GWS star Lachie Whitfield opens up on Gary Ablett comparisons, his incredible running and his drug ban

Three-time premiership star Steve Johnson played with some talented footballers over his career, but he considers Lachie Whitfield the most skilful. The former No. 1 draft pick is proving just that in 2019.

Premiership great Steve Johnson doesn’t hesitate in declaring GWS Giants star Lachie Whitfield the most skilful footballer he’s ever played with.

“I think Stevie might have forgotten his little mate down in Geelong, Gaz Ablett,” replies Whitfield.

“I imagine he was probably the most skilful player he’s played with.”

Nope.

Johnson’s wasn’t a throwaway line. Over nearly 300 games for Geelong and GWS, he hasn’t seen a better expert at his craft than, former No. 1 draft pick Whitfield.

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“Well, I’ve played with some pretty skilful players over the journey, but I think he’s the most,” Johnson said on Channel 7.

“Yep. He can kick right foot, left foot, even that little underground under the smother kick.

“He can kick across the body, off the side of the boot. He’s incredible.

“Not only that, he is an elite decision-maker.”

And the stats back up Stevie J’s Giant claim.

Heading into GWS’s acid test against Geelong on Saturday, Whitfield has 105 disposals, No. 2 in the AFL behind Lachie Neale.

Lachie Whitfield dashes through the middle against West Coast. Picture: AAP

The midfielder has 68 kicks and 2178 metres gained and on both counts he is No. 1 in the game.

This is only round four, but that’s Brownlow type form.

What makes the 22-year-old so reliable is nothing he does on the football field has come by accident.

When he was a teenager he quit school footy for a year, much to the ire of his coach, to concentrate on cross country running. It’s no coincidence he is rated the No. 1 runner in the AFL and clocks up to 16km a game, given more time on ground than any other Giant.

Whitfield spent hours of his childhood down at the local park in Mt Martha, Victoria, kicking the ball back and forth with his father, and by age 12, he was as adept off his left as he was his natural right foot.

When inside, he’d bundle a pair of socks together to save the mirrors he would aim at around the house.

He got so good, it was too good for dad’s liking.

“Dad always said to me, if you run it on your left side kick it on your left and vice versa on your right. I didn’t really have a favoured side,” says Whitfield.

“But I remember when I was under 12s and I was really trying hard to get my left foot right, I took a set shot for goal on my left foot from about 30 out straight in front and kicked it. “Dad was coach, and pulled me to the bench and said if I do that again, I won’t play. I think he thought I was trying to show off.

“I just thought kicking was the most important area of AFL footy. If you can’t kick you probably struggle to make the top leagues so (I) spent hours kicking with my old man.”

That same ground at Mt Martha now has a wing named after him.

Last year, the Giants switched Whitfield to the halfback line to replace his injured best mate, Zac Williams.

Whitfield replaced teammate Zac Williams in defence after he went down with injury in 2018. Picture: Getty

By season’s end, Whitfield — a midfielder his entire life — was all-Australian in his new position.

“I loved it. Just a bit of a change up is pretty refreshing,” he said.

Williams comes off contract at the end of next year, but he now describes Melbourne as “a good place to visit.”

“Sydney is home.”

The support the Giants gave Whitfield during his infamous drug scandal in 2016, has forged a loyal bond.

“The club did everything they possibly could for me and they made it a really easy process for me,” says Whitfield.

“My family were obviously in Melbourne so I did spend a few months of my ban back home, but at the same time that’s where all the scrutiny was. It was easier for me up in Sydney.

“Over my seven years here I’ve built up some really good relationships. The friendships is what drives the loyalty. You feel so settled among the people here, you don’t really have much of a desire to look elsewhere. Loyalty is talked about these days but I still feel like there’s a lot of loyalty up here at the Giants.”