Warrnambool captain Sam Cowling reaches 200 Hampden league senior games

The experienced footballer is now 32 and "a father figure" to Warrnambool's next generation.

Cowling, who will celebrate 200 Hampden league senior games for the Blues on Saturday, was thrust into a leadership role through necessity nine seasons ago.

A season-ending knee injury to skipper Jason Rowan in the 2015 pre-season meant Cowling - by then already a three-time premiership player - was called on to lead the team.

He took the role in a full-time capacity from 2017 and has been a steadying influence at the Reid Oval-based club since.

"It has been frustrating through injury, having to captain a side from the sidelines but I am pretty chuffed and honoured to captain the footy club for so long," Cowling told The Standard ahead of his milestone game.

"Being in the role for a few years, my perception of the role has changed.

"I was quite young in 2015 - I felt like I was quite young anyway - and it was more 'follow me, jump on my back and let's see what we can do'.

"In more recent times, I love the development and probably the connection off-field, the well-being of the players, getting to know outside (of football) what their life is like.

"Then seeing them flourish, their growth over pre-season and all the work they do (translate) onto game day."

Cowling - one of the league's best contested marks who has switched between key forward and key back posts throughout his career - credits the Blues' past leaders for shaping him into the mentor he is today.

Adam Dowie was his first senior coach in 2010 when Cowling became a premiership player in his teens.

Scott Carter helped him add two more flags to his resume in 2012-13 before John Cook, Matt O'Brien, Ben Parkinson and Daniel O'Keefe sat in the Blues' coaching chair.

Players have been crucial too, such as Paul Looney and Josh Walters in Cowling's early playing days.

"You want to emulate those guys and how well they mentored us coming through," he said.

"Paul at the start, being in the back line, he was one of the bigger influences and brother-in-law Timmy (O'Keeffe) and moving into the forward line it was Travy Graham.

"Rowy was always that deeper (forward) target but Travis was someone who was a similar position to me.

"He really took me under his wing and taught me a lot which I am really grateful for."

Cowling, now a dad to Matilda, 2, and Cooper, eight months, has endured injury setbacks, namely knee and foot concerns which have sometimes limited him to a handful of games a season.

The 200-game milestone is one the long-time Powercor worker will cherish.

"It's been a long time coming. It's funny to think the first 100 games was quite quick," he reflected.

"You pencil yourself in for 300-plus and then life gets in the way with a few injuries.

"It's definitely got a lot harder. This year I have missed one game in the middle of the year and this is probably the first time since 2015 that I've played a full year.

"With all the bumps and bruises that comes along with it, it's getting a bit harder."

Cowling follows midfielders Darcy Graham (150) and Jackson Bell (200) in reaching milestones at the club this season.

Onballer Damien McCorkell will celebrate his 150^th appearance alongside Cowling against Hamilton Kangaroos on Saturday.

Cowling said McCorkell was "one of my best mates" with the pair growing up together.

Emerging forward Harry Ryan, before he was injured, was on track for his first career milestone while inside midfielder Mitch Bidmade is nearing the 100-game mark.

"We really have to focus on celebrating these milestones," Cowling said.

"It's guys who have grown up around the football club who have stayed because there's always that external pressure from other clubs potentially to leave, especially when we were struggling a bit.

"It's a testament to the club. I'll play out my career at Warrnambool and hopefully my kids will come through there. It's a really comforting thing to say that."

Family connections - wife Sarah celebrated her 200^th senior netball game earlier this season - keep Cowling coming back each year.

But fatherhood has made him alter his own expectations too.

"I had a sense it was going to change the football side of things but I didn't know how much," he said.

"It is quite a juggling act now with Sarah playing too.

"The focus early days was always football and play the highest you can which would include getting to training early, staying late and doing extras.

"Now I might be ringing DOK (O'Keefe) saying 'I can't get there until a bit later, Cooper is playing up and not eating his food' or Matilda might be crook.

"I have found that hard to balance.

"I am dead-set family comes first but when the performances aren't coming on game day (it used to be) 'how can I be better?'

"And it's just not available anymore which is fine, it's what happens but I think it's coming to terms with that at the minute."

Striving to play at a high level meant Cowling, affectionately known as Moo, has represented Hampden league at interleague level six times, three as captain before AFL Victoria abandoned the senior concept in 2019.

It took time to feel he belonged in the famous Bottle Greens' guernsey.

"I played in 2010 as an 18-year-old with some out-and-out stars of the competition back in the day," he said.

"We got trounced back in Camperdown by Mornington Peninsula.

"At the start (of the selection process) I ended up texting the coach who was David Cassidy saying I wasn't going to go to training.

"I felt like an impostor and that I didn't belong in that group of players.

"He called me silly and a few other names but said 'come along and see how you go'.

"I ended up getting a guernsey and played that year and then featured in and out."

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