Geelong’s Sam Simpson counts himself as one of the lucky ones.
After a 603-day gap, he returned from a shoulder reconstruction, ill-timed soft-tissue injuries and, most concerning, the lingering effects of concussion, to reclaim his spot as a high half-forward for the Cats in the grand final rematch against Sydney in round six.
Sam Simpson is mobbed by teammates after kicking a goal in his comeback game.Credit: Getty Images
He was mobbed when he kicked the game’s first goal, the spontaneous reaction of his teammates bearing testament to his standing within the Cats. Simpson hid his emotion, but his elation was real.
“That is one of my favourite bits about footy, being able to enjoy the fun moments out there,” Simpson said post-game after the Cats beat Essendon, when asked to reflect on that moment in his return against the Swans.
Those fun moments seemed a long way off, however, when his concussion-related symptoms stopped him from watching television, driving, scrolling through his phone or doing everyday things such as going to the supermarket. He leaned on several people for help as his footballing future became increasingly uncertain.
“I’ve been lucky to get a lot of support and the family has been awesome, especially Mum, and then the club, I can’t fault them. I just want to repay that faith now and play some good footy for them,” Simpson said.
“I have got a lot of my best mates here, and, as always, you lean on your mates. They gave me awesome support.”
No one close to the St Joseph’s product who, in 2017, joined the same club his dad Sean played 114 games for in the 1990s, was concerned about whether he would return to play when dizziness persisted early last season after he copped a knock in a pre-season training session.
They just wanted to see Simpson – who was also concussed in the 2020 grand final and the 2021 qualifying final – move past the symptoms that were making his life difficult.
Obviously, the thought of not playing again entered the 24-year-old’s mind at times too, but he learnt to deal with what was in front of him rather than projecting too far ahead.
Sam Simpson hits the deck in the 2020 AFL grand final.Credit: AFL Photos
“I just tried to break it down into stages, so first and foremost it was just getting back to everyday life, a bit of normality where I could go to the supermarket and feel fine, or a cafe and things like that,” Simpson said.
“Once that came then I started focusing on footy again, and I was lucky that I got back, and now I am trying to just put my best foot forward and trying to play some good footy.”
Within Geelong, Simpson is not just some rookie player trying to crack into the team. He is described as a connector by people who know him around the club, his personality warm and engaging.
Popular among the young and old, he is as happy packing his campervan and heading towards the coast as being in the locker room.
Immediately after Simpson’s comeback game, Cats coach Chris Scott outlined why the long-socked forward was a key part of the club.
“A few of the players have said already ‘he’s a great teammate’, they love playing with him, he’s enthusiastic. You would forgive anyone who’s been through that [length of time out] to mope around the club … he’s never done that,” Scott said.
“Even when he was really struggling his place on the list looked, if not in jeopardy, almost completely gone. He just kept bouncing in with some positivity. It’s just really nice to see guys like that come through.”
Simpson’s road to his return was long, involving work with several neurologists, who he describes as amazing, as well as Geelong’s medical staff and gymnastics sessions that helped him regain that bounce.
He found some approaches he took during the rehabilitation process worked, others didn’t, a familiar and often frustrating tale for anyone attempting to resolve concussion symptoms who know from bitter experience that there is not one recovery program that fits all.
“I tried a few different things. I saw a couple of neurologists who really helped me out, and they were amazing actually,” Simpson said.
One aspect of his rehabilitation were gymnastics sessions Simpson did at a local gym once the experts decided he was ready to enter that phase of his recovery.
“I did go down to the YMCA in Geelong and do some gymnastics sessions just to get that awareness through the year and [used to] spinning around because that was my main symptom, the dizziness, so I was getting used to those things again,” Simpson said.
In some ways, the process was akin to an active recovery program, which is not an unusual path for players depending on the nature of the concussion and the advice of neurologists.
“The ‘neuros’ always say to just reactivate those pathways,” Simpson said.
“As footballers you want to try and do everything you can to get back, so I was open to trying anything that it took.”
That’s not an unusual attitude among elite athletes such as Simpson, however it wasn’t just his jovial outlook that convinced Geelong to stick with him. His twinkle toes and endurance as well as his adherence to his role means he was an investment with little risk for the Cats.
And he is well aware of the fact there are people out there who have worked as hard as he has and tried every option available, too, without the same outcome. For those people, Simpson’s story does not provide answers, but it can provide hope.
“I am one of the lucky ones,” Simpson said.
