He may not have played a game yet, but newly-signed Wangaratta Magpie Lachlan Di Sebastiano is hitting the training track hard, and not just for his new footy club.

While the talented former Airport West defender is in the midst of training for his O&M debut season in 2026, he is also preparing to run from Keilor East to Mulwala on Thursday, 18 December to spread awareness and raise money for the Dementia Australia foundation.

Di Sebastiano has intimate experience with dementia in his family, and said he wanted to do something to honour his late grandfather, who passed away from dementia.

“I had my first experience with dementia about five years ago now, Nonno got dementia and he went downhill quickly, he passed two-and-a-half years ago now,” he said.

“It was tough to watch, someone you love basically start life again and become a baby, and have to change his diaper and stuff, help him go to the toilet, feed him his food.

“It’s not something I wish on anyone.

"My Pa ended up getting dementia as well, he’s suffering from it right now, so seeing both halves of my family go through something like this, it’s made it [training for the run] a lot easier.

“I know how tough it’s going to be on my body, but it was tough on my Nonno as well.

“It’s nowhere near the same amount of pain, but I wanted to put myself through pain and persevere through that in his honour, because I know he would’ve loved that.

“To raise some money for this cause, I always wanted to do something in his honour.”

Training has been tough, with a groin twinge exacerbating a gruelling regimen, but Di Sebastiano was adamant he would be ready.

While the upcoming fundraising run is foremost in his mind, he’s looking forward to the season with the Magpies, alongside fellow signee and Airport West teammate Tyson Young.

“I played a lot of my footy with him [Young], about 13 out of 15 years, and when he made the move, we spoke about it, the idea came about, I got in contact with the Maggies, and the rest is history, and I’ll be putting on the black and white next year,” Di Sebastiano said.

“We were following [the O&M] quite closely, I’ve had a couple of mates come out of that league, Callum Moore went to my school and we were in contact, and Alex Marklew at the Rovers.

“I’ve been more of a Darcy Moore intercept player in the past, but since our backline at Airport West has gotten older and a couple retirees, I’ve turned into a bit of a lockdown, one-on-one player, so I can be used as both.

“I’ve always had pretty good timing of when to read the play and stuff like that.”

Di Sebastiano will be running from Keilor East to Mulwala on Thursday, 18 December, and welcomes anyone to jump on the road and run alongside him for as long as they want, to raise awareness and funds for Dementia Australia.

To learn more about Lachlan’s journey or to donate, visit https://fundraising.dementia.org.au/fundraisers/lachlandisebastiano/run-for-jimmy.