Alex Fasolo Biography

Ales Fasolo announces his retirement from AFL football.

"I am content with my decision to leave the game having played nine years at the highest level," Fasolo said in a statement.

"I want to thank Carlton for giving me the opportunity to continue my career for an additional year and also say thank you to Collingwood for giving me my start and the initial chance to live out my dream."

A remorseful Alex Fasolo has made the effort to contact the family members of Carlton's football department to apologise for an alcohol-fuelled incident that saw him break his arm in a fall.

Fasolo fell at an Australia Day party last month, putting his chances of making his club debut in round one in jeopardy after it was revealed he would miss up to two months due to the injury.

Carlton coach Brendon Bolton's wife, Louisa, as well as the family of football boss Brad Lloyd, were part of a number of people Fasolo called to offer his apology after undergoing surgery.

"What it told me about Fas is that he's very remorseful and embarrassed by it, but more importantly he thought about others," Bolton said.

"That's a key message for us. We're here to consider others more than self. It's very easy in the AFL not to do that, but that's one thing I've liked about Fas."

Alex Fasolo fractures his arm in an off-field incident, prompting an investigation by Blues officials.

Now set to miss the start of the season, former Magpie Fasolo is believed to have sustained the break in a fall while celebrating Australia Day.

The 26-year-old forward went under the knife at the Epworth Hospital on Sunday night to repair the damage.

Carlton has added Alex Fasolo to its forward line as an unrestricted free agent.

The Magpies will receive a third-round compensation pick (currently No.57) immediately after their third-round pick.

Alex Fasolo is expected to miss almost two months with the syndesmosis ankle injury he sustained in Collingwood's win over St Kilda.

It caps off a disappointing few months for Fasolo after he fought his way back into the AFL side following a pre-season shoulder injury.

Alex Fasolo's comeback lasts less than half a game.

Fasolo's right ankle twisted under him in a tackle during the second quarter of Collingwood's match against St Kilda and he went straight to the rooms for treatment before he was ruled out at half-time.

"Clearly, getting his opportunity and then getting injured in the game, he's a bit dirty," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.

"He's got plenty of emotions going on, but we'll get around him. It's pretty early in the year, so we'll give him plenty of time."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has defended the club’s medical processes despite having three key players racing against time to be fit for the start of the 2018 season.

Jamie Elliott (ankle) and Levi Greenwood (knee) had delayed surgery after injuries dating back to last season, while Alex Fasolo suffered a shoulder injury at the start of pre-season.

In each case the Pies initially went down the rest and recuperation path before eventually opting for surgery.

"You can be aggressive with surgical intervention, but it’s for the doctors and physios to decide what the right course of action is," Buckley said.

Alex Fasolo could be in doubt for the Magpies' JLT Community Series opener on March 1 as he prepares to undergo surgery for his injured shoulder which has not responded to treatment.

"Alex has had a history of some shoulder issues and the impact at training was enough to set him back sufficiently," Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said.

"It was going to be an in-and-out job for two or three times in the year, so it was thought by our medical team best to bite the bullet (and book him for surgery)."

West Coast express their interest in Collingwood forward and Western Australian Alex Fasolo.

"Alex is a really good player. He obviously plays forward and that's an area we're looking to improve," Eagles football manager Craig Vozzo told 6PR.

"I think he's a contracted player, though, but if he was someone who became available we'd definitely need to consider it seriously."

Alex Fasolo opens up on his battle with depression.

"I'd wake up every morning, I'd set my alarm and I'd go, 'Oh, no'," Fasolo wrote on website playersvoice.com.au.

"I'd sit in my car and cry for about 20 minutes. Then I'd get up the courage and I'd drive into the club and I'd get to the car park, and then I'd sit in the car and cry for another 20 minutes.

"Then I'd walk into the club, look at the doors and just go, 'Yep!' – put on this big front.

"With my personality, I've always been the life of the party, I've always been the bloke that's created energy, and I kept feeling that I had to keep living up to that.

"I'd walk out of the club, get into my car and then just cry all the way home and just fall in a heap. This probably went on for a few months.

"After the Brisbane game (in round 10), I just went into the rooms and basically had a full panic attack and was almost hyperventilating just sitting there, for absolutely no apparent reason.

"That's when I thought, 'Something needs to be done here', and then we sat down and went through a bit of a game-plan. And ever since then I've had weekly therapy, and I've been on medication, and it's really helping."

Alex Fasolo has revealed that he has been battling mental health issues for years.

"It's probably something I've been battling for years and probably the last 12 months it all came to a head," Fasolo told Melbourne radio station Triple M.

"I probably had to put my hand up and say, 'Something is not right here', and now I'm dealing with it.

"It's something I'm still learning a lot about myself to be honest, and I'm getting better, getting the treatment I need."

Fasolo thanked his Collingwood teammates and coach Nathan Buckley for their support.

"Maybe two, maybe three years I walk into the club each day and put on this big front and it was becoming too much to suppress," he said.

