What Will He Bring: Will Lewis

Just as the Western Bulldogs fans had finalised memorising the playing list for the 2026 seasons and the changes that had been made over the summer, a February curveball was thrown when it was announced that James Harmes had suddenly announced his retirement from the game.

Already on leave due to personal issues, Harmes’ retirement opened a spot on the Bulldogs’ list to add a new player via the Supplemental Selection Period. While several players tried up for that final spot, the Bulldogs eventually made the call to add key forward Will Lewis to its ranks; a man already familiar with both the inside of the club’s four walls, and more recently, winning.

THE PLAYER:

Name: Will Lewis Height: 194cm Position: Key Forward Club: Footscray VFL/Old Brighton

WHAT THEY SAID:

"It's a great story of perseverance for Will and another representation of the positive impact our VFL program continues to have on the development of our players.

"He has put together consistent seasons with the support of people like Stewart Edge and Alex Johnson, readying him for the next step in his football journey.

"Will has great competitive attributes and an ability to genuinely impact games and will be a good strong character for our locker room." - Player Acquisition and Strategy Manager Michael Regan

2025 SEASON:

Lewis was a very busy key forward last year, splitting up his time at two different clubs across the year. Most Bulldogs fans will already know of his exploits at Footscray, where he was a mainstay throughout last season. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the Bulldogs attack, Lewis led the club’s goalkicking with 40.24 in 19 games, finishing 8^th overall in the Frosty Miller Medal as Footscray secured a memorable Premiership. Lewis was a crucial component of the Bulldogs’ forward setup on the day, kicking two goals in a 10-point win. But his best performance for the year came the week prior in the Preliminary Final, where he booted 5.3 from 11 disposals as Footscray easily accounted for Box Hill.

But it wasn’t just in the VFL where Lewis was making his mark.

When he wasn’t playing for Footscray, he was turning out for Old Brighton in the VAFA Premier A Division. In just five games, he kicked 29 goals, including a 10-goal haul against De La Salle in Round 8. He also returned in time for the Grand Final, just five days after he saluted with Footscray, kicking four goals and winning the medal for best on ground as Old Brighton won their first Premier A Premiership since joining the VAFA in 1957.

WHAT WILL HE BRING:

Rusted-on Footscray fans will already know all about what Lewis brings to the table as a footballer, having watched him feature regularly at VFL level last season, and even keen Bulldogs observers have already seen him in action this year, when he was named in the squad for February’s practice match against Sydney, recording 11 disposals, two marks and two goals according to the unofficial statisticians on the day.

For all the standout numbers that surround Lewis, he does possess a few unique traits that will see him be a point of difference on the Bulldogs list. For example, despite his strong scoring record at both VFL and VAFA level, he is adept enough at both ends of the ground. This was even on display in the practice match against Sydney, where he used down in defence at times after starting and finishing the match in the forward line. While the Bulldogs’ defence does have a lot of tall options that they can deploy down back, with Rory Lobb, James O’Donnell and Buku Khamis being used there already this year, with Jedd Busslinger and Louis Emmett waiting in the wings, Lewis at least provides enough option for Luke Beveridge should the defence be stretched enough mid-game that changes are required, and his hard-working desire to help out in defence will also prove invaluable when pitted against taller opposition.

The other unique part of Lewis’ game is that, despite standing at 194cm, his abilities in the air are not as strong as you might think. Averaging just 2.4 marks at VFL level last year, Lewis proved to be more effective at ground level rather than the commanding aerial presence that Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton often prove to be.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of the great features both Darcy and Naughton possess is their ability to remain in the contest even once the ball hits the ground, and Lewis has similar capabilities. He is a very competitive presence and is skilful enough below his knees despite his stature, meaning that with this, combined with his hard running, he’ll prove to be a difficult matchup, capable of matching it with a taller opponent in the air, but also keeping up with a smaller opponent around the ground. What’s more, Lewis is generally good enough to use those skills to good effect on the scoreboard; across his time for both Footscray and Old Brighton last year, he kicked a combined 69.37 – an accuracy of 65%. For context, Darcy and Naughton went at 69% and 68% respectively in 2025. Should he get an opportunity inside 50, be it in general play or from the set shot, expect it to go through the middle.