Shaun Hart
Encyclopedia
Shaun Hart is a former professional Australian rules football
er who played his entire Australian Football League
at the Brisbane Lions
where he was a premiership winning utility player
known for his courage. He is currently an assistant coach at the Gold Coast Football Club.
and moved to country Victoria where he played for the Shepparton United Football Club
.
Hart was recruited to the Brisbane Bears
from Shepparton in the 1989 national AFL draft.
He initially struggled with the demands of professional football and played a great deal of football in reserve grade. This allowed him to gain a place in the Bears' only premiership side by being eligible to play in the 1991 reserve grade Grand Final.
In 2001 he was awarded his highest individual honour, the Norm Smith Medal, as best on ground in the Lions' first premiership win. He also went on to play important roles in the Lions successful campaigns in 2002 and 2003.
In the 2004 Preliminary Final, with the Lions poised to enter a playoff for a record-equalling fourth consecutive premiership, Hart was unlucky enough to find himself in the path of teammate Daniel Bradshaw on a lead. Bradshaw was unable to avoid a collision and Hart emerged with massive facial injuries. He was immediately taken to hospital, where shocked medical staff commented that his injuries were consistent with being in a car crash at speed without wearing a seat belt. As a consequence of consistent head injuries, for much of his career, he wore a soft helmet.
Unable to take his place in the Lions side for the 2004 Grand Final, he was forced to watch from his hospital bed as his team failed to maintain a halftime lead over Port Adelaide
due to injuries to key forwards Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch
. He announced his retirement from football not long afterwards.
in 2004 Federal election to the Australian House of Representatives
. He currently works as a football commentator for radio and has a personal a group trainer of Bodyfit.
In 2007 he stood as a Family First candidate in Queensland for the Senate
at the 2007 Australian federal election, although he was unsuccessful.
In 2009, Hart became assistant coach at the Gold Coast Football Club.
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 who played his entire Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
at the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
where he was a premiership winning utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
known for his courage. He is currently an assistant coach at the Gold Coast Football Club.
Early life
He was born in Ferntree Gully, VictoriaFerntree Gully, Victoria
Ferntree Gully is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in the Dandenong Ranges, 29 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is in the Local Government Area's of the Shire of Yarra Ranges and the City of Knox...
and moved to country Victoria where he played for the Shepparton United Football Club
Shepparton United Football Club
Shepparton United Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian Rules Football club playing in the Goulburn Valley Football League.The club now known as Shepparton United was originally called City United...
.
Hart was recruited to the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
from Shepparton in the 1989 national AFL draft.
AFL career
Shaun Hart played his first senior game in the first match of the 1990 season.He initially struggled with the demands of professional football and played a great deal of football in reserve grade. This allowed him to gain a place in the Bears' only premiership side by being eligible to play in the 1991 reserve grade Grand Final.
In 2001 he was awarded his highest individual honour, the Norm Smith Medal, as best on ground in the Lions' first premiership win. He also went on to play important roles in the Lions successful campaigns in 2002 and 2003.
In the 2004 Preliminary Final, with the Lions poised to enter a playoff for a record-equalling fourth consecutive premiership, Hart was unlucky enough to find himself in the path of teammate Daniel Bradshaw on a lead. Bradshaw was unable to avoid a collision and Hart emerged with massive facial injuries. He was immediately taken to hospital, where shocked medical staff commented that his injuries were consistent with being in a car crash at speed without wearing a seat belt. As a consequence of consistent head injuries, for much of his career, he wore a soft helmet.
Unable to take his place in the Lions side for the 2004 Grand Final, he was forced to watch from his hospital bed as his team failed to maintain a halftime lead over Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
due to injuries to key forwards Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch
Alastair Lynch
Alastair Graeme Lynch is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League . He is best known as a three time premiership full-forward for the Brisbane Lions....
. He announced his retirement from football not long afterwards.
Post AFL Career
Not long after retiring, Hart supported the newly-formed, Christian-aligned Family First PartyFamily First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
in 2004 Federal election to the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. He currently works as a football commentator for radio and has a personal a group trainer of Bodyfit.
In 2007 he stood as a Family First candidate in Queensland for the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 2007 Australian federal election, although he was unsuccessful.
In 2009, Hart became assistant coach at the Gold Coast Football Club.