"I had a few blokes fooled. I think a few blokes close to me knew something was going on, but I'm bloody lucky to have some really good mates at the club who were really supportive."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley praises Alex Fasolo for being brave enough to seek help for depression.

"It has been courageous for him to put his hand up and say, 'I don't know if I can handle this on my own', and I think it is a good example for many," Buckley said.

"He is actually standing up for himself. He is actually saying, 'I need support here, I need assistance'."

Alex Fasolo is suffering depression and will take a short break from the game to manage his health.

"Alex Fasolo will take what is expected to be a short break from playing as he manages the challenge of depression," Collingwood said in a statement.

"He will continue to train and prepare for football with the expectation of a swift return to playing.

"It is requested that Fasolo’s privacy be respected. The club will be making no further comment."

Alex Fasolo is awaiting the results of scans with concerns he may have suffered a crack in the humerus bone in the Magpies' loss to the Western Bulldogs.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure what is wrong with it but I have just had some scans and touched base with the doc," Fasolo said.

"I think it is my humerus."

Alex Fasolo has been rewarded for his improved consistency, signing a two-year contract extension with the Magpies.

In his sixth season with the Magpies, Fasolo said he wanted to narrow the gap between his best and worst.

“I’ve made a conscious effort this year to play more consistent footy,” Fasolo said.

“I’ve had some good games this year and have made sure that my not-so-good games haven’t been as bad.

“I’ve got a good understanding of the game plan and I’m getting on the end of a few and really enjoying it.”

In a career-best performance, Alex Fasolo kicks six goals against Richmond, including two crucial majors in the dying minutes of the game which contributed to a one-point win to the Magpies.

"The growth in 'Fas' personally, has seen the growth in his footy," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said after the win.

"He adjusted his attitude a little bit towards footy, and where he fits at the footy club, and it's just brought him to another level. It's good to see him get the rewards tonight.

"He's a better teammate than he's been before. He's more invested in what's going on around him than he has before and that's a significant shift.

"All credit to him because it takes courage to do that and he's given himself a chance to find out where he can go with his footy career, let alone changing his perspective on the rest of his life."

Alex Fasolo is given a "formal warning" by the AFL for urinating into a cup on the interchange bench at Simonds Stadium.

The League issued a statement on Wednesday night saying it had accepted Fasolo's version of events that he believed there was "no option" for him given there was a construction site behind the interchange bench.

"It was the AFL's position that, in any future occurrence, visiting players should use the nearby Geelong VFL rooms in the Ford Stand and while a warning was sufficient, any repeat conduct would be subject to a sanction," the statement said.

Earlier, Fasolo had called the investigation a "nothing event".

"It's a little bit of a storm in a pee cup you might say. It's a bit of a nothing event, but the AFL was seen to make sure they did something about it," Fasolo told Fox Sports.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says the club has no issue with Alex Fasolo after cameras appeared to capture vision of Fasolo urinating into a cup on the interchange bench in the second quarter of the Magpies' NAB Challenge clash with Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

"I spoke to him straight after the game. My comment was if there were rooms behind us or if there was a stand behind us then we would hold him to account internally," Buckley said.

"But he took every precaution and we're making assumptions about what happened under that towel.

"What happened was reasonable in the circumstances. But if we had an issue (with Fasolo's actions) you'd know about it."

The AFL is investigating an incident involving Collingwood's Alex Fasolo in Collingwood's NAB Challenge clash with Geelong.

The broadcaster's cameras appeared to capture vision of Fasolo urinating into a cup on the interchange bench in the second quarter of the match.

The Magpies' change rooms are located on the other side of the ground to the bench, meaning Fasolo would have had to have walked around the playing arena to use the toilet.

Even with the renovations being conducted at Simonds Stadium, only Geelong's home rooms are located on the same side of the ground as the interchange bench.

However, the away team has access to Geelong's VFL rooms, which are located in the left forward pocket at the city end of the ground.

Even with the ongoing redevelopment, those facilities were available if needed. But it's believed Collingwood was unaware if it was able to use those rooms or not.

Based on the available vision Fasolo also appeared to do everything possible to be discreet, using a towel to cover himself up.

Alex Fasolo says he is learning to appreciate the efforts of his teammates as he matures into a regular senior player for Collingwood in 2015.

"Bucks (coach Nathan Buckley) and I have had some long conversations about the whole concept of giving to my teammates and staying in the moment," Fasolo said.

"That's benefitted my game a great deal and I've enjoyed my footy even more this year."

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley admitted on Tuesday that the Collingwood match committee had erred on two or three occasions in the past two seasons by selecting Fasolo before his form demanded inclusion.

He conceded that Fasolo would be selected only if he showed good form on a consistent basis rather than on his obvious potential.

"What Alex needs to do is have some stability and some consistency in his preparation," Buckley said.

"That, for us, is another couple of weeks in the VFL [to] re-establish his fitness base, showing really good form there to earn his next selection."

Alex Fasolo will miss 2 to 3 weeks after having surgery to remove a screw in his foot.

