Tom Doedee Biography

Tom Doedee's AFL comeback is cruelly denied after the Brisbane Lions recruit tore his anterior cruciate ligament for a third time ahead of his side's grand final rematch with Collingwood.

The 27-year-old's knee will now possibly require surgery after an "innocuous" incident in the final moments of Tuesday's training session.

"It's incredibly heartbreaking for Tom, and everyone at the club is really feeling for him," Lions football boss Danny Daly said.

"Sport can produce some of the most amazing moments, but in cases like this it can also be extremely cruel.

"Tom is a fantastic person who has already become a highly popular member of our club, and everyone was excited to see him so close to making his comeback."

Tom Doedee officially joins Brisbane as a restricted free agent after eight seasons with the Crows, with Adelaide receiving an end-of-round-one pick as compensation.

The 26-year-old is currently recovering from a serious knee injury, but Brisbane recruiting boss Dom Ambrogio told Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio that Doedee's history of professionalism in recovering from injury allayed any worries the club might have had about his second knee reconstruction.

"It was a consideration but we really back in the fact that we've got a fantastic medical and high performance team. We're really proud of them and the work they've done over the years," Ambrogio said.

"We think that they can help Tom get right. Tom's an absolute professional and he's got a track record of rehabbing from injuries really well."

Tom Doedee chooses to exercise his rights as a free agent, nominating Brisbane as his club of choice.

Doedee is a restricted free agent, meaning the Crows have the option to match an offer for him when the Free Agency window opens.

Tom Doedee will miss the rest of the 2023 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Crows' match against Gold Coast in Darwin.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says the rest of the leadership group will share captaincy duties following skipper Rory Sloane's ACL injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season. The group includes Brodie Smith, Ben Keays, Reilly O'Brien and Tom Doedee.

"There's four guys there who are outstanding leaders in their own right and they will work through the rest of the year and make sure we have that leadership on-field," Nicks said.

Adelaide adds two new faces to its leadership group for 2022, namely Ben Keays and Reilly O'Brien. The two will serve under fourth-year skipper Rory Sloane along with Tom Doedee and Brodie Smith.

Matt Crouch will no longer be part of the group in 2022 following an injury-riddled 2021 in which he was unable to add to his 125-game career.

"We are blessed at this footy club to have a number of leaders within our playing group and the addition of both Reilly and Ben to the leadership group reflects the growth of our young team and the exciting direction we are heading," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

Adelaide announces an unchanged leadership group for 2021 with Rory Sloane remaining as skipper for 2021.

Sloane will be supported again by Tom Doedee, Tom Lynch, Brodie Smith and Matt Crouch.

"Rory typifies what we are about - selflessness, team-first, he is ruthlessly competitive and all about performing at the highest level and making others around him better," Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said.

"The fact that there have been no changes to the leadership group for 2021 reinforces our belief that the five players did an outstanding job in what was a very challenging year in 2020."

Tom Doedee is in doubt for round one after sustaining a groin injury at training.

"Tom has irritated the right groin which had been holding him back for the past fortnight. He will be assessed during the week, after which we will have a clearer picture regarding his return to play date," Adelaide footy boss Adam Kelly said.

Tom Doedee says the Crows are taking a cautious approach towards managing his injuries as he prepares for round 1 of 2021.

"It's feeling pretty well 100 per cent. It's more just cautionary stuff at this stage so they're taking me out of a few of the conditioning and shorter sharper stuff that the hammy might not like, and a couple of little things popping up here and there," he said.

"Considering the injury history I've had the last couple of years it's been about looking after me now so I don't have to worry about it during the season."

Doedee comes out of contract at the end of the 2021 season but says he has no intention to leave Adelaide.

"I want to be at Adelaide, it's as simple as that. It's just a case of figuring out all the details and that's between management and the Crows," he said.

Tom Doedee is ruled out for the rest of the 2020 season after suffering another hamstring injury during the Crows' clash against Collingwood.

"This is a new injury to the hamstring that provided the graft for his anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction last year and it will require six to eight weeks of rehabilitation," the Crows' head of science and medicine Steve Saunders said.

Tom Doedee says he is ready to resume playing in the seniors after fully recovering from a torn ACL.

"I have zero apprehension about my knee. I had a run around today (and) all is feeling good. I am good to go," he said.

"It feels like forever since I've played a game of footy. Thankfully, everything that happened before round one is now behind me."

Tom Doedee is ruled out of the Marsh Community Series with bone bruising and is unlikely to be available for the Crows 2020 season opener.

Doedee hyperextended his left knee when he landed awkwardly after an aerial contest at training, the same knee that Doedee ruptured his ACL in last season's round one loss to Hawthorn.

"Tom's ACL is unaffected, which is pleasing. There is some minor bone bruising evident on MRI, which is a setback," Crows head of football Adam Kelly said.

"We will need to take into account our upcoming playing schedule, including SANFL trial games, with a view to him returning in the early rounds of the season."

Brodie Smith and Tom Doedee, Adelaide's two new leaders for 2020, have both shared the experience of suffering torn ACLs.

Smith used his enforced stint on the sidelines in 2018 to become a better leader.

"I don't like to take too much too seriously, so I'll try and bring some enjoyment to it, but there's going to be times when we're going to have to knuckle down," Smith said.

"I'll just try and be myself. If I can help guys along the way and make people better and have fun, I'll try my best to do that."

Doedee used his time out to mentor the club's young defenders in the Crows' SANFL team last year.

"I learnt a lot from 'Smithers' about how to go about it and still be part of the team. Especially early days, you're sitting on the couch thinking what's to come in the coming few months," Doedee said.

