed a lack of respect for women and I'm truly sorry," he tweeted.

Swann said Rockliff's tweets were poorly timed, considering the speculation around his status at the Lions.

"We've certainly had a discussion with him that it's not on from our point of view. It's not helpful for us and it's certainly not helpful for him, especially with everything that's happening with all the discussion," Swann said.

"He's been in the limelight a bit. It just wasn't very clever."

Player agent Tom Petroro believes his client Tom Rockliff will remain at the Brisbane Lions under new coach Chris Fagan.

"Unless the current regime has a different spin on this, and something drastic happens in the next couple of weeks, I can't see Tom moving," Petroro said.

"There's probably been time where he's considered that (leaving), but if you know Tom well, and you know how loyal he is, there's Lions in his blood."

Brisbane best and fairest winner Dayne Zorko says Tom Rockliff is the right man to captain the Lions moving forward.

"Tom just hits blokes between the eyes, and I understand there's a generation where that's past a bit where you can no longer hit players between the eyes, but I absolutely love the way he leads," Zorko said.

"The passion that he has for the club and the care he has for the players really is first class.

"That's something I relish when I take the field with Tom. I feel a stronger person when Tom's in charge of our side."

Tom Rockliff appears certain to stay with Brisbane in 2017, with his manager declaring he was 99 per cent sure the skipper would not move.

"I'm really confident he will be (at the Lions next season). I'd be 99 per cent (sure he'll stay)," Rockliff's manager Tom Petroro said.

"Tom is preparing to be at the Brisbane Lions, he's working through his program he's been given by them (and) we're not going to talk to any other clubs."

Brisbane Lions captain Tom Rockliff admits the players feel some responsibility for coach Justin Leppitsch's sacking.

"The players are the ones out there performing and trying to perform the game-plan, and unfortunately we weren't able to do that this season to the level that needed to get done," Rockliff said.

"You absolutely take a little bit of responsibility for it."

Retiring Lions defender Daniel Merrett can't see Tom Rockliff leaving the club at the end of the season and has praised the Brisbane skipper for his efforts in a trying 2016 season.

"Tom has been unbelievable. He has been under the pump a heap this year and I've admired the way he has toughed it out and I can't see him leaving," Merrett told SEN radio.

"One of the most stable things you can do is hang around, and your captain has to be strong and see it out."

Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff says the Lions failed as a club when they let five first-round draft picks go at the end of 2013.

Jared Polec (Port Adelaide), Elliot Yeo (West Coast), Patrick Karnezis (Collingwood), Billy Longer (St Kilda) and Sam Docherty (Carlton) all asked to leave the club and were traded following the 2013 season.

"Obviously we lost a lot of high draft picks, which is probably our own fault looking back," Rockliff said.

"They all left for different reasons, but if you're a good organisation, a good club, you keep players like that."

Tom Rockliff voices his dissatisfaction with the Brisbane Lions' Gabba training facility, saying it isn't up to AFL standard.

"We're below ground the whole time. We don't have any sunlight in there," Rockliff said.

"We're battling a fair bit with the facility. It is always a challenge to compete at the highest level.

"If you have a good facility, I know it's not the be all and end all, I think a good culture drives that, but the facility definitely helps."

Rhys Mathieson says he can't understand the criticism Brisbane Lions skipper Tom Rockliff has received this season.

"Rocky's captain and he leads by example. We're losing so obviously he's going to cop stick but he's putting good numbers on the board every week, so I can't understand why he's copping stick," Mathieson said.

"I can't remember when he's played a bad game. They can say what they want, it's obviously not affecting him."

Tom Rockliff has flatly rejected reports he is overweight and accused the media of trying to drive a wedge between players and coach Justin Leppitsch.

Rockliff was the subject of a scathing newspaper column last week, which claimed the midfielder would not pass Carlton's strict in-season skinfold requirements and was setting a bad example for his teammates.

"To suggest I don't train hard and he mentioned about my weight, as well, when I had a DEXA scan a few weeks ago that suggests I'm in the best shape of my life," Rockliff told RSN radio station.

