Sam Fran set to spike at her 50-game milestone

By ZAC MILBANK

Glenelg captain Sam Franson never expected to play in South Australia’s elite women’s football competition.

As she reaches her 50th Hostplus SANFLW League game against Norwood on Saturday, the 24-year-old reflected on how the majority of her focus was on volleyball throughout her schooling at Brighton Secondary School.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, the Bays premiership utility said she was encouraged by friends to initially play Australian Football with Flinders University in 2017.

After successfully switching to Cove Football Club in 2018 – where she booted 28 goals from 12 games – Franson was soon snapped up by the Tigers, making her SANFLW debut in Round 1 of 2019.

An exceptional athlete with running as her strength, Franson had then Glenelg coach Jason Fairall making it is his mission to transform her into a footballer, with a strong focus on skill development.

After featuring in the club’s historic inaugural SANFLW flag in 2021, Franson hasn’t looked back, since progressing into the co-captaincy last year with Ellie Kellock.

A frustrating lower leg injury cost her most of the 2023 campaign but now as the Bays’ sole skipper, Franson is embracing the honour of wearing the cherished No.5 guernsey.

A sales co-ordinator with radio stations Triple M and SAFM, Franson is eager for her side to respond to their Round 5 loss after earning a promising 4-1 win-loss record to start the season.