Sam Sturt (born 12 May 2000) is an
Australian rules footballer who plays for the
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fr ...
in the
Australian Football League (AFL).
Drafted with the 17th selection in the
2018 AFL draft
The 2018 AFL draft consisted of the various periods where the 18 clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) traded and recruited players following the completion of the 2018 AFL season.
For the first time, the AFL draft featured live trading ...
from the
Dandenong Stingrays
The Dandenong Southern Stingrays are an Australian rules football team in the NAB League, the Victorian statewide under-18s competition.
1992 saw the birth of the Southern Stingrays, developed under the leadership of Steve Kennedy (Regional ...
in the
TAC Cup
The NAB League Boys (also referred to as simply the NAB League and formerly known as the TAC Cup) is an under-19 Australian rules football representative competition held in Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Vic ...
, Sturt had mainly played cricket as a junior. He attended
Peninsula Grammar
, motto_translation = Hold fast that which is good
, established = 1961
, type = Independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school
, denomination = Anglican
, slogan ...
.
AFL Career
Fremantle (2019-)
2019-2022: Early Career and Injuries
Upon moving to Fremantle, he played for
Peel Thunder
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. T ...
in the
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September ...
(WAFL), Fremantle's
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
, however he missed two months of football after suffering two
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentratio ...
injuries early in the 2019 season.
Sturt made his AFL debut for Fremantle in the opening round of the
2020 AFL season
The 2020 AFL season was the 124th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featu ...
at
Marvel Stadium
Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...
against
Essendon Essendon may refer to:
Australia
*Electoral district of Essendon
*Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington
*Essendon, Victoria
**Essendon railway station
**Essendon Airport
*Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League
United King ...
. He earned a
Rising Star Rising Star or Rising Stars may refer to:
People and characters
* Rising Star, a pseudonym of the DJ Armin van Buuren
* Aurvandil, the Rising Star, or Morning Star; in Germanic mythology
Books
* ''Rising Stars'' (comic), a comic book series by J ...
nomination after kicking three goals and amassing 10 disposals in the match.
Sturt played just one game during the
2021 AFL season
The 2021 AFL season was the 125th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featu ...
after struggling with injuries, and spent the entire
2022 AFL season
The 2022 AFL season is the 126th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season features ...
playing for Peel in the WAFL. He played 17 matches and kicked 26 goals for Peel. At the end of the year Sturt signed a one-year contract extension at the end of the season to keep him at until the end of 2023.
2023: More Opportunities and Breakout
In Round 5 of the
2023 AFL season
The 2023 AFL season is the 127th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season will fea ...
Sturt made his return to the AFL in a game at
Norwood Oval
Norwood Oval (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from the Adelaide-based Coopers Brewery) is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is owned by Norwood, Payn ...
against . Sturt gained 6 disposals and 4 marks. He helped in a tight contest which resulted in a 10 point win for . Sturt kept his spot in the team for ’s next game against the . Sturt used this opportunity to kick 2 goals in a disappointing loss at home. Those goals kept him in the side leading up to
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
’s clash with the
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of t ...
. Unfortunately for Sturt his game against Brisbane would end quickly due to being substituted out in the 3rd Quarter. After playing 3 games for ’s WAFL side, Peel Thunder, Sturt returned to the senior team for a big game against . Sturt started as the substitute but came in quickly due to ruckman,
Sean Darcy
Sean Darcy (born 12 June 1998) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). At tall and weighing , Darcy competes in the ruck as well as the forward line.
...
, tearing a hamstring in the 2nd Quarter. Sturt finished the game with only 5 disposals, however Fremantle still got the win. Sturt returned to the starting lineup in Round 13. However Sturt was quiet, collecting only 7 disposals and kicking a goal in a 15 point loss to
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
at home. The next week ahead of ’s clash against
the Giants Sturt was named as an emergency. However due to
Michael Frederick failing a fitness test minutes before the game, Sturt was back into the side. Sturt kicked 2 goals and had 9 disposals in a good game for him but a not so good game for the Dockers who would end up losing by 70 points. The next week Sturt was named as the substitute. Sturt was subbed into the game for
Alex Pearce
Alexander James Pearce (born 9 November 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for EFL League Two club AFC Wimbledon and the Republic of Ireland national team. He made two international appearances for the Scotland under ...
who suffered an injury in the 4th quarter. Sturt was on the ground for just below 19 minutes. In this time he gained 3 disposals, had 2 tackles, and took a mark in a 32 point win against in the west. After a couple games playing for ‘s reserve side in the WAFL, Sturt returned to the top team in Round 18 against . Sturt played well in his return game kicking 2 goals and having 8 disposals. Round 21 saw Sturt kick 3 goals during Fremantle's 3 point loss to the .
