Sam Flanders, the ‘freak’ from Fish Creek, to make AFL debut
The South Gippsland town of Fish Creek is abuzz ahead of favourite son Sam Flanders playing his first AFL game for the Gold Coast Suns.
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“I just love watching Sam Flanders play,’’ Gippsland Power talent manager Scotty McDougal fizzed this morning.
And you can be sure the whole town of Fish Creek will be watching Flanders when he makes his AFL debut for the Gold Coast Suns against Essendon tonight.
“The Freak from the Creek’’ is how McDougal laughingly refers to the 19-year-old, who is the latest player to emerge from the small town in South Gippsland.
Before him came former Footscray and Adelaide forward Barry Standfield, ex-Crow Wayne Weidemann and another former Bulldog, Gary Walpole.
Ian Dunstan (Footscray) and his brother Graeme (Collingwood) made their way from Fish Creek to league football in the 1970s.
Their father, Maurie, played with the Magpies and later coached the Creek, one of the most successful clubs in the Alberton league.
Terry Mackin (Fitzroy), the grandfather of Fish Creek co-president Ray Stefani, Johnny Ryan (Richmond), Paul Standfield (Footscray), Bob Standfield (Essendon and Carlton), Leo Ryan (Footscray) and Bill Buckley (Collingwood) also rose to league ranks.
Neighbouring town Foster is Fishy’s great rival and is relishing the exploits of its own success story, Port Adelaide’s Xavier Duursma.
Gold Coast drafted Flanders with pick 11 at last year’s national draft.
McDougal still chuckles as he recalls Flanders’ first game for the Power, as a 16-year-old, a “bottom-bottom ager’’ in NAB League lingo.
Gippy coach Leigh Brown emptied the forward line for Flanders and fellow youngster Caleb Serong.
“We were right in the game against Dandenong Stingrays, who were a very polished unit,’’ McDougal said.
“Leigh went with two men inside forward 50, Caleb Serong and Sam Flanders, and it was the greatest quarter of two players you’d see, two small forwards, just playing in sync and with speed and flair. They destroyed Dandy that day, and we won the game. They’d finished the Under 16 carnival and we brought in three players for their first games – Brock Smith, Sam Flanders and Caleb Serong – and now they’re all on AFL lists.’’
McDougal said Flanders, who was also a prominent under-age basketballer, had an exceptional vertical leap and his athletics traits were “off the charts’’.
“He had to get himself to blend into a footy environment, if you know what I mean,’’ he said.
“He always did things his way, and then ‘Browny’ moulded him through the Gippy Power program. He had to play some roles he wasn’t used to and comfortable with, but he always had that ace up his sleeve – he could go forward and kick some goals.
“We taught him to be a bit more defensive. The first time I rolled my eyes back was when he chased a guy down from behind, and he had absolutely no right to get anywhere near this guy.
He was already into kicking stride when Sam put the foot down and got him. He had smoke coming off his boots and tackled the guy before he knew it. Before the umpire had even blown his whistle Sam had picked the ball up and was turning around and running back inside our 50.
“He’s got incredible speed, cat-like. He’s a really balanced, freakish player. The ‘Freak from the Creek’ is actually really fitting. He’s going to have an exhilarating 15 possessions and hopefully it gets to the stage where he’s having 30, because he’ll be tearing the joint apart.’’
Fish Creek president Stefani the club was “supremely proud’’ of Flanders, an All Australian Under 18 selection last year.
Stefani coached Flanders as a junior and described him as a “rare talent’’.
“I was looking after the Under 18s but most weeks he’d play in the Under 16s and then come and play in the Under 18s … and I’d actually feel sorry for some of the opposition because he’d make some of them look silly,’’ Stefani said.
“He’d bamboozle them. He’s a very talented and driven young man, and a humble young man too. We’re rapt for him. He’s been working towards this for a long while and it’s great to see him get an opportunity.
“The whole town is extremely proud of him and the Flanders family of Fish Creek is a great family and big supporters of the club. We’ll all be in front of the TV tonight.’’
Stefani said the football club had always “punched about our weight’’ in producing fine players.
