Leo Lombard

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Leo Lombard
Lombard in March 2026
Personal information
Full name Leonardo Lombard
Born (2006-10-05) 5 October 2006
Gold Coast, Queensland
Original teams Broadbeach (QAFL)
Gold Coast Suns Academy (Talent League)
Burleigh Bombers (QFA)
Draft No. 9, 2024 national draft
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Position Forward
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number 8
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2025– Gold Coast 19 (10)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 16, 2026.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Leonardo Lombard (born 5 October 2006) is a professional Australian rules footballer who was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick 9 in the 2024 AFL draft.[1]

Early life

Lombard was born on the Gold Coast into a family with a Cuban father and an English mother. He attended Varsity College throughout his upbringing and took part in their ASPIRE AFL excellence program with future Suns teammate Jake Rogers.[2] Lombard's father, Héctor, is a professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship[3] and a formerly competed as an Olympic judoka who represented Cuba at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. His father introduced him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at six years of age[4] and Lombard was considered a promising junior prospect years later when he claimed a gold medal at the Pan Pacific Championships in 2017 and was crowned the under-12 BJJ Australian Open champion in 2018.[5] However, Lombard and his father later became estranged and no longer have a relationship, leaving Lombard's single mother to work three jobs in order to provide for her son.[6]

Along with jiu-jitsu, Lombard began playing Australian rules football at eight years of age for the Burleigh Bombers and excelled as a junior footballer, which was rewarded with an invitation to join the Gold Coast Suns Academy at 12 years of age.[7] Lombard grew up supporting the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL.[8] He later admitted he only played football "for fun" on the side and was focused on pursuing a career in mixed martial arts, until the greater levels of development opportunities provided by the Suns Academy convinced him to quit Brazilian jiu-jitsu and chase a career in the AFL.[9] Lombard progressed his way through the Gold Coast Suns Academy junior grades earning representative honours along the way such as being selected in the 2022 U16 All-Australian team.[10] In 2023, he was selected to represent the victorious Allies team as a bottom ager in the U18 National Championships alongside future AFL teammates Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Will Graham.[11] Lombard capped off his 2023 season by taking part in the Gold Coast's VFL grand final winning side at 16 years of age.[12] He returned to the U18 National Championships a year later and was awarded the Larke Medal as the best performed Division I player in the country as well as selection in the starting U18 All-Australian team.[13]

AFL career

Lombard was drafted to his hometown AFL club, the Gold Coast Suns, when they decided to match a pick 9 bid from St Kilda at the 2024 national draft.[14] Following an early season shoulder injury setback, he made his AFL debut for the Suns at 18 years of age against Fremantle in round 12 of the 2025 AFL season[15] and became the first player of Cuban descent to compete in the AFL. He kicked a memorable goal that evoked loud cheers from the home crowd at Carrara Stadium in his first outing as an AFL player.[16]

In Opening Round of the 2026 AFL season, Lombard kicked two goals from 15 disposals to earn himself a nomination for the 2026 AFL Rising Star award.[17] In May, he extended his contract with the Suns, keeping him at the club until the end of 2030.[18]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 16, 2026.[19]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2025Gold Coast30 41211819470.30.52.82.04.81.01.80
2026Gold Coast8 159129312521840380.60.86.28.314.52.72.5
Career 19101410413323744450.50.75.57.012.52.32.40

References

  1. "Lombard joins the SUNS". Gold Coast Suns. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  2. "Our Senior ASPIRE AFL Players Kicking Goals". Varsity Life. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  3. "UFC Profiles - Hector Lombard". UFC.com. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  4. "Leo vs A 6'3 Foot Gigantic kid and 6 years older than him!". Gold Coast Suns. 2024-11-22. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. "BJJ Spring Australian Open 2018". BJJAO Smoothcamp. 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. "Former coach reveals Leo Lombard's rise from Burleigh Bombers to Gold Coast Suns". goldcoast.com.au. 2025-05-28. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  7. "Gold Coast Suns draftee Leo Lombard drops profanity live on TV moments after being picked". Wide World of Sports. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  8. "Suns set to unleash another Academy graduate". AFL.com.au. 2025-05-27. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  9. "Inside Leo Lombard's Gold Coast Suns rise". Code Sports. 2024-11-19. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  10. "2022 NAB AFL National Development Championships U16 Boys All-Australian Team". AFL.com.au. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  11. "Academy prospects make Allies history". goldcoastfc.com.au. 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  12. "SUNS make history with first premiership". goldcoastfc.com.au. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  13. "Allies gun, Vic Country mid tie for Larke Medal". AFL.com.au. 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  14. Smith, Martin (2024-11-21). "AFL draft gets X-rated with Gold Coast player Leo Lombard forgetting his place". 7News. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  15. "Shoulder issue sidelines first-year Sun for season start". afl.com.au. 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  16. Whiting, Michael (2025-06-02). "From rehab to rapture, Sun's 'surreal' moment in long-awaited debut". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  17. Whiting, Michael. "Sun shines bright to win first Rising Star nod of the season". afl.com.au. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  18. Whiting, Michael (13 May 2026). "Suns lock away Academy graduate on new three-year deal". AFL.com.au.
  19. "Leo Lombard". AFL Tables. Retrieved 29 June 2026.