The St John's junior was named the winner of the Tom Nelson Medal as the best player in the Laurie Daley Cup earlier this season.

Porter starred in the halves as the Western Rams made the semi-finals of the statewide competition and his performances earned him selection in the NSW Country under 18s side while he also made his Dubbo CYMS first grade debut in 2021.

The prestigious medal win capped a year to remember for Porter and there looks to be only more good times ahead as the 18-year-old will make the move to Sydney on Monday to begin life with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

"I can't wait," he said.

"It's that time when you've got fly out of the coop but it's something I want to do and I'm lucky I've got the support of friends and family to help me chase my hopes and dreams."

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While he was proud of his performances this season on the representative scene, the medal win still came as a shock for Porter.

The win meant he got to share the stage with the likes of Brad Fittler Medal winner Tom Trbojevic while a host of the game's biggest names were also in attendance at The Star in Sydney.

"We were in shock," Porter said.

"We walked in behind Tom and Jake Trbojevic and as we went to enter Brad Fittler walked in and let us go before him but we said 'no, you go before us' so it was awesome.

"I got to catch up with Isaah (Yeo) and Nathan Cleary was there, Cam Murray, Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell, and Josh Addo-Carr so it was a good night."

The CYMS star got the chance to spend some time with Addo-Carr, who now also calls the Bulldogs home.

The Australian winger is one of a host of recruits at Belmore, alongside the likes of Dubbo junior Matt Burton and Wellington product Brent Naden, and while Porter will be starting out by training with under 19s and under 21s he said it will still be special be clubmates with those big names.

"It was good, especially with me moving down to the Bulldogs," he said of meeting Addo-Carr.

"It was good to get to know him and have a face you know when you get down there, that makes things easier. He's a good fella."

While the future is hugely bright for Porter, he was keen to credit the Western Rams system for much of his success.

The Rams have enjoyed a huge amount of joy in the Laurie Daley Cup and the under 16s Andrew Johns Cup in recent times, largely due to the strong infrastructure behind the scenes and the commitment made by players and coaches.

"I just put it down to the Western Rams, what they do for me and who's involved because it makes it so much easier for you and it makes you enjoy your football," Porter said.

"They've got a good system. There's an under 14s and 15s cubs program now so you know the skills and are ready to jump in when you get into the 16s or 18s.

"The last year of under 18s is one to remember. All I wanted to do was train hard and hopefully the rewards would come. It was a good year and I played plenty of footy despite COVID."

The win was that little more special given the medal is named after Tom Nelson, a life member of Dubbo CYMS and someone who has spent a huge part of his life helping nurture junior talent in the bush.

"It was even better than it was named after Tom Nelson," Porter added.

"It was unexpected but it was a good feeling and I just put it down to my teammates.

"They're quality people as much as they are quality players and we all played good football and enjoyed it so that was a bonus for me."

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