Raiders stars turned real-estate agents help former teammate offload home

When retirement beckons, the contingency plan for NRL players starts to take shape.

Construction, finance and teaching jobs are all popular options, but after travelling the country for years, it’s sometimes a role in property that beckons.

For Canberra Raiders legend Alan Tongue, who called time in a 220 game career in 2011, a new venture as a real estate agent has now led he and other teammates down memory lane.

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Raiders player Tongue played his entire career in Canberra before retiring in 2011. Picture: AAP Image/Action Photographics/Robb Cox.

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The 44-year-old this year moved to become a real estate agent with friend and mentor Troy Thompson. Picture: Kym Smith

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Tongue is now working alongside his former teammate, now mentor, Troy Thompson out of LJ Hooker Gungahlin, where they’ve now been entrusted by another Canberra old boy Jarrod Croker with the sale of his family home.

Croker, a former Raiders captain and the third most capped player in the club’s history, turned to old friends as his four-bedroom property in Giralang looks set for auction.

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Thompson played the majority of his career with Canberra before a short stint in Melbourne.

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Thompson is now a real estate agent for LJ Hooker.

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The 812 sqm property was only a single level when he originally purchased it in 2014, but has been fully renovated to feature multiple living areas, home office, a home theatre and entertainment areas.

A collection of Croker’s match balls, jerseys and memorabilia are also prominently displayed.

The location is a short drive to the main city with local shops. The Gungahlin town centre is around the corner.

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The duo have been entrusted by former Raider Jarrod Croker with selling his Giralang home.

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Crokers’ family home features multiple entertaining areas and a collection of memorabilia from his playing days.

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Mr Thompson said Croker’s move to the next chapter of his life has led him to the sale.

“There is a good demand for these types of properties. Giralang is becoming more and more

central to Canberra; it has great elevated views and is close to everything you need,”

Thompson said.

Croker purchased the home in 2014 as a single story house before renovating.

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Croker, through his old teammates, will be selling the property at auction.

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Tongue and Thompson aren’t the only duo who have traded tackling on the field for tackling the real estate market.

Former Tigers fullback Tim Moltzen has made a career as a buyers agent since retiring in 2016, Cowboys premiership winner Lachlan Coote is now a sales agent in North Queensland, and Broderick Wright works as a director and auctioneer at Ray White Parramatta, to name a few.

Croker, like Tongue, played his entire NRL career in the nation’s capital and remains part of the club’s goalkicking coaching staff. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images.

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Croker and his family are “moving onto the next chapter” as they look to offload the property. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jonathan Ng

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Croker meanwhile, has remained as a goal kicking coach at Canberra post-retirement, where he played the entirety of his 15-year career, alongside Thompson and Tongue.

“Jarrod is a club icon. There are only three people in our club’s history who have played 300

games for the Raiders, and he is super loved in the community,” Tongue said.

“He was the captain in the 2019 Grand Final and just an all-round great guy and Canberran

as well as a Canberra Raider. I think there will be a lot of interest in the property and, really,

you are rubbing hands with rugby league royalty.”

Croker’s home is set for auction on Saturday 27 September.