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AFL Player #22: Sam Durham
- Thread starter eth-dog
- Start date
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hes the guy we have been looking for for the past ten years and we found him at the bottom of the pile for nothing, its amazing - added to martin, 2 of our best 3 players (imo) have come from the john west rejected piles
Nicholas61
All Australian
- Sep 21, 2020
- 942
- 1,180
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Agreed we haven't got any guys like this for decades with our top picks (since prime Judkins with possible exception of Rama) then nail these guys incredibly late.
Totally agree. Let him float forward and see how willing his tag is to follow. Meanwhile, Archie or Stringer go to the middle.
TheGreatBarryB
Hall of Famer
AFL 2024: From ‘scrawny kid’ to one half of Melbourne’s ‘it’ couple: The former carpenter putting Bombers in shape
Essendon’s Sam Durham may have taken the long route to the top, literally and figuratively, but life is changing quickly for the boy from Seymour.
When Sam Durham was publicly unveiled by Essendon in 2021 after the mid-season draft, then coach Ben Rutten joked the apprentice carpenter’s work on the tools would come in handy for the club.
Few, though, could have foreseen the one-time self-described “scrawny kid” helping fix one of the Bombers’ major structural issues.
Sam Durham, one of the league’s most improved players in 2024, in Essendon’s specially designed jumper sporting the logo of cancer charity partner Challenge the club is wearing for their annual Tackling Childhood Cancer Game.CREDIT: SIMON SCHLUTER
Durham may have taken the long route to the top, literally and figuratively, but life is changing quickly for the boy from Seymour.
In March, he signed a four-year deal keeping him at Essendon until the end of 2028. One of the league’s most improved players in 2024, Durham has also become known on Melbourne’s social scene. One report in the Herald Sun described him and model Paris Bishop as a new Melbourne “it” couple.
But it’s on the green grass rather than the red carpet where he is making Dons fans happiest. For years, they have been hunting for a midfielder with the grunt to support Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish.
What Durham, at 185 centimetres, lacks in stature against a Marcus Bontempelli or Patrick Cripps, he makes up for with heart. When it comes to football, Durham has always done things the hard way.
Mid-season draft pick Durham is making a big impact at Essendon.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
He’s waited longer than most for a crack in feeder competition, then known as the NAB League. The pandemic cost him a year with Richmond’s VFL team, the lost opportunity sandwiched between being overlooked in two drafts.
When football was shut down in Victoria by COVID, Durham threw himself into lonely and gruelling running sessions to keep his AFL dream alive. When it returned a year later, it meant 6am starts and 11pm finishes to fit in his carpentry apprenticeship and training for Richmond. He’d be so exhausted, he’d need a Red Bull to stay awake, only to not be able to sleep once the caffeine kicked in.
The struggle has been worth it, for player and club.
The Dons are among the best contested-ball teams this year, an area they had struggled in recent years. Durham’s insertion into the guts has played no small part. Only Merrett has won more contested possessions or clearances than the late bloomer.
Durham has never feared a scrap, even if he describes himself as “always that scrawny kid” growing up. He played his junior football on a wing, but has the mindset of a player who belongs in the centre square.
“I’m not afraid,” Durham said ahead of the Bombers’ annual Tackling Childhood Cancer Game, supported by official charity partner Challenge. “If you’re afraid, you probably get hurt more.”
Durham figures his love of the rough stuff comes from his uncle and the father of one of his Richmond VFL teammates who used to take him fishing and hunting.
Durham may have come through the traditional pathway but was often on the edge. Overlooked for previous squads with the Murray Bushrangers because he was too small, Durham played every game in his top-age year.
He was picked to play in a VFL practice game for Richmond in early 2020, only for the match to be called off as COVID-19 hit Australia, but it gave him hope he was not far off.
As the pandemic wreaked havoc, so driven was Durham he hit up a running coach Kelvin Lubeck, who runs a plumbing business in Seymour. Three times a week, Durham would follow a program of repeat sprints over 100, 200 and 300 metres in preparation for the two-kilometre time trial at the draft combine.
At a time when lockdowns and travel restrictions were in place in Melbourne, and grassroots football ground to a halt in Victoria, the idea of being drafted must have felt so distant.
“When you’re doing it, you get into a groove and forget,” Durham said. “You’re doing it for nothing. You have to snap back and remind yourself what you’re doing it for.”
If Durham was down, Lubeck would pep him up by dropping how he knew of interested clubs.
“I don’t know how much is true, but it gets you going every now and then,” Durham laughed. “He was awesome with that.”
These sessions laid the foundation for his 2021 VFL campaign with Richmond, where he caught the eye of recruiters from Sydney and Essendon, both of whom interviewed Durham.
Durham’s Zoom chat with Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro and recruiter Rob Forster-Knight took place in his shed at Seymour, leading both to think he was still on the tools. The 20-minute interview chat did not go well, Durham thought, and the Swans sounded keener.
“I got on the phone straight away to my manager and said, ‘Essendon won’t be interested, they didn’t give me much at all’,” Durham said.
“It just went so quick, and they were so punchy with questions and answers and moved on. Random stuff, then it was done.”
Anticipating the Swans to give him his big break, Durham was as surprised as anyone when Dodoro swooped with pick nine, three picks earlier than Sydney, in the mid-season draft.
Andrew McGrath, now vice captain, took him into his home upon drafting, teaching him how to be a professional.
“I was very green coming into his house, never had Japanese or anything like that,” Durham said.
