Researching Brian Sampson

Sampson played in many positions during his time at Essendon and was particularly strong in the air. He debuted in 1959 and finished the year in their losing Grand Final side. His career was constantly interrupted by knee injuries but he was a member of Essendon's 1962 and 1965 premierships. In the 1965 decider he played in the forward pocket and contributed two goals.

A top class ruckman, Sampson was a key part of the Bombers 1962 and 1965 premiership teams. He joined Essendon from East Sandringham Juniors in 1958 and had a fine but injury interrupted 100-game career with Essendon.

1965 was Brian Sampson's year. He played every game, won the Club's Best Team Player award and played in his second premiership team, starring in the forward pocket and ruck in the win over St Kilda. In that 1965 decider he contributed two goals.

He joined WANFL club West Perth in 1967 and played 50 games, including a premiership in 1969. During his time in Western Australia he represented their interstate team.

Brain's father was a bricklayer and Brian followed in his footsteps running his own bricklaying business and won the Apprenticeship Commission of Victoria's Best Overall Apprentice in bricklaying in 1959. Brian then trained another 13 other apprentices himself. One apprentice, Chris Reid, won Homesglen College of Tafe Employer Award for "Best Overall Apprentice" in 1991.

Brian's other passion in life was the art of bonsai and he became acclaimed throughout Australia as a bonsai expert.

Brian also had a love affair of ceramics, his aunty was a ceramics teacher and his cousin is artist Greg Irvine. So ceramics are highlighted throughout Brian's bonsai art.

During his last years Brian worked to fulfill his dream of publishing a book of his Bonsai Art. Aided by photographer and television producer Patricia Matsoukas Ziemer and another Bonai expert, Quentin Valentine, he worked while ill to publish a Bonsai book of his plants "Miniature trees with imagination Aspects of bonsai and penjing". It was published after his death by his wife Margaret Sampson in 2013.

He had two daughters Nicole and Danielle and three grandchildren Declan, Zac, and Lucy. His younger brother Ray Sampson also played in the VFL for Melbourne.

Sampson had a long career throughout the 1960s and 1970s, which he still continues as a hobby. Sampson was a mainstay of the Australian Motor Industries-Toyota Team at the Bathurst 500 from 1965 to 1970, winning Class A in 1969 in a Corolla.

Well noted as a collector and racer of Cheetah racing cars, he is best remembered as Peter Brock's co-driver to win the 1975 Bathurst 1000. He also won the 1977 Rothmans 500 co-driving with Warren Cullen.