Sam Lloyd (footballer)

Junior and state-league football

Following his first year of high-school LLoyd moved to Corio, Victoria to attend Geelong Grammar School. He played 23 top level matches in his final three years at the school. He was the school leaded goalkicker in his Year 11 and captained the team in his final year. Outside of school Lloyd was also a member of the Geelong Falcons squad but did not manage to play a match due to injury concerns.

He went on to play country league football and in 2010 while playing with Deniliquin in the Murray Football League, he kicked more than 100 goals for the season. Included in the total were individual match hauls of 12, 11 and 10 goals against Echuca, Congupna and Rumbalara. He remained with the club the following season and was a member of the premiership winning side.

In 2012 Lloyd played club football at Mt Eliza, then VFL football at the Bendigo Football Club. In 2013 he relocated again, to take up a role at Frankston Football Club in the VFL. He kicked 38 goals from 17 games at Frankston in 2013.

AFL career

Lloyd was drafted by Richmond with the club's third pick and the 66th selection overall in the 2013 AFL National Draft.

He made his league debut in Round 4, 2014 against Collingwood at the MCG. He was amongst the Tigers best in the match, kicking three goals and recording 22 disposals. Lloyd played the next four consecutive matches at AFL level, recording an average of one goal and 12 disposals per match. He was dropped ahead of the club's Round 10 clash with Greater Western Sydney and would not return to the club's senior side until Round 17. Lloyd was again omitted late in the season, this time after three consecutive matches at AFL level. He finished the season having played eight matches and kicking a total of 10 goals, including three bags of three in a match.

A strong pre-season saw Lloyd join Richmond's Round 1 side to take on Carlton. He kicked three goals in the victory, and ensured he would remain in the selection mix for some time. Lloyd was ultimately dropped in Round 6, after playing five straight matches in the club's AFL side. He returned to the lineup in Round 17 and would play in the club's final seven games of the home-and-away season. Despite his string of form, Lloyd was unceremoniously dropped from the club's side to play North Melbourne in a first round elimination final. At the time coach Damien Hardwick cited the "upside" of replacement players Ben Griffiths and Reece Conca. In sum the year was a step back for Lloyd, only managing 13 goals from 12 games played.

Lloyd was again selected to play in the club's Round 1 opener against Carlton. This time the run of form would continue, kicking 12 goals in the opening seven matches. In Round 8 Lloyd kicked his eighth career 3-goal haul. One of these goals he kicked after the siren, winning the Tigers the match against Sydney by one point. He went on to play in every one of the remaining games that season, finishing with a total of 35 goals from 22 games. He finished equal twelfth in the club's best and fairest and second in the club's leading goalkicker award.

In 2017 Lloyd would begin the season in Richmond's best-22, before a ten disposal outing saw him dropped from the club's Round 2 side. After two months of reserves football in the VFL, Lloyd returned to AFL action in Round 9. He remained in the side for the next seven matches, recording goals on five occasions. He was again dropped in Round 17, this time following his 50th career match played the previous week against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

He played reserves football with the club's VFL side through the end of the season, including in the losing grand final team, where he was awarded the Norm Goss Memorial Medal as the best on ground with 35 disposals, 10 tackles, nine clearances and a goal.

Lloyd is contracted to Richmond through the end of the 2018 season.

Statistics

Personal life

Lloyd was raised in the New South Wales country town of Deniliquin by father Bill and mother Prue. He has an older brother, Jack and a younger sister, Jane.

Outside of football Lloyd has studied courses in construction management and carpentry.