AFL Grand Final dream years in the making for Ironbank’s Tom Sparrow and family
A decade after he first picked up a footy for the Bridgewater-Callington Football Club, Demon Tom Sparrow will play in his first AFL grand final on Saturday – and his family will be riding every bump.
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Michael and Kristy Sparrow can remember the first time son Tom picked up a football for the Bridgewater-Callington Raiders with dreams of playing on the game’s biggest stage.
A decade later, that dream will become a reality.
On Saturday night, the Melbourne half-forward from Ironbank will run out onto the Optus Stadium deck with the Demons, his family in the stands.
Michael and Kristy, who made the trip from SA to Perth on Thursday with Tom’s siblings Harrison and Laura and grandmother Susan, still can’t believe it.
“It’s very surreal. It’s his dream. He’s only 21 and he’s in the Big Dance – we just can’t quite put our finger on it,” Kristy said.
“We were pretty numb after the prelim against the Cats to be honest, we probably walked around the whole of Perth before that game keeping ourselves busy, and we’re even worse now. It’s just a very nerve-racking experience,” Michael added.
Tom, who played at Prince Alfred College and South Adelaide after starting at Bridgewater-Callington, has been a boost for the Demons, especially during their finals campaign, playing his midfield-forward role to perfection.
Kristy believes her son was always destined to achieve big things.
“He’s always been very skilled at any sport – soccer, tennis, cycling, footy, whatever,” she said.
“There were signs from early on, he rode the bike before his older brother, things like that – we always knew he had something pretty special.
“He’s really competitive but so selfless and a natural leader as well. I can remember him winning a cycling challenge at PAC, putting his bike down and going back to help some guys who were struggling to finish – that’s just his nature.”
The 21-year-old was drafted by Melbourne in 2019 and has since moved up the ranks at the club to solidify himself in the first 22.
Michael, who played over 300 games for Bridgewater-Callington and even coached his son early in his career, said the Melbourne Footy Club was the perfect fit for Tom and knows his son will perform on Saturday.
“Tom just needs to relax and play his natural game. Melbourne’s really big on the ‘team’ thing which suits his style perfectly,” he said.
“He puts his heart and soul into everything he does. He has right from day one and I expect him to do exactly the same on Saturday night.
“He’s gone past me pretty quickly. We’re very proud, he’s going to have a very special career in the AFL.”
The Demons completed their final training session before the game Friday morning, with Tom looking as crisp as ever with ball in hand.
With the Big Dance now right around the corner, the Sparrow family is ready to will their son across the line.
“We’re definitely expecting some damage to the vocal cords, that’s for sure,” Michael said.
“I told him to just imagine he’s on the PAC oval and he said “what with 60,000 people barracking?,” Kristy added.
“I’m so nervous I think I might need to take more time off work when it’s all said and done, but it’s going to be a very special night.
“He’s in a great spot though and has an amazing group of teammates. The Demons really want to do it for their supporters and I really believe they’re going to get up.”
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