"He's given me advice that helped me get through those early stages and a bit of a light to look to and realise where my next steps are and how I'm going to get back playing as quick as I can."

Rory Sloane will be Adelaide's sole captain in 2020, after sharing co-captain duties in 2019 with Taylor Walker who has stepped down as a leader in 2020.

Sloane will be supported by Matt Crouch, Tom Lynch as well as new faces in Brodie Smith and Tom Doedee.

"Rory typifies the qualities and attributes that every club wants in its leaders and he was a standout choice as captain, and I am confident we have the right mix of players assisting him," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

"They have a positive influence on others and genuinely care for their teammates, as well as coaches and staff across the organisation, and set elite standards in the way they prepare and carry themselves both on and off the field."

Tom Doedee is on track to line up for the Crows in round one of 2020 in his long-awaited return from a knee reconstruction.

Doedee is making positive strides having rejoined the main group during the start of pre-season.

"The plan is to continue to build on what I've been doing before the Christmas break and slowly integrate some contact," Doedee said.

"After Christmas, it's about building up to the pre-season games. Hopefully I get through one or two of the Marsh Community Series games and round one's the goal."

Tom Doedee is ruled out for the rest of the 2019 season after suffering an ACL injury against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval.

"(He's a) guy who had an outstanding season last year and we feel for him and we'll get around him as footy clubs do; look after our own," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

"We start the season with high hopes and we lose a player of Tom's ability, and a great player that people love watching play, but we'll have to find someone to replace him."

Tom Doedee signs a two-year contract extension with Adelaide to remain at the club until the end of 2021.

"I'm absolutely rapt to sign on for another two years," Doedee said.

"I love this club, and everyone – my teammates, coaches and staff – have really made me and my family feel a part of the footy club since day one."

Jaidyn Stephenson becomes the first Collingwood player to claim the NAB AFL Rising Star award.

Stephenson polled 52 votes to take home the Ron Evans Medal from Adelaide's Tom Doedee (42 votes) and Brisbane's Alex Witherden (32 votes).

Stephenson kicked 34 goals for the season – 11 more than the next-highest return for a player eligible for the award.

Tom Doedee's versatility as Adelaide's Mr Fix-It gives him the edge in the NAB AFL Rising Star award, according to his Crows teammate and fellow defender Rory Laird.

"It's such an important role he plays for us and he's done it consistently for the full year," Laird said.

"It's not just the talls he's playing on – he takes smalls, he takes big-sized midfielders that come down there and rest, he plays higher up the ground, he plays deep.

"He's a Mr Fix-it kind of thing and the flexibility he has is unreal."

Tom Doedee is in doubt for this week's clash between the Crows and Melbourne after being concussed against Brisbane at the Gabba.

Crows defensive coach Ben Hart says Tom Doedee has become a valuable member of Adelaide's defence.

"He's really good at staying in the moment and what needs to be done against his opponent," Hart said.

"He's got a bit of speed about the way he plays, and he's pretty good on the ground.

"People probably notice his marking a bit, but we're comfortable for him to play on a number of different-sized players."

Crows key defender Daniel Talia says the good form of Tom Doedee has alleviated any impact on the team's performance stemming from the departure of Jake Lever.

"Tom has been great these first four or five weeks and has fitted in and I think he’s done better than Lever," Talia said.

"He's affecting everything back there, fitting in the role and really dominating. We're not feeling the loss of Jake at the moment."

Tom Doedee earns the 2018 round 2 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination after collecting 25 disposals and 11 intercept possessions with a 96% disposal efficiency in the Crows' victory over Richmond.

Doedee has had to bide his time since being drafted in 2015 by the Crows, having to wait till 2018 to make his AFL debut.

“I’ve probably been thinking about this since I got to the Club and it’s finally happened," he said on social media.

Tom Doedee makes his AFL debut for Adelaide at Docklands Stadium with 21 disposals (7 kicks and 14 handballs), 7 marks and 2 tackles in a 12-point loss to Essendon.

Adelaide will give untried trio Tom Doedee, Darcy Fogarty and Lachlan Murphy every chance to push their claims for a round one debut.

All three will line up as part of a strong 25-player Crows squad for Saturday's JLT Community Series encounter with Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.

"We saw Lachie Murphy a couple weeks ago against Fremantle, he played an important role for us forward, he was able to pressure and hit the scoreboard," Adelaide assistant coach Josh Francou said.

"Tom Doedee has impressed me and no doubt the other coaching staff, especially Ben Hart, who looks after the backs.

"Fogarty is one of those guys I'd expect would make an immediate impact when he plays, and I'm looking forward to what he can produce tomorrow."

Crows defender Jake Kelly says Tom Doedee has the tools to fill the void left at the club by Jake Lever who left to join the Demons.

"Tom Doedee is a really special player," Kelly said.

"He's really good at being the third-man in and intercept marking, so he can definitely be one to replace Jake."

Tom Doedee signs a new deal with the Crows that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

Adelaide pulls off the biggest shock of the first round in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft when they select relatively unknown defender Tom Doedee with pick No.17.

Doedee sat out the Falcons' 2014 pre-season to concentrate on his basketball career – hoping for a possible scholarship in the US.

The club told the then 17-year-old to chase his dream, but that he was welcome back if it didn't go to plan.

He returned for the 2015 pre-season, although a leg injury restricted his training until last Christmas.

According to Geelong Falcons talent manager Mick Turner, the Crows have secured the best one-on-one defender at this year's TAC Cup.

"A lot of people who follow the TAC Cup reckon he's the best one-on-one defender in the TAC Cup," Turner said.

"The upside to him is he hasn't been in football for long, he's very athletic and he's got a lot of scope for development."