Former St Albans skipper Jack Sims always dreamt of playing senior football for the Saints.
Having started his career at the club and spending the majority of his years playing at the Saints, it’s somewhat fitting he will go down as a club legend.
As St Albans season came to an end in late August, it also drew curtains on the career of Sims, who had announced that he would be retiring.
Sims said he knew the timing was right. He said it would likely take him a while for it to dawn on him that his playing days are over.
“My wife and I had a little one nine months ago and I want to spend a bit more time with him at home,” he said. “I’m 35 at the end of the year and it’s not getting any easier.
“I’ve felt it on the body the last five or six years.
“I haven’t really trained on Tuesday nights. I thought while I’m still getting a kick, why not go out on a high.”
Sims has played more than 350 games for the club, ticking over that milestone earlier this year.
He said while his teammates take the mickey out of him for his name being on the honour board, it’s pretty special.
“I was talking to a couple of older guys at the club,” he said. “Growing up I always wanted to play seniors at St Albans.
“That was like the AFL for me. I didn’t imagine playing that many games as a kid.
“Those guys were amazing and I just wanted to play a few games and I ended up with 300 under my belt.”
Sims said growing up in the area it was a real blue collar sort of club and once you had your friendship group, you became entrenched all the way.
He played Western Jets and played a game in the Victorian Football League reserves competition.
Sims said while he would have loved to have gone higher, he probably wasn’t quick enough or tall enough.
While the Saints bookended his career, Sims did spend time at the Rockbank (now the Western Rams) and Tullamarine.
“I did an ACL in 2011 and came back and wasn’t playing great football and I was considering whether I kept playing or not,” he said.
“I went there for a kick [Rockbank].
“At Tullamarine we made a grand final and preliminary final. I got the taste of real good footy and it was the catalyst for me playing for a long time.”
Sims returned to the Saints in 2018 and would later captain them before stepping down after last season.
He was the captain when the side made the move from the Western Football League to the EDFL.
“That move was really important for the footy club,” he said.
This season for the Saints was ruined by injuries with the side missing finals.
Sims said he would like to coach down the track, but for now was keen to enjoy some time off.
While he didn’t taste the ultimate success, a premiership, Sims said it’s the friendships that he’ll treasure the most.
“Three out of the four in my bridal party I met through football,” he said. “Footy delivers those friendships over the years.”
