The bulky midfielder began his AFL career in rock-star fashion, with news crews from across the Gold Coast travelling to Metricon Stadium for the club’s media conference announcing Lonergan would be donning the red-and-gold colours for the first time in a premiership match.
But it was a harsh-felt welcome into the AFL for the elite 18-year-old, as the Gold Coast SUNS went down to the Fremantle Dockers by 45-points in a match that Lonergan won’t forget any time soon.
“We made too many unforced errors that really hurt us, especially against Fremantle who are not a really high-scoring team and we knew if we could just crack in and kick a couple of goals we were going to be back in the game,” Lonergan said.
Regardless of the result, Lonergan said his first AFL match would still be a moment he would reflect upon at the end of his playing career.
“I was pretty excited – it was my first AFL match, at home, with Fremantle being a top 8 side I was also pretty nervous, but I tried to soak up the moment and play good footy,” said Lonergan.
Despite having played against bigger bodies since he was running out alongside Launceston in the city’s senior division as a 15-year-old schoolboy, Lonergan said he was definitely still feeling the effects from Saturday night’s contest.
“I definitely pulled up knowing i’d played a game of AFL, the intensity of AFL footy is probably three times bigger to what I have played before so the body was feeling pretty sore after the game.” Lonergan said.
While senior coach Guy McKenna concedes it will take time for Lonergan to adjust to the frantic pace that AFL football demands, he still liked what he saw from the fearless on-baller.
“As typical as any young boy he went like a cut cat early, and probably ran himself ragged and found himself in couple on a number of occasions but as the game wore on he quickly found the tempo of the pace,” said McKenna.
“He shot off a really good handball to Tiger (Shaw) just before three quarter time, and while Shaw missed the shot at goal it was a very smart handball by Jesse.
“He got the ball, used his composure with foot and hit his targets on most occasions – so it didn’t take him long to find the speed of the game.”
