There isn’t too much Sam Fisher misses about the game, but the sight of Nick Riewoldt warming up ahead of St Kilda’s first pre-season game triggered something in his brain. For more than a decade Fisher would warm-up alongside his former skipper, so to no longer be doing that didn’t feel quite right.
It’s not too hard to see why the star defender doesn’t miss it too much. He didn’t leave much left in the tank. After enjoying a decorated first half of his career, and barely missing a game in his first eight seasons, Fisher endured an ongoing battle with his body in the last five years of his 228-game career.
In a period where he was one of the best defenders in the competition, Fisher won two Trevor Barker Awards (2008, 2011), All-Australian selection in 2008, represented Australia in the International Rules and helped his beloved Saints to Grand Final appearances in 2009 and the 2010 editions.
Seven months on from his final game, Fisher admits he doesn’t miss the pre-game anxiety derived from opposing the best forwards in the land and the seriousness of AFL football. Although he does miss being in the trenches alongside his teammates.
“The only time I missed it was in the first pre-season game and ‘Rooey’ was warming up before the game and the telecast shot to him and I’m usually on the oval doing my warm up at the same time so my brain told me I was supposed to be out there with him warming up,” Fisher told saints.com.au at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night.
“That was one stage I missed it, but apart from that I haven’t really missed it. But I think today will be a pretty emotional day and the competitive juices will start to flow and I’ll feel like I should be out there alongside the boys.
Former St Kilda defender Sam Fisher contests a mark in the 2010 Grand Final replay.
“I definitely don’t miss the seriousness of driving into the game. I was thinking about it before and I’d probably be matched up on Jesse Hogan, so the intensity and the nerves that come with the build-up of playing on the last line of defence on one of the best key forwards in the game – I definitely don’t miss those nerves at all.”
Through some support from the clubs wide-ranging network, Fisher has landed on his feet since departing the game, transitioning into the real estate game with online listing platform HumblAbode.
“I’m working for a company called HumblAbode which is a digital platform that specialises in real estate,” he said.
“Our competition is realestate.com.au and Domain so I’m just finding my feet in that and trying to learn as much as possible off my bosses and colleagues.
“I’ve had a lot of good support off the footy club from sponsors and people throughout the footy club who have given me leads and opportunities to catch up and talk about life after footy.”
While Fisher closed one chapter last September, he's already opened a new one in 2017.
