Tom Hickey Biography

Tom Hickey announces his retirement, effective at the end of the 2023 season, after 13 years at the top level.

"When I first got drafted, I saw myself playing four years and trying to get one game. Here I am leaving 13 years later with almost 150 games, and hopefully a few more, under my belt," Hickey said.

"People talk about the great culture of the Swans, and every part of it rings true. This is a really special club filled with great people across all the departments. I love that I will be finishing up my career as a Swan, my family will be a Swans family for life."

Tom Hickey will be for six weeks with a medial ligament injury suffered in Sydney's defeat to the Western Bulldogs.

West Coast trade ruckman Tom Hickey to Sydney.

The Swans handed West Coast a third-round pick (currently No.58), a fourth-round pick (currently No.62), a future second-round selection (tied to Port Adelaide) and a future third-round selection for the experienced 29-year-old, a second-round pick (currently No.34) and a third-round pick (currently No.60).

"We're excited to have secured Tom from West Coast as we think he is a great addition to our ruck group and we had targeted this as a priority during this year's trade period," Gardiner said.

"Tom is a proven performer in the ruck at AFL level with a career spanning over 100 games across 10 seasons and we look forward to welcoming Tom, his wife Chloe and son Lou to Sydney."

Oscar Allen says Tom Hickey has been a great mentor to him as he adapts to life as the Eagles' back-up ruck.

"He's been an AFL ruckman for over 100 games and he has a lot of insight as to the best way to use your body," Allen said.

"He understands what other rucks want to get out of the stoppage against me and he's been really good prepping me each week and reviewing games with me as well."

Tom Hickey's mind was elsewhere during the lead-up to his first career AFL final and he couldn't have been happier.

Hickey and his wife Chloe had even more important things to worry about, as self-proclaimed "rookie" parents who had just welcomed the arrival of their son, Lou, a week prior.

"It's been real fun and a nice little distraction coming into finals. Loving every second of it. It helps you not think about footy, that's for sure," Hickey said.

"I was still nervous once I got to the game but that lead-up is a bit different, because you're trying to keep someone alive."

Tom Hickey says he must develop his forward craft to remain in the team following the return of Nic Naitanui as the team's first ruckman.

"For me to stay in the team, I need to have influence as a forward, because I can't just get by playing 70 minutes a game as his back up," Hickey said.

"It's pretty much winning or halving contests (when I'm forward) and not being a liability on defence, so being able to put pressure on.

"Throughout my career I've had stints as a forward. It's one of those things you've got to put time into."

West Coast recruit Tom Hickey believes he will be competing with Nathan Vardy for the Eagles' ruck/forward role.

"I have played thirty of my eighty games as a forward. There is real scope for me to compete with Nathan Vardy for that forward role as well," Hickey said.

"I see myself primarily as a ruckman who can go forward, but if the opportunity is there I just want to play wherever I can to get a game.

"Coming over here is a fresh start. I am really excited to get into it and learn with Vards and learn off Nic Nat, Drew Petrie (NGA coach) and the other guys in the ruck department to grow my game."

Saint Kilda trade Tom Hickey to West Coast.

The deal sees the Saints receive pick No.39 in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft from the Eagles, while also giving up pick No.60. The clubs also swapped fourth-round selections for 2019.

"I understand where (the Saints) are at. I hold absolutely no animosity," Hickey said.

"I'm so proud to have played six years for that club and I still love the club, and I love all the boys there."

West Coast's plans for the expected departure of Scott Lycett have intensified, putting contracted St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey through a medical screening.

The Saints were made aware of the Eagles' intentions and are believed to be open to Hickey exploring his options.

Scans have confirmed St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey is likely to miss the rest of the 2018 season with a left hamstring tendon injury.

Hickey was hurt in the second quarter of last St Kilda's loss to the Western Bulldogs while diving to tackle Lachie Hunter.

Tom Hickey opens up on his torrid 2017 season where he failed to re-establish himself as St Kilda's premier ruck, giving up the role to Billy Longer instead.

"I copped a couple of injuries and then just really couldn't get my form back from that," Hickey said.

"When I did string four or five good games together, Billy was playing really well in the ones. Richo (coach Alan Richardson) says he's not going to change a team that's going all right."

Tom Hickey will miss up to six weeks after suffering a medial ligament injury in his left knee while playing in the VFL.

The Saints were relived the 26-year-old wasn't sidelined for longer.

"There were initial fears that he may have damaged the ACL but scans cleared him of that," St Kilda football manager Jamie Cox said.

