Likened in style to Melbourne defender Nathan Brown, Sam Iles crossed Bass Strait in the off season of 2005 to train with Collingwood. After putting in the hard yards through the early stages of pre-season training, Iles was the Magpies only choice at the 2006 Pre-Season Draft (2nd overall).

A nuggetty defender-cum-midfielder, Iles was a Tasmanian under-18 representative in 2005, and was good enough to warrant selection for his state in the VFL.

Collingwood’s recruiting staff was impressed by his intense work ethic and ability to win contested possession.

Iles featured prominently in the series of intra-club matches early in 2006, and was blooded against Fremantle in the NAB Cup which followed.



About the Author: Teenager, Luke Mason, is a budding sports reporter, and a one-eyed Collingwood supporter. Luke is a regular contributor to several Magpie fan sites, including Nick’s Collingwood Page .

Please Note: the views expressed in the above article are solely the opinion of the author. The Collingwood Football Club would like to acknowledge the tireless work of those supporters who contribute to collingwoodfc.com.au.