Palman Qui Meruit Ferat
Buck's Big Bash.
11.30 pm Wednesday 22nd June 2011
One of Fitzroy’s most loyal and well-liked players will reach his 100-game milestone this weekend, capping off nine great years at the club. Since kicking Fitzroy Juniors FC only goal in the club’s debut season Sam Buckley has been a passionate and committed servant of Fitzroy, both on and off the field.
'Bucks', an old-school Fitzroy supporter who switched to the Saints post-merger, first joined the Fitzroy Reds in 2003, playing in the reserves where he has played the vast majority of his Roys games. One keen observer of the Reds described Bucks as ‘‘a completely one-sided left footer with an awful hooking technique and floppy running style, but he still managed to find the goals pretty regularly and holds his own in marking contests.’’ Bucks’ — once dubbed ‘‘rainbow’’ for wearing every colour at training — devotion to football has also seen him play a season in the two-club Scottish AFL and in 2008 after sustaining a knee injury in the previous year’s finals coached the Fitzroy reserves, who narrowly missed the finals. He was a good coach, keeping to the philosophy that Reserves football is not rocket science, but was quietly censored by senior officials after delivering one to many ‘‘colourful’’ quarter time sprays. Other than annoying opponents (a Rupo player once threw mud in his eye because he wanted to hit him but restrained himself) Bucks loves a goal, even running to the boundary to kick the impossible.
Sam enjoyed his best preseason over the 2011 summer becoming a fitness fanatic with his hard work paying dividends in 2011 already kicking 19 goals in nine games. Club legend Peter Hille said Bucks was an integral part of the club, ‘‘He has brought the same effervescence, eccentricity and love of officialdom to both his cricket and football over many years,’’ Hille said, ‘‘Proudly Red and very Fitzroy.’’ Former coach Chris Tehan remembers Bucks with a big, goofy smile, not short of a cheeky sledge and uproariously social in the after match. ‘‘A popular and magnetic Fitzroy sporting character, he has contributed enormously to the club and its culture. Well done on 100 games on the field and 5000 raucous ones off it!’’
Off the field Bucks is committed to ensuring everyone has a good time, helping arrange the club’s most successful mid-year ball last year despite not turning up because of work. Joan Eddy, Club President, recounted that she has seen him grow during his season as Reserves coach, even with a few blue sprays, and how this has translated to his role with the team in 2011. She said, “Sam makes a fabulous contribution to the club on all levels and wishes him the best as he reaches this great milestone and for the rest of the season, hoping this will includes some finals.”
The club and its supporters would like to congratulate Bucks on reaching the holy milestone and wish him luck this week in the big game against his one of his ‘‘favourites’’, of which he has numerous, opponents