"Tom will begin his rehab immediately and is likely to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks as he recovers from a medial strain."

Tom Hickey resists the lure of returning to Queensland after signing a two-year contract extension with St Kilda to remain at the club until the end of 2019.

"We're a young group and we're on the improve. I love this club and want to stay here and help us get success," Hickey said.

"I've been here since we were at the bottom and I'm loving the rise that we're having and hopefully it can continue.

"Mum wanted me to come home pretty bad, but I'm pretty well settled down here, I've got my girlfriend down here and I've been down here for five years now and got I really good group of mates."

St Kilda says it is committed to retaining ruckman Billy Longer despite the 23-year-old falling behind Tom Hickey in the pecking order.

"We're not looking to trade Billy, we signed him for two years earlier this year," Saints chief operating officer Ameet Bains said.

"He was outstanding in 2015 … (but) had a pretty disjointed season this year and Tom Hickey had a breakout year and emerged like Billy did the previous year.

"We're in a really fortunate position where we've got ruckmen who are at similar parts of their career that are quite competitive against each other.

"That's driving the guys in a really productive way."

Tom Hickey has credited his first injury-free pre-season in several years for a monster performance against Port Adelaide that has set him up for a breakout 2016.

The ruckman was a dominant aerial presence at stoppages in the Saints' 33-point loss to the Power at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, finishing with 56 hitouts.

But he also racked up midfield-like statistics around the ground, finishing with 20 disposals and playing his best game for the club in the opinion of Saints coach Alan Richardson.

"My game tends to be a running sort of game, I'm not the biggest framed ruckman and I was lucky enough today to get a bit of the ball," Hickey said.

"I think the boys are starting to trust me a bit more with giving me the handball and stuff like that. I didn't get as many marks as I would have liked but I was pretty pleased with my follow-up work."

Tom Hickey will remain a Saint until at least the end of 2017 after signing a new two-year deal with the club.

"He hasn't had the opportunities he would like, but Hickey's one of those guys who's still learning his craft, he's improving all the time," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said.

Tom Hickey has travelled to London in search of a solution to the knee tendinitis that he was forced to play through in 2014.

The former Gold Coast big man will visit leading surgeon Hakan Alfredson, one of the world's foremost patella tendon specialists, but a decision is yet to be made as to whether he will undergo surgery.

"We did seek some opinions here, which were really helpful, but we've chosen to go over there for surgery with one of the people we deem is the world's leading expert," St Kilad physio Andrew Wallis said.

"He will see a specialist on Monday and, if it is appropriate, he will have surgery."

Tom Hickey is out for the season and is likely to have surgery to deal with knee tendinitis.

"You're always a little flat when you find out your year is over, (but) it gives me an opportunity to really attack the 2015 pre-season," Hickey said.

"I didn't want to try to sneak two games in at the end of this year in case I jeopardised next year.

"It's been an ongoing issue for a couple of years and I've just managed it.

"This year it's just gotten worse so I could probably play on but I haven't been able to jump or run very well lately."

Tom Hickey may miss up to 10 weeks after developing a hot spot in his foot after the Saints' Anzac Day loss to the Brisbane Lions in Wellington.

"Billy is one of those guys who is going to need games and we've often seen when ruckmen get the opportunity through injury or retirement that they step up," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said.

"Billy's going to have that now for a fairly long time unfortunately – Tommy's going to be out of it for about 8-10 weeks with his foot."

Saints Jarryn Geary and Tom Hickey are both set for extended periods on the sideline with injury.

Geary is reported to have ruptured a tendon in his right elbow in the second quarter against the Hawks and is expected to miss up to 12 weeks, while Hickey, who was ruled out during the week, had a hot spot in his foot that is expected to sideline him for up to 10 weeks.

The prospect of holding down St Kilda's No.1 ruck position this season is what has driven Tom Hickey through the summer months.

"It's been a really big driving factor because I know if I do everything right, I could play 22 games and I've never done that before," Hickey said.

"I'd love to have that opportunity to try and come up for the whole year."

Gold Coast ruckman Tom Hickey has joined St Kilda in exchange for a first-round draft pick.

"We are extremely pleased to have acquired Tom. At only 21 years of age, we feel Tom still has significant football development ahead of him," St Kilda's head of football Chris Pelchen said.

Gold Coast's pre-season has started but Tom Hickey and Joshua Toy have a week off as their futures are being decided.

Tom Hickey makes his AFL debut for Gold Coast with 14 disposals (5 kicks and 9 handballs), a mark, 2 tackles, 6 hitouts and a goal in a 61-point loss to Adelaide.