Lloyd staking claim at Tigerland

For Lloyd, it has been a long, and well-documented journey to the bright lights of the AFL.

A season-ending injury during his Under-18s year at the Geelong Falcons, meant that Lloyd made the decision to return to his hometown of Deniliquin, where he played for a number of seasons before returning to Melbourne.

“I had a year with Mount Eliza, and halfway through that year, I had a meeting with Essendon.

“Towards the end of that, I played a few games with Bendigo South, their affiliated team, and then ended up playing last year for Frankston.

“So I’ve been to about five clubs in about three years,” Lloyd said.

At the ripe old age of 24, Lloyd’s debut was not the result he was looking for, as Collingwood trounced the Tigers to the tune of 38 points, however personally, Lloyd was pleased with his performance.

“It was good to get out there on Friday night against Collingwood. Good to get a run-around, get a few kicks and a few goals,” he said.

“[Damien Hardwick] was happy. He said be dangerous and play my role. Just talk to the boys who play that role and just do my bit,” Lloyd recalls, when asked about the feedback he received after his first game.

Lloyd’s journey, and manner, has also drawn praise from a number of former AFL stars, including Tigers’ great, Matthew Richardson.

“A lot of Tiger fans have been waiting to see Sam Lloyd in the team,” Richardson said.
“It’s a pretty good story… He has been a goal kicker his whole footy career so hopefully he can put a few on the board.”

Lloyd is a proud Deniliquin boy, and was sure that once his family heard of his selection, the rest of ‘Deni’ would also find out.

“I was a bit scared to tell mum and dad,” Lloyd said.

“I thought they might have a heart attack. But they’re very excited, as well as everyone at home in Deni… they haven’t had someone play AFL since Leo Barry, so it’s a bit of a buzz for the town.”