YouTube Transcript:
Sam Foster Interview - Easts Tigers TigerTV

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so we hit the crisis in 2015
you've got injured late 2015 no I I had
ankle so that I wasn't applying had the
momiji I just wasn't enjoying it I'll
sing you know as we do as human beings
we're judging ourselves on our peers
which is in a friendship group you think
people start to achieve it both football
and you think you're stuck yeah and then
also academically it's not like that so
the law degree commences yeah do you go
back to Townsville with any promises
about football do you just sink packing
football if I'm gonna go up there and
see what happens or the team but I did
have a contra godless well the year
before I got offered a contract from the
Blackhawks their first year but I was
happy in Brisbane so I stayed in
Brisbane and then at the end of that
year they offered me another opportunity
to go back okay and I just sort of
thought I just started my degree I
wanted to finish it as quick as possible
and I thought the best way to do that
would be to move back to town so I could
stay with mum and dad for a bit while I
was finishing you know financially if it
sparks a mum and dad is filling towns
all this advice ah yeah so you can sort
of manage the fact that you study you
football or what maybe income is not
gonna be as high yeah I still worry I'm
on the ring nearly at the start I did
work full-time but after a while ended
up working full-time
it's an incredible committee you've made
over for three years to play football a
dive-off a really high level study
full-time yep and trained photographer
yeah same work 40 hours a week yes I
started a massive when I first went back
was just I was working in a construction
shop called global fasteners and I work
yeah well they started intangible and I
started working for them when I was
playing twenty so I went back and I
would work there for maybe I can't
remember how long and then I've got an
opportunity to work in a criminal law
firm in Townsville and so once I never
thought I'd enjoy criminal law but once
I started doing only way I want to go
yeah what am I trying to be a commercial
or something at some stage but I do
enjoy the criminal cuz it's fast-paced
you're in court you're meeting with
clients I go to the when I was in towns
I go to prison every Friday every
afternoon so you sort of just it was
always busy
what stories of you know we'll get into
that we'll get into that later we're
into to the now qualified lawyer and
practicing yeah Sam foster at the end
what happened the Blackhawks you know
you spent a fair bit of time there
before you spend a couple of games a
tweet I don't know how it all worked out
which is obviously we're gonna piece it
together here like I said the Blackhawks
in that run probably should have got a
title over the line in my opinion humbly
where did is if you just give us a bit
of a journey through that couple years I
feeling like mentally good yeah it was
sort of a process after this sort of
getting the degree was probably my last
year at the Blackhawks that I've sort of
felt clearest cuz I got through the
majority of my degree or the light at
the end of the tunnel and I sort of
started to enjoy my football again for a
long time I didn't know was just sort of
something I'd do but I most boys have
like a weird relationship with football
that they hate it but they can't cope I
can't give it away and I'm sort of like
that from all what you've done since we
were young boys into seven exactly and a
lot of your entire life is based around
I guess your I don't own that as before
as a footballer you know and then sort
of as you get older you you don't sort
of think like that is ours anymore part
yourself you see how to start to feel
confident often
self to say I'm saying I'll stir the
lawyer and I'm more than just football
yeah especially when you grow up in a
small town to like football everything
up there
exactly so you're actually famous
genuinely know like okay I apply that
like the difference between being
eternal Blackhawks player and a nice
tiger player has a massive difference on
your local community like you don't go
out into prison city and people go oh my
god saying you play for the East Tigers
you know yeah you're a Blackhawks player
in terms when you go out to the Mancow
but but like things like the media so
like intense all the media reports on
the Blackwater Blackhawks and Townsell
heat so like the the basketball in there
you know there's a lot more attention on
sort of the second level sport for
sports you know the reserve greater
sports so there's a lot more attention
on things like that bike you know did
Blackhawks we're very suitable I say
they're very similar to East like
extremely professional
you know there's nothing that us boys go
without and if we trained extremely hard
I think probably I think every year we
just sort of dropped off again just sort
of exhaust this entire world started
we're just exhausted by the end of the
year and you half the issue is he's been
mentally fresh at the end of the how
many times do you see a team go through
the entire year non can touch them and
