Claiming his maiden Club Champion award in 2020, Sam Collins has had a huge season for the Gold Coast SUNS.

Playing all 17 games this season, the key defender beat out Touk Miller and Jarrod Witts to win Club Champion in just his second season at the club.

Remarkably, Collins is yet to notch 50 AFL games but has elevated himself into one of the most consistent key defenders in the competition.

The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the SUNS’ pillars in a much-improved defensive unit in 2020.

Along with his Club Champion win, Collins was also nominated by the playing group for the AFL Players’ Association MVP Award and the Most Courageous Award.

Stat that matters:
Collins finished the year ranked second in the league for intercept possessions (7.1 per game) and in the top five for intercept marks (2.7 per game).

Best performance:
Collins polled the most Club Champion votes in Round 9 against GWS, where he played a role in restricting 2019 Coleman Medal winner Jeremy Cameron to just 10 disposals and three marks. The Giants couldn’t find a way past Collins that night as he finished with five intercept marks and seven tackles. 

Moment of the season:
There are a number of moments that could qualify in this section. Being appointed into the leadership group for the first time was significant, as was signing a contract extension and of course Friday night’s Club Champion win. However one of the moments which best summed up Collins’ year was in the changerooms after the loss to Richmond. Broadcast cameras captured Collins processing the result, pacing back and forth in the rooms before letting his frustration out with a whack to a padded post. It encapsulates the competitive nature of Collins. He loves the contest and hates losing, and that moment in the rooms proved to everyone how seriously he takes his job as a footballer for the Gold Coast SUNS.

Year in a movie title:
Hercules