Brett Lovett

DOB: 20 May, 1966
Debut: Round 14, 1986 against Fitzroy at Waverley
Last Game: Round 19, 1997 against Western Bulldogs at Princes Park

Games: 235
Goals: 48
Career Statistics (external link)

Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %
121	1	113	51.48

From: Inverloch/Hawthorn U19's

Number: 50 1986, 17 1987-1997

Honours
Grand Final player - 1988
Victorian state player - 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 (6 games)

A former Victorian Teal Cup player, Lovett was originally recruited by Hawthorn and captained their Under 17 scholarship squad. He played more than 60 reserves game, and a night series for the Hawks in 1985, but never managed to play senior footy and had to wait until he joined the Demons to get his opportunity. His opportunity came when the president of his old side Inverloch - who just happened to be a Demons fanatic and friend of then GM Ray Manley - convinced Melbourne to let him do a pre-season with them and he impressed his way into a spot on the list.

Lovett played just twelve seconds games at Melbourne before breaking into the side but after waiting so long to play senior football his debut was inauspicious, suffering a broken jaw from an accidental collision with Lion Leon Harris. Lovett bounced back though, and two years later he was playing state football for Victoria.

Reserves coach Greg Wells, and John Northey had come up with the idea of moving Lovett into defence and the move was a big hit. He spent more than a decade playing on the half-back line for the Demons and was renowned as one of the side's most consistent players. He was runner-up in the 1988 Best and Fairest, and best on ground in that year's losing Grand Final. Lovett was also named on the half-back flank of the VFL/AFL team of the year in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

In 1990, a year when he was appointed Vice-Captain, Lovett could have won the Brownlow Medal. Having moved into the midfield successfully he was just three votes shy of Tony Liberatore going into the last game he might have picked up maximum votes but he didn't and the Bulldog took the medal home.

After that success the early years of the 1990's were a disappointment for Lovett as he suffered from injuries and was down on his best. He bounced back in 1993 and 1994 to cement his place. His output dropped again in 1995 and it looked as if his career was coming to an end, but he bounced back with an improved 1996.

Lovett officially retired from football on May 27, 1998 when it became clear he would be unable to play again due to a chronic pelvic injury. In 1999 he took a coaching job at Wonthaggi.

After a brief stint with the Demons as a specialist coach, Lovett captain/coached Wonthaggi for three seasons before spending six years leading Frankston in the VFL. His coaching reign came to an end after the 2008 season when the Dolphins lost a heartbreaking final to Williamstown. He returned to the VFL as coach of Sandringham in 2011, having spent two years away from coaching, before returning to the Demon fold as coach of Casey Scorpions in 2012.

Contrary to popular belief Lovett was not in any way related to his teammate of a decade Glenn Lovett. He was, however, brother-in-law to Garry Lyon