I thought about this too. Maybe they would have considered had his body held up?
You are a champion and so is Lavender - he has achieved way more than many of us here could dream of.
Thanks for sharing.
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I was always proud of the fact that āone of usā had a son running around in the red and black. I canāt imagine how much fun that would have been for you @S_K, Iām still dining off the fact that HumbertiƱo scored a nice goal for St Kilda Whites U14s, and that was two years ago! It was lovely to meet you @S_K - donāt be a stranger (even if you live in Adelaide) ā¦ maybe drag @Aceman over for the next Blitz BBQ. Itād be great to hear all about your experience.
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I had the pleasure of meeting you and your lovely wife @S_K at last years Blitz BBQ. You were kind enough to chat with my then 7 year old (who is a budding distance runner and talented little cricketer), and you spoke to him about Luke and encouraged him to pursue his dreams just as Luke was doingā¦ which left my boy insisting that he wanted to make sure he got Lukeās autograph! We waited around till Luke came out and your Mrs witnessed Luke duly signing, which I think might have been a nice moment for her too, since she said āawwwwā and tried to snap a quick photo!!
Anyway, congratulations to Luke for getting as far as making EFCās list and all the best to him (and your whole family) for what the future holds. No doubt your boy will be a success in whatever he chooses to pursue, because along with talent he clearly carries plenty of determination, resilience, a willingness to work hard and a wonderfully supportive family (even if he isnāt allowed to move back home!).
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Pity Luke never had the chance to blossom.
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Thank you for these lovely words! When I think back about the last 2 years, I always find it difficult to put a finger on when I actually realised and believed that Luke was a Bomber! It might have been the blue tick added to his name in Instagram (kidding), the team photo in the Herald Sun, the members forum interview, him running out for the first time at Williamstown, I actually donāt know - and now itās over too soon.
But I remember that autograph moment vividly - it was the only time we witnessed our son sign an autograph! His mother does have the photo, and I know it was the moment that she realised and believed her son was a Bomber!
All the best to you and your boy @Bomberjay07
And I donāt love him any less just because I donāt want to live with him anymore. The biggest issue is the 20-odd bottles of spirits he got for his 21st that were in his wardrobe. In his 16 months away, his mother and I have whittled them down to about 5, and I donāt particularly want to replace themā¦ refusing him reentry to our home seems the simplest way to deal with this! 
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It raises the question. When should a club call curtains on a player thatās constantly injured and for whatever reason is unable to show anything when presented the opportunity. I think any club would be derelict to give that Sydney player another run.
It really has been a pleasure to share this journey with your family @S_K. Huge thanks to you all for being so generous with precious moments and memories.
We saw Luke play a few games and it was really special having that connection.
This is no place for parents of a footy player who wish to retain their sanity. The club were right to warn you off.
Iām so grateful you ignored them and equally grateful that blitz behaved accordingly.
Please donāt be a stranger ā¦ would be great to hear from Luke too if he feels so inclined.
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Had the pleasure of having a fair bit to do with Luke through my role with the VFL, Iām sure you donāt need me to tell you @S_K but you should be very proud of him, terrific fella, very popular and always has a warm smile and greeting. Heāll be missed around the club.
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Dear Aussie Rules Football,
Thanks for smashing my body up into 100ās of little bits and pieces.
ā NewLav!
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He definitely showed glimpses of a good player.
Realistically when he was already coming from a distance behind most of his peers in terms of development he needed everything to fall just right.
Fingers crossed he gets a crack at a state league club, thereās definitely a player in there.
Tell him thanks for his efforts and service!
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We need to lobby the AFL to make a āForum son/daughterā rule. All our kids automatically tied to the Dons.
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