then they just drop out at the end of
the year like what sunny coach did last
year do you ever think that has
something to do with the fact I mean
Townsend was probably the next biggest
behind ourselves and sunny coast as far
as a team that gets a lot of support
from their feeder club they got a lot of
players
I mean towns all over say the pride the
cutters get the majority of Cowboys guys
to be there so I always feel like
sometimes when you come to the Big Dance
and you come to the knock them down
dragon out contest
you got to sort of want to believe this
a bit more
yeah do you ever feel like that has
something like sunny co / townsville
flora that is used when it when it when
the going starts get really tough when
it starts to become life or death for
the game because it only takes one bad
games knock knock yeah I mean for
example guys you sort of saying that
some of the bikes that are coming back
from the first grade systems don't they
don't learn after the Jersey Lions guys
that are contracted that I probably
can't really speak for them up because
yeah Arian Foster the bloke said you
came back when we were there they always
put yeah they always put in so but I
know I understand the point you're
making but why sports when you get to
this level they're extremely competitive
so you can put on some green um team
that they've never played for and and
they killing themselves trying to win so
yeah I don't think it's ever been a
problem you at these Tigers think the
guys we've had from Melbourne sort of
certainly feel part of the whole ebf
thing they actually feel a bit of a
tighter the club we try and make that
emotional bond I just thought that like
when I watched the sunny coast
get me my brother last year for example
I just thought Burley we're riding a
wave of emotion talent-wise probably
weren't the better team button that that
made in the wave of emotion the support
the you know the longevity and the
jersey the the pride for the Jersey sort
of got them over that game anyway just
just a theory
just just asking your opinion christian
wolf and the wolf brothers have a pretty
had a reputation as hard coaches hard
trainers professional set up he
obviously got you back they did it with
him over time what made you want to
leave was just more so an object like
opportunities really like I'd sort of
finished my degree and I never really
wanted to stay like I went back to towns
or to finish that and then I was always
planning on coming back here so yeah it
was more so a safe football was really
really good in Townsville I still would
have left okay but that's exported
mainly fashionable as far as a
profession guys
I would it be Danny yeah yeah how does
that process start to come into these
Tigers
well I'd actually when I first went back
to turns one that's when ships had first
started here and I had a meeting with
him between 2014 and a 2014 yeah well
actually when I first song north while
other teams was ease so I've kind of
gone a long way around if I just signed
with it if I just signed with this in
the beginning I probably would have been
here for the years how things work yeah
but sorry and then midway through 2018 I
try to I'd finished my degree and I try
to get a release to come down here to
play face cuz I think you guys had had a
few injuries in the halves yeah that was
the start of the final from but we did
have all year we basically had Melbourne
horribly yeah I think anyway basically
that was my first year days yeah being
involved and yeah the two halves would
have been Josh Rauh Thank You Brad
anymore the food car I can't remember
but I try to get the release mutters
I've been injured actually I figure
sorry I think that's what was I had been
playing a fair bit of hookah so I was it
was pretty frustrating because they
wouldn't release me by the same time
they weren't playing me so it was pretty
it's pretty frustrating because then you
watch these go on and then I'm tear to
make the grand final exactly and I like
thought I could have been a part of that
yeah sorry that really sort of made me
quite bitter about the way sort of
things ended up there obviously with no
hard feelings to the boys because
they're all really good bunch of blokes
and still mates with all of them but
that that's just part of football is
that you know it becomes a bit of a
business and when I was younger I
probably took things like that
personally but as all that I still took
personally because one you won't give me
the opportunity but two you might
release me that's got a sort of kind of
fee on that a bit of loyalty there with
and longevity of in a relationship yeah
yeah I kind of found that a bit like
being positive to be honest with you I
like you know yeah it was it was when I
first sort of went down it was extremely
sort of frustrating was amongst my last
exams and stuff but you know everything
everything happens for a reason it's all
worked out I'm here now and I'm enjoying
living in Brisbane and joined being at
ease so when you pack up the current I
mean obviously that solidified your
decision to come for 2019 your first
year with us last year yeah when you
