Statewide Super League Top 50 – No.13

By ZAC MILBANK

Moving Lewis Johnston into the midfield has proven to be a masterstroke by Norwood coach Jarrod Cotton.

Previously pigeon-holed as a lead-up forward, Johnston has thrived playing mainly off a wing since his shift at the start of the 2018 season.

Last year, the former Crow continued to thrive further up the ground as he averaged more than 28 disposals per game at 84 per cent efficiency.

The 29-year-old tallied the third-most disposals in the Statewide Super League behind Sturt’s Sam Colquhoun and Central’s Travis Schiller en route to placing equal third in the 2019 Michael Taylor Medal for Norwood’s best-and-fairest.

Measuring in at 194cm and 93kg, Johnston is an extremely difficult match-up on the wing, the position he was chosen to start in for the 2019 The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year.

The Port Pirie product is an outstanding kick of the football, both with his precision and length while also knowing where the goals are from his days as a key figure inside 50m.

Johnston could be in for another significant campaign in 2020, particularly if most of the opposition’s midfield attention focuses on star Redlegs recruits Ryan Bastinac and Richard Douglas.

Selected by SANFL Media Producer Zac Milbank, the 2020 Statewide Super League Top 50 is being unveiled one player at a time on the League’s website and social media channels.

For incumbent SANFL players, form across the 2019 season was used as a significant factor in the selection process, with selection in The Advertiser Team of the Year, West End State squad, club leadership group and placings in club best-and-fairest weighing heavily.

This is to ensure there is meaningful movement of player rankings between each year’s Top 50 list at the start and end of the season.

Recruits to the Statewide Super League for 2020 have also been included, with significant AFL experience, performance at State League level and their predicted impact proving critical in deciding the order of players.

13 – Lewis Johnston (Norwood)
14 – James Battersby (Sturt)
15 – Zane Kirkwood (Sturt)
16 – Max Proud (Glenelg)
17 – Andrew Moore (North)
18 – Luke Reynolds (Glenelg)
19 – Abe Davis (Sturt)
20 – Tyson Goldsack (Port)
21 – Jarred Allmond (North)
22 – Marlon Motlop (Glenelg)
23 – Kaine Stevens (West)
24 – Matthew Snook (Glenelg)
25 – Travis Schiller (Central)
26 – Billy Stretch (Glenelg)
27 – Joseph Haines (South)
28 – Brad McKenzie (Norwood)
29 – Matthew Rose (South)
30 – James Rowe (Eagles)
31 – Dom Barry (Norwood)
32 – Justin Hoskin (Central)
33 – Harrison Wigg (North)
34 – Matthew Allen (Glenelg)
35 – Troy Menzel (Central)
36 – Mitch Grigg (Norwood)
37 – Jack Hayes (Eagles)
38 – James Rose (South)
39 – Robbie Young (North)
40 – Andrew Bradley (Glenelg)
41 – Tom Schwarz (North)
42 – Matthew Panos (Norwood)
43 – Brad Agnew (Glenelg)
44 – Cole Gerloff (Norwood)
45 – Matthew Wright (Adelaide)
46 – Dean Gore (Sturt)
47 – Tom Keough (West)
48 – Jesse Lonergan (Eagles)
49 – Alex Spina (North)
50 – Logan Hill (West)