Lauderdale star Sam Siggins about to play this 150th senior game for the Bombers, but would rather have a premiership

As he nears a massive milestone one of Tasmania’s best footballers has named his toughest opponents, including a 211cm former AFL `monster’, while revealing the one remaining goal he needs to achieve.

Sam Siggins celebrates the winning goal. Tasmania V Queensland. Picture: Linda Higginson

SFL superstar Sam Siggins enters his 200th career senior game and brings up his 150th senior milestone for Lauderdale on Saturday with a string of accolades to his name, but one thing is missing from his extensive CV – a premiership.

It’s a box “Siggo” hopes to tick this season as the Bombers sit three games clear on top of the SFL Premier League ladder approaching their round 13 match against inform North Hobart at Lauderdale Oval.

He has played in three states, moulded himself into a representative beast for the SFL and Tasmania, and is the outright leader on the Premier League’s goal-kicking ladder.

Sam Siggins in action for Tasmania's academy team against Norwood. He will miss game three against Sandringham. Picture Linda Higginson Solstice Digital

If Lauderdale does win the inaugural SFL Premier League flag, the beach boys will owe much of their success to their inspirational co-captain.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time,” Siggins said.

“Not playing in a senior premiership so far is something that burns there for me and a lot of my teammates at Lauderdale.

“To be able to do that at the club where I started as a junior is something I really want to do and I know our group does.

“I feel like we are in a good position to achieve that.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we feel like if we can get everything right hopefully I can tick that off.”

A Lauderdale local, Siggins played his first senior game for the club as a 17-year-old skinny midfielder.

“My first senior game was round five against Clarence at Bellerive Oval in 2011,” he said.

“I lined up on the wing.

“I hadn’t had my growth spurt at that stage, so I was a wingman/half-forward.”

Siggins showed such promise he was taken by the Adelaide Crows at pick 62 in the 2012 National Draft.

Lauderdale's Sam Siggins celebrates a goal against North Hobart in round 5, 2024 of the Tasmanian State League (TSL). Picture: Solstice Digital.

It was the beginning of a string of career memories that Siggins is reflecting on as this week’s game approaches.

“I don’t really have any one highlight in my career, it’s more the about the journey of it all and playing for different teams,” Siggins said.

“Starting off at Lauderdale and playing my first senior game, and then going across to Adelaide and playing SANFL footy for Adelaide Crows was enjoyable.

“In my second year at Adelaide was the inaugural year of the Adelaide Crows’ SANFL side.

“Playing in that first game was a good memory for me, and coming back to Tassie I had a little stint at Clarence and then going across to Geelong in the VFL, and then returning for the past seven years at Lauderdale.”

“Siggo” fans have a highlight reel to reflect on, the stand-out his incredible snap-shot goal in the dying seconds of an interstate game against Queensland two years ago to get Tasmania home in a thriller.

“In terms of memories I probably don’t have a special moment,” he said.

“It’s more so the journey of playing in three different states and it all and the learnings I have taken out of the different clubs I have played at and all the coaches who have coaches me throughout the years.”

SAM SIGGINS TOUGHEST OPPONENTS

1 – Ben Reynolds (Glenochy): “He was tough in the way he played, a dominant defender and someone I found hard to play against and someone who helped me grow as a footballer in terms of the way he went about his footy and someone I have a lot of respect for.”

2 – Cameron Thurley (Clarence): “As an 18-year-old coming through, I played on ‘Thurls’. He was playing forward and I was playing defence, and I was left one-out with him, and that was definitely a tough task. He was a class footballer and one of the better footballers to play in Tasmania. I learned at a young age how good he was – certainly a tough player to play on.”

3 – Michael Newtown (Norwood): “I remember one Friday night at Norwood Oval, we played Norwood and Michael Newtown, who used to play for Melbourne, was playing full-forward and I was a key defender. He kicked six on me and it was pretty embarrassing as a key defender and the Norwood crowd were getting into me. He was a tough opponent.”

4 – Sam Collins (Werribee): I only played the one game against him. He was playing for Werribee at the time, it was the year he got drafted to the Gold Coast. We played a game at Torquay. I think he took 20 marks that day I remember thinking this guy needs to get back on an AFL list, which he did and he’s a quality AFL player at the moment, so yeah, he was a tough one to play on.”

5 – Braydon Preuss (North Melbourne VFL): “When I was at Geelong I was playing in the ruck. And it was against Pruess, he was 6ft11 and playing in the AFL for North Melbourne at that stage, so I was a bit out of my depth there.”