Leo Lombard
| Leo Lombard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Leonardo Lombard | ||
| Date of birth | 5 October 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Gold Coast, Queensland | ||
| Original team(s) | Broadbeach (QAFL) / Gold Coast Suns Academy (Talent League) / Burleigh Bombers (QFA) | ||
| Draft | No. 9, 2024 AFL draft | ||
| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward/Midfielder | ||
| Career highlights | |||
Leo Lombard is a professional Australian rules footballer who was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick 9 in the 2024 AFL draft.[1]
Early life
[edit]Lombard was born on the Gold Coast into a family with a Cuban father and an Australian mother. He attended Varsity College throughout his upbringing and took part in their ASPIRE AFL excellence program with future Suns teammate Jake Rogers.[2] Lombard's father, Héctor, is a professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship[3] and a formerly competed as an Olympic judoka who represented Cuba at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. His father introduced him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at six years of age[4] and Lombard was considered a promising prospect years later when he claimed a gold medal at the Pan Pacific Championships in 2017 and was crowned the under-12 BJJ Australian Open champion in 2018.[5] He also began playing Australian rules football at eight years of age for the Burleigh Bombers and excelled as a junior footballer, which was rewarded with an invitation to join the Gold Coast Suns Academy at 12 years of age.[6]
Lombard later admitted he only played football "for fun" on the side and was focused on pursuing a career in mixed martial arts, until the greater levels of development opportunities provided by the Suns Academy convinced him to quit Brazilian jiu-jitsu and chase a career in the AFL.[7] Lombard progressed his way through the Gold Coast Suns Academy junior grades earning representative honours along the way such as being selected in the 2022 U16 All-Australian team.[8] In 2023, he was selected to represent the victorious Allies team as a bottom ager in the U18 National Championships alongside future AFL teammates Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Will Graham.[9] Lombard capped off his 2023 season by taking part in the Gold Coast's VFL grand final winning side at 16 years of age.[10] He returned to the U18 National Championships a year later and was awarded the Larke Medal as the best performed Division I player in the country as well as selection in the starting U18 All-Australian team.[11]
AFL career
[edit]Lombard was drafted to his hometown AFL club, the Gold Coast Suns, when they decided to match a pick 9 bid from St Kilda at the 2024 AFL draft.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Lombard joins the SUNS". Gold Coast Suns. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "Our Senior ASPIRE AFL Players Kicking Goals". Varsity Life. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ "UFC Profiles - Hector Lombard". UFC.com. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ "Leo vs A 6'3 Foot Gigantic kid and 6 years older than him!". Gold Coast Suns. 2024-11-22. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "BJJ Spring Australian Open 2018". BJJAO Smoothcamp. 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "Gold Coast Suns draftee Leo Lombard drops profanity live on TV moments after being picked". Wide World of Sports. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "Inside Leo Lombard's Gold Coast Suns rise". Code Sports. 2024-11-19. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ "2022 NAB AFL National Development Championships U16 Boys All-Australian Team". AFL.com.au. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
- ^ "Academy prospects make Allies history". goldcoastfc.com.au. 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
- ^ "SUNS make history with first premiership". goldcoastfc.com.au. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- ^ "Allies gun, Vic Country mid tie for Larke Medal". AFL.com.au. 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Smith, Martin (2024-11-21). "AFL draft gets X-rated with Gold Coast player Leo Lombard forgetting his place". 7News. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
External links
[edit]- Leo Lombard's profile on the official website of the Gold Coast Football Club