Lachlan Dent has played only 10 games of football but has shown such promise he’s been invited to take part in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy’s elite benchmark program.

Lachlan, 17, has played basketball for Australia at Under 16 and Under 17 level, and only played his first game of football during a school gala day in his hometown of Wollongong a few months ago.

A couple of his mates then asked him to fill in for their team, the Northern Districts Tigers in the Illawarra competition, as several players were injured and they were struggling for numbers.

“So I rocked up and we were playing the team that was coming last. I played okay and kicked a couple of goals. It was heaps of fun, so I was pretty keen to keep coming back,’’ he says.

He played mostly in the midfield, loved the freedom of being able to roam around the footy field, and ended up playing 10 games including two finals.

Leigh Forsyth, who is a Swans Academy coach and also coach of the Northern Tigers seniors, recommended Lachlan be given a chance to trial with the Academy.

Dent is taking part in the five-week summer benchmark fitness and skills program, which started in early November and runs until mid-December.

The benchmark program is for players aged 16 to 19 considered to be the Academy’s top prospects. Lachlan has been included as part of an “alternative talent’’ group who have excelled in other sports.

While it might seem a sudden switch of sports, he says he’s long harboured the thought of having a go at footy.

“I’ve been a big fan of the game for a few years. I played in the national basketball championships down in Geelong in 2014 and I fell in love with the game and the Cats,’’ Lachlan says.

“I’d been thinking about playing for a few years because I like the fact that footy is physically demanding, and it’s played outdoors. And it’s also similar to basketball in some ways.

“But until this year I was always so busy with basketball that I didn’t have the chance to give footy a try.’’

This year he got some time to think about his sporting pathway, and was inspired by the example of Adelaide Crows player, Hugh Greenwood, who played in the 2017 AFL Grand Final.

Greenwood was a high level Australian junior basketball player who went to college in the US before making the switch to footy.

“Seeing Hugh Greenwood play for the Crows and make it to the Grand Final showed me it can be done,’’ Dent said.

“I’ve always looked up to Hugh because he was a point guard in basketball like I am, so he’s a good example of what’s possible.’’

Lachlan has only ever been to two live games of AFL, but says he didn’t miss a game on TV this year.

His basketball prowess has helped with some of skills needed in footy, particularly gathering ground balls and marking, but he says he needs to work on his kicking.

“I’ve been going down to the park a few times a week and putting boot to ball,’’ says Dent, who has just finished Year 12 at Holy Spirit College in Wollongong.

“I’m a bit nervous about doing the benchmark program as it’s new to me, but I’ve wanted to be involved in something like this for a few years now so it’s awesome.

“I haven’t given basketball away, but I really want to give footy a go and explore my options.’’

Lachlan is training alongside another promising young Illawarra player, with Jarod Falconer from Jamberoo also joining in the Academy benchmark program for the first time.

Jarod has played footy for Shellharbour since he was a young boy, but has come on in leaps and bounds this year.

He got a chance to play first grade in the Illawarra competition, even though he was still only 16, and also came to Sydney to play in the Under 19s for North Shore in the Sydney AFL competition.

“I’ve got to the stage where I have more strength and that’s helped me perform better,’’ says Jarod, 17, who plays across half-back. “I want to train hard and take my footy as far as I can.’’