Gold Coast Sun Sam Collins punches on after setbacks to his football
Sam Collins may have been fuming after a run-in with Richmond’s Tom Lynch but the Suns defender is no stranger to copping a few hits, with his former coaches saying he’s a “out-and-out standout” who leaves everything out on the field.
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It has been said of a lot of footballers that they’re prepared to “run through brick walls’’ for their team.
On Monday night Gold Coast defender Sam Collins tackled no brick wall, but he did punch a pylon in the changerooms after the Suns’ loss to Richmond.
The former Box Hill Hawks and Werribee VFL defender had played on Tigers forward Tom Lynch and the pair went at it for most of the night.
At one stage Lynch appeared to strike Collins in the ribs as he set off on a lead, with behind-the-scenes footage showing Tiger Jake Aarts making secondary contact.
Collins has copped a few hits on his way to playing in the AFL.
He came out of the Oakleigh Chargers, went to Box Hill Hawks, was drafted to Fremantle, let go after two years and 16 games, and returned to the VFL in 2018.
Playing as a key defender, he was outstanding for Werribee, winning the best and fairest and finishing third in the JJ Liston Trophy. He was also selected in the VFL team of the year, slotting in at centre half back, where he took a bag of marks most weeks.
It prompted the Suns to give him a second chance in the AFL, and he’s taking it.
Collins made his VFL debut at Box Hill in 2013 under Damian Carroll, who said this morning: “Sam’s never beaten. Well, he can get beaten, but he never leaves anything out there. He’s a bloody ripper.’’
Hawthorn development coach Carroll watched last night’s match.
“He’s so competitive, but he didn’t whack someone out on the ground. He got through but he still had that disappointment,’’ he said. “To me, it showed how much he cared, and I reckon he cares so much because he’s been through the system. He would have been told that many times, ‘You’re not a good enough kick, you can’t compete at AFL level’.’’
He said of the punch to the pylon: “Now that’s risky. I’ve been in those rooms and sometimes there’s not much padding on them. I hope his hand’s all right!’’
Collin’s father, Kevin, played in Box Hill’s 1986 Division 2 premiership team.
His son had no such luck with flags at the club: he played in the losing Development League grand final side in 2013, and the losing 2014 and ’15 senior grand final teams.
After his two years at Fremantle, Collins opted to join a stand-alone club in Werribee.
As Bees football manager Stu Balloch saw it, he “took the competition by storm’’.
“He was an out-and-out standout for us … to go close to winning a Liston as a defender is just astronomical,’’ he said.
“We’re thrilled to have played a small part in his football journey. He was such a great leader at our club. At his best and fairest speech he was open about how he’d been challenged personally and how he’d had to overcome a lot … that’s character, and he got the message through to our players that’s it OK to have vulnerabilities and to talk to people, and that’s huge for young men.
“Sam was spat out of the system and came back. That’s what the VFL is about, helping players reach their potential. He’s the showpiece as to why we need a strong state league in Victoria.’’
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