Eagles midfielder Scott Lewis to make his 200th SANFL league appearance

Woodville-West Torrens midfielder Scott Lewis will achieve a significant milestone on Saturday, 10 years after being rejected by a rival club.

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Veteran Woodville-West Torrens midfielder Scott Lewis has played 174 league games for the Eagles since being told by South Adelaide he was too old and did not fit into its structure.

Lewis was ready to sign on the dotted line for the Panthers, having toured their clubrooms with then coach Clay Sampson and shaken plenty of hands.

But his football career was to head in a different direction when Sampson was sacked at the end of the 2009 season and Ron Fuller took on the job.

Lewis had approached the Panthers on the recommendation of current Adelaide midfield coach Michael Godden, who was then in charge of the Glenelg reserves and a friend of Sampson.

Woodville-West Torrens’ Scott Lewis and Norwood’s Cole Gerloff. Picture: Sarah Reed

The Tigers were not an option. The Loxton product had already spent two years at Brighton Road after playing his junior football with West Adelaide and struggling to break into the league side with the Bloods.

But just four league appearances with the Tigers prompted him to take his game to South Clare for a season playing alongside his brother Richard.

Godden had worked with Lewis at the Bloods and Tigers, where he earned the reserves Magarey Medal, and he enticed the onballer to the Eagles when he took the head coaching role in 2010.

“I never thought I would make 50 games, I did not think I would make a full season when I first started,” said Lewis, who will make his 200th league appearance in the clash against Sturt at Unley Oval on Saturday.

“When I was young I wanted to play consistent league footy, it did not happen at Westies or the Bays. I wanted one good year at the Eagles and then I’d be happy. Godsy took me under his wing.”

This will probably be his final season. His wife Kate had their first baby Hazel three weeks ago and he admits it has changed the way he has looked at life.

He had considered retirement last year, only to have his motivation fuelled by the controversial preliminary final loss to North Adelaide and the 19th man drama.

“I did not want to end my footy on what happened last year,” said Lewis, a premiership player with the Eagles in 2011. “I want to try and rectify that.”

The Eagles will be aiming to maintain an incredible winning streak at Unley Oval, having won their past 11 games at the ground.