Western Derby
The Western Derby () is the name given to the Australian rules football match between the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, who both participate in the Australian Football League (AFL). As both teams are based in Perth, the capital ...
57 saw Sturt kick a career high four goals during Fremantle's 101 point win over West Coast at
Optus Stadium
Perth Stadium, currently known as Optus Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Burswood. It was completed in late 2017 and officially opened on 21 January 2018. The s ...
. Sturt signed a one year contract extension during the 2023 season, tying him to Fremantle until at least 2024. In Round 24 Sturt kicked a goal in a 37 point thrashing of to finish his most successful season in the AFL thus far.
Statistics
AFL Statistics
''Updated to the end of 2023''.
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, , , , 27
, 0 , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , –
, -
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
, , , , 27
, 3 , , 4 , , 0 , , 12 , , 11 , , 23 , , 7 , , 3 , , 1.3 , , 0.0 , , 4.0 , , 3.7 , , 7.7 , , 2.3 , , 1.0
, -
,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, , , , 1
, 1 , , 1 , , 1 , , 3 , , 2 , , 5 , , 2 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
, , , , 1
, 0 , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , – , , –
, -
,
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
, , , , 1
, 14 , , 17 , , 9 , , 65 , , 54 , , 119 , , 45 , , 17 , , 1.2 , , 0.6 , , 4.6 , , 3.9 , , 8.5 , , 3.2 , , 1.2
, - class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 , Career
! 18 !! 22 !! 10 !! 80 !! 67 !! 147 !! 54 !! 20 !! 1.2 !! 0.6 !! 4.4 !! 3.7 !! 8.2 !! 3.0 !! 1.1
WAFL Statistics
''Updated to the end of round 7, 2024''.
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, ,
Peel Thunder
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. T ...
, , 37
, 12 , , 6 , , 6 , , 73 , , 84 , , 157 , , 43 , , 31 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 6.0 , , 7.0 , , 12.8 , , 3.5 , , 2.5
, -
,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, ,
Peel Thunder
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. T ...
, , 4
, 3 , , 11 , , 2 , , 23 , , 16 , , 39 , , 15 , , 7 , , 3.6 , , 0.6 , , 7.6 , , 5.3 , , 13.0 , , 5.0 , , 2.3
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
, ,
Peel Thunder
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. T ...
, , 63
, 17 , , 26 , , 23 , , 110 , , 76 , , 186 , , 58 , , 31 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , 6.5 , , 4.4 , , 10.9 , , 3.4 , , 1.8
, -
,
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
, ,
Peel Thunder
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. T ...
, , 63
, 5 , , 7 , , 5 , , 48 , , 50 , , 98 , , 29 , , 19 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 9.6 , , 10.0 , , 19.6 , , 5.8 , , 3.8
, -
,
2024
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
***'' Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney ...
, , , , 17
, 2 , , 5 , , 2 , , 11 , , 18 , , 29 , , 9 , , 4 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , 5.5 , , 9.0 , , 14.5 , , 4.5 , , 2.0
, - class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 , Career
! 39 !! 55 !! 38 !! 265 !! 244 !! 509 !! 154 !! 92 !! 1.4 !! 0.9 !! 6.9 !! 6.1 !! 13.0 !! 3.9 !! 2.4
Notes
Honours and achievements
Individual
*
AFL Rising Star nominee:
2020 (round 1)
References
External links
*
*
*
WAFL Player Profile and Statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturt, Sam
2000 births
Living people
Fremantle Football Club players
Peel Thunder Football Club players
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
Dandenong Stingrays players
People educated at Peninsula Grammar