Salmon sashimi remains a step too far for Durham, but he has absorbed just about every other lesson from McGrath.
“I was a sponge going into the footy club, I always sat next to him,” Durham said. “The way he talked, even outside of footy, the way he interacted with people, with kids, just taking notes on everything.
“He’s an ultimate professional. I’d like to say I’ve learnt lot from him, but I can’t say I’ve learned the talking part off him. He’s a natural.”
Durham’s girlfriend Paris Bishop.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Durham is perhaps selling himself short. He connected with his girlfriend on Instagram before meeting in a bar. He did the asking. “I had to,” Durham said.
Though an irregular poster on Instagram, he still has 23,600 followers, a fraction of Bishop’s 171,000.
“I’m not really good on social media, she’s all over it,” Durham said. “We don’t really read into it [the publicity], we just stay in our own lane.”
Durham’s lane is on the field, where, after years of taking the road less travelled, he finally feels he belongs.
“The start of this year in the pre-season I felt I had put on a bit more size, and felt like I belonged in the team,” Durham said.
“At the start it was to try and get a game, earn your stripes a little bit. I feel like now I can make a stamp on the team with what I can do.”
- Apr 23, 2016
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AFL 2024: From ‘scrawny kid’ to one half of Melbourne’s ‘it’ couple: The former carpenter putting Bombers in shape
Essendon’s Sam Durham may have taken the long route to the top, literally and figuratively, but life is changing quickly for the boy from Seymour.www.theage.com.au
Hard not to like the kid
mcgrath_truther
AAAAAAAAAAARGH!
they'd be dumb not to make him a face of the club one day
mcgrath_truther
AAAAAAAAAAARGH!
absurdly good player. so professional in how he goes about his game & matches other teams intensity with his own.
can’t believe we got him. another win for dodoro
can’t believe we got him. another win for dodoro
- Apr 22, 2014
- 4,380
- 11,195
- AFL Club
- Essendon
This is the footballing equivalent of only have enough money for water at the vending machine, but the machine malfunctions and accidentally gives you 4 cokes.
I have been watching the Dons play with my Father in law. He said he reminds him of Gerard Healy, tough player who always impacts the contest he's in, even if he never possesses it. Also said he looks like a young Gary Ayers, which I can't unsee now.
He also said that tough players like Durham and Guelfi are integral to winning premierships.
He also said that tough players like Durham and Guelfi are integral to winning premierships.
Doubt he's a squirrel gripper like Healy
Have noticed in recent weeks how much punch he has on his kicks. He can get the ball from A to B in a hurry and he can do it at speed.
I can’t quite believe how complete a footballer he’s starting to look….keep waiting for some critical flaw in his game to emerge!
I can’t quite believe how complete a footballer he’s starting to look….keep waiting for some critical flaw in his game to emerge!
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That’s not how I remember Healy. He never had a bull-at-gate mentality, nor hit the contest hard like Duz. He also wasn’t as accomplished overhead, nor defensively adept. He was, however, incredibly smart in his positioning, so got a heap of the ball. He also had beautiful skills which meant that every one of his many disposals were damaging. An unexpected comparison to be honest.
Agreed. He was more of an outside player who could run all day.
My father in law might be thinking of another player, his recollection of older players is usually laser!
I'll ask if that's who he meant!
Of that era, the only Swans players I put in the bull-at-a-gate category would be Barry Mitchell and Stevie Wright, neither of who you’d say are similar to Duz. He wouldn’t be thinking of Paul Kelly would he? Brownlow medallist but about 8 years later.
- Apr 15, 2013
- 3,303
- 2,033
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Who was the last essendon midfielder to be a close comparison?
Off the top of my head im really struggling. Jason Johnson is as close as i can get
Off the top of my head im really struggling. Jason Johnson is as close as i can get
Before that, Daisy Williams was very much in the mould but much smaller and less agile/athletic. But he was tenacious and forward thinking in possession and could kick a goal. He would be in the top handful of Sheed’s favourites.
The s**t this guy puts his shoulders through is borderline masochistic
- Apr 15, 2013
- 3,303
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- Essendon
What about Merv Neagle? He looked a bit like him at least
Actually Merv is a great comparison. Merv played a bit of a midfield/centreman role before settling on a wing so sort of in reverse to Duz. Merv was definitely a bull-at-a-gate and tenacious for sure but had the skills to work outside of congestion too. Merv was a smoother mover and superior kick, especially on the run. But Duz is better over head and better at clearances. Merv could arch his back and accelerate out of congestion whereas Duz just bulldozes through.
Haha it was Paul Kelly, although he's convinced that I was the confused one. Meanwhile, I don't even know who Paul Kelly even is, other than the singer though. LOL
Funnily enough the reason why he brought up a swans player, is probably because I said he reminded me of a silkier Kieren Jack. As he was a hard-nosed overlooked rookie.
Paul Kelly is one of my all-time favourite non-Essendon players. Tough, and unflinching, and explosive from stoppages (like JJ but more consistently). He was inspirational in an understated way. His most devastating attribute was his forward thinking disposal.
Happyskeret
Club Legend
- Jul 2, 2022
- 2,384
- 2,966
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- Essendon
I remember a poster before round 1 saying they thought Duzz was VFL level at best. That hasn’t aged well.
To be fair, it’s one of the most rapid improvements of an Essendon player I can recall.
He’s gone from a solid role player (that may be underselling it) to being extremely close to our most important player in a super short period of time
