Tom Lonergan speaks sledges, his rivalry with Buddy and names the best player in the “Dangerwoodlett” trio

Tom Lonergan has been vastly recognised among the AFL as one of the toughest players to play the game.

In 2006, the Geelong backman battled severe kidney trauma and had to have emergency surgery to remove his right kidney.

But that might not be the biggest battle he faced in his 12-year career at the Cats.

Lonergan has been one of the only defenders to continuously match it with the powerhouse that is Lance Franklin.

In 12 encounters, Franklin kicked 22 goals against Lonergan at an average of 1.8 goals per game.

To put that statistic into perspective, in eight of the last ten seasons, Franklin has averaged three or more goals a game.

On Fox Footy’s Open Mike this week, Lonergan opened up about his fierce rivalry with the best forward in the game.

“I still remember the first time I played on him. I think it was early ’09, he’d just come off the back of kicking 100 the year before,” Lonergan told Open Mike on Tuesday night.

“I’ve walked up to him and he started laughing and said: ‘What’s your name?’

“I laughed to myself a bit and I was like: ‘One thing’s for sure, you’ll know my name by the end of the day’.

“I had that inner resolve that I could beat him. I knew he had that bravado.”

Lonergan believes that while he was not considered the best defender in the competition, he had the physic to match up with the Sydney star.

“I thought we matched up well physically on each other,” he said.

“He was a little bit taller and heavier, but I thought I could beat him in one-on-ones or at least negate him in one-on-ones.

“I took that template early in my career and knew that if I could start well on him, win a key one-on-one early in a game, it would set me up for the day.”

Lonergan also revealed during the interview who he thought was the best out the new ‘Danger-wood-lett’ trio.

“For me, and I played with him the longest, I feel Joel Selwood,” he said.

“The way he can put the team on the back and bring his teammates along for the ride makes him the best player I’ve played with.

“He probably hasn’t got the flair of Danger or Gaz, but he’s an outstanding player, just the different things that he can do. It’s been great to play with him.”

Lonergan also revealed a classic sledge from former-teammate and now retired defender Andrew Mackie, from an encounter with West Coast last season.

“One stands out. It was actually last year over in Perth playing West Coast. It was quarter-time, they’d jumped us and were three goals up. We were feeling a bit flat walking back to the quarter-time huddle,” Lonergan added.

“There were a few West Coast players standing around together — I think (Mark) LeCras was one of them. And one of them goes: ‘You’re not so lippy now are ya?’

“And he (Mackie) goes: ‘I wouldn’t waste it on you f***ers anyway’.

“I think he was a bit more lippy early in his career. During that mid-period he went a bit quiet and mellowed, but at the back end he started getting going again.”