Frankston VFL forward Sam Lloyd has landed at Richmond Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
November 22, 2013 5:43PMNEW Richmond livewire forward Sam Lloyd has played at more clubs in four years than many players grace in a lifetime.
His amazing journey to the AFL culminated in the Tigers taking him at pick 66 on Thursday, a decision which saw his living room erupt with joy.
"It was just a blur,' he said yesterday. "When my name was called out the room just erupted. Everyone was hugging, my parents were crying, and my girlfriend was crying. I wish I had filmed it."
Lloyd, 23, has kicked 110 goals with the Deniliquin Rams, played at VFL clubs Bendigo and Frankston, represented the VFL, trained with the Geelong Falcons, and played suburban football with Mount Eliza.
The versatile forward has been on Richmond's radar for two years and is part of a trio of forwards chosen by the Tigers to bolster their attacking set-up.
He made the Geelong Falcons squad as a junior while at Geelong Grammar but a 10-week ankle injury meant he never played a game.
He thought his AFL dream was over.
"I was from Deniliquin initially and had a lot of mates there still and so I travelled back there for two years and won a flag there," Lloyd said.
"Then a mate from uni got me to come down to Mount Eliza. I got a call from Essendon towards the end of the season and they wanted me to play a few games for the Bendigo Bombers. I decided I could play at that level if I could get fit and went to Frankston, and the rest is history.
"Going to the AFL was a million miles away, but as I played that VFL state game (kicking four goals) I thought, 'Hang on, I have a chance here', and then I went to the draft camp, and even last night I didn't expect to get drafted, but it happened."
Richmond says Lloyd can do it all as a forward, with great hands, crumbing nous, and the ability play play as a mark-and-lead forward too.
"I was always a midfield/forward but I like to take a grab, I like to take the game on," he said.
"I love a goal and I love to crumb the ball. I know I need to keep working on my forward pressure if I want to play."
He is yet to ponder what it would be like to play alongside the likes of Jack Riewoldt, but says Richmond's stars have already been in contact.
"I haven't even considered that, I don't even think all of this is real yet," he said.
"The boys are awesome. I have started to get texts from Riewoldt and Chris Newman and the Cotch (Trent Cotchin). It's just surreal."
Read more:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/frankston-vfl-forward-sam-lloyd-has-landed-at-richmond/story-fni5f22o-1226766321215#ixzz2lNYGZPh6
