Chris Lewis (footballer)

Chris Lewis
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Lockley Lewis
Date of birth	(1969-03-17) 17 March 1969
Original team(s)	Claremont (WAFL)
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1987–2000	West Coast Eagles	215 (259)
Coaching career
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
2007	Swan Districts (WAFL)	16 (6–10–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2000.
Career highlights
2× AFL premiership: 1992, 1994 West Coast Club Champion: 1990 Indigenous Team of the Century AFL Team of the Year 1990 WAFL premiership: 1996
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Christopher Lockley "Chris" Lewis (born 17 March 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played over 200 AFL senior games for the West Coast Eagles.

An indigenous Australian, Lewis is one of the sons of Irwin Lewis, a notable scholar, sportsman, public servant, and indigenous Australian artist. Like his father and older brothers Clayton and Cameron, he attended Christ Church Grammar School, one of the elite independent schools in Western Australia, for his secondary education, and later played Australian rules football for the Claremont Football Club in the West Australian Football League.

At the time Lewis attended Christ Church, the school apparently did not allow Year 10 students to play in the First XVIII football team (which was reserved for Year 11 and 12 boys, for safety reasons). However, Lewis' ability meant that an exception was made in his case. He was also a very good cricketer whilst at Christ Church.

In 1990, he won the West Coast Eagles Club Champion Award. He was a member of the 1992 and 1994 WCE premiership teams, as well as the 1996 Claremont premiership team in the WAFL.

In 2006 Lewis was named as half forward flanker in the Eagles' 20th anniversary team.

As a player, Lewis was considered a highly skilled player - his passing skills were amongst the best in the AFL. The main criticism of Lewis was his frequent suspensions. However, fans felt that he was given particularly unfair treatment from both umpires and the tribunal. Lewis played much of his early football career prior to the AFL taking action against racial abuse, and thus racial taunts from opposition players were a frequent source of provocation.

Lewis has been known for many unusual suspensions, including biting Todd Viney's finger in 1991, poking Stephen MacPherson's eye in 1992 and then pushing Peter Worsfold head first into the fence in 1993, just back from suspension. Another time he repeatedly kept on touching Glenn Freeborn on his back while Freeborn was whacking it away.

Statistics

Season	Team	No.	Games	Totals							Averages (per game)							Votes
				G	B	K	H	D	M	T	G	B	K	H	D	M	T
1987	West Coast	28	19	29	20	227	68	295	91	42	1.5	1.1	11.9	3.6	15.5	4.8	2.2	3
1988	West Coast	28	12	15	15	108	25	133	28	15	1.3	1.3	9.0	2.1	11.1	2.3	1.3	0
1989	West Coast	28	16	18	13	247	83	330	80	35	1.1	0.8	15.4	5.2	20.6	5.0	2.2	3
1990	West Coast	28	22	24	17	346	118	464	68	59	1.1	0.8	15.7	5.4	21.1	3.1	2.7	9
1991	West Coast	28	21	31	19	277	99	376	61	54	1.5	0.9	13.2	4.7	17.9	2.9	2.6	3
1992†	West Coast	28	23	17	26	269	93	362	64	53	0.7	1.1	11.7	4.0	15.7	2.8	2.3	1
1993	West Coast	28	15	22	12	183	46	229	51	44	1.5	0.8	12.2	3.1	15.3	3.4	2.9	0
1994†	West Coast	28	25	39	37	306	82	388	97	41	1.6	1.5	12.2	3.3	15.5	3.9	1.6	1
1995	West Coast	28	21	20	17	234	87	321	55	55	1.0	0.8	11.1	4.1	15.3	2.6	2.6	6
1996	West Coast	28	8	6	4	52	27	79	25	10	0.8	0.5	6.5	3.4	9.9	3.1	1.3	0
1997	West Coast	28	15	23	13	236	81	317	61	28	1.5	0.9	15.7	5.4	21.1	4.1	1.9	7
1998	West Coast	28	15	14	12	129	43	172	35	18	0.9	0.8	8.6	2.9	11.5	2.3	1.2	3
1999	West Coast	28	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000	West Coast	28	3	1	0	11	13	24	2	7	0.3	0.0	3.7	4.3	8.0	0.7	2.3	0
Career			215	259	205	2625	865	3490	718	461	1.2	1.0	12.2	4.0	16.2	3.3	2.1	36

External links

• Chris Lewis's playing statistics from AFL Tables