Here are 12 things you may or may not know about the latest addition to Richmond’s playing ranks, ruckman Sam Naismith, who the Tigers have secured as an AFL delisted free agent.
1. He was born on July 16, 1992.
2. He grew up in the New South Wales country town of Gunnedah, known as the Koala capital of the world, and also the hometown of Australian super model Miranda Kerr.
3. He played soccer, cricket, tennis, rugby league and rugby union before trying his hand at Australian Football when he was 16 years of age.
4. He played for the Gunnedah Bulldogs in the Tamworth Australian Football League.
5. He was invited to join Sydney’s talent academy by its 2005 premiership coach Paul Roos and was picked up by the Swans at pick 59 overall in the 2013 AFL rookie draft.
6. He made his AFL debut in the final home-and-away round of the 2014 season against Richmond at Stadium Australia.
7. He was a key player in Sydney’s surge to the 2016 Grand Final and he had an AFL career-high 13 disposals in that year’s premiership-decider against Western Bulldogs.
8. The most hit-outs he’s had in an AFL game is 45 against Greater Western Sydney in Round 17, 2017 at GIANTS Stadium.
9. He has a football competition named after him – the Sam Naismith Cup – for secondary schools in north-west New South Wales.
10. His nickname is “Crayfish”, which was coined by former Sydney teammates Shane Biggs and Dean Towers because they thought it rhymed with Naismith.
11. He averaged 14 disposals and 40 hit-outs in 14 games for VFL club Port Melbourne this year with a massive 66 hit-outs in Round 2 against Collingwood.
12. He has a passion for pottery in his spare time.
