Port Pirie youngster playing with the big boys | Thebigtip

Australian kids everywhere dream of making it to the AFL one day and playing alongside their heroes.  This dream is ever so close to being a reality for Lewis Johnston.

Taken at pick number 12 by the Sydney Swans in the 2008 National Draft, Lewis is now training with the likes of Adam Goodes, Daniel Bradshaw, Jude Bolton and Brett Kirk.

The AFL is a far cry from this talented young man’s humble beginnings. In his first year of playing footy for his school, St Marks College in Port Pirie, Lewis wasn’t even allowed to play because he was deemed too young for the under 11’s. He still trained with the older kids, just to get a taste of footy.

A strong competitive streak is what drew Lewis to footy. He said “I have always wanted to win and that is more than likely why I started playing footy”.

Lewis started his career at Port in the juniors on a Monday night against his old club St Marks. It is that night he remembers pulling on his number 23 guernsey, the same number that he wears for Sydney, for the first time.

After a strong junior career at Port Lewis began to play more games with North Adelaide, the SANFL club to which the Spencer Gulf Football League is zoned.  Until that point, Lewis rated his dad as his biggest influence. 

This changed when he was selected to travel with the All Australian under 16 squad to South Africa, under the guidance of Nathan Buckley and Jason McCartney. “I liked football but I never saw myself playing AFL until I made the All-Australian team and then learning from Nathan and Jason the penny dropped” Lewis said.

The South African trip was a real eye opener for Lewis. “It was a great experience going to South Africa and something that I will always remember for the rest of my life, just knowing how lucky we are to have a home and a family” he said.

“Visiting AIDS villages and the less fortunate regions of Johannesburg really made me feel guilty for how much we take for granted”.

After representing South Australia in the national under 18 championships and making the u18s All-Australian team, the possibility of being drafted really sank in for Lewis. “Receiving letters from 15 of the 16 clubs it really looked promising and that’s when I kind of knew it was possible”.

When he first got the call that he was going to the Swans, Lewis said he “didn’t know what was going on because I thought it was a dream”.

“I wanted to stay in Adelaide at first so I was a little devastated when the Crows didn’t take me with pick 10, but I was just excited to be drafted and was looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Now that he is settled in Sydney, Lewis said “it’s amazing how hard you need to train to be one of the best in the AFL, just with the intensity, mental toughness and professionalism”.

He looks up to experienced key forward Daniel Bradshaw most at the Swans. “I get along very well with him” Lewis said. 

“We play a similar kind of role and he helps me out with leading pattern, body work and other little things to beat my opponents”.

Lewis hasn’t ruled out a return to Port once his career in the AFL has finished. “I have only ever played the one game for Port’s A grade and I would love to win a premiership with them”

For the rest of the season, Lewis just wants to get out and play a senior game. “That will remain my goal for the rest of the year. Other than that I just want to enjoy my footy and play consistent football at the same time”.

Only time will tell just how far Lewis can go with his AFL career.