He was drafted by North Melbourne as a 15-year-old in the 1990 AFL Draft, but only played for their Under-19 team. He was drafted again in the 1993 Pre-season Draft by Footscray from the Western Jets[1] and debuted for them in 1994. Early injuries hampered his career but he drastically improved during the 1997 season where he took many saving marks at centre half-back.
In 2002, Ellis moved for one season to the Melbourne Football Club, in which he had a solid year, playing 14 consecutive games, but decided to retire at the end of the season.
Post-football career
After retiring from football, Ellis created the clothing brand St Lenny, located in Prahran Victoria.[2]
The St Lenny brand later failed in the market, and Ellis declared bankruptcy shortly after. Several years later, he co-founded Triangl, a swimwear range. The brand has soared, with profits reaching US$40 million in 2015.[3]
