Patrick Lipinski arrived at the Kennel after being taken with 28^th pick of the 2016 NAB AFL Draft and eventually made his AFL debut in Round 23 against Hawthorn.

Restricted by injuries in the early part of the season, the classy 19-year-old impressed at VFL level shifting between midfield and forward roles, kicking four goals and collecting 17 possessions in his Round 4 debut for Footscray.

Lipinski finished the season averaging 18 disposals, four marks and kicked ten goals across 11 games.

Stat that mattered:

Made history as the 1000th player to play for the Footscray/Western Bulldogs Football Club.

What they said:

“It was a pretty exciting experience throughout the whole year. I didn’t know what to expect coming to an AFL club but it was all very welcoming. All the boys here and the coaches are great people so it made the transition very easy.

“In terms of on-field, I was reasonably happy with how it went except getting a few injuries was probably the lowlight of the season. That was a bit disappointing. Hopefully next year I can have a better run and can have a clean run at the game.

“I guess to put in some good form in the VFL, I was rewarded. That was really exciting and it gives you a taste where you just want to keep playing at that level.”

- Patrick Lipinski, September 2017