Tom Hickey (footballer, born 1991)

Early life

Hickey was born into a Brisbane family in which his father was a former professional rugby league player. His father, Mick, played ten years of A-grade rugby league for Fortitude Valley in the Brisbane Rugby League. While in primary school between the ages of six and fourteen Hickey played rugby league for the Redland Rugby League Football Club in the position of five-eighth. Upon graduation from St. Anthony's Catholic Primary School he moved to Iona College and tried his hand at basketball, rugby union, water polo, athletics and volleyball. He made his main focus volleyball while in high school and represented the Queensland state team as well as the schoolboys team throughout his schooling life. During his last term of high school in 2008 he joined friends at Iona to compete in four football games at the Associated Independent Colleges school competition and in doing so played Australian rules football for the first time at 17 years of age. While playing he was spotted by an AFL Queensland representative and was invited to join the AFLQ Rookie Search Program.

Junior football

At the beginning of 2009 Hickey joined the Morningside Australian Football Club's under 18 side. His under 18 team would win the premiership that year and Hickey finished second in the league best and fairest medal. The following year he was picked to represent Queensland in the 2010 AFL Under 18 Championships where he was the Queensland ruckman. He also established himself as a ruckman in Morningside's senior team and was a part of the 2010 QAFL premiership winning team. Matching up against former AFL players Peter Everitt and Trent Knobel in the grand final, Hickey's team would come back from a 20-point deficit at three quarter time to win the premiership. Following the 2010 season he travelled to Canberra to showcase himself at the AFL Draft Combine. He was the best performed ruckman in the agility test and equal second best among ruckmen in the beep test as well as being ranked second overall in the 'clean hands' test. Hickey was drafted under zone concessions to the newly formed Gold Coast Football Club in October 2010 and moved to the Gold Coast to begin his first AFL preseason.

Gold Coast

Hickey made his AFL debut in round 22 of the 2011 AFL season against Adelaide, kicking his first AFL goal in the process. After two seasons with the Suns, Hickey requested a trade to the St Kilda Football Club to be closer to his Melbourne-based girlfriend. Complications arose when the Gold Coast demanded a first-round selection for Hickey's service and the Saints eventually agreed to the deal.

St Kilda

Hickey debuted for St Kilda in Round 1 of the 2013 AFL season in a loss to his former club the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.