The long road to the big time for Collingwood SSP signing Lachie Sullivan

Lachie Sullivan has been toiling away in the VFL for the past six years at Footscray, but has finally hit the big time after Collingwood awarded him the change to crack into the AFL.

Lachie Sullivan of the Magpies has been given a lifeline in the AFL after six years in the VFL with Footscray. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images.

Collingwood signing Lachie Sullivan says he is ready to play a role for the Magpies this season after finally receiving an AFL opportunity following years of draft heartbreak.

The 26-year-old was one of three players to be secured by the Magpies through the Supplementary Selection Period (SSP) last week, alongside former St Kilda midfielder Jack Bytel and former Essendon-listed tall Josh Eyre.

A hard-nosed onballer who is described as a “running machine”, Sullivan had spent the past six years with Footscray in the VFL and earned Team of the Year honours in the state league in 2022 and 2023.

Sullivan said he was left “pretty flat” after again being overlooked in the national and rookie drafts last November, but jumped at an opportunity to spend the summer training with Collingwood.

“You’ve just got to keep going and get over the disappointment of not getting picked up. Keep driving towards your dream,” Sullivan said.

“(Collingwood is) a very system-based team. They’re not looking for something special. They’re just looking for a bloke who can play their role.”

Lachie Sullivan of the Magpies has been given a lifeline in the AFL after six years in the VFL with Footscray. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images.

Sullivan said his family and friends supported him to not give up on his AFL dream and he had wanted to prove them right that he had what it took to make the grade.

“They always told me to keep going and told me that I was getting closer,” he said.

“You just want to do it for them and prove them right, I guess. It’s not about proving people wrong, it’s about proving them right.”

Bytel, 23, was delisted by St Kilda at the end of last year after 22 games across five seasons including six appearances in 2023.

He had been contemplating a career in carpentry post-football, but believed he had more to give at AFL level and has worked on becoming a more flexible player over the off-season.

“In my time at St Kilda I was pretty one-dimensional and played inside mid a fair bit,” Bytel said.

“(I) just tried to embrace a different position and getting thrown around.”

Bytel said he could he had been “learning all different positions” and could end up featuring on a wing, across half-forward or through the midfield this year.

Eyre – who was on Essendon’s list in 2021 and 2022 but didn’t crack a senior game – was signed on despite suffering a hamstring tendon injury earlier this month which required surgery.

Eyre, 21, said he thought the injury blow would derail his chances of earning a list spot but he hoped to be back in full training in late April to push his case for a game down back.

“I got told it (the injury) wouldn’t affect the decision but I really thought it would,” Eyre said.

“Then to show all the faith in me, it means a lot.

“I still have a lot of free time to play in the year.”