"I think we've got a really good footy club that operates well and unfortunately at the moment, we've lost 12 games on the trot and everyone's looking for answers.

"Externally, (the media is) trying to almost drive a wedge into our playing group and coaching staff and it is hard at times, but that's the industry we live in."

Under-fire Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch has lashed out at continued media criticism of the club and his players.

A newspaper column on Saturday took square aim at Tom Rockliff, describing him as overweight and a regular on Brisbane's social scene who sets a bad example as Lions skipper.

"Some of the crap that's written about our players, basically lies written in the press annoy me, about our boys," Leppitsch said.

"Some of our young boys don't deserve it, like Squiz (Lewis Taylor) and our captain as well, copping it for no reason – it's all rubbish.

"That kills me, but I can cop it, so bring it on. I'm big and strong enough to handle it and to be honest I don't really rate the opinions of those that are speaking, so that's the way it goes."

Tom Rockliff's manager expects the Lions skipper to stay at the club.

Responding to reports that Adelaide was seeking to lure the 26-year-old to the Crows, Stride Sports' Tom Petroro said he doubted that would happen.

"I wouldn't have thought so. He is captain of the club," Petroro told SEN.

Petroro said he expected talks regarding an extension to ramp up as the season draws to a close.

"We started those [negotiations about an extension] at the start of the year," Petroro said.

"We parked them until the end of the footy season. I assume we'll pick them up over the coming weeks."

Tom Rockliff has plays down speculation that he is planning to leave the Brisbane Lions before his contract expires in 2017.

"I'm contracted until 2017. I'm captain of the footy club and I've been here since 2009," Rockliff told RSN927 radio.

"I really enjoy it up here and I'm building a house and so on.

"I can't see myself leaving."

Contract negotiations between the Brisbane Lions and skipper Tom Rockliff have stalled as the embattled club continues to struggle to retain talent.

"We couldn't come to an agreement on numbers and years," Rockliff has told News Corp Australia.

However, Rockliff has not met with representatives from rival clubs and insists he wants to take the Lions out of the finals wilderness and into the top eight for the first time since 2009.

"I've been through the hard times and I want to see this through," he said.

"I dont think there's any uncertainty around that."

Lions captain Tom Rockliff has thrown his support behind under-siege coach Justin Leppitsch, but says it's time the Brisbane Lions stop making excuses and start performing.

"The playing group has full support behind Leppa and Leppa has full faith in the playing group," Rockliff said.

"The team has full faith in the game-plan and the way we play. The most important thing is we stay consistent.

"I think we've probably made a few too many excuses for ourselves in the past.

"The playing group is really strong and tight and we've continued to commit to each other and had honest conversations week in and week out."

Tom Rockliff will see a hamstring specialist as the Brisbane Lions skipper seeks more opinions on how to prevent his recurrent soft tissue injuries.

"He'll go through a rigorous strengthening and rehabilitation program around his hamstring," Lions football manager Matt Francis said.

"The next step is to get the best advice around and get a second opinion from a hamstring expert to determine the best course of action and program to put him through."

Tom Rockliff faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring against Port Adelaide.

The ball magnet pulled up lame after going for a ball 15 minutes into the second term at Adelaide Oval on Sunday and immediately clutched for his right hamstring.

Rockliff will undergo scans during the week but early signs point to at least a month on the sidelines.

Gold Coast enforcer Steven May says the precedent for aggression has been set after Brisbane Lion Mitch Robinson escaped sanction from the Match Review Panel.

Robinson was reported for his hit on Geelong captain Joel Selwood on Sunday but did not face charges after the MRP deemed there was "insufficient force".

May was suspended for two matches after last year's first QClash against the Lions for a high bump on Tom Rockliff, and says the Robinson verdict has set the bar for 2016.

"I saw it. I was hoping he would have got rubbed out for our sake," May said.