"Alex been getting a bit of foot soreness for the past 4-5 weeks and it has been generated by one of the screws in his foot from his navicular operation, so that will be removed today," Collingwood's director of football Rodney Eade said.

"He has got three screws in there, so the surgeon is really confident that it won't impact on his foot."

Nick Maxwell is seen to have some stern words with Alex Fasolo during the Magpies' clash against West Coast, a act condoned by Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.

"There is no time to sit down and have a cup of tea [and say] 'How are you going? How's your mum? How's dad?'" Buckley said.

"When you're in the middle of the MCG there is no [time to say] 'Could you pretty please with sugar on top go and stand five metres to your left.'

"It's 'You've got to get this done. You know where you're supposed to be, this is where you need to go'."

Alex Fasolo admits he was "scared" he had re-aggravated the navicular bone in his right foot on Anzac Day, an injury that wrecked almost his entire 2013 season.

Scans cleared Fasolo of any serious damage after he was substituted out of the game against Essendon, with the Magpie defender missing just two senior games with an inflamed foot.

"Anyone who has had navicular issues is a bit scared if they feel anything in their foot, so initially I thought that might be the case," Fasolo said.

"But I was lucky enough to get some scans and it was just a bit of joint inflammation."

Alex Fasolo has signed a new two-year deal with Collingwood that will keep him at the club until the end of 2016.

"It's really exciting. I love Collingwood and I'm forever grateful for the opportunity they've given to me," Fasolo said.

"There was obviously always that little carrot of going back to Perth, where I'm originally from, but as long as I get to play in front of 70-80,000 every week and I'm really enjoying the friendships I've made in Melbourne, there's no reason to go back there."

Alex Fasolo is in line to make his long anticipated return to senior football at Wangaratta on Saturday when the Magpies play Richmond in the NAB Challenge.

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"

Alex Fasolo says he is recovering well from a foot injury and is confident of returning to full fitness for 2014.

"[The foot] is absolutely terrific. I just started running in the last couple of weeks so I'm hoping to fly into 2014, day one of pre-season," Fasolo said.

"I'll be back normal time, [when] one to four years [players start training], early November.

"I'd like to think I'll be around for round one of the NAB Cup but that's honestly not one of my goals - round one [of the home-and-away season] would have to be my goal."

Alex Fasolo may miss most, if not all, of the season after scans reveal a fracture in his navicular bone.

"(It's) disappointing for Fas and disappointing for us. He had an issue with that foot over the pre-season and (we) put it in a boot, got him back up to speed but he landed awkwardly on it on Monday," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.

"Obviously it's going to be an extended period out, which is not ideal."

Alex Fasolo accepts a one-match ban after pleading guilty to rough conduct during the Magpies' VFL clash against Williamstown.

Fasolo will now miss two weeks of football due to the VFL's representative match against the WAFL this Saturday, meaning he will serve his suspension the following week.

Alex Fasolo says the pain of being part of the Magpies' losing grand final in 2011 continues to drive him.

"it's not until you're actually out there that you realise how painful it is," Fasolo said.

"People probably looked at me and thought, 'Oh, it's his first year, he's probably just stoked to be out there', but seeing the heartbreak on the faces of guys who really know you don't play in a Grand Final every year and to lose it, it was horrible."

All Australian defender Ben Reid and forward Alex Fasolo sign two-year deals with the Pies.

A fan eluded MCG security to give Collingwood forward Alex Fasolo an Anzac Day hug.

"We believe that during Collingwood's post-game interaction with its cheer squad, a patron has jumped the fence, hugged a player and quickly jumped back into the seating bowl before much action could be taken," MCG spokesman Shane Brown said.

"Obviously, we don't condone patrons entering the playing arena and penalties can be imposed on those who are caught doing so.

"Although this was a brief encounter, it is a reminder to our security team to be constantly vigilant in this area."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has awarded small forward Alex Fasolo the No. 1 jumper for 2012.

Fasolo will have to relinquish his current No. 35 jumper to new draftee Jamie Elliot in keeping with the Magpies' tradition of giving that jumper to the club's first round draftee.

"Bucks wants me to have No.1, so hopefully I'll carry that well and I'm happy to be wearing it," Fasolo told the Herald Sun.

"I would have loved to have kept 35, but I guess we couldn't break tradition. That's all right, I'm sure Jamie Elliott will carry it well."

Alex Fasolo is the 2011 Round 22 NAB Rising Star and says he is loving life as an AFL footballer.

"I'm really enjoying being part of the 22 at the moment and really just trying to cement my spot. It's a great bunch of blokes and a great coaching staff - I'm having fun.,'' he said.

"I'm under no illusion about where I'm at. I'm really enjoying being part of the team at the moment, but there's a lot of good players to come back into the team so I'm just trying to play my best footy."

Alex Fasolo makes his AFL debut for Collingwood at the MCG with 15 disposals (6 kicks and 9 handballs), a mark, 2 tackles and a goal in an 88-point win over Melbourne.