Local footy Melbourne: Former AFL player Tom Bell reveals motivation behind move to Greensborough

WITH a new job, new state and new club, the last few months have been a whirlwind for Greensborough’s marquee signing Tom Bell. Now he’s ready to reward the Boro’s faith.

Tom Bell takes part in pre-season training at Northern Football League club Greensborough. Picture: Nathan McNeill.

TOM Bell never really had a back-up plan.

The former Carlton and Brisbane Lions midfielder had been realistic he needed a plan post-football, but had nothing firm in place beyond returning to Melbourne before injuring his ankle last year.

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It was at that point it dawned on Bell he needed to think about what lay ahead and the possibility his AFL career could be ending.

“I made it pretty clear I was keen to land on a list somewhere, but unfortunately that didn’t happen,” Bell said.

“There wasn’t really a point where I was like, ‘I have to have a back-up plan’. But it was always in the back of my mind.

“The last thing I wanted to do was come to December-January and not have anything to fall back on or not have a job to roll into (and) not have a football club to be playing at.

“In saying that, when I did my ankle last year, that was when I was like, ‘you really need to have a hard think about what is going to happen next year and what I actually enjoy doing for work’.”

Tom Bell takes a break during a pre-season session at Greensborough. Picture: Nathan McNeill.

Bell’s AFL career came to an end after 72 games with the Blues and Lions, delisted after seven years at the elite level during which he attracted comparisons to Carlton legend Anthony Koutoufides.

Originally from Queensland, Bell has returned to Victoria to continue playing in the Melbourne’s northern suburbs with Greensborough and embark on a career as a contract administrator with Johns Lyng Group.

It has been a change of pace for the 27-year-old, both in a professional and sporting sense.

“I was always going to come back to Victoria, but it was just about getting the right opportunity, not only for work, but football as well,” he said.

Injuries curtailed Bell’s time with Brisbane after he was traded by Carlton after the 2015 campaign.

Tom Bell celebrates a goal during his time at Brisbane. Picture: Adam Head.

Tom Bell started his career with Carlton before being traded to Brisbane. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The on-baller featured 14 times for the Lions in his first season but was restricted to seven AFL matches over the next two years as rising stars such as Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry became regulars in Brisbane’s midfield rotation.

“The last few years have been pretty frustrating,” Bell said.

“The year I got traded up to Brisbane I missed about nine games with my knee. I wasn’t in amazing form that first year in Brisbane, that hurts the continuity, getting to know the boys and feeling comfortable up in Brisbane.

“The year after a new coach (Chris Fagan) came on, you want to get that continuity and I just couldn’t seem to find it.

“Even though I had a really good pre-season, I was in and out of the team and it was just frustrating.

“Then when I went back to the NEAFL, I broke my leg. The year after was much the same. “My broken leg was going fine, I had an absolute belter of a JLT Series.

“Round 2, I’m out of the team. A player my age, but at a club which has got all these talented young kids, the writing is on the wall essentially.”

Tom Bell jostles with Ben Fennell during training at Greensborough. Picture: Nathan McNeill.

Greensborough won a fierce race for Bell’s signature, which included interest from VFL clubs.

Bell, who has inked a two-year deal as a playing assistant coach with the Boro, said his desire to experience team success and embrace the culture of a strong community club swayed his decision.

“It is going to take some adjusting,” he said.

“But from what I can gather by the character of the boys, they seem like the top of bunch that are all incredibly welcoming.

“The more the pre-season goes on, the more comfortable I feel around them.

In the last (few) weeks I have started a new job where I know no one, (so) you have got to build that up and get to know everyone at work.

“It’s kind of been like that with football as well.”

Bell is in line to make his debut for Greensborough on April 6 when they face Hurstbridge in Round 1 of the Northern Football League campaign.

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