Lewis Young excited to move to AFL premier Western Bulldogs

STURT forward Lewis Young only scraped into the national draft by 11 days and now he’s suddenly joining the AFL’s reigning premier the Western Bulldogs.

STURT forward Lewis Young only scraped into the national draft by 11 days and now he’s suddenly joining the AFL’s reigning premier the Western Bulldogs.

Young was one of only six SANFL players drafted on Friday night when the Bulldogs took him with pick No.49.

The 17-year-old doesn’t turn 18 until December 20 meaning he was one of the youngest players in this year’s draft pool but that didn’t deter the Dogs.

The athletic 197cm forward/ruckman spent Saturday saying goodbye to his grandparents at Goolwa before preparing to fly to Melbourne to start pre-season training.

Sturt’s Lewis Young is off to the Western Bulldogs. Picture Sarah Reed

Young played under-18s, reserves and made one league appearance for Sturt this season and impressed with his test results at the draft screening.

“I’m stoked, I couldn’t think of a better club than the Bulldogs,” he said.

“The reigning premier and they have a good young core so I’m really excited to get started.

“I just wanted to get into the AFL and when I heard the Bulldogs at pick 49 (I was hopeful) because they were a club I’d been talking to a bit.”

SANFL talent manager Brenton Phillips said Young had a lot of potential which the Bulldogs clearly liked.

“He played one national (championships) game against Vic Country and he’s a developing young man,” Phillips said.

“In terms of his football maturity and development he’s still what we classify as a baby so he’s got a fair bit of upside to him.

“He tested athletically really well at the combine so that’s what the Bulldogs saw in him, so it was a really good story, they’re the ones you like to see get across the line.”

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Originally published as Lewis Young excited to move to AFL premier Western Bulldogs