One of the remining players from the Gold Coast SUNS’ inaugural 2011 team, key forward Sam Day has extended his contract with the club for a further two seasons.
SUNS Media have a look at his journey to get to where he is to-Day.
November 18, 2010 - Draft night
Sam Day is drafted to the Gold Coast SUNS with pick 3 in the 2010 National Draft.
“Bright-eyed, bushy teenage kid. Haircut’s not doing much. Great night to have mum and dad around. I just loved the excitement of being picked to the Gold Coast. Fresh new club, exciting times ahead and really excited to be picked. A kid’s dream come true.”
May 7, 2011 – AFL debut in Round 7 v Brisbane Lions
Day made his debut in the first ever QClash, finishing with two marks and seven disposals (six contested) in the win over the Brisbane Lions.
May 26, 2012 – Day takes career-high four contested marks
In Round 9,2012, Sam Day took an equal career-high four contested marks against Port Adelaide.
March 14, 2014 – Day extends his contract for an additional two years
April 12, 2014 – Mark of the Year nomination
Day earns a Mark of the Year nomination in Round 4 against Hawthorn. His mark was voted as the best from that round.
July 5, 2014 – Sam Day polls his first ever Brownlow Medal votes
Day received two votes for his four-goal haul against Essendon in Round 16 at Metricon Stadium.
August 31, 2014 – Day plays all 22 games in a season for the first time in his career
Day played in every game in 2014 with 10 wins and 12 losses. He finished the season with 12 goals and averaged over three marks per game.
August 22, 2015 – Day suffers scary hit against Essendon
Sam Day was taken from the field in a neck brace during Round 21 against Essendon after his head collided with an opponent’s hip. He was taken immediately to hospital but scans revealed he had not suffered a major injury.
July 14, 2016 – Sam Day re-signs for three more years
Sam Day commits to the club after settling on the Gold Coast long-term.
September 2, 2016 – Day finishes 10th in Club Champion
Day was swung into defence in 2016 where he impressed as an effective tall defender. He played 20 games and averaged over four marks per game.
Feb 19, 2017 – Dislocated hip in JLT Community Series
“Plenty of adversity as most AFL players go through. Some dark times but I had some great people around me – my partner Ally, my mum and dad and family and then some awesome people at the club. I managed to do everything right in rehab and get back out there. I played my 100th game with the boys last year which was fantastic. I can’t thank everyone enough for the amount of work and support they gave me through that.”
April 10, 2017 – Rehab milestone: Day walks for first time since injury
July 22, 2017 – Rehab milestone: Day runs for first time since injury
March 24, 2018 – Sam Day returns to AFL football for Round 1 of the 2018 Toyota Premiership Season
WATCH: Sam Day Don't Believe In Never
March 31, 2018 – Sam Day plays his 100th game
Stranded on 98 AFL games when his horrific hip injury occurred, Day was determined to reach the milestone. He played game 99 in torrential conditions for Round 1 in Cairns the week before then notched the ton against Carlton with a win in Round 2.
June 23, 2018 – Shoulder injury ends Day’s season
“I thought I was tracking pretty well. But a shoulder injury unfortunately knocked me out of the game again so I had to sit on the sidelines. I’m not a stranger to rehab though so I managed to get everything in place and build myself back up again and now back in the team and the seniors for 2019 and really looking forward to what’s to come. We’ll finish the year strong and really launch into the pre-season and get fitter and stronger again. I can’t wait to play next year.”
Pre-season 2019 – Sam Day loses seven kilograms in a month
Day underwent a rigorous pre-season training regime in a bid to shed weight ahead of the 2019 season. He was successful in losing seven kilograms to become a leaner and quicker athlete.
June 15, 2019 – Day returns
Sam Day plays his first senior match of 2019 in Townsville for Round 15 after building form in the NEAFL. He had 19 hitouts and kicked a goal from his 16 disposals.
Friday 26, 2019 – Sam Day extends his contract until end of 2021
“I’m really excited about re-signing with the club. We’ve done a power of work over the last year and a half. The group of guys we have here is phenomenal and everyone is putting in the hard yards behind the scenes. I can’t wait to go forward with this group and keep educating and we’ve just got so much growth in us. We’re not far away and there’s exciting things to come.”
