Adam Ramanauskas
Encyclopedia
Adam Ramanauskas is a former Australian rules football
er for the Essendon Football Club
.
Of Lithuania
n descent, Ramanauskas was selected at no. 12 in the 1998 AFL Draft
and was mainly a defender or midfielder. In 2000 he was a regular selection on the wing in Essendon Football Club
's 2000 premiership season, in which they lost just one game for the entire year.
Regarded as one of AFL's up-and-coming young stars, Ramanauskas was runner-up in the AFL Rising Star Award in 2000, and placed 3rd in Essendon Football Club's Crichton Medal the following year, before being diagnosed with cancer in 2003.
After surgery, Ramanauskas missed eight matches but made a quick recovery to play a handful of games again in 2003 before a recurrence of his cancer. Adam endured weeks of radiotherapy treatment, but admirably managed to come back and compete a solid 2004 season where he played in all of the Bombers' 24 games.
Ramanauskas had more misfortune in 2005 when he underwent a season-ending knee reconstruction after a Round 4 training mishap. After he had completed his recovery, Adam was set to make another come back. However in February 2006, a recurrence of the cancer appeared and Adam underwent further invasive surgery and six months of chemotherapy treatment.
At the end of 2006, Essendon Football Club sought special consideration from the AFL to place Ramanauskas on a mature-aged rookie list for the 2007 season. In July 2007, Ramanauskas was elevated to the senior list and against all odds, played his first AFL match in two years.
Named as one of The Australian Newspapers' "Most Inspirational People" in 2007, Ramanauskas' courage and determination both on and off the field has inspired many. Since 2007, Adam has worked passionately with the Essendon Football Club Community Affairs Department coordinating youth programs and developing a strong alliance with the Cancer Council of Victoria.
Ramanauskas announced his retirement from AFL Football at the end of the 2008 season.
The much-loved former Essendon player will again call Windy Hill home after accepting a new part-time role that will see him focus on fast-tracking the development of Essendon’s youngsters in 2009. Alongside his duties at Essendon, Ramanauskas will also work within the management team at Elite Sports Properties - a sports talent management agency. Ramanauskas has also joined the football commentary team at 774 ABC Radio.
) in his neck after Round 3. He missed the next 8 matches and luckily made a quick recovery to play again in 2003. Following this was a solid 2004 season where he played in all of the Bombers' 24 games.
Ramanauskas had more misfortune in 2004 when he underwent a knee reconstruction after a Round 4 training mishap. After he had completed his recovery, however, in February 2006, a recurrence of the cancer appeared.
At the end of 2006, Ramanauskas was delisted by Essendon, who asked for special consideration in placing him on a mature-aged rookie list
for the 2007 season. After long deliberation by the AFL Commission
on this issue, Essendon were granted permission for this to go ahead. Ramanauskas was re-drafted by Essendon with pick 33 in the 2006 Rookie Draft. On Wednesday, 4 July, Ramanauskas was elevated to the senior list and played his first AFL match in two years against the Geelong Football Club
on Friday 6 July 2007.
announced their collective retirements from AFL effective at the end of the season.
. He has an older brother, Daniel and younger sister, Kayla. Ramanauskas attended Doveton Primary School. He later graduated high school from St John's Regional College
, Dandenong in 1998. Growing up Ramanauskas supported the Richmond Football Club.
Ramanauskas married his high school sweetheart, Belinda Henneman in January 2006. They have two sons - Aidan (born October 2008) and Lucas (born August 2010).
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
.
Of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n descent, Ramanauskas was selected at no. 12 in the 1998 AFL Draft
1998 AFL Draft
The 1998 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1998 there...
and was mainly a defender or midfielder. In 2000 he was a regular selection on the wing in Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
's 2000 premiership season, in which they lost just one game for the entire year.
Biography
Adam Ramanauskas debuted with the Essendon Football Club in 1999 after being selected at no. 12 in the 1998 AFL Draft. Playing mainly as a defender or midfielder, Ramanauskas was an integral member of the dominant 2000 Bombers Premiership team, which lost just 1 game for the entire season.Regarded as one of AFL's up-and-coming young stars, Ramanauskas was runner-up in the AFL Rising Star Award in 2000, and placed 3rd in Essendon Football Club's Crichton Medal the following year, before being diagnosed with cancer in 2003.
After surgery, Ramanauskas missed eight matches but made a quick recovery to play a handful of games again in 2003 before a recurrence of his cancer. Adam endured weeks of radiotherapy treatment, but admirably managed to come back and compete a solid 2004 season where he played in all of the Bombers' 24 games.
Ramanauskas had more misfortune in 2005 when he underwent a season-ending knee reconstruction after a Round 4 training mishap. After he had completed his recovery, Adam was set to make another come back. However in February 2006, a recurrence of the cancer appeared and Adam underwent further invasive surgery and six months of chemotherapy treatment.
