Sampson Hosking


Sampson 'Shine' Hosking was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian Football League.

Family

He married Lillie Ann ?.

Football career

Sampson started his league career in 1907 with Port Adelaide. Hosking would play his 100th SAFL game in the 1914 SAFL Grand Final. By the time he retired in 1921 he had played 160 games and was a dual Magarey Medalist. He won his first award in 1910, and in 1915 was involved in a three way tie, but ultimately lost in a count back to Frank Barry. In 1998, the league awarded those who had lost in this fashion retrospective Medals and he thus joined club greats Bob Quinn and Russell Ebert as the only Port Adelaide players to win the award twice or more. During his playing career Sampson also represented South Australia at interstate football, appearing 10 times in total.
Despite having retired from playing after 1921, he played two matches in 1927, and in 1936 he became the oldest SANFL player when at the age of 48 years and 154 days, he sat on the bench for one game against West Torrens. This record for oldest player still stands in the SANFL and elite Australian rules Football as of 2017; given the nature of the modern game, this record is exceedingly unlikely to ever be broken.

Coaching career

After retiring from playing, Hosking turned his vast football experience to coaching. He coached West Adelaide to the 1922 SANFL Grand Final where The Bloods lost to Norwood 9.7 to 2.16 in front of 31,000 at the Adelaide Oval. In 1927 he became coach of Port Adelaide and guided the club to three premierships. He also coached West Torrens to a premiership in 1933 and the short lived merged Port Adelaide-West Torrens Football Club to a premiership during World War II.

Playing style

Hosking was a fast aggressive centreman. He was noted for being the fastest player in Port Adelaide's team and one of the fastest in the SAFL. When he was unable to play the lack of pace in the Port Adelaide side was notable.

Accolades

Sampson "Shine" Hosking was one of the 113 inaugural inductees into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002.