But one player stayed behind,catching Lonergan’s eye as he picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor.
It was Harrison Jones,making sure things were in order before he left. ‘Sweeping the sheds’ - literally and figuratively tidying up after a game - is a ritual pioneered by the All Blacks as a sign of humble culture.
“It was something that stood out for me,” Lonergan said.
“He’s a ripping kid,from a great family.”
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That ripping kid is just three games into an AFL career with the Bombers after being the club’s first selection in the 2019 national draft,acquired after some pick swaps at selection No.30.
Rangy and mobile,Jones was built like a broomstick at that point,his 196-centimetre frame weighing in at just 78 kilograms after a growth spurt in his teenage years put him in the clouds.