THE Cumming name is royalty in Roo land.
Glen “Aussie” Cumming and his wife Kyra are life members of the Wentworth Football Netball Club.
Aussie played a club-record 356 games for the Roos before his retirement in 2014, and Kyra was a long-time netball leader for the club.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that their son, Sam, was destined to shine on a sporting field.
Remarkably, Sam made his SFNL seniors’ football debut for the Roos at the age of just 14 in this season’s round 1 game against Mildura under lights at George Gordon Oval.
Dad Aussie was “very proud” of his boy, who more than held his own in the Roos’ six-goal victory.
Sam is now four games into his seniors career and was named among the team’s best players in the past two outings, against Imperials and Red Cliffs.
The young gun has come through the club’s junior system, from Auskick to now gracing the field with stars like playing coach Wade Hancock, who he says has “given me the belief that I can step up”.
Cumming’s rise has coincided with another Roos junior, Oskar Faulkhead, getting called up into the big time last week with AFL club Gold Coast Suns in the mid-season draft.
Sam said he saw how hard Faulkhead worked to get where he is now, and he has dreams of one day emulating the rising Sun.
“Most people playing football my age are dreaming of playing in the AFL, and I’m the same,” Cumming said.
“Hopefully I can get to that level.”
These are heady days for the Roos as the club sets a hot early pace in the senior footy and A-grade netball competitions, where both are unbeaten and playing with immense confidence.
Cumming, who is this week’s SFNL Rising Star winner, reflected this week on his elevation to the senior ranks.
“It’s been a good journey so far, and lots of doors have already opened,” Sam said, flanked by his dad.
“I feel like I’m playing my role well in the team, which is on the attacking wing. I’ve been really enjoying it.
“Wade has been a good role model and sets the tone with high standards at training. The way he leads is infectious for all the boys.
“I’ve had to adapt from the junior style of footy to seniors, where it’s much faster and cleaner.
“The team has a really good bond. A 6-0 start to the season is great and hopefully we can go all the way.”
His father then looked back on Sam’s early days with a footy in hand.
“He always had an interest in football, right from when he was a young kid coming to watch a few of the old blokes like me play footy for the club,” Aussie said.
“He developed good skills and a strong work ethic early on. And he is very passionate about footy.
“When COVID came along, we had to look at different avenues to keep his development going.
“We were lucky that (Roos’ club great) Mark Alvey worked with Sam and a couple of other juniors in a small group.
“And Wade worked really hard with him in the pre-season, and the results of that hard work are showing now.”
*** AS this week’s SFNL Rising Star, Sam receives $50 from Mildura & District Real Estate, 62-64 Commercial Street, Merbein.
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