The town of Maryborough is beaming with pride after former local Kai Lohmann was drafted to the Brisbane Lions with pick 20 in the 2021 national AFL draft.
Kai, now 18, is the first local draftee to the national footy circuit since AFLW player Lauren Butler in 2018, and joins the ranks of locally drafted current AFL players Jake Stringer and Nick Hind.
Kai, who grew up in Maryborough, is a former Maryborough Education Centre student and last played locally as a junior for the Maryborough Football Netball Club.
Moving to Ballarat, he joined Lake Wendouree and cemented himself as a live-wire forward in the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, Ballarat’s NAB League side and has played for Vic Country, leading him to an invitation to the national draft combine a few months ago where he finished strongly in multiple events.
Kai had been in conversation with a majority of the AFL’s clubs, but Brisbane snapped him up with their second pick launching a lifelong dream for the local teen.
On Thursday Kai was subjected to the first of many AFL Media days at the MCG and got his first shout-out on the Brisbane Lions social media page simply saying
“I’m really excited to get up to Brisbane and to have my name called out was such an honour”.
Kai’s older sister, Sarah Lohmann, said the family was shocked to see Kai picked in the top 20 of the draft, expecting to hear his name read out in the later rounds.
“I had planned to go home to Ballarat on Thursday night and then when we realised I got straight in the car and drove to be with everyone,” she said.
“It was pretty surreal. We have always been so impressed by him whether he was at Maryborough, with the Lakers or with the Rebels — he’s always been a standout to us and it’s fitting for him to get the reward of being drafted in the top 20. That hard work has paid off.
“It really is a dream come true and we couldn’t be happier. I think it was quite overwhelming for him, he had so many messages, so many phone calls and so many people start to follow him on social media. He actually missed the first phone call from the Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, it was just a surreal night.”
Sarah said the support from the Ballarat and Maryborough community has been indescribable, including that of Stringer, who is related to Sarah’s side of the family, Hind and former local and Brisbane alum himself, Jed Adcock.
“Our family couldn’t be more proud of him, and the love from the Maryborough and Ballarat family has been absolutely amazing. He’s so supported by so many people and that’s so special,” she said.
“He’s had support from the Maryborough boys Nick and Jake in the past, encouraging him to keep at it because they recognised he had something special to offer.
Also the Adcock family have been really lovely to him, they actually knew he was going to be drafted on Wednesday so that’s a nice connection.
“Brisbane really showed a keen interest in him from the start so we have been emotionally preparing for him to move up there. It will be hard, but I think it will be so good for him not only to realise his dream but to experience life away from the comfort of home.”
Kai will make the move up north in just two weeks and in his drafting announcement the football club labelled him as “one of the more eye-catching players” in the 2021 draft.
Brisbane’s national recruiting manager Stephen Conole describes Kai as a competitive player who demonstrates high-level AFL traits with his strong overhead marking for his size, pace and willingness to attack the game.
“We are super excited to bring Kai into the club,’’ he said.
“He is a very talented and competitive young player, who played through this season predominately as a high half forward, however he has played on the wing and across half back at 16s level for Vic Country through his junior years.
“Kai has a great skill set to be an exciting player for the footy club — he is extremely strong overhead for his size, has quick feet and an attacking mindset in the way he likes to play the game.”
Joining a small, but quality list of former Maryborough players who have been picked up to play AFL football, Maryborough Football Netball Club president Brendan
Roughead said the club is over the moon for Kai and looks forward to following his career.
“We congratulate Kai on getting drafted, the dedication to his footy has been rewarded in the greatest way. He was a good young footballer and we’re also proud to have his older brother Jake on board with us for next season,” he said.
“We’ve got people that are currently in the NAB system and young kids with dreams who can look at Kai’s journey and think that could be me.
“It’s very special for Kai’s name to be added alongside that of Stewart Crameri and Jed Adcock as people who have played junior football with Maryborough and have ended up in the AFL level.
“It’s proof that if people aim high and put the effort in, they can get there no matter what.”