70 Facts About Sampson Hosking

Sampson Hosking was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian Football League.

Sampson Hosking was twice a recipient of the Magarey Medal, an individual award given in recognition of being the best and fairest player in the SAFL.

Sampson Hosking was born on 4 January 1888 in Glanville, South Australia.

Sampson Hosking was the son of Cornish immigrant James Hosking and Port Adelaide local Jane Hampton McKenzie.

Sampson Hosking grew up in close proximity to the Port River, living in Exmouth Street, Glanville.

Around the age of twelve Sampson Hosking started working at the Glanville Pipe Works, alongside other family members, where he remained employed for 52 years.

When Sampson Hosking was very young he dislocated his left elbow, leading his father James, out of an abundance of caution, to rule that his son should never play football.

The pseudonym that Hosking used during these early years was H Sampson.

Sampson Hosking was part of the Semaphore Centrals team that lost the Adelaide and Suburban Football Association Grand Final to the Norwood Seconds in 1906.

Whilst at Semaphore Centrals Sampson Hosking purchased a short-brimmed hat, similar to that worn by an Adelaide comedian at the time known as Harry Shine, and was given the nickname "Shine" by his friends.

Around this time Sampson Hosking was working alongside Tom Leahy who was already a league footballer and was trying to convince his younger co-worker to join him at his then club, West Adelaide.

Sampson Hosking did not tell his father about his football exploits until he was formally invited to play with Port Adelaide in 1907.

Whenever he played football Sampson Hosking preferred to wear a long-sleeved guernsey to hide his permanently taped left shoulder from opponents.

Sampson Hosking made his senior debut for Port Adelaide in a win over Sturt on Unley Oval on 4 May 1907.

Sampson Hosking was given a gold medal by Port Adelaide in recognition of being the "most improved junior" for his club in 1907.

Sampson Hosking was named as one of Port Adelaide's best players in a 1908 post-season game against Essendon on Adelaide Oval of which the visitors won by one goal.

On 19 July 1909 whilst at work Sampson Hosking was badly injured when a ladle of hot metal spilled on his legs and feet.

The injury prevented Sampson Hosking joining Port Adelaide's mid-season trip to Melbourne.

Port Adelaide qualified for the 1909 SAFL Grand Final and by this stage Sampson Hosking had largely recovered from his work injury and was playing relatively well, kicking a goal during the match, but it was not enough, with West Adelaide winning the premiership decider by 18 points.

Sampson Hosking took part in an eventful post season with Port Adelaide in 1910 during which his club defeated Collingwood for the 1910 Championship of Australia title, and Western Australian Football League premiers East Fremantle in an exhibition match.

In 1911 Sampson Hosking was selected to represent South Australia for the first time.

In June 1912 Sampson Hosking was elected captain of the club by his teammates at Port Adelaide after Clifford Cocks stepped down from the role.

At the start of the 1913 SAFL season Sampson Hosking vacated the Port Adelaide captaincy.

Sampson Hosking played his 100th SAFL game in the 1914 SAFL Grand Final where Port Adelaide held North Adelaide to a single goal.

Sampson Hosking played a majority of games in all three of the SAPFL seasons.

Sampson Hosking often elected to knock on the ball when he found himself in congestion.

Sampson Hosking was noted for being the fastest player in Port Adelaide's team and one of the fastest in the SAFL.

In 1908 at a Semaphore Athletics Carnival that was held to celebrate King Edward's birthday Sampson Hosking won three events, those being 130 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards.

In 1910 and 1912 Sampson Hosking won races at the Adelaide St Patrick's Day running events.

Sampson Hosking was considered to possess remarkable judgement as a footballer.

Sampson Hosking held his own against all-comers, not only in South Australia, but in the many Interstate and Carnival matches in which he participated.

In 1921 Sampson Hosking became Port Adelaide's captain in charge of training during his final full season as a player.

Sampson Hosking was originally elected as captain of Port Adelaide on 9 March 1921 at the club's annual general meeting.

However, on 7 May 1921 the captaincy was given to Harold Oliver, with Sampson Hosking being given the vice captaincy.

