Tom Fullarton has dusted off his football boots and signed with the Brisbane Lions as a Category B Rookie for the remainder of 2018 and 2019.

Fullarton grew up on the Sunshine Coast excelling in both basketball and AFL. At the age of sixteen, he decided to pursue a career in basketball, and has been at the Brisbane Bullets since 2016.

Today he informed the Bullets of his intentions to return to AFL and join the Lions.

“The last few years I’ve been with the Brisbane Bullets, working with them and playing basketball, but I had been in the Lions Academy as a junior. I have really close ties with footy, so I decided to come back and pursue a career in the AFL,” Fullarton told lions.com.au.

The 19-year-old started playing football at the Caloundra Panthers as a junior, alongside Lions forward Eric Hipwood. He joined the Hyundai Help for Kids Lions Academy at 12 years of age and was there for three years. At 15 years old, alongside 2017 Draftee Connor Ballenden, he played for Queensland and was named as an All Australian.

At 200 centimetres tall, Fullarton typically plays as a key forward or ruck and has great agility for his size.

General Manager of Football David Noble says Fullarton shows great potential.

“We’re excited that Tom has made a decision to pursue his football dream. We know from Tom’s time in the Hyundai Help for Kids Lions Academy he’s a talented, tall key position player. He will need to work extremely hard to transition his body and mentality for football but we have every confidence he will make this a success.

Fullarton will officially join the Den and start training with the team on June 1, 2018.