"I read the report and it said insufficient force, so that's the way they're going to adjudicate it. I hope it's consistent [for] the whole year.

"I've been reported in the past, but I've had to learn to control my aggression and I hope I stay out of the umpire's book, that's for sure."

Tom Rockliff is set to miss two weeks with a calf strain, sustained during Brisbane's loss to North Melbourne.

Brisbane Lions skipper Tom Rockliff will forgo the annual Captains' Day in Melbourne to concentrate on his recovery from a hamstring niggle.

Despite the injury, Rockliff says he is confident of being fit to play in round one against West Coast.

"I am pretty much match conditioned. I have done a fair chunk of the pre-season," he said.

"I have done all the contested stuff and the intra-club (game) – I'll be fine."

Vice-captain Pearce Hanley will fill in for Rockliff in Melbourne.

Dayne Beams and Daniel Merrett have been appointed vice-captains of the Brisbane Lions after the struggling club issued a virtual call to arms among its most experienced campaigners.

Ex-Magpie Beams, the joint club champion in his debut season with the Lions last year, and elder statesman Merrett join deputies Dayne Zorko, Pearce Hanley and Daniel Rich in an expanded leadership group under second-year captain Tom Rockliff.

Tom Rockliff has turned to business guru Mark Bouris in an attempt to improve his leadership.

Entering his second season as captain, Rockliff said 2015 was a huge learning curve and he wanted to leave no stone unturned in search of improvement.

"He's big on meditation, so that will be something I'll look to do in the future just to get away from footy," Rockliff said of Bouris.

"The biggest thing for me was how to make a group of people work together for one cause.

"He's all about how you work as one unit and work towards one goal and I think that's the most important thing for us."

After seven years playing alongside one another, this is the first pre-season Tom Rockliff has undergone without his great mate, Jack Redden.

"He's been here the whole time and we've come through together, so it has been a little bit different," Rockliff said.

"He lived around the corner and our dogs were best mates, so they're struggling."

Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch has no qualms whatsoever with captain Tom Rockliff's style of leadership, which was questioned during the week.

Rumours of tension within the playing group have started to bubble to the surface as the club battles to avoid the wooden spoon.

"He's an in-your-face leader, demanding more. Is that bad? Actually someone said 'Oh a bit like 'Hodgey's' in your face' and then they asked me is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Leppitsch asked.

"No, I don't really want a wallflower as a captain. I'm pretty happy to have a guy that wants to drive standards."

Brisbane Lions leaders Tom Rockliff and Dayne Zorko have denied there is a rift between the pair.

Rockliff said that he and Zorko were "close mates" following reports on The Footy Show claiming they were feuding.

Rockliff, the Lions' captain, said it was laughable.

"Leppa (coach Justin Leppitsch) tells us that it's the tough times that are the making of footy clubs," Rockliff said.

"I totally agree with that, and despite a lot of the rumours that fly around at this time of the year, be assured that we are a tight group with a common goal."

Tom Rockliff has revealed he only swallowed a couple of Panadol to help him play through the pain of broken ribs during the Lions' loss to St Kilda.

"I just tried to take the pain away as best I could – I had a couple of Panadols," Rockliff said.

"Once it cooled down, that was when I had the most pain. You really just want to continue to play so that it stays warm and you don't lose that adrenaline that you're running on.

"There was a fair bit of pain at different times, but it was something where I felt like I could get through and continue to contribute, and I think I did, in the end."

Steven May says he won't be changing his playing style after being suspended following his highly-publicised bump in round five that left Brisbane Lions skipper Tom Rockliff with concussion.

May admitted to still being confused by the ruling that put him on the sidelines, but said if the same circumstance presented themselves again, he wouldn't change his aggressive nature.

"The main thing out of the Tribunal was that I was unlucky, although unlucky doesn't come into the result," May said.

"I did make full contact with his (Rockliff's) body and clip him high, and as a player that's my responsibility and my duty of care, so you've got to cop the suspension.

"I'll definitely be mindful, but it's not going to change the way I play footy."

