They were three 18-year-olds drafted on the same November afternoon in 1999.

Together, they would spend their next nine years in the same locker room, and play a combined 554 senior games for the Collingwood Football Club.

For Leon Davis, his stellar 225 game career would not have happened without the support of Ben Johnson and Rhyce Shaw.

On Leon, a Collingwood Media documentary telling the story of the club’s greatest Indigenous Magpie, Davis spoke of the bond developed between the trio and its influence on his life in the 18 years since.

“Without Johnno and Shawry being there, I know for a fact I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did,” Davis said.

“I hold them as a couple of my close mates and no doubt I owe them a lot for making me feel welcome.

“They’re obviously from Melbourne so it was easier for them, in that they didn’t have to pack up and take off to the other side of Australia.

“They played a big part in helping me settle in and looked after me in a way to care for me and help me out.

“It’s something I’ll never forget. They’re close mates of mine and I think that won’t ever change.”

Davis, who was the last of the trio taken at pick No. 34 in the 1999 National Draft, initially refused to entertain thoughts of moving to Melbourne.

“I wasn’t too keen on going to the Draft Camp, funnily enough,” he continued.

“I was at home and I wasn’t too keen on moving away from home and moving away and all that.

“But, Mum being Mum, made sure I got on the plane and went over.

“I went to the Draft Camp and spoke to a few teams there and Collingwood was one of them. I remember sitting down with Mick Malthouse and having a chat with him, but leading up to the draft, it wasn’t something where I got contacted by too many people.

“On draft day, I just sat back in the lounge with the family.

“Every time Fremantle or West Coast had a pick, I was in the lounge watching the TV and then once their pick was done, I got up and walked out of the room and didn’t really worry about it until their next pick because I wanted to stay in Perth.

“As soon as Collingwood said my name, I couldn’t get it through my head that it wasn’t in Perth, so I was sitting there like ‘Woah, Collingwood’s not in Perth, what does that mean?’

“I was trying to get it through my head to go to Melbourne and move interstate. Once it happened, Mark Kleiman (a club official) gave me a call and he said ‘Welcome to the Pies mate’.

“Mum was very happy because all along her team was Collingwood, so she was absolutely wrapped.”

Click here to watch Leon, the story of Leon Davis’ journey from Northam to Collingwood.