At the end of 2006, Essendon Football Club sought special consideration from the AFL to place Ramanauskas on a mature-aged rookie list for the 2007 season. In July 2007, Ramanauskas was elevated to the senior list and against all odds, played his first AFL match in two years.
Named as one of The Australian Newspapers' "Most Inspirational People" in 2007, Ramanauskas' courage and determination both on and off the field has inspired many. Since 2007, Adam has worked passionately with the Essendon Football Club Community Affairs Department coordinating youth programs and developing a strong alliance with the Cancer Council of Victoria.
Ramanauskas announced his retirement from AFL Football at the end of the 2008 season.
The much-loved former Essendon player will again call Windy Hill home after accepting a new part-time role that will see him focus on fast-tracking the development of Essendon’s youngsters in 2009. Alongside his duties at Essendon, Ramanauskas will also work within the management team at Elite Sports Properties - a sports talent management agency. Ramanauskas has also joined the football commentary team at 774 ABC Radio.
Career highlights
- Essendon Football Club, VFL Reserves Premiership, 1999
- Essendon Football Club, VFL Reserves Best & Fairest Player, 1999
- Essendon Football Club, AFL Pre-Season Premiership, 2000
- Essendon Football Club, AFL Premiership, 2000
- AFL Rising Star Award, Runner-Up, 2000
- Represented Australia, International Rules Series against Ireland, 2001
- Essendon Football Club, Crichton Medal (Best & Fairest Award), 3rd Runner-Up, 2001
- Essendon Football Club, "Best Clubman", 2005
- Essendon Football Club, "Most Courageous Player", 2007
- AFLPA, "Community Spirit Award Winner", 2008
Best games
- 32 disposals (26 kicks, 6 handballHandball (Australian rules football)Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball...
s), 8 marksMark (Australian football)A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground....
and a goal in Round 10, 2002: 8-pt loss to the North Melbourne Football ClubNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... - 31 disposals (17 kicks 14 handballs) and 14 marks in Round 11, 2000: 58-pt win over Geelong Football ClubGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
Football, Cancer and Injury
In 2003, Ramanauskas was diagnosed with a low grade cancer (fibromatosisFibromatosis
The term fibromatosis refers to a group of benign soft tissue tumors which have certain characteristics in common, including absence of cytologic and clinical malignant features, a histology consistent with proliferation of well-differentiated fibroblasts, an infiltrative growth pattern, and...
) in his neck after Round 3. He missed the next 8 matches and luckily made a quick recovery to play again in 2003. Following this was a solid 2004 season where he played in all of the Bombers' 24 games.
Ramanauskas had more misfortune in 2004 when he underwent a knee reconstruction after a Round 4 training mishap. After he had completed his recovery, however, in February 2006, a recurrence of the cancer appeared.
At the end of 2006, Ramanauskas was delisted by Essendon, who asked for special consideration in placing him on a mature-aged rookie list
Rookie list
The Rookie List is a means for Australian Football League clubs to maintain additional players outside of the 38-man primary or senior list. Rookie listed players are not eligibile to play in AFL home and away or finals matches unless they are elevated to the senior list, either to replace a...
for the 2007 season. After long deliberation by the AFL Commission
AFL Commission
The AFL Commission is the official governing body of the Australian Football League , the elite national Australian rules football competition....
on this issue, Essendon were granted permission for this to go ahead. Ramanauskas was re-drafted by Essendon with pick 33 in the 2006 Rookie Draft. On Wednesday, 4 July, Ramanauskas was elevated to the senior list and played his first AFL match in two years against the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
on Friday 6 July 2007.
Retirement
On 25 August 2008, Ramanauskas and long time teammate Jason JohnsonJason Johnson (Australian rules footballer)
Jason Johnson is retired Australian rules footballer who spent his entire professional career with Essendon of the Australian Football League ....
announced their collective retirements from AFL effective at the end of the season.
Personal life
Ramanauskas was born to Joseph and Lucy Ramanauskas and grew up in Doveton, VictoriaDoveton, Victoria
Doveton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey...
. He has an older brother, Daniel and younger sister, Kayla. Ramanauskas attended Doveton Primary School. He later graduated high school from St John's Regional College
St John's Regional College
St John's Regional College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school situated in Dandenong in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.-Notable alumni:*Adam Ramanauskas - AFL player, Essendon Football Club*Andrew Bogut - Basketball player, Milwaukee Bucks...
, Dandenong in 1998. Growing up Ramanauskas supported the Richmond Football Club.
Ramanauskas married his high school sweetheart, Belinda Henneman in January 2006. They have two sons - Aidan (born October 2008) and Lucas (born August 2010).