Sydney Swans premiership-winner Sam Reid calls time after latest injury setback

After a career cruelled by injury, Swan Sam Reid has called time on his time in the AFL, saying it was time to listen to what his body was telling him after another hamstring setback.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 24: Sam Reid of the Swans looks upset after the loss during the 2022 Toyota AFL Grand Final match between the Geelong Cats and the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 24, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Sydney premiership-winner Sam Reid has called time on his career after another hamstring injury curtailed his dreams of one last comeback.

Reid missed the entire 2023 season following a pre-season hamstring injury but was more determined than ever to fight his way back into the AFL. Following a handful of setbacks, he worked his way back to top form in the VFL and had kicked four goals in the past two weeks.

He was named as an emergency for last week’s clash against Brisbane. Reid was also in line to play in the AFL this Sunday against the Western Bulldogs after the Swans were hit by several key injuries. It would have been his first appearance since the 2022 grand final.

Unfortunately, after two goals against Brisbane in the VFL on Saturday, Reid came from the field after reinjuring his problematic hamstring during the second quarter. Scans confirmed the severity of the injury on Monday, and the 32-year-old informed his teammates on Tuesday morning that he was hanging up the boots for good.

Reid was closing in on an AFL return after a solid body of work in the VFL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Yeah, I did a decent job of a hammy on the weekend,” Reid said on Tuesday.

“I’ve unfortunately got a fair bit of experience with injury. And I knew the feeling of what had happened and it would probably require surgery. So it obviously rules me out for a bit too long.

“Even if it didn’t, if it took me five, six weeks and it’s my body probably trying to tell me something and it’s probably time to listen and I’m not sure I could trust that if I got back for the last month of the season.

“Still really grateful of my entire journey. And even with injury, I wouldn’t change anything. I think the injuries brought me to learn a lot about myself.

“It doesn’t take me long to catch myself if I start to feel down that I’m very lucky and I’m in a fortunate position with the that we’re doing. And I’ve got a beautiful family at home so life’s good, if I’m really honest.”

Reid is currently the longest-serving player on the Swans’ list having been selected with the 38th pick in the 2009 draft. In that time he has played 181 games and kicked 183 goals.

The strong-marking forward came from a proud footy lineage, with his grandfather, father, uncle and brother all playing footy professionally.

Coming through the system at Wangaratta, Reid impressed for the Murray Bushrangers under-18s before the Swans took a punt on him. He was the second-youngest player at his draft camp but stood out with several personal bests in the testing.

A young Reid took to the field for his AFL debut in 2010. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

After he slid into the third round of the draft, the Swans jumped at the opportunity to add the tall to their list. Initially deployed as a defender in Sydney’s reserves side, Reid found more success up front and eventually made his debut in round 22, 2010 against Brisbane after being called up as an emergency.

It was his only appearance in his first season, however, Reid quickly became a key part of Sydney’s plans. He would play 23 matches in 2011, and then 22 matches in 2012 as the Swans went on to win their fifth premiership.

His powerful goal in the grand final, on the run from outside 50, put Sydney in front for the first time in the match as they defeated Hawthorn by 10 points. That year also marked his best return as a forward, kicking a career-best 31 goals for the season.

The Swans would go on a recruiting spree in the coming years, adding both Kurt Tippett and the legendary Buddy Franklin to their forward line. But Reid was the one constant presence throughout that time as they searched for more glory.

However, that was when Reid’s luck started to run out and injuries became more regular. Achilles and calf issues kept him on the sidelines for the entire 2016 campaign as the Swans fell short in the decider, while a quad injury limited him to just one match in 2018.

Sam Reid has called time on his career. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

He played every game in 2019 as the Swans started their brief rebuilding phase and continued to drive standards off the field. And despite even more injuries getting his road, he produced arguably his best football as the Swans returned to the grand final in 2022.

He played the last 15 games straight of the season, but cruelly suffered an adductor injury in their preliminary final win. John Longmire took a punt on his experienced forward to play the next week in the grand final, but it was a gamble that didn’t pan out and he was subbed out after half time.

“He was very selfless,” John Longmire said. “He never made it about him, as a player he would just go out and do his job.

“I look at his 2022 season and what he was able to do as a forward-ruck and contribute the way he was, I think helped him.

“Nothing fazed him, whether it was behind the ball, in the ruck, key forward. It didn’t matter, he’d go and do his job every week and that’s what typified him over the years.

“Even this year, he hadn’t lost his speed. He was still sharp as a tack. The body was telling him a few other things and it was about time we probably both had to listen to it as much as we both had our fingers crossed that he’d be able to get there.”

Reid with his family following the Swans’ 2022 grand final defeat. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

It’s a credit to Reid that each time he was on the sidelines, he worked tirelessly to get back on the field. Nothing typified that more than his determination to return in 2024.

Speaking to this masthead in pre-season, Reid admitted initially he thought that his career might have been over 12 months earlier. The Swans saw his work first-hand and gave him one last crack through the rookie list.

While it might not have panned out like either party wanted, just playing footy again was an achievement in itself.

“My initial thought was probably that could be curtains and I’ll rehab it back to a level so it’s strong and I can go on with life after footy,” Reid said.

“A few weeks in I probably realised I wanted it. I felt that I had more to give, more than I did initially. And I wanted to keep going and I just felt like I had more footy in me.”

His six goals in six VFL matches this season might not jump off the page, but they speak to Reid’s professionalism and determination, and typify why he was so endeared by Swans players, coaches and fans alike.

Originally published as Sydney Swans premiership-winner Sam Reid calls time after latest injury setback