‘One of the greatest days I’ve had on the footy field’: Ex-AFL forward Sam Weideman on suburban homecoming

Ex-AFL forward Sam Weideman quickly rediscovered an unbridled enjoyment of Aussie rules on Sunday in his return to the grassroots game for childhood club Vermont. The added bonus? A bag of seven.

EFNL 2025: Sam Weideman Vermont. Picture: Field of View Photography

It was as if a ton weight had been lifted from around his neck.

A bag of goals on debut aside, former AFL forward Sam Weideman says Sunday’s on-field reunion with Eastern powerhouse Vermont evoked an unadulterated joy of footy perhaps suppressed across nine years in the big-time’s ever-bubbling, pressure-cooking cauldron.

The ex-Demon and Bomber kicked seven goals to spearhead the Eagles to a 10-point win over Mitcham on its home deck – and its return to the league’s Premier Division for the first time since 2006.

Weideman, a former Vermont junior, was back in the purple and gold.

“It (Sunday) was one of the greatest days I’ve had on the footy field in terms of enjoyment,” Weideman said.

“I think now coming back to my local club and just wanting to enjoy my footy, I think that really helped me perform on the weekend and helped me have fun.

“I had my close mates and a lot of family in the crowd, and really embracing the local footy vibe of it all, it was just really fun.”

The phone ran hot from local clubs in pursuit of Weideman’s services when his 76-game, 77-goal AFL career finished at the end of last season.

But only one was ever going to do.

Weideman was delisted at the end of last year. Picture: Mark Stewart

The 27-year-old admitted “there were a few nerves” ahead of pulling on one of local footy’s most revered jumpers again.

“It was a different build-up to what I was used to,” Weideman said.

“I was really excited to pull on the purple and gold again – I’ve got a lot of history there with a lot of great people at the club who have supported me. I was really eager to get back out there.

“Part of the build-up and preparation was trying to take that stress away – being in the AFL system for nine years, I built up a lot of pressure on myself to perform and had these expectations. It probably weighed me down a fair bit.”

Kicking just one major to the main break before his second-half blitz, the 2015 No. 9 draft pick said the adjustment to the Eastern league’s Premier Division from the AFL had brought its challenges.

“We’ve got a lot of small grounds in our league, so you’ve got to prepare for the contested nature of the game and there’s a lot more stoppages,” Weideman said.

“It’s a bit less free-flowing than what I’m used to at AFL and VFL level, but to be honest, the standard is fantastic. The trouble you can get into coming back to local footy is expecting it to be easy, but it’s really not.

“You can fall into that trap pretty easily, but I think going in, I had a plan to completely respect the opposition and what they were going to bring, because I knew I was going to cop it at stages, and they brought it to us.

“I’m glad I was able to embrace that.”

EFNL 2025: Sam Weideman celebrates one of his many goals on Saturday. Picture: Leesa Clarkson

Weideman – now partnerships co-ordinator with Hockey Australia and a parent to recently-born son Charlie with wife Jamie – says while his diary is no longer filled from column to column with football duties, his shift from AFL player to family man can allow him to enjoy Australia’s game in its purest form again.

“I guess you’re in it (AFL) every day – it’s a full-time job, and you’ve got to throw everything (at it) physically but also mentally, with everything going on,” he said.

“There are high stakes, and I guess coming back to Vermont there are still high stakes – we want to win games and want to win a premiership – but at the end of the day, it is football.

“I guess your priorities change a little bit – I’ve got a young family and we just had our first child in October last year so being a dad is the No. 1 priority, being a good husband, and obviously starting a new career as well.

“Priorities have changed, but it’s a great chance to enjoy my footy and have a bit of fun with it.”