Rookie list for Ramanauskas
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:58 pmThe AFL Commission has approved an application for Adam Ramanauskas to be placed on the club's rookie list for next season.
Essendon had applied to the AFL for special consideration to place Ramanauskas, who turned 26 last Sunday, on the rookie list because of his ongoing fight against cancer.
AFL General Manager, Football Operations, Adrian Anderson, said the league had sought the views of all 16 clubs and all clubs had unanimously supported the move because of the exceptional circumstances.
"I think the whole football world is united in support of Adam’s continuing battle and this decision allows him to concentrate on his recovery," Anderson said.
At 19, Ramanauskas was the youngest member of the Bombers' 2000 premiership line-up, but his promising career was put on hold in 2003 when he was diagnosed with a rare, congenital condition - fibromatosis - which produces aggressive, non-malignant tumours.
He was able to resume his career after surgery to his neck and shoulder, despite a recurrence of the cancer later that year.
A knee reconstruction kept him sidelined for the 2005 season and he was on track to resume playing in 2006 when he announced in February this year that new tumours had been found and that he would be standing down from the game indefinitely while undergoing treatment.
Essendon had applied to the AFL for special consideration to place Ramanauskas, who turned 26 last Sunday, on the rookie list because of his ongoing fight against cancer.
AFL General Manager, Football Operations, Adrian Anderson, said the league had sought the views of all 16 clubs and all clubs had unanimously supported the move because of the exceptional circumstances.
"I think the whole football world is united in support of Adam’s continuing battle and this decision allows him to concentrate on his recovery," Anderson said.
At 19, Ramanauskas was the youngest member of the Bombers' 2000 premiership line-up, but his promising career was put on hold in 2003 when he was diagnosed with a rare, congenital condition - fibromatosis - which produces aggressive, non-malignant tumours.
He was able to resume his career after surgery to his neck and shoulder, despite a recurrence of the cancer later that year.
A knee reconstruction kept him sidelined for the 2005 season and he was on track to resume playing in 2006 when he announced in February this year that new tumours had been found and that he would be standing down from the game indefinitely while undergoing treatment.