Footy great who was told he could die on the field shares his weight loss secrets after dropping 15kg

Former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff has opened up about the incredible weight loss effort that saw him shed nearly 15kg after being told he could die due to a shock health condition.

Rockliff, 34, played 208 AFL games, but retired in 2021 after a horror run of injuries and a health emergency.

He was restricted to a wheelchair during the season after surgery on both knees following a bad landing in a marking contest.

Just a week later, Rockliff was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis after reporting calf pain and doctors later found multiple blood clots on his lungs.

Doctors told him that he risked dying on the field if he continued playing, so Rockliff called time on his footy career and pursued a new line of work as a commercial finance broker after spending some time as a commenator.

After Rockliff hung up the footy boots he noticed he was packing on the pounds and earlier this year he decided to do something about it.

'Start of 2024, I decided to make a change to my physical and mental health,' he posted on X alongside photos of his dramatic weight loss. 

'I looked in the mirror and was disappointed in myself. I decided to make some changes.'

Rockliff went on to explain that he started exercising a lot more, drinking less alcohol and watching his diet.

'I was eating too much and not burning it,' he wrote.

He was 103.2kg at the start of the year, and he's now down to 89.9kg.

Rockliff answered questions from followers in the comment section, including posting the exercise routine he does six times per week.

The former footy star has also announced that he will be doing a push-up challenge to raise awareness for mental health in Australia.

He will be doing 3,249 push-ups in 24 days - as 3,249 is the number of people who died by suicide down under in 2022.

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