Introduction Another rookie success story, Cheynee Stiller is a tall and classy wingman or half-back who has a knack for finding plenty of the ball. He is a great endurance athlete who regularly records impressive results on the training track in the 3km time trial and shuttle run. Background • Cheynee Stiller grew up playing football as a junior in Queensland where he quickly rose through the ranks. • His older brother Jeremy had previously represented the Lions as a rookie as recently as 2004. • He was a standout for the Zillmere Eagles throughout the 2005 AFLQ season which prompted the Lions to secure the talented youngster with selection No.49 in the 2005 AFL Rookie Draft. 2006 • Life on a rookie list can be tough - you train just as long and hard as your senior-listed team-mates but aren't eligible to play AFL matches unless circumstances swing your way. In the case of Cheynee Stiller – the opportunity came out of the blue rather rapidly. • The then 20 year-old had just embarked on his debut season as a Lions rookie when the Club decided to elevate him to the senior list prior to the team’s Round 3 clash with St Kilda. Minutes later, he had been selected to make his senior debut against the Saints in an Easter Thursday blockbuster. • While Stiller's countdown to bounce-down may have sparked some butterflies, his nervousness didn't show up on game night. He collected 16 disposals, showed clean skills and even kicked the first goal of his AFL career in the opening quarter. • After a quiet second senior match, he was sent back to the reserves to continue his player development in the AFLQ. • He fought his way back into the senior side as a late replacement in Round 12 against the Western Bulldogs and collected 20 disposals in only his third match. • He earned an AFL Rising Star nomination the following week after an impressive midfield display in which he collected 28 touches, took eight marks and kicked a goal in the dying minutes to seal the Lions’ victory over Carlton at the Gabba. • He kept his spot in the senior team for the remainder of the season and averaged an astonishing 20.8 disposals in his debut season – including a career high 31 touches and 10 marks against the Sydney Swans in Round 21 at the SCG. 2007 • Stiller was not surprisingly elevated to senior list permanently during the off-season and was very much a senior player once the pre-season had commenced. • He was prominent in the Lions’ 2007 NAB Cup campaign and arguably the side’s best in their NAB Cup Grand Final loss to Carlton. • After his sensational debut season, Stiller picked up from where he left off 25 disposals in the team’s season opener against Hawthorn at the Gabba followed by a further 23 touches against St Kilda in Round 2. • He played all 22 matches – taking his consecutive game total to 33 – and averaged a touch over 20 disposals per game for the second consecutive season. • He continued to enjoy playing against Carlton with 28 disposals and 12 marks against the Blues in a Round 5 shoot-out at Telstra Dome. • He finished 7th in the Club Champion award and was honoured with selection in the inaugural Queensland Team of the Year. 2008 • Despite completing a huge pre-season which saw him finish among the top handful of Lions players in a range of fitness testing, Stiller was relegated to the Lions Reserves after the team’s Round 1 loss to West Coast. • He returned in Round 4 for the team’s history-making come-from-behind victory against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Stiller booted a critical goal from the boundary line in wet conditions which helped spark the team to a famous victory. • He was in and out of the senior side for much of the season and managed only 10 matches and the solitary goal. He still averaged more than 15 disposals per game in his 10 senior matches.2009 • Stiller featured in 22 of the Lions' 24 senior matches in 2009 after being used largely in run-with roles by new Senior coach Michael Voss. • The supremely fit midfielder not only performed important shut down roles on the likes of Collingwood ball-winner Dane Swan, but also managed to find plenty of the football himself. • Stiller notched up his 50th AFL match against Essendon in Round 6 at the Gabba where he nullified key Bombers midfielder Jobe Watson's influence on the contest. • He played 18 consecutive matches from Round 6 onwards before being left out of the Lions' Semi-Final side to face the Western Bulldogs. • He averaged close to 15 disposals per game throughout 2009 and was rewarded for his efforts with selection in Queensland's Team of the Year for the second time of his career.
Emerging tagger Cheynee Stiller is set to take on North Melbourne skipper Brent HarveyWednesday, July 22, 2009 - 7:45AM
The Lions travel south again to take on the KangaroosFriday, May 29, 2009 - 9:27AM
A lockdown job on Saint Nick Dal Santo highlights the new elements the hard-running Lion has added to his game Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - 8:10AM
Young ball-winner Cheynee Stiller is confident of securing a regular place in the engine room this seasonTuesday, March 03, 2009 - 5:30PM
The Lions can aim for a top-eight finish in 2007, according to emerging utility Cheynee Stiller.Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 1:59PM
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