View source for Sam Kekovich

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (born 1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Sam Kekovich
| image = Sam Kekovich.jpg
| caption = Sam Kekovich in Melbourne, September 2019
| fullname = Sam Kekovich
| nickname = Slammin' Sam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|3|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Manjimup, Western Australia]]<ref name="birthplace">{{cite web|title=Sam Kekovich|url=https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/sam-kekovich/|website=Collingwood Forever|publisher=Collingwood Football Club|access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref>
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Myrtleford Football Club|Myrtleford]] ([[Ovens & Murray Football League|O&MFL]])
| height = 187 cm
| weight = 95 kg
| position = [[Australian rules football positions|Midfielder / Forward]]
| statsend = 1977
| years1 = 1968–1976
| club1 = {{AFL NM}}
| games_goals1 = 124 (228)
| years2 = 1977
| club2 = {{AFL Col}}
| games_goals2 = 4 (4)
| years3 = 1978–1979
| club3 = [[Prahran Football Club|Prahran]]
| games_goals3 = 20 (49)
| games_goalstotal = 148 (281)
| sooteam1 = [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
| sooyears1 = 1969
| careerhighlights = *{{AFL NM}} Premiership player: [[1975 VFL Grand Final|1975]]
*[[Syd Barker Medal]]: 1969
*{{AFL NM}} [[List of North Melbourne Football Club leading goalkickers|leading Goalkicker]]: 1969, 1971 & 1972
}}

'''Sam Kekovich''' (born 11 March 1950) is an Australian [[celebrity|media personality]], [[sports commentator]], Australian meat lobbyist and former [[Australian rules football]] player.

He is well known for his controversial behaviour, both on and off the field, and most recently for his series of satirical advertisements as the spokesman for [[Meat and Livestock Australia]] (MLA) to promote the [[lamb (food)|lamb]] industry.<ref name="nmfc1">{{cite web|url=http://www.kangaroos.com.au/History/PlayerHistory/SamKekovich/tabid/14565/Default.aspx|title=Sam Kekovich – Player Profiles|publisher=North Melbourne Football Club|access-date=2009-08-12}}</ref>

== The Kekovich brothers ==
His older brother is the former VFL full-forward [[Brian Kekovich]], who played two seasons of senior VFL football with [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]], including kicking four goals in Carlton's 1968 Grand Final victory.

Brian's career ended immediately after the Grand Final, due to a serious back injury he had sustained earlier in the 1968 season.

His younger brother, Michael, recruited from Trinity Grammar, who was showing great promise at North Melbourne at the age of 16,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hpwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vpADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2899%2C4686582 Kekovich . . . The Third, ''The Age'', Friday, 21 August 1971, p.25.]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hpwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vpADAAAAIBAJ&pg=1922%2C4685826 VFL Reserves: North Melbourne, ''The Age'', (Friday, 21 August 1971, p.25.]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4uBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qZADAAAAIBAJ&dq=michael