Rookie Draft selection No. 28
Height: 177cm
Weight: 74kg
DOB: 29/8/86
Recruited From: South Warrnambool/Geelong U18/Port Melbourne
VFL Games: 130
VFL Goals: 120
About: "Member of Port Melbourne’s premiership team last season. Member of the VFL Team of the Year. Stylish midfielder/forward whose ability to win the ball and finish off his work makes him one of the best in the competition. Missed five weeks with a broken leg and a late withdrawal from last week’s Preliminary Final" - VFL Record, Grand Final Edition 2012.
Derek Hine says: Sam's been around for a while now. He's 26-years-old. He obviously has been on the cusp now for 2-3 years and we feel that we'd be able to bring in a little bit of pace, someone who would be able to hit the scoreboard, and can play some multiple roles particularly forward of centre. We see him as that wing-mid-forward role. All boys are really terrific characters and we're prepared to give them an opportunity and we're really confident that they're going to take that opportunity.
Sam Dwyer in his own words:
On his draft prospects
I didn't actually, I had no idea. I've been in contact with the club a couple of times but they haven't given any indication as to whether I'd be taken or not, it was just sort of a wait and hope, I guess. This has been the first year that I've really had a chat to Collingwood. It's obviously something that I had aimed for, but I guess with the mature age players of previous years going so well it opened a few more doors but obviously with each year the window gets smaller and smaller. I knew that time was running out, but hopefully I've still got a few good years left in me and I can prove that.
On how close he came to being drafted when playing for the Geelong Under-18s in 2004
I'm not too sure whether I was close or not. I did the screening process and all that but never had too much contact with any clubs or that kind of thing. In terms of the players that I came through with, there was Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn), John Meesen (Adelaide and Melbourne) and Tim Sheringham (Geelong). Nathan Foley (Richmond) was there as well, he was a year older but I played with him in my first year at the Falcons.
On where he was on the day of the Rookie Draft
I actually wasn't even watching. I'm still at work at the minute actually. We've had a tough morning actually, so I'm just finishing up a job as we speak. I work for Car Electrical. Port Melbourne's team manager owns an electrical company so I work with him. I've been there for a bit over a year.
On what sort of player Collingwood fans can expect to see
I guess the role that I've been playing at Port Melbourne is that midfield-forward, go through the wings as well. I'm sort of a run-and-carry type of player.
On his 2012 season with Port Melbourne
I came back for the first week of finals, couldn't get up for the Prelim but got up for the Grand Final with a last minute fitness test. I thought I had a pretty consistent year. It was tough going through the finals coming back with a broken leg, but apart from that, yeah, I think it was pretty consistent.
