Team still first as duo negotiate departures

TOM Lonergan will be best remembered at Geelong for not only the sacrificial roles on-field, but also off-field.

Lonergan has played the past three seasons on significantly less money than had he accepted a three-year deal worth reportedly $1.5 million from the Western Bulldogs at the end of 2014.

He stayed because he felt a sense of loyalty about being a one-club player.

Even at the end of last year, Lonergan was faced with a financial haircut as the Cats looked to squeeze their players under a bulging salary cap.

Andrew Mackie, too, could have been prised out of Geelong with more lucrative offers but he stayed for success and the camaraderie of a footy club with which he has enjoyed three flags.

Both players entered the season knowing this year would most likely be their last.

After meeting the club’s list management committee last week, everyone was on the same page.

The only remaining thing that needed to be sorted was how and when the announcement was going to be made.

As it turned out, postmatch Saturday night organically evolved to be the best. It fitted how they wanted — top-two had been locked away; the home crowd was there; and now we can all move on to focus on a finals berth. No press conferences, no “what about me” moments.

Of all the departures of Geelong’s veterans in recent years, these two seem the cleanest. There appears no residual bitterness, no lingering head- lines, no innuendo. At 33, they have been champions of the club.

No wonder Chris Scott said: “There’s no one in the game I respect more than those two.” That is some compliment.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said Saturday night’s farewell happened organically.

“They met during the week to see if we could develop a plan in regards to the timing . . . and we couldn’t come to a solid foundation, so we just left it . . . and thought it would just happen at sometime, whether that was this weekend or another weekend,” Cook said.

“It was really just something they decided to do on the spur of the moment, given the way we played, and it was a decision made on behalf of what wouldn’t get in the way of our finals campaign.”

Mackie and Lonergan joined the Cats in the same 2002 draft. Both were raw and skinny, and needed time. Lots of time.

It took first-round pick Mackie more than a year to make his AFL debut. Lonergan had to wait almost three.

“They’re quite different people,” Cook said. “Tommy is forever sacrificing his game and does a lot of things no one sees.

“He kept (Lance) Franklin down to one goal a few weeks back when we got smashed by Sydney. He was arguably our best player and there weren’t many who recognised that. So he’s quite selfless.

“And Andrew Mackie is a little more open and talkative and likes to chat.

“He’s team-first because he’s always following the rules, and he follows the game plan to a tee.

“He’s a team person. He’s always put the team first.”