Tom Rockliff praises the AFL's tight testing around concussion, saying "being a hero" has no place in the modern game.

It's absolutely improved from where it used to be," Rockliff said of the testing procedures.

"You used to see blokes get carried off and come back out 10 minutes later, which you don't want to see.

"There's no strength in being a hero going back out there after a concussion, it's just not worth it any more.

"You don't want to be brain dead at 40 or 45.

"Footy is the most important thing to nearly every player on a list, but you've also got to remember it's a 10-15 year period of your life and you've still got so many years to live after that."

Rockliff says he is still recovering from the broken ribs he suffered in round one against Collingwood.

"I feel it after the game, the next two days are the worst," Rockliff said.

"I don't do a lot of training, so that's probably hard at the moment. I'm sure in the coming weeks that'll get better and I'll be able to train with the main group and get the main sessions completed."

Steven May will serve a three-match suspension after the AFL tribunal rejected his argument he had no alternative to bumping Brisbane's Tom Rockliff.

The Lions' captain was knocked out by the bump in the jaw, as he and May chased the ball close to Brisbane's goal at the weekend.

The AFL's match review panel had offered May a two-match penalty if he accepted he had done the wrong thing, but he chose to go to the tribunal to defend himself.

Tom Rockliff will have to pass concussion tests through the week to be available for Sunday's match against Carlton.

Rockliff was cleared of a broken jaw after being knocked out in the opening minutes of Saturday's loss against Gold Coast, but was concussed and is being tested extensively.

"He's away from the club today, and he'll do concussion tests during the course of the week to see how he progresses," Lions football manager Dean Warren said.

"We'll monitor him really closely – he has to pass the test before he plays."

Tom Rockliff has suffered concussion and a sore jaw in a first quarter incident involving Gold Coast defender Steven May.

In the opening minutes of Saturday's QClash, Rockliff was chasing a ball in the Lions' forward 50 when May hit him with his left shoulder.

The point of impact was difficult to determine, but Rockliff was out cold when he hit the ground.

Play was stopped while the skipper was stretchered off to undergo the concussion test – which he later failed and Rohan Bewick was subbed on.

Rockliff also reported having a sore jaw.

Tom Rockliff has suspected broken ribs after a third-quarter incident against Collingwood on Saturday night.

Rockliff crumpled to the Gabba turf in agony after Magpies recruit Travis Varcoe flew for a mark at half-forward and accidentally kneed the new skipper in the ribs.

Rockliff lay prone for the next minute and was eventually assisted from the field by Lions medical staff.

He was later taken to hospital to get scans remained there overnight.

"He doesn't go down for no reason. I knew it had to be something bad," Brisbane coach Justin Leppitsch said.

"He's a gun player, we'll miss him of course.

"It's going to test our leadership as much as anything because he's the best talker of our group, the best organiser of our group. It's going to be left to a few others to fill the void there."

As the new Brisbane captain, Tom Rockliff says he must avoid getting suspended as much as he used to.

"I can't be going around getting suspended, so you've got to watch that silly little ticky-touchwood stuff that got me in trouble last year," Rockliff said.

"You don't want to change too much, otherwise you lose focus of your own job.

"(I will) probably lead by example, and hopefully we can get a few more boys buy in and make it really hard to come to the Gabba and play against us."

Tom Rockliff takes over from Jed Adcock as captain of the Brisbane Lions.

Tom Rockliff insists there's no bad blood with North Melbourne great Brent Harvey, despite a mid-season spat that prompted an AFL investigation.

I don't think there's any bad blood at all," Rockliff said.

"It wasn't ideal circumstances what happened, but I called and apologised to him and went over it and he said he was fine and looked forward to having a beer when we catch up.

"Hopefully we get an opportunity to have a beer with the group and have a laugh with it.

"I think everyone's moved on. I've never actually met him, but I don't think it'll come up to be honest.

"It happened, we've moved on. It's in the past now."

Tom Rockliff has capped a brilliant season, taking out his second Merrett-Murray Medal as the club's best and fairest player on Friday night.

