Collins: The Man You Can Count On

Whilst most of his time is taken up with football with the Box Hill Hawks, Sam Collins also manages to Study a Degree in Commerce at Melbourne University.

In his third and final year at University, the pressure is on in the classroom, but this year is also a big year on the field, Collins playing the majority of his games in Box Hill’s senior side.

Collins began his football career at age 5 with Donvale Football Club, where he stayed until being picked in the Under 18 Oakleigh Chargers side. He was at Oakleigh for two years until moving to the Box Hill Hawks in 2013.

“My first year at Box Hill we had a Box Hill Hawks Academy, which was 4 or 5 sessions run by the Hawthorn coaches, so they came down and it definitely helped with my understanding of the game and what they want out of players,” said Collins.

In his first year with the Hawks he played four senior games, his second year saw him play almost every senior game, including the Grand-Final.

Unfortunately the Hawks lost the Grand-Final against Footscray but Collins was able to take a lot out of the loss.

“I got called in late to the Grand Final, so probably not the best preparation but obviously getting out there was a great experience. I think it just makes you hungrier to get to that position again this year,” said Collins.

Coming into his third year at Box Hill, Collins has had a few changes to his playing position. The first year he was at Box Hill he moved across a range of positions, in the forward line and the black line.

This year his main focus at training has been playing down back.

“It terms of my focuses, specifically in the back line, I have been working more on the offensive side of things. Getting used higher up the ground and working on my connections to the forwards, rather than purely focusing on just the defensive side.”

On top of Uni and football, Collins is also head of the “Social Committee” at the Box Hill Hawks…

“A self-proclaimed title that Jake Summers and I hold down pretty strongly,” Collins jokes.

“We organise functions and events for the players to try and get the team bonding better off the field and making it a bit more light hearted in and around the club rooms.”

“It’s a new list every year, so it’s really important to get to know everyone on and off the field, it’s not always just about the football. It has to be enjoyable for everyone, whether you’re playing firsts, development or back at local footy.”

Collins is one of the younger players in the senior side, saying that he is inspired by leaders at the club, such as Sam Iles and the Captain; David Mirra.

“Coming in and seeing people like Mirra and Iles and how they go about things, they have been some of my bigger influences because they play in the exact same position as me.”

“I find it best to learn by example, watching those boys play and the way they train, has definitely helped my development as a player.”

So far Collins has had a great start to the season, being named as one of the best players in the last two senior games.

We can definitely expect an exciting future for the young Hawk.

The Hawks next game will be at home, this Sunday, against the Northern Blues.