By JARROD POTTER
NO-ONE is happier to hear about rats at their venue at the moment than the Dandenong Stingrays.
When the crowd roars “Rat”, it can only mean the Stingrays’ 169cm small forward – and cult hero in the making – Sam Fowler has booted another bag of goals.
“Just had it (nickname) my whole life really,” Fowler said. “Not sure how I’ve got it but I’ve always been Rat.”
Fowler, 17, has been in superb form throughout the first month of the TAC Cup, as he’s kicked 16 goals from his four matches to only sit second behind Geelong’s Brett Blair (17 goals) in the league goal-kicking.
Racking up his first five-goal haul on Saturday, Fowler’s contributions proved pivotal in Dandenong’s come-from-behind win over NSW/ACT and he was named Dandenong’s Anzac medallist for that performance.
“It was good to get the medal I suppose in the end – my second half I was pretty happy with the game and just rapt to be out there with the boys and it’s been awesome so far,” Fowler said. “I suppose I’ve started off pretty well – I had a good pre-season and just worked hard on the track and got a few goals to start it off.
“Obviously beating a state side with the Stingrays on the weekend – that was an awesome win and probably be up there, up there with the round one win against Gippsland as well.”
The Dromana goal-sneak didn’t make the Stingrays squad last year, but with 16 senior Nepean Football League appearances for Dromana in 2015 – showing his prodigious goal-sense with 36 goals – it was enough to earn him a shot this time around.
While there were nerves at first, it’s been a rather seamless transition from the local ranks to the elite junior pathway and Fowler just wants to take in every second of it.
“I wasn’t really too sure what to expect with the games or even if I was going to get a game,” Fowler said. “Wasn’t sure what was going to happen – it’s all happened very quickly and I’ve started off really well and just enjoying it.”
His goal-sense isn’t saved only for the Stingrays only, as Fowler featured in the Vic Country practice game against Queensland and is well in the mix for selection in the under-18 national championships squad.
“I played in that game, think I got three goals in the end and the coaches were pretty happy with me,” Fowler said.
“I’m not too sure, I’m in the mix and need to play well and see what happens.
“I think it would be a bit of a weird feeling – but at the same time it would be awesome, not sure what to expect yet, but if I get in I’ll be pretty rapt.”
He sneaks under the radar so much that Dandenong Stingrays coach Craig Black misplaced a couple of his hard-earned goals, but the coach believes Fowler’s dogged attack is the impressive factor of his game.
“I actually thought he kicked three, and I said to him that was a good three goals but everyone told me he kicked five,” Black said.
“He’s just dangerous to play on and the good thing about him is he doesn’t just sit in the goal-square, he gets up and takes his share pushing through the middle and he tackles and defends and at the moment he’s lucky enough to be on the rewarding end for goals.”
Fowler and the Stingrays face the Western Jets on Sunday afternoon.
