Thomas Bell (born 13 June 1991)[1] is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL).
| Tom Bell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Bell in April 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Thomas Bell | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Brisbane, Queensland | ||
| Original team(s) | Morningside (NEAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 14, 2012 AFL rookie draft | ||
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 98 kg (216 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Half-forward / Midfield | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2012–2015 | Carlton | 51 (36) | |
| 2016–2018 | Brisbane Lions | 21 (20) | |
| Total | 72 (56) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2018. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life edit
Born and raised in Brisbane, Bell played soccer as a youth before being introduced to Australian rules football at age 12. He attended Iona College in Brisbane throughout his schooling and graduated with future AFL players Tom Hickey and Josh Thomas in 2008. He joined the NEAFL's Morningside Australian Football Club in 2010,[2] and was a regular senior player by 2011; in that season, he played twenty games for the club,[3] and made his name as a wing/halfback player.[4]
While playing in the NEAFL, Bell was selected in the Queensland Under-21 team, and also played a handful of games for the Brisbane Lions reserves. Outside of football, he undertook an apprenticeship as a refrigeration mechanic.[2]
AFL career edit
Following the 2011 season, and at the age of 20, Bell was recruited to the AFL as a rookie by the Carlton Football Club with its first round selection in the 2012 Rookie Draft (pick No. 14 overall).[4] He played most of his first season for Carlton's VFL-affiliate, the Northern Blues, and he made his senior debut for Carlton in Round 17.[5] Bell played the last seven AFL matches of the season, and won Carlton's Best First-Year Player award for 2012.[6]
In October 2015, Bell was traded to the Brisbane Lions.[7] He was delisted by the Lions at the end of the 2018 season.
References edit
- ^ Macgugan, Mark (13 December 2011). "What the Blues say". Australian Football League. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Morningside Rookie in State Under-21 Squad". Sportingpulse. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- ^ "Player Statistics for Thomas Bell". Sportingpulse. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Draft rings true for new Blue Bell". Carlton Football Club. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- ^ "Five changes to Blues line-up". Carlton Football Club. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Scotland wins his first Best & Fairest". Carlton Football Club. 2 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ Johns, Loretta (19 October 2015). "Bell traded to Brisbane". CarltonFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
External links edit
- Tom Bell's profile on the official website of the Brisbane Lions
- Tom Bell's playing statistics from AFL Tables