West Coast premiership player Will Schofield shared his own story and spoke to three fellow players - Eagles Tom Cole and Tom Barrass, plus Geelong’s Tom Hawkins - about losing a parent during their AFL careers. 

Eagles Will, Tom and Tom lost their fathers John, Russell and Tony, respectively.

Schofield: “It’s the phone call that anyone who’s lost a parent remembers.

“Living on the other side of the country, my phone rang at 2am. It was my eldest brother, Jase. Dad had passed away.

“Having flown home to Victoria the previous day from a month-long trip in Perth, he suffered a fatal heart attack as he slept in bed next to Mum. John Schofield, my father, was 65.

"I was just 23 when he passed on April 17, 2012. The first game after Dad’s passing was in his honour. The second, the one against Richmond, was in his style.

“Midway through the game, down the fat side of the ground on an attacking run for goals, my opponent, Jack Riewoldt, checked my run by pulling my jumper.

“Unfortunately for Jack, he didn’t know I was playing with the power of two men that day. A swinging arm connected quite well with his midriff. Riewoldt was throwing up before he even got to the bench.” 

Cole: “Simmo came to Bendigo to visit Dad. Because Dad was in the last few days before he passed, he told him that I was going to play round 1.

"That was probably the last time Dad could comprehend what was being said and could respond to him. That was basically the last time he smiled, so it was pretty special. It was good of Simmo.” 

Barrass: “I do miss him, and I wish I had him to talk to and give me some fatherly advice. Because you do need that.

"There’s all these weird, crazy experiences and concepts that you just don’t know about before you have a kid and I’d love to pick his brains about some of them.”

Read the full story at codesports.com.au https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/will-schofield-and-three-fellow-afl-players-share-stories-of-playing-on-after-losing-a-parent/news-story/283565087e8eb6c1f62dc9bb1e6f0a39