pack the car up and I think I've two
days before preseason begins I work
right up until the Friday working with a
lot legal firm yawns all right up right
up until the Friday and then I left the
Saturday we started training on the
Monday I generally leave things
last-minute like that so I think it's
more an indication of how hard or work
you are cuz as I got to know you last
year actually we were playing a game
reserve bread over at South sac at
acacia Ridge and we went into the bar
afterwards and a bartender is Sam foster
so you know moonlighting your day job
with earning extra money still itself
because and you do like the people there
as well obviously yeah and turn the
extra casters on okay for 26 year old
God Bachelor to spend your Saturday
nights and in the extra money on top of
working full-time being a full-time
footballer playing football
that's pretty commendable sort of work I
think to have thanks for pretty sure I
just I saw that there's other things
that I want in life like you know I'd
like well the plan was this year is to
use all money we make from football and
doing the Knights in there Leagues Club
to buy a house yep so you know obviously
you know well I don't know if this is a
smart thing to do but I'm thinking of
using the harm you know we can get
access to our super if we've lost our
twenty percent so I'm sort of thinking
it may
using that even though I haven't lost
too much super as it is at the moment
but I might be trying to figure out a
little way a way to go but you're
drooling guy and obviously your next
goal your next big personal goal is to
buy your own property yes buy my company
and also know the process of going
through like the eligibility process to
be able to sit in your bar sort of
fallen in love with the states and New
York in particular sciences I want
billions maybe a bit of power yeah
excited to go over there and to try and
have a crack at being a lawyer over
their eyes when I was over there at the
end of last year got a really cool
experience I just rocked up to day like
woke up with the immense sort of the
equivalent of their Magistrates Court
and sort of talk my way in and met a few
people and I actually got to sit at
their bench with the judge that's pretty
cool yeah no I just mean strategy really
there's a lot of stories where he just
ends up right place right time which we
probably can't put tonight but that's a
pretty incredible thing to think you've
walked in yeah public yeah general
public not even a citizen I didn't have
anybody see my resume nothing obviously
just because the questions that I was
asking they I guess assume that on you
so that was pretty cool and then I got
to go meet a federal court judge one of
the ladies that I met that worked for
legal aid there she was a associate for
a judge and then I got to go meet that
judge and like it just made me more
hungry for it so that that's the plan is
to do that in a company yeah copy his
own I don't know any premise sheet
before tea and then we'll definitely be
these targets easier said than done so
and then after that I'll probably Nick
I've cracked a lot so final football
question yeah we come back the same vibe
next year and we finally get it done you
break the duck 1991 yeah 2021
yeah would that be a premiership do you
think that would be you know I mean
obviously good squad and you've got the
potential to go back there a cup like
you know because you're a better
say footie and you have this
relationship with it where you say
you're 27 28 at the time yeah no I mean
absolutely and once you give up though
yes it you can't get a go back so but
with it is the young scribe yeah I guess
it would be a hard decision to make you
win the premiership knowing that your
squad is probably still got a lot of
growth in yeah yeah exactly with some of
those young fellows we got coming
through like hunty and hey even exact
IVs and Spivey isn't always what
yourself and then he may like Dawn's
been killing it when he you say Percy is
only 20 I think Percy's my age is 26 so
I love this quote you know the senior
yeah I don't know I don't know I don't
know I I think I could sit here and say
yeah that would be but probably wouldn't
like I remember saying to myself that I
hadn't made it by the time I was 21
focus on that's definitely not happening
anytime soon
but I don't know I don't know if I'm
enjoy my football keep playing because I
guess a big thing for me it's not I
don't want to regret anything so I'd
rather have a crack at something and
fall flat on my face then to go I
should have played one more year that's
me real footballs coming to the end of
the window and the careers yeah you like
football for so long ya know I've sort
of bashed my body up fairly good so I
might not get as many views and say
someone else has so just got to make the
most of it while you can and so if
that's another couple of more years then
so be it but okay before we wrap up
you're in New York last year but the
reason Sam was in New York last year was
to run the New York Marathon along with
a family holiday but no one else in the
family right but like the whole family
was there we go
they spend a bit of time over the
