Roberts-Thomson climbs AFL's stairway to heaven

By Michael Cowley
July 2, 2005

It can happen - Lewis Roberts-Thomson is living proof - it just hasn't happened that often. And that is part of the reason the AFL announced details this week of its apprenticeship scheme which will have each club in the competition take a Sydney youngster into its fold each season.

The Swans defender is one of just three players from the greater Sydney area to be picked in the national draft in the past six years, but Roberts-Thomson is also one of a rare breed: he's a Sydney-bred teenager who opted for Australian football rather than either of the rugby codes, despite having a future in union.

The apprenticeship scheme is the latest move by the AFL to give Sydney youngsters a pathway from junior football to the elite level, and has been widely praised throughout the game.

"Look, I think if it's going to help develop the game in Sydney it's got to be a good thing," Roberts-Thomson said this week in the lead-up to the Swans-Richmond game at the MCG today. "And hopefully, it will unearth a lot more up-and-coming players from Sydney."

Roberts-Thomson didn't get into Australian football until the age of 14. He was playing rugby then and continued with that game throughout his schooling at Shore. He was even a member of the GPS school's first XV but chose to go with the Australian game, despite no guarantees of where or how far his choice might take him.

"It was tough," he recalled of the choice of codes. "I really enjoyed my rugby when I was at school, but when I looked to the future and whether I saw myself as an Aussie rules player or a rugby player, and it came down to my body shape. I was a pretty skinny kid and the AFL game suited better than the rugby.

"It is hard for the game in Sydney to compete with the two rugby codes.

"The AFL does now have pretty good development squads and the development coaches are very experienced, but if you're a kid it's still a tough decision to go with AFL rather the one of the rugby codes.

"When I was drafted [in 2001] under the developing market concession rule, there weren't too many guys playing AFL from the Sydney metropolitan area, so there was a chance I could get taken in that pick and could stay in Sydney with my family and friends, which is a big thing for a kid."

That he made the right choice is now undisputed. Roberts-Thomson debuted with the Swans in 2003 and has gone on to play 35 senior games. While injuries plagued his 2004 season, this year he has become an integral part of the team's defence and has played in 12 of the 13 games.

"The week-to-week thing is a big challenge for myself," he said. "Not only is it a new position but you've got your role within the team itself to keep your man pretty quiet, and you've got to set yourself mentally each week for a big game. You can't afford a lapse in concentration, because AFL at the highest level, the game can be decided if you make a mistake through a split-second lapse in concentration.

"I'm really enjoying playing down back. It is a tight group down there. Everyone always talks about knowing your teammates' strengths and weaknesses and helping them out whenever they need your help, and in return they will do the same. So, it's been good getting to know the guys a lot better playing down there, and it's a really strong defensive unit where everyone is dedicated to the task at hand.

"I seem to feel a lot more comfortable in defence than I was when I played up forward, and I prefer playing down back. I've been thankful for the coaches giving me a bit of game time so I can get used to the fact that I'm playing AFL footy and I'm a part of the team.

"Not having an AFL background is no excuse these days. While I'm still learning week to week and I'm enjoying that part of it, there's no excuses. AFL is a pretty hard gig and if you're not concentrating and doing the extra work, you're never going to make it in any sport."

Roberts-Thomson will be hoping the back line has the starch in it again when Sydney meet the Tigers. A Swans win would enhance their prospects of a top-four home-and-away finish.
