Essendon has selected Next Generation Academy and James Hird Academy member Lachlan Johnson with its final pick of the NAB AFL Draft on Thursday night.

Johnson – a son of three-time Brisbane premiership defender Chris Johnson who was eligible to be selected by the Lions – was selected with pick No. 63 and is a versatile and athletic player with an appetite for the contest.

A significant knee injury suffered playing for Scotch College unfortunately cut Johnson’s season short, but not before the young gun impressed in five games with the Oakleigh Chargers where he averaged 15.2 disposals, seven contested possessions and 7.2 tackles in a strong display of his talent.

Club general manager of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro was excited to hang on to the promising youngster, who will be added to Essendon's inactive list for the 2020 season as he recovers from the knee reconstruction. 

"This is a great story for us. He was a guaranteed father-son (selection) with the Brisbane Lions if he went through to the rookie draft tomorrow. Our strategy was to take him with our last pick," Dodoro said on Thursday.

"He has got a knee issue, so he won’t play in 2020, but he’ll go on our inactive list and we’ll replace him in the next few weeks – we’ll have a look at a number of players."

Dodoro has high hopes for Johnson and said you can find many similarities between the draftee and his legendary father. 

"It’s fantastic, he’s been on our doorstep living basically up the road.

"He’s the son of an absolute legend in Chris Johnson – a hall of famer with the Brisbane Lions Football Club – and he’s very much cut from the same cloth; he’s tough, he just gets it and we know once he gets an engine he is going to be a fabulous AFL player."

LACHLAN JOHNSON
Club – Oakleigh Chargers
Height – 176cm
Weight – 74kg

NAB League stats
Games – 5
Average disposals – 15.2
Average tackles – 7.2
Average contested possessions – 7

This news is brought to you by Orchard HRO, the club's official recruitment and list management partner.