Lovell made his league debut in Collingwood's 1981 Preliminary Final win, coming off the interchange bench when Ross Brewer injured his ankle.[1] This made him the first VFL player from any club since Len Thompson in 1965 to make his debut in a preliminary final. Recruited from Preston RSL, Lovell was again playing off the interchange bench in the 1981 VFL Grand Final and experienced his first loss.[2][3]
He played the first seven rounds in 1982 but struggled to get a game over the next two seasons and finished his career with a stint at Richmond.
References
^The Age, "Brewer is unlikely", 21 September 1981, p. 32