Father-son gun Will Hamill eager to show his dash for Frankston Dolphins
Steve Hamill was a much respected player and leader at Frankston. He wore No. 9 – and 30 years later his son, coming off a six-year stint at Adelaide, will wear the same jumper with pride.
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Will Hamill did not see his father, Steve, play for Frankston.
He was born in 2000, by which time Steve was ensconced in football on the Mornington Peninsula after an excellent career for the Dolphins.
But former Adelaide Crow Hamill is familiar with his father’s achievements at Kars St: a senior best and fairest, the club captaincy and 100 games.
Told his father was a fine player, Hamill says: “He tells me that!’’
Steve says with a laugh: “Whatever I told him, you can cut in half to get what’s true.’’
Steve Hamill’s efforts as a hard-running midfielder and exemplary leader had his name put on a locker at Frankston. Now his son has taken it over and the No. 9 jumper.
Not only did Will Hamill’s father play at Frankston, but so did four of his uncles: Tony Hamill, John and Peter Van Der Meer, and John Gahan.
With such a strong family connection at the Dolphins, Hamill presumably had only one club in mind when he was coming off the Crows list after 45 AFL games and six seasons?
That was part of it, he says. Frankston’s standalone status and its rise up the ladder last season made the club just as appealing.
Steve and Will Hamill dropped in to a Frankston Friday night game last year, watching the Dolphins defeat Port Melbourne before a boisterous crowd.
“It was a bit of a no-brainer to sign here,’’ he says.
“I think my nana was the most excited person. She lives in Frankston and she says she’s going to claim the grandstand again.’’
Steve and Karen Hamill are happy too: they made many flights and drives to Adelaide to watch their son line up for the Crows in the AFL or the SANFL.
Will Hamill is back living at the family home in Balnarring, is about to start studying engineering and is working as a teacher’s aid two days per week.
He’ll be busy but football remains a priority for the 24-year-old, who “loved’’ his time with the Crows.
“I’ve got so many close friends over there and I loved the town of Adelaide and the football club.
“I didn’t end up staying there for as long as I would have liked, but I’m grateful for the six years I had. I ended up playing against every single team, which was pretty good.
“I’d love to be able to get back into the AFL. That’s definitely an ambition. But for me it’s about enjoying my footy this year. I can play my best on the back of that.’’
Hamill was drafted from the Dandenong Stingrays after their breakthrough 2018 premiership in the TAC Cup (now the Coates Talent League).
From that Stingrays side, Hayden Young, Lachlan Young, Zac Foot, Toby Bedford, Bailey Williams, Matt Cottrell and Sam Sturt went on to play in the AFL. Defender Hamill went at pick 30, with the Crows’ third selection in the national draft.
Injuries held him back, particularly concussions. It was reported last October that he had six knocks to the head. But Hamill says he’s quite OK.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had one, maybe two, three years. I’m pretty confident it was just the poor luck I’ve had,’’ he says.
“I did some pretty heavy testing when it happened and they cleared me. The fact that I didn’t have any ongoing issues … once I had one, I was usually fine after a couple of days … I consider myself pretty lucky.’’
Frankston coach Jackson Kornberg says Hamill is a class player. But there was more to it than recruiting him for his ability off half-back, he says.
“To be honest, it was about Will the person.
“Any time you go through recruiting … there are talented players everywhere … but we target the type of people we want at our footy club and everything we heard about Will – I know a couple of the boys who play in Adelaide – just drew us to him because of the person he was.
“He’s been able to bring in so much, as a character and a personality and a footballer. He knows what training intensity and training standards are and he knows what the game demands. I’m not saying he’s the absolute loudest person on the track. But when he says something, everyone just stops and listens. That’s the affect he’s having.’’
Hamill liked what he saw of the Dolphins last season, noting how the close players looked against Port Melbourne.
He likes what he’s seeing in the pre-season too, noting his new teammates’ fitness and willingness to improve.
Frankston went through the wildcard round to reach the finals last season, its first finals outing since 2008. Since then it has recruited Hamill, Williamstown key forward Corey Ellison, Sandringham trio Darby Hipwell, Tom Blamires and Tarkyn O’Leary, Casey’s Ned Moodie and North Melbourne’s Kade De La Rue. Bailey Lambert has returned too and Clayton Gay, another former Stingray, has made the move from Dromana. Supporters think the Dolphins are in for a strong season – and so does Steve Hamill.
He’s looking forward to watch his son in the No. 9 jumper, three decades after he wore it.
Will will do it differently.
“Will’s got different traits to what I had. I could run but probably only at one pace whereas he’s got that leg speed.
“As an onballer it’s all about getting possessions and not worrying about your man whereas he’s more of a defender first. I wanted to get more kicks. He reckons I didn’t pick up a man – which is probably true!’’
He says Will is “still really keen on his footy’’.
“That’s the thing we’re most proud of. That part of it (AFL) for the moment is history – it was part of his footy but not the end of it – and he wants to be involved at Frankston and the VFL and contributing.
“That’s the best bit for us. That and the fact we’ll only have to drive 20 minutes down the road to watch him.’’
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