Students and staff at St Peter's Lutheran School were treated to a visit by two Western Bulldogs AFL players on Tuesday morning and enjoyed the rare opportunity to hold the 2016 AFL Premiership Cup.

Mitch Wallis and Lewis Young spent over an hour at St Peter's talking with the students, answering their questions and giving an insight into life as an AFL player.

Both players spoke openly on a number of topics, including training, travel and diet as an elite athlete. They also touched on the importance of a good education and their need to prepare for a career beyond football.

Wallis explained that the experience of being involved with the premier team last season and the opportunity to be part of the club's attempt to win back to back premierships this season as highlights of his career to date.

"It was so important to win last year and then get around to the loyal supporters who had been through the highs and lows, the thick and thin.

"We have done a lot of days where we take the premiership cup around to different… towns. To see some of the looks on the old supporters' faces and to see how many people we did touch. It was a great feeling; was the most satisfying feeling out of the whole premiership carnival."

The Bulldogs signed items for the students and staff, some of whom were more excited than the students, and then had a kick of the football before the unexpected visit by the 2016 AFL Premiership Cup, with each student then having the opportunity to hold it and have their picture taken with it.


St Peter's Lutheran School students and staff with Western Bulldogs' players Lewis Young and Mitch Wallis, with the 2016 AFL Premiership Cup.

Mitch Wallis, a veteran of 93 AFL games, came to the Bulldogs through he Father-Son rule after his father, Stephen Wallis, played 261 games with Footscray between 1983 and 1996. Mitch unfortunately suffered a broken leg towards the end of last season and was not able to play in their winning grand final team.

Lewis Young is yet to make his AFL debut as he has only just been selected by the Bulldogs in the National Draft, and is eagerly looking forward to helping the club attempt to win back to back premierships this season.

Below - Two players from the Western Bulldogs also visited Dimboola Primary School at the same time, conducting a similar session with students there including showing off the premiership cup. Photo by C. Johnson.