Introduction The silky skilled midfielder has endured a horror run with injuries since being drafted to the Club in 2006. The 183cm recruit from Victoria shows poise beyond his years, is creative in front of goals and is an excellent user of ball by hand or foot. . Background • Sam Sheldon boasts a strong football pedigree. His father Kens Sheldon played 185 matches with Carlton and St Kilda and was a three-time premiership player with the Blues. • He was a standout junior footballer who represented Victoria in the U16s and juggled his playing commitments between school team Haileybury and the Oakleigh Chargers. • He played a full season with Haileybury, leading his school team to their third consecutive APS football premiership and won the club’s Best and Fairest award. • He only played with the Chargers in the TAC Cup U18 competition on weekends that Haileybury had a scheduled bye round. Once the school season had finished, he ran out with the Chargers each week. • In his first match at TAC Cup level, Sheldon hit the ground running gathering 22 possessions and laying 11 tackles against the Eastern Ranges. Similar impressive displays against the Western Jets and the Geelong Falcons suggested that he was ready for the next step. • An AC Joint injury suffered towards the end of the season threatened to derail his season, however he was recalled to the team for the TAC Cup Grand Final and kicked two third quarter goals to help steer the Chargers to the 2006 premiership. • As an underage player, Sheldon was initially expected to sit out the 2006 National Draft and let Carlton nominate him under the father-son rule in 2007. • Instead, the underage junior opted to nominate for the 2006 National Draft where the Lions pounced on the medium-sized midfielder with their sixth selection (Pick No.70 overall). 2007 • Sheldon completed his first AFL pre-season and featured briefly in the Club’s 2007 AFL NAB Cup campaign. • The slightly built teenager began his football apprenticeship with the Lions Reserves and immediately showed why the Lions had snatched him from Carlton’s grasp in the previous National Draft. • He played the first six rounds in the AFLQ – predominantly across half forward and in the midfield – before a broken leg kept him sidelined for the next three months. • He returned to feature in the final four AFLQ matches for the season but his lengthy absence restricted his chances of making a senior debut. 2008 • Sheldon received one of the Club’s most famous guernseys during the off-season when his request for recently retired former triple premiership Captain Michael Voss’ number three jumper was granted. • The young Victorian had always admired Voss and was honoured to follow in the footsteps of the Club’s favourite son. • The beginning of Sheldon’s second AFL season suffered a lengthy delay after he battled osteitis pubis for much of the pre-season. • It wasn’t until Round 13 that he was passed fit to play with the reserves in the local AFLQ competition. • He played the final ten matches of the year with the Lions Reserves and often showed flashes of brilliance. However, without adequate match conditioning throughout the pre-season, Sheldon found it hard to push for a senior berth despite coming into match committee calculations towards the end of the year.2009 • Sheldon's run of bad fortune continued at the beginning of the 2009 pre-season when he was struck down with Glandular Fever. The debilitating illness floored him prior to Christmas but he was able to return to the training track early in the New Year. • He gained match fitness through the Lions Reserves side and was eventually selected to make his senior debut in Round 6 against Essendon at the Gabba. It was the first time the famous number 3 guernsey had graced the Gabba in a senior match since Michael Voss' retirement.  • Sheldon grasped his opportunity and went on to play the next 19 matches - switching between defence and attack - which also included two Finals appearances. • 2009 proved a breakthrough season for the 20 year-old whose first taste of senior football made him even hungrier for further development.
#3 Sam SheldonTuesday, March 16, 2010 - 9:59AM
Playing with Brendan Fevola will be special for Sam Sheldon, given he first met the star forward a decade agoThursday, February 11, 2010 - 4:28PM
Winning a regular spot has been anything but a smooth ride for small forward Sam SheldonWednesday, August 05, 2009 - 7:48AM
Promising youngster makes a return for Lions after overcoming osteitis pubisWednesday, July 02, 2008 - 10:06AM
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