 Stokes' achievements in the local junior leagues saw him selected to represent Australia in the under-17's national team, alongside future AFL players Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Nick Dal Santo.Stokes was overlooked in the 2002 AFL Draft though, and moved to Adelaide to begin playing in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) for Woodville-West Torrens.Taking up a part-time job as a zookeeper off the field, Stokes continued to establish himself in the SANFL over the next three years.