Rockliff (138 votes) won a close count from midfield livewire Dayne Zorko (134) and reigning two-time winner Joel Patfull (121).

Tom Rockliff will play in his 100th game against Collingwood at the MCG this week.

"I've always been told since I was 10 or 11 I wasn't good enough to make it," Rockliff said.

"I was too small, I'd never make it at the top level, I'd be a good country footballer back home (and nothing more). I think people putting me down has always given me an extra bit of motivation.

"You always want to prove people wrong. I got a chance with Brisbane and will be forever grateful for that opportunity.

"I'm always going to hang around and repay the faith."

After two suspensions already this season, Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch has told vice-captain Tom Rockliff to pull his head in.

Rockliff will miss Saturday night's match against West Coast after being charged with a level two striking offence on Richmond's Alex Rance last weekend.

"If you want to put your life in the hands of the Match Review Panel, good luck to you - you don't know what's going to happen," Leppitsch said.

"You've got to be able to control yourself and make sure the things you do are clearly within the rules, because anything outside that you run the risk.

"I've had a chat to him, but … he's smart enough to figure it out."

The AFL is set to speak Tom Rockliff about his heated exchange with Brent Harvey after the Lions' stirring win over the Kangaroos.

"We haven't had many wins this year and anything to get excited about. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing and the game was on the line right until the end," Rockliff said about the incident.

"A few words were exchanged, but that's footy and I think everyone makes mistakes and you learn from it and move on.

"You don't want to be a pushover all the time, so you've got to stand your ground sometimes and I think we did that in the last five minutes to hold them at bay."

Tom Rockliff has criticised North Melbourne coach Brad Scott over their on-field confrontation in the wake of Saturday night's four-point win by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in what was to be a farewell to club great Jonathan Brown.

The North Melbourne coach was seen having tense words with Rockliff on-field in the moments after the upset win.

This came on the back of a more heated exchange between the Lions' vice-captain and Kangaroo veteran Brent Harvey.

"He had his opinion on it, that's fine," Rockliff said.

"(I was) A little bit surprised. I think a different time probably to do it … when Browny was receiving his jumper I don't think it was a really good time, but that was his call."

Tom Rockliff will miss the Lions clash against Geelong at the Gabba in round 2 after accepting a one-match ban for engaging in rough conduct against Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell.

Tom Rockliff signs a new three-year with Brisbane, keeping him at the club until the end of 2017.

Tom Rockliff defends his tweet during the trade period questioning how young players can nominate the club of their choice when asking to be traded.

"I wasn't disappointed when I was outspoken about that, it was more the nominating of the clubs," Rockliff said.

"I think that's a bit concerning these days, especially when second- and third-year players do that.

"That's a League thing, not an attack on any of the boys that left."

Shinboner of the Century Glenn Archer is spearheading the push for a number of AFL footballers to raise money for Movember.

Archer, a director of Stride Management, has linked up with high-profile clients including Joel Selwood, Tom Rockliff, Nick Dal Santo, Nathan Jones, Alex Fasolo and Jackson Trengove.

So far, the Stride Mo team has raised more than $15,000 and ranks no.18 nationally.

"Getting involved in Movember as an organisation is a great cause regardless of the personal experience we have, but it does serve as a timely reminder that things like prostate cancer can happen to anyone," Archer said.

"When we proposed the concept to our athletes, there was very little hesitation about whether they would be involved. It's great our guys can use their profile in the community to push such an important message"

Tom Rockliff's manager Tom Petroro says his client will not be leaving the Lions despite media rumours.

"This time of year, there's plenty of names thrown up," Petroro said on SEN radio.

"But Tom's a contracted player and he's vice-captain of the club. I don't see anything happening there at all."

AFL umpires chief Jeff Gieschen says players are not allowed to "push, bump, block or hold in a marking or ruck contest", a statement which has bewildered Tom Rockliff.

"That's the most bizarre thing I've ever heard," Rockliff said.

