Campbell’s long road to 100 Hostplus SANFL League games

By ZAC MILBANK

Kilometre by kilometre, kick by kick. North Adelaide’s Campbell Combe hasn’t taken anything for granted on his route to 100 Hostplus SANFL League games.

The Roosters’ superstar – set to chalk up his magical milestone against the Eagles in Round 16 this Sunday – is never guaranteed to continue his staggering commitment of commuting from Crystal Brook to Prospect each season.

But one thing continues to drive him – the pursuit of an elusive SANFL League premiership medallion.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, the 27-year-old admitted it was the last remaining accolade he craves, having won the 2020 Magarey Medal, 2021 Shearman Medal, three Barrie Robran Medals and three Mail Medals for his hometown team.

Combe paid tribute to North Adelaide for affording him the flexibility to be stationed in Crystal Brook, where he works on the family farm with his younger brother Will and his father and mother.

Having previously shared the journey with Will, Combe is now regularly joined by North teammate Sam McInerney, from Jamestown, to make the 400km round trip to Adelaide twice a week.

Podcasts and banter between the pair pass the time away as they head to the big smoke for the main training session each Wednesday and for each match. On a Wednesday, the pair will depart Crystal Brook around 3pm before arriving home at approximately 10.30pm, having eaten takeaway pasta on the journey north.

While Will has since retired from SANFL ranks, Campbell will assess his ongoing commitment at season’s end, depending on how his Roosters might perform in September.

But first, he will be aiming to play a major role in ensuring finals qualification with three wins from their remaining three matches, starting with the Eagles at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval on Sunday.