Andrew Lovett

Andrew Lovett, born 11 November 1982 is an Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for Essendon between 2005 and 2009. He was drafted by St Kilda at the end of the 2009 season, but was sacked in early 2010 without playing a match with the Saints after rape charges were laid against him. He was then recruited by former club East Perth.

AFL career

Lovett was selected by Essendon in 2003 in the Rookie Draft. He remained a rookie, playing for the Bendigo Bombers, until he made his AFL debut against Hawthorn.

Lovett was a member of the Australian team that won the Cormac McAnallen Cup during the 2005 International Rules Series. He also won the Anzac Day Medal in 2005.

At the end of the 2008 season, Lovett was mentioned as a potential trade for Essendon due to the off-field problems he had been having at the club. The Geelong Football Club were said to be the most interested in securing the lively forward who still had one year to run on his contract at Essendon. Although a trade did not eventuate, his form in the 2009 season saw another offer - this time from St Kilda, who traded their first round pick (#16). Lovett accepted the move despite other offers (from the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide) to remain in Melbourne with his family and friends whilst having the prospects of being involved in a premiership team. He was later given the number 9 guernsey, which was last worn by goalkicker Fraser Gehrig.

In December 2009 Lovett was suspended indefinitely by the Saints following allegations of being involved in a sexual assault. He had previously been issued with a court intervention order following an assault on his girlfriend in 2006 as well as being fined for driving without a licence and arrested for being drunk in public. On 16 February 2010 Lovett was sacked by St Kilda following confirmation that rape charges were laid.

Early life

Lovett has Indigenous Australian heritage and his tribal ancestry can be traced to the Gunditjmara.He is the cousin of Nathan Lovett-Murray who also plays AFL football.

After not being drafted in 2002, Lovett was advised to remain with his team, the Northern Knights. He then began playing for North Heidelberg in Melbourne's Diamond Valley league before relocating to Western Australia to play for East Perth in the WAFL, where he believed he had a greater chance of making it into the AFL.