"If you take away a show of strength, I'm not sure what they expect, how you're supposed to win a contest.

"Otherwise we'll just have 22 athletes running around there, and we might as well not be playing with an AFL footy, and make it non-contact."

Nathan Van Berlo accepts a reprimand and 45 demerit points after deciding not to challenge the MRP's charge for striking Brisbane's Tom Rockliff.

Nathan Van Berlo's clean record may finally be tarnished after the Crows skipper was charged with striking Lions midfielder Tom Rockliff.

"I don't know what more I could have done in that situation, I was just trying to get the ball out as we're instructed to do as players," Van Berlo said.

"I'll have a chat with the relevant people at the footy club to see if it's worth challenging that to keep my clean record. There was no intent there other than to clear the ball."

Tom Rockliff says the Lions are eagerly awaiting ruckman Matthew Leuenberger's return to football.

"The ability for him to get up and give us first use in the midfield, I think that's something we lacked last year - taking nothing away from Huddo (Ben Hudson), he was fantastic for us," Rockliff said about Leuenberger.

"Leuey is a running, athletic (ruckman, who) covers the ground well. He's pretty much a fourth midfielder for us but also gives us the ability to get our hands on the ball first."

Jed Adcock is named co-captain of the Lions and will lead the team alongside Jonathan Brown in 2013 while assisted by vice-captains Tom Rockliff and Daniel Rich.

"Jed has demonstrated outstanding leadership over his time at the Lions, and most specifically in his past four seasons as a vice-captain," Brisbane coach Michael Voss said.

"As we know, 'Browny' won't be around forever, and with Jed as co-captain, it will not only ease the load on 'Browny', but importantly they will both play a critical role in the continued development of Tom's and Daniel's leadership capabilities over the coming years.

"Jed is not only a leader on-field, he is an excellent representative of this footy club, and its culture and values."

Lion Tom Rockliff has called on the club to send more players to train at altitude next year after a successful two-week stint in Arizona.

"The way we were running when we got there to when we left was phenomenal. It's amazing to think you get so much out of a short period of time, you can squeeze it (training) in and you recover so well," he said.

"It's a good change-up and you can train so hard every day. Maybe it's the cold weather or the altitude but you definitely train harder and that's all you focus on, get in and get the session done and you don't have to worry about any outside influences."

Lions midfielder Tom Rockliff has capped a superb season by taking out the club's best and fairest award.

"I'm speechless. It doesn't sit comfortably with me sitting in that category of blokes that have won it in the past," Rockliff said.

"I still have a lot of work to do to be mentioned in the same sentence as the blokes. I don't play for individual awards, I play for the Brisbane Lions footy club, they gave me an opportunity in 2008."

Brisbane Lions pair Tom Rockliff and Jesse O'Brien have re-signed for a further two years.

"The Brisbane Lions is a great footy club with really good values and high standards, and we've got a big opportunity in the next three or four years," Rockliff said.

"The Lions have a strong positive culture and we are totally committed to success in the coming years, and I think that with our current list and staff we are absolutely on our way," O'Brien added.

Lions vice-captain Tom Rockliff is seen verbally remonstrating with teammate Brent Staker as the pair were leaving the field at halftime against Adelaide but Rockliff says the footage looked worse than it actually was.

"It was just a miscommunication at the time and everything's good. We talked about it and it's just what happens in the heat of battle," Rockliff said.

"I think it looked a lot worse than what it was. It was just a quick discussion and because it was half-time we could go back at each other so it was a bit disappointing the outsiders would have seen it as that (disharmony) but we're definitely united as a team."

Perseverance has paid off for young Brisbane Lion Tom Rockliff, the latest recipient of a Rising Star nomination.

"Once you get to the footy club, everyone's on a level playing field," Rockliff said.

"I had a lot of work to do on my fitness, but I didn't feel that I was coming from any further back than anyone else or any other first-year players. It's always going to be hard work, and it's always going to be hard work to consistently play good senior footy. It's never really easier."