Tos to retire as Borough great
By Borough Media on October 14, 2022
Tom ‘Tos’ O’Sullivan has called time on his incredible 10-year VFL career.
The 2017 premiership player, 152-game captain has announced the news to teammates today, thanking the club for giving him the opportunity and all the mates he has made along the way.
“My time at the club as a player has come to an end, not a decision I’ve made lightly. It’s an exciting time for myself ahead with the opportunity in my work life presenting itself. It’s time for me to give that my full attention going forward,” he said.
“It’s been building each year with my work commitments outside of the club and the level of commitment be the best player I can be is not to the level I need it to be.
“The club is in a great place with the leadership group that I had behind me, ready to take control and make it their own.
“To everyone and I mean everyone, thank you so much for making my time at the club so enjoyable and the memories I have are endless. I won’t be a stranger around the place, so you will still see me and I don’t think I could just cut off cold even if you wanted me to.”
Making his VFL debut in 2013 for the Port Melbourne Football Club, O’Sullivan has thrived at the Borough from the beginning.
Recruited from the Sandringham Dragons / Caulfield Grammarians, he went on to play 152 VFL games over 9 seasons (10-years, 2020 season excluded due to cancellation) all for Port Melbourne.
O’Sullivan embodied what it meant to be a Port Melbourne player, embracing the history and culture from the start, to what he credited his longevity for.
“You will struggle to find anyone that has been more invested and puts their heart and soul into making this football club the best it can be,” says Football Manager, Glenn Balmforth.
In just his second season, O’Sullivan was awarded the 2014 Most Improved accolade and grew from strength to strength from there.
2017 saw a VFL premiership to his name, third in the club’s Best and Fairest and awarded Most Consistent. Within the same year, he also represented Victoria in a match against Western Australia and was named the Frank Johnson Medallist (Best on Ground in State Game) with 28 possessions and a goal.
O’Sullivan captained the side from 2019-2022 and was last week awarded Best Club Person in the 2022 VFL / VFLW Port Melbourne FC Best and Fairest.
“We are in no doubt that Tos leaves Port Melbourne in a much better place than when he started and everyone at the club will be forever grateful for the significant contribution he has made.
“We thank Tos for everything he has given and we wish him all the best in the next phase of his life,” says Balmforth.
Forever a Borough.
