Tom Harley

Harley made his 50th senior appearance for the club the following season, and again featured in all 22 games over the next two seasons.

Despite the club's inability to qualify for the finals series, Harley's consistency in the backline was recognised with successive top-five placings in the club best and fairest award.

During this period Harley was also awarded the Coach's Award and Best Clubman Award respectively.

Thomas Harley (born 18 July 1978) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

A defender at 1.93 m and 95 kg, Harley is a two-time premiership-winning captain at Geelong.

After a successful junior career which culminated with selection in the under-18 All-Australian team, Harley was drafted to Port Adelaide as a zone selection.

Although an inaugural member of the club, Harley struggled to force his way into the senior team and spent the majority of his early years playing for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Following their entry into the AFL in 1997, Port Adelaide drafted Harley to the club as part of their zone selections, which entitled them to recruit uncontracted players from the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) prior to the 1996 National Draft.

He struggled to break into the Port Adelaide senior team, and often found himself playing in the SANFL reserves for Norwood during the 1997 season, where he helped the team reach the SANFL reserves Grand Final, where they were defeated by Port Adelaide.

Harley's contributions in the reserves team throughout the year saw him promoted to the senior Norwood side, where he featured in two of their SANFL finals before missing selection for the senior SANFL Grand Final.

After making just one appearance for Port Adelaide, Harley was traded to the Geelong Football Club in exchange for the 37th draft pick in the 1998 AFL Draft.

Harley quickly established himself within the Geelong defence and received a range of accolades and club honours, including multiple Best Clubman awards.

Harley continued to ply his trade in the SANFL reserves during the 1998 season, before being rewarded mid-season with a senior team debut for Port Adelaide in round fourteen against Geelong.

The team opted to use Harley sparingly off the bench, with Harley's only meaningful contribution being a late goal scored with his only kick for the game.

Returning to the Norwood reserves team, Harley helped the team reach their second successive Grand Final appearance against Port Adelaide and capture the reserves premiership.

However, after struggling to break into the senior side, Harley was traded to Geelong during the off-season for the 37th pick in the 1998 AFL Draft.

Harley made his debut for Geelong in round fourteen of the 1999 AFL season against Adelaide, and kept his position in the senior team for the final nine games of the home-and-away campaign.

Prior to the 2007 AFL season, Harley was appointed club captain and went on to enjoy great individual and team success.

He led the club to its first premiership in 44 years during 2007, and became a dual premiership captain after their victory in 2009.

In between, he achieved All-Australian honours as vice-captain of the team, and won the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) Best Captain Award.

At the beginning of 2007, Harley was appointed as club captain of Geelong.

Harley's elevation to the captaincy was considered a surprise move to many outside the club.

Despite the reaction, Harley was recommended by the club's board of directors following a review of the football department the previous year.

The club noted that Harley "was a player who would dig deep and stand up when it counts", and was also chosen to help improve communication links between players, coaching staff and the board of directors.

Harley endured a difficult start to his first season as captain, as he ruptured a finger tendon during the club's round one loss to the Western Bulldogs.

After undergoing surgery on his finger, Harley made his return through the club's reserves team in the VFL but failed to earn a recall to the senior team until round ten.

After playing the majority of his career at Geelong as a centre half back, Harley struggled to find his niche in the defence following the emergence of the younger Matthew Egan in the key position.

He soon adjusted himself as a floating defender capable of playing on small forwards, and retained his position in the side after achieving career-best averages of 14 disposals and 5 marks a game.

Harley helped the team compile an 18–4 win–loss record at the conclusion of the home and away season, earning them their eighth McClelland Trophy and securing first position on the ladder leading into the finals series.

Harley also participated in the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame all-star game, and was inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame.

He is noted for being a leading ambassador to various community campaigns, including the anti-violence program 'Just Think' and Barwon Health.

The following season, Harley helped Geelong achieve a 12-9-1 record to qualify for the finals series.

Harley made his finals debut in the First Elimination Final against Hawthorn, where he gathered 7 disposals and took 2 marks in the clubs' nine-point loss.

His consistency throughout the year, during which he played in all club fixture games for the first time in his career, was rewarded when he won the club's Most Determined and Dedicated Player Award.

Since his retirement as a player, Harley has undertaken various roles in the sporting industry: he held the position of "General Manager - Football" with the Sydney Swans, and became their CEO in 2019.

One of three children born to Rick and Trish (née Rofe) Harley in Adelaide, South Australia.

Tom played most of his junior football for the Walkerville Junior Football Club and St Peter's College from the under–11s to under–15s.

Despite being regularly overlooked for a place in the elite South Australian junior state squads, he continued to follow the rest of the squad to training sessions in order to learn alongside them.

Harley's persistent attendance at training was rewarded when he was called up to the under–18s squad as a late injury replacement a week prior to the National AFL Championships.

Playing at centre half-back, Harley's performance in defence earned him end-of-year All-Australian honours and brought him to the attention of AFL scouts.