Sam's father Colin recounts some stories from the Willloughby household ...
Sad Sam
"Growing up, Sam and Matt would kick the footy around the backyard wearing their Crows jumpers - Sam with No.23 (Andrew McLeod) on his back & Matt with No.52 (Shaun Rehn).
"In 1997, we took the boys to see every Crows final, including that famous victory over St Kilda in the Grand Final. After the game, we went over to the Tennis Centre, so Sam and Matt could see their heroes & celebrate the win.
"There was a huge crowd waiting to see the players. Only six at the time, Sam was struggling to see anything so I put him on my shoulders. Within about a minute of Sam being up on my shoulders the crowd started chanting 'Sam is a wanker' (referring to Sam Newman & his comments made on the Channel Nine Footy Show about the Crows).
"Sam tapped me on the head & asked to get down. When I got him down he had tears running down his face & asked, 'what did I do? Why are they calling me a wanker?'"
The Birthday boy
"As a youngster, Sam just had to have a Crows Birthday party with a footy game & banner for him to run through. So, we used the school oval, made him a newspaper banner, which he ran through wearing his number 23 jumper & a huge smile on his face.
"Then he played his mini footy game with his brother & mates, followed by a sausage sizzle. We'd return home for birthday cake, then totally exhausted after his big day Sam would go to bed with his Crows quilt & toy Crow next to him."
Sam sleeps soundly after his eighth birthday
Sam Willoughby/Adelaide Crows trivia
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Sam with Andrew McLeod
