Shaun Hart

[christicehurst]

Shaun Hart (born 17 May 1971) is a three-time Australian Football League premiership-winning utility player for the Brisbane Lions.

He was born in Ferntree Gully, Victoria and was recruited to the Brisbane Bears from Shepparton United Football Club in the 1989 national AFL draft, playing 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. Ironically, 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.

At some point around this time Hart became a born again Christian, an event which he credits with helping provide him with some direction in his life.

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.

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.

Not long after retiring, Hart supported the newly-formed, Christian-aligned Family First Party in 2004 Federal election to the Australian House of Representatives. He currently works as a football commentator for radio and has a printer cartridge business.

In 2007 he stood as a Family First candidate in Queensland for the Senate at the 2007 Australian federal election[1], although he was unsuccessful.

[the_champ33]

Shaun Hart is one special human being and one who hold a close spot to my heart for life. One of the greatest blokes you'll ever meet.

The most "unselfish" team-mate you'll ever meet in a team sport. Never cared about individual success, always cared about the team.

Retired after the 2004 season and in tragic circumstances. Copped a knee to the face from Daniel Bradshaw in the Preliminary Final Vs Geelong and required a few days in hospital. The damage done was what you would normally see in a car accident.

To prove how unselfish Shaun Hart is, listen to what he asked some team-mates when he was visited in the hospital.

"Will the boys be ok without me on Saturday?"

. The absolute courage of the man.

Norm Smith Medalist in the 2001 Grand Final. Almost lost his head in that game too after one hit he copped on the wing while on his knees with the footy.

Personally I always knew 2001 Shaun Hart was going to have a big game and the Norm Smith was his. I swear by it even to this day. Something just told me something was special about the man. He was our X-factor and one player that would go under the radar.

3-time Premiership player.

I can't speak enough of the man and how high you rank him.

2008 currently coaching a Queensland team.

[the_champ33]

Expressed interest @ the coaching job for the new Gold Coast team.

If not the main coach, happy to be an assistant or development player role. Basically wants any job within the new club.

Fantastic coach material. If Voss, Hart, McRae, and Scott can make the core of the Gold Coast coaching panel, then that bodes well for the team and their competitiveness.

Hart's going to have a hugely disciplined approach to the team and if he can impart his particular team-first focus on a whole group of players, then they will be very competitive very quickly.

[the_champ33]

Some media people in Adelaide recently suggested Roo and Buckley to perhaps be Assistants to Voss.

Those are great names and great footy brains, it won't happen.

The new Gold Coast team will want Queenslanders and the names you mentioned are top names. Maybe they'll steal Ashcroft from the Lions too.

Maybe. But I'd be very surprised if Hart doesn't get a role.

[the_champ33]

I'd expect Hart to be given a role of some sort and if he doesn't i'll be very disappointed. The man continues to remain under-rated.

He's seemingly always the one under the radar. It was good to see Vossy acknowledge Hart's role in his recent article rebuking St Kilda's selfish player attitude.

[the_champ33]

Hart is a great man indeed.

[the_champ33]

I miss this legend. Full of courage and inner strength.