holidays there yep but we've already
detailed his busy football his busy life
busy work schedule and on top of that he
trains to run a 42 kilometers
in coldest conditions pretty cool it
wasn't phrasing I mean what's the
motivation to do that is that just a
thing like you see it it's a bucket list
Sam foster way I need to do that goal
set ticket done well it's actually the
second one I've done I did want a couple
years earlier my mate and I went to New
York and we planted round gone watch him
George st. Pierre fight at Madison
Square Garden and then we're like what
else can we do in New York at this time
then it came up with marathon yeah so we
did the marathon and that was the next
day and I stuffed up the time of the
card I thought the main card started at
7:30 but the entire prelim started at
7:30 so he left there at 2:30 in the
morning
had to be up at 4:00 to catch the bus
start the marathon so this time was a
lot better like I got a good night's
sleep
yeah but it started with like a bucket
list thing and then once you do it like
anyone that likes a little bit of
running I highly recommend it because
it's an amazing feeling when you finish
it especially in a place like that like
they line this streets the end of our 42
K is and like 10 20 30 people Dean
there's bands playing and as you run
through the different boroughs you see
the difference or like pockets of
different cultures and it's just it
doesn't even feel like you're sort of
running it's just it's interesting yeah
I'm sort of obsessed what I'll keep
doing them like I wouldn't mind trying
you know and man that's probably the
next one I want to try but that's that
might have to wait until after football
because there's really no of a few
transition what's that sorry I mean it
just obviously not a guy short of future
ambition we've got building towards a
house yeah
New York bar to potentially work in the
States
yeah when we finished football yeah and
Ironman you know they're they're not
small goals they're not like I want to
run a 10k it's very commendable um New
York Marathon we just do it again since
I'm lucky yeah I went in the ballot this
year but I didn't get your once I'd say
maybe now a couple years time but we
aimed to go for about 30 minutes
for now now say about Google hi you know
I hope we hope the fans have enjoyed it
I want to finish with something that
I've thought of called the set of 6 it's
basically a fancy way of playing word
association I'm going to spit a word at
you and I want you to say the first
thing that comes back yeah free minds
Frank Rogers coach Tony guilfoyle tough
New York Marathon fun North Queensland
Cowboys home hmm
hero um that's a bit of a tough one like
I've got a few you know this sort of
people you see well sort of people you
see like I might be in court and then I
might see this barrister you know do a
plea or something and just go oh well
they're they're absolutely amazing like
I love to be like oh no it's good as
them and but obviously football probably
people like like Cooper Cronk and
Jonathan Thurston Cameron Smith oh I saw
it
wait Andrew Jones and then obviously
it's bit cliche everyone sort of says it
but my parents you know they sort of
came to Australia they had you know
nothing really like and then they had me
when they were really done and they've
done so really for you are just
everything for me and then like in their
own lives they well built their own
world and became you know quite
successful in that sites you know they
definitely are I should have finished on
that one but the last one best game best
game is in your game ever play I think
the best game I've ever played was when
I first moved to Townsville I got asked
to play in the eighteens Mal Meninga
side when I was playing in the Cyril
Connells so let's plan up a couple of
years and and I just whatever I touched
thank you got sweaty to go with my
clothes don't banana Qixing come on it's
just all coming off like he didn't
matter what I did it just still work I
think I can't remember any other ones by
that I just
remember that night yeah god when I'm
feeling yourself yeah it was like and
then I think I got some the next the
next thing so I think that was probably
it's probably not a good thing to say
because that was ten years ago say hey
the best is always yet to come thank you
for giving us your time tonight thanks
for letting everyone get a bit more
knowledge about who you are what you're
about I think the most impressive part
of your story is beyond being a football
it is so much more and mostly apart from
a good human you're driven human being
you've got you haven't that football
become your sole desire I think you
should be proud of that so we hope you
guys enjoyed the first of catching up
with our players on target talk a bit
different for this year obviously with
what's going on if you enjoyed it feel
free to leave a comment send us some
questions of your own in the comments
let us know what you want to see next
time Sammy's been great to be the first
first guy off the rank
stay safe stay at home look out for each
other we'll see you next time
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