Meeting a Hero - The Sam and Dave Story

Lyall Gardner | June 04, 2023

October 2019

There’s an old saying that you should never meet your heroes. Something about keeping the revered icon on a pedestal to be admired from afar. But in the modern day it’s very much the opposite. Opportunity to meet heroes is far greater than it ever was through increased technology in communication and travel options which makes the world a much smaller place than in the past. And in some instances there are chance meetings which may never have been contemplated, such as in the case of an adoring youngster early this season. 

Sam Williams has a passion for cricket and like most young sport-minded nine-year old boys, he has a hero. David Warner. He has followed David’s career with great enthusiasm and excitement and dreamed of one day meeting him. And despite the fact he lives in Ballarat, Victoria, he is a keen follower of Randwick Petersham and believes “some of Australia’s best cricketer’s have come out of the region”. He was therefore aware that David was to line-up for the club against Sutherland which included former Aussie captain Steve Smith in a limited overs match at Coogee Oval on Saturday 10 November. So he penned a letter to David expressing his great interest that he was back in action in club cricket and made the casual comment that he would love to be at Coogee to see him play. When club President Mike Whitney passed on the letter to David, arrangements were quickly put in place to fly Sam and his mother Marita in from Ballarat as guests of the club for the day. 

And while Marita and Sam expected to be watching the game from behind the pickets, that was far from the case. A surprise for the youngster was that he was fitted out with a club shirt and cap and then introduced to his hero David Warner. Following that he was given a few “tasks” such as looking after David’s bat during the warm-ups, participating in pre-game touch and undertaking “twelthie” duties such as running water out to the players during the course of the game. When David was dismissed the pair then did a couple of laps of Coogee Oval—all to the bewilderment of the nine-year old. 

When they got home, the family sent the following note:

Dear Randwick Petersham Cricket, 

Sam cried Sunday and Monday a bit and he said “Mum it’s not that I’m ungrateful. It’s just too hard to take in all that happened to me”.

He has also clearly said I’m going to work harder to live my dream and play for Randwick Petersham, prior to hopefully being selected for Australia. It would be awesome to represent the club and give Randwick Petersham Cricket Club something back.

He really has been taken back. To be honest we all have. Sam idolises David and has a passion for cricket that amazes us and most people who meet him. It would be hard to imagine what he’s feeling following his Saturday knowing him and what his dreams are. 

Can you please pass on our total gratitude to all - Mike, John, the players, coaches, trainers, Committee and club members, sponsors, the lovely wives and girlfriends (on my behalf) and the list goes on. Also, a huge thanks to David he was amazing, sincere, phenomenal and as Mike said on the day and in interviews gone to print- “he couldn’t ask anymore from him” and neither could we. I will think of a formal reply but I do want to somehow find a way to express our feelings in print.

Thank you.

Kindest regards,

Sam, Marita and Rod Williams

And a few days later the following arrived……

Hi John,

Thanks, I have just posted on Facebook so hopefully I did it ok as I don't have Facebook so I did it on Rods page.

I have attached below what was pasted, just in case.

Many thanks and look forward to receiving the newsletter. If you can pass on my gratitude letter to David Warner, Mike and all those concerned it would be appreciated. I will send copies of the media from Ballarat. My post was as follows:

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club gave our 9 year old son- Sam, the most amazing gift on Saturday 10th 2018. They gave him a day of their time, a memory that will last a lifetime and the drive to fuel a dream to represent them in Premier Cricket (with a dream of following in the footsteps of some of their greats like Katich, Hauritz, Khawaja and Sam's idol Warner to name a few). 

It was evident at every level of the club that their values aren't just words etched on the main grandstand walls, but a quality that every club member holds dearly - trust, respect and humility. Every person that we had the pleasure of meeting from John the CEO, Mike the President, David Warner and each and every Player, Club Member, Trainer, Coach, wife/girlfriend of players, Club Personnel, Sponsors to the family of David Warner went above and beyond.

A friendship has been formed with our family and the club and a mateship between Sam and David Warner, all from humble beginnings a simple letter. Sam wrote to David and Randwick Petersham Cricket Club wanting to let the club and David Warner know that mates ride all waves together the highs and the lows and that we all make decisions in life and they are not mistakes unless you don't learn from them. He wanted to show his support to a mate, an idol- David, and to the club for holding their values so close to their heart and by living by these values and acting them out.

What transpired on that beautiful Saturday was beyond all our hopes and dreams. It has left Sam, Marita, Rod and our extended family and friends overwhelmed by the generosity, compassion and sincerity. All values that should be added to the pavilion walls.

Sam has had difficulty returning to life back home, he has been emotional and has stated "he cannot process what happened" and neither can we.

A special thanks to John and Mike for organising a perfect day. To David, we will never be able to thank you, you are an amazing person, and one that your family should be proud of. You gave Sam the gift of your time, something that wasn't manufactured and that you cannot take back and for that we are truly grateful and forever in your debt. 

We know that our one visit will not be the last, it is the beginning of greater friendships to follow between the Williams Family and Randwick Petersham Cricket Club.

 THANK YOU!

Sam, Marita and Rod Williams

 

Randwick Petersham Cricket wins inaugural Community Spirit Award

This season, NSW Premier Cricket introduced a new award named the Community Spirit Award. The award is designed to acknowledge the vital role that Premier Cricket Clubs play in being role models to the community. It is therefore with great pleasure to report that Randwick Petersham has been honoured by being named as the first winner of this most prestigious award. The presentation was made at the NSW Premier Cricket Premiers Dinner on 26 April 2019.

The decision arose after consideration of a letter the Association received from Sam William’s mother, Marita, shortly after Sam’s epic journey to Coogee Oval on 10 November to meet his hero David Warner. The letter contained details of her post on Facebook (see earlier) shortly after the family arrived home in Ballarat, Victoria, expressing her absolute delight at the way the club looked after them and Sam who had made the trip to fulfil a dream.

Sam returns to Coogee

With David Warner back on deck for round 15 after fulfilling a number of commitments elsewhere, the scene was set for a power-packed finish to the season with a one-day clash against eventual premiers Penrith at Coogee Oval. After his emotional trip to Sydney earlier in the season, young Sam couldn’t resist the opportunity and again turned up at Coogee with his parents for the season finale. And as it was in his first visit, his second was another great thrill for the 10 year old, as David blazed a superb 110 off just 77 balls as the match went down to the wire.

But the presentations were reversed on this occasion with Sam presenting to each of the club and to David a mounted cricket ball appropriately engraved to express his appreciation for the friendship and assistance provided to him and his family on their visits to Coogee. He was overcome with emotion and his parents expressed how inspirational his initial visit had been and its impact on his own cricket feats. The night before flying to Sydney, Sam scored 26* in the local under 15s team despite having turned just 10 a couple of months earlier. Sam expressed a clear intention to play for Randwick Petersham when he is older and the way he pursues his dreams there is every likelihood that will eventuate. 

Sam makes a presentation to David Warner

The heart-felt inscription on Sam's mementos