On 18 May 1922 the Daily Herald broke the news that Sampson Hosking had been poached away from Port Adelaide to be the new coach of West Adelaide on the recommendations of the latter club's captain Vic Peters.

At the time the news of Sampson Hosking's "defection" caused a stir amongst football followers in Port Adelaide.

Sampson Hosking did not continue as West Adelaide's coach in 1925.

Sampson Hosking was left with only Bill Oliver, Alf Ryan and Bill Jackson as the experienced league players in his squad, subsequently forcing Sampson Hosking to give league debuts a large number of juniors in order to field a full team for South Adelaide.

The club's best result for the season under Sampson Hosking was a draw against West Torrens on Adelaide Oval.

Sampson Hosking returned to his junior club Semaphore Central as coach at the start of 1927.

Halfway through the 1927 SAFL season Sampson Hosking was appointed to take over from Peter Bampton as Port Adelaide's coach.

An improved style of play by the West Torrens under Sampson Hosking was noted within a month of him becoming coach.

In 1934 Sampson Hosking was simultaneously made the coach of both West Torrens junior and league teams meaning he was required at Thebarton Oval four nights a week.

The speculation proved correct with Sampson Hosking returning to Port Adelaide as coach in 1936 where he immediately had to deal with the retirement of club captain Bob Johnson.

Sampson Hosking claimed consecutive premierships as coach for the first time when Port Adelaide defeated South Adelaide by 24 points in the 1937 SANFL Grand Final.

In that match Sampson Hosking directed his players to spread the goal-kicking amongst the team resulting in eight individual goal kickers.

Sampson Hosking stood down as Port Adelaide coach at the end of 1938 to allow Bob Quinn to become that club's captain-coach for the 1939 SANFL Season.

In 1939 Sampson Hosking returned to West Torrens as head coach.

That year Sampson Hosking took West Torrens to the 1939 SANFL Grand Final where they lost to Port Adelaide by 47 points.

At the start of the 1940 SANFL season Sampson Hosking voiced his optimism praising the players he had at his disposal.

At the time Sampson Hosking stepped aside from his West Torrens duties they were just inside the SANFL top four.

In Port Adelaide's case it merged with West Torrens with Sampson Hosking being chosen to coach the side.

Sampson Hosking advocated for training with the same intensity as when playing an actual game.

Sampson Hosking believed that at training players should concentrate on overcoming their weaknesses.

Hosking invested time into players that other coaches typically considered lost causes, such as Bill Martin, with whom Sampson ran up and down the length of Adelaide Oval whilst practicing passing the ball between one another.

Sampson Hosking had a refrain that suggested players and coaches should "study the game and the moves of your opponents as a chess player would".

Once a week when he was coaching Sampson Hosking gave his players blackboard lectures on their previous week's play.

Sampson Hosking provided predetermined moves for his players during these blackboard lectures.

At half-time of a pre-season match in 1928 Sampson Hosking reprimanded some of his player who used the break to start smoking.

Sampson Hosking was an advocate for the SANFL to proactively engage with schools in South Australia to help develop young players.

Sampson Hosking coached local school teams on Alberton Oval before senior training commenced at 6pm.

For Port Adelaide's 150th anniversary twelve full pages of Sampson Hosking's coaching notes were made available in the Port Adelaide Archives Collection produced in 2020.

Sampson Hosking enjoyed training horses, such as his 1939 Murray Bridge Steeplechase and 1940 Von Doussa Oakbank winner Prestonia.

Sampson Hosking shared this hobby with Kenneth Hosking, one of his sons.

On 18 October 1943 Sampson Hosking was granted an owner-trainer licence by the SAJC.

In September 1944 one of Sampson Hosking's horses named Vitalise won a race at Morphettville Racecourse.

Sampson Hosking died on 20 October 1974 at the age of 86.

Sampson Hosking was one of the 113 inaugural inductees into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Sampson Hosking was awarded life membership of the Port Adelaide Football Club in 1919.

Sampson Hosking was awarded life membership of the Semaphore Central Football Club in 1936.