Sam De Koning

{{Infobox AFL biography

| image = Sam De Koning, 2022 Premiers Geelong Cats Street Parade (52387796533) (cropped).jpg

| fullname = Sam De Koning

| name = Sam De Koning

| caption = De Koning in 2022

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|02|26|df=y}}

| draftpick = 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19

| originalteam = Dandenong Stingrays

| guernsey = 16

| height = 204 cm

| weight = 87 kg

| position = Defender

| currentclub = {{AFL Gee}}

| club1 = {{AFL Gee}}

| years1 = 2020–

| games_goals1 = 66 (6)

| statsend = round 4, 2025

| careerhighlights =

AFL premiership player: 2022
Geelong best young player: 2022
AFL Rising Star nominee: 2022
22under22 team: 2023

}}

Sam De Koning ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|n|ɪ|ŋ}} {{respell|KOH|ning}};{{Cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/video/730128/how-to-say-the-afl-s-trickiest-names|title=How to say the AFL's trickiest names|publisher=Australian Football League|date=30 March 2022|access-date=30 September 2022}} born 26 February 2001) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League.{{Cite web|title=Sam De Koning {{!}} AFL|url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/players/2248/sam-de-koning|access-date=2021-04-30|website=geelongcats.com.au|language=en|archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430001111/https://www.geelongcats.com.au/players/2248/sam-de-koning|url-status=live}} He made his debut in the round 5 of the 2021 AFL season between Geelong and North Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium.{{Cite web|title=Team Selection: AFL Round 5|url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/912649/team-selection-afl-round-5|access-date=2021-04-30|website=geelongcats.com.au|language=en|archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430001110/https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/912649/team-selection-afl-round-5|url-status=live}}

Notably, De Koning's first goal in AFL football was during the 2022 AFL Grand Final.{{cite web |last1=Forrest |first1=Matthew |title=AFL Grand Final: Star defender Sam De Koning kicks first senior goal in premiership win |url=https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/geelong/afl-grand-final-star-defender-sam-de-koning-kicks-first-senior-goal-in-premiership-win/news-story/54e280cb501b0c65060f194c397e56f3 |website=Code Sports |publisher=Nationwide News |access-date=10 March 2023 |date=26 September 2022}}

Family life

De Koning is one of ten children, with one of his elder brothers being {{AFL Car}} footballer Tom. His father Terry De Koning played for Footscray in the 1980s.{{Cite web|title=Class of 2019: The top-20 prospect in a family of 10 brothers and sisters|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/149399/class-of-2019-the-top-20-prospect-in-a-family-of-10-brothers-and-sisters|access-date=2021-05-04|website=afl.com.au|language=en|archive-date=20 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240520231209/https://www.afl.com.au/news/149399/class-of-2019-the-top-20-prospect-in-a-family-of-10-brothers-and-sisters|url-status=live}}

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2023 season.{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Sam_De_Koning.html|title=Sam De Koning|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-date=24 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924141404/https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Sam_De_Koning.html|url-status=live}}

| 2020 || {{AFL Gee}} || 16

| 0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –

| 2021 || {{AFL Gee}} || 16

| 1 || 0 || 2 || 7 || 1 || 8 || 3 || 0 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 7.0 || 1.0 || 8.0 || 3.0 || 0.0

| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2022^# || {{AFL Gee}} || 16

| 23 || 1 || 0 || 143 || 138 || 281 || 120 || 6 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.2 || 6.0 || 12.2 || 5.2 || 0.3

| 2023 || {{AFL Gee}} || 16

| 19 || 0 || 0 || 129 || 105 || 234 || 86 || 11 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.8 || 5.5 || 12.3 || 4.5 || 0.6

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan=3 | Career

! 43 !! 1 !! 2 !! 279 !! 244 !! 523 !! 209 !! 17 !! 0.0 !! 0.0 !! 6.5 !! 5.7 !! 12.2 !! 4.9 !! 0.4

Notes