Luke Willian’s first love was AFL, but he found his niche in triathlon

IN HIS backyard fairytale, Luke Willian joined the Brisbane Lions’ Fab Four to kick them to premiership glory — but it’s the Gold Coast rather than the Gabba that holds the key to Willian’s sporting dreams.

Luke Willian at the 2018 Burleigh Swim Run. Picture credit: Korupt Vision.

IN his backyard fairytale, Luke Willian joined the Brisbane Lions’ Fab Four to kick them to premiership glory.

But it’s the Gold Coast rather than the Gabba that holds the key to Willian’s sporting dreams as he prepares for the opening day of competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Willian will compete in triathlon on the opening day of competition at the Gold Coast Games on April 5 after being named to make his senior Australian debut and fulfil a childhood dream.

The 21-year-old eventually found his niche in triathlon, but his first love was footy and his backyard dreams revolved around making the big play in the clutch situation.

“I always wanted to represent Australia — whenever I was a little kid, I’d always kick around the footy and be like ‘This for the win’,” he said.

The Kangaroos and Wallabies seem like a fit for a Queensland kid dreaming of representing Australia.

Luke Willian’s first love was AFL but he found his niche in triathlon. Picture: Korupt Vision.

But AFL is Willian’s go and with the Lions dominating the competition in his formative years, following in their footsteps was his early goal.

“I liked to think I was Simon Black (playing for Brisbane),” he said of the silky skilled Brownlow Medallist who was an integral part of Brisbane’s domination in the early 2000s.

Triathlon eventually became Willian’s passion though and he returns to the scene of one of his greatest victories next weekend at the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup.

Willian heads to Mooloolaba as the defending champion and while that was a great result in itself, it earnt him Australia’s final spot at the World Triathlon Series event on the Gold Coast — and a chance at automatic selection for the Commonwealth Games.

That would eventually go to Jake Birtwhistle, who finished in fifth place and sealed his place at the Games as the first Australian home.

Australian Commonwealth Games men’s triathlon representatives Luke Willian and Jake Birtwhistle. Picture: Jerad Williams

But Willian’s effort to cross in sixth, just behind Birtwhistle — the man regarded as a medal threat on the Gold Coast — impressed selectors enough for Willian to be named on the Games team.

“(Representing Australia) was always definitely a goal and then finding a sport that I really loved made it even more special,” he said.

“And it’s great just being on the Gold Coast — it means my friends and family can all come down and that’s very rare that they get the opportunity to do that because often I’m overseas racing and never at this level.”

Birtwhistle is regarded as one of the best runners in world triathlon — and Willian, also the world under-23 bronze medallist last year, is not far behind.

“It is nice to know (I’m not far away from him) and it always makes you push just that little bit more because you want to be the best,” he said.

“It’s good that we’re racing against the best here, so it’s going to be really exciting and a real opportunity to do that.”

Originally published as Luke Willian’s first love was AFL, but he found his niche in triathlon