If lightning strikes once, become a footballer.

Well, at least that's what Steely Green's motto is.

At just 22 years old, he's experienced more than the average person, turning to football when his young life was anywhere but near it.

The story of how he landed at Richmond starts well before the game was even a priority in his mind. It began when he was struck by lightning, on a boat, at just 14 years of age.

"It's quite bizarre. Back in the day I was a keen sailer. I used to race boats," Green told the Tommy Talks podcast.

"I was out on the Swan River in Perth, where I was born and bred. I was out sailing around. No word of a lie, it was the most perfect day ever. Out of nowhere, a big storm came around the bay. I'm thinking, 'oh no, this is not going to be good'.

"I finished first, me and my crew are heading in. We look behind us and everyone was putting their boats in the water, which is what you do when there's a lightning storm around, so it doesn't strike you at the top of the mast.

"Me and my crew men were laughing saying, 'how good's this, we're out and we're going to have hot showers, while everyone's stuck out there in the river'."

But what happened next was far from perfect. It would go on to change the 26-gamer's life for good.

"As I got in, I usually gave mum a wave. She was usually at the yacht club having a bite to eat. She thought I was safe, because that [wave] was my safe wave," he continued.

"I thought I was in safely. But I was packing down the boat and had my hand on the mast. The lightning strike hit the top of the mast and came down through me, my arm and into my body. It pushed me off the boat about five or six metres."

Barely conscious, the youngster managed to come to and remember an important choice he has made early that day, which he now believes saved his life.

"The only thing that saved me were my rubber boots," Green said.

"The day before, I was wearing no boots and I was cutting my feet up [on the boat]. Mum was telling me, 'Steely, you need to wear your boots'. I hated wearing my boots. For some reason, mum kept hounding me and said, 'if you don't put the boots on, you're not sailing'.

"The boots saved my life. If I didn't wear those boots like mum said, I probably wouldn't be speaking to you."

Although he can't recall much after being struck, an account from his mum, Diane, helps him remember the moment.

"The lightning that struck me, actually shook the club house. Mum explains it. She was having her food and the knife and forks were rattling. She thought I was inside and fine and didn't need to stress," Green recalled.

"The canteen lady saw it all unfold. She ran inside and yelled in front of everyone, 'where's Diane? Steely's just been struck by lightning'. Mum was freaking out.

"They [paramedics] were trying to find exit points. When big volts of electricity come into you, they try and get it out of your elbows, knees, joints. That's why they cut off all the gear."

Green spent time recovering in hospital, and at just 14, reassessed where he stood with sailing, and life.

"If the lightning strike didn't happen, I probably wouldn't be playing footy. Everything happened for a reason," Green said.

He stopped sailing after his incident, keen to try something new, quickly falling in love with football.

"I loved the team aspect. I liked seeing blokes giving 100 per cent," he said.

He's now played the game of Australian Rules for seven years, and has been with Richmond since he was selected with pick 55 in the 2022 AFL Draft.

Yet, Green feels like he has more to give, and more to learn.

"I don't feel like I'm the finished product yet. I feel I've got a bit to go in football," he said.

"I love doing what's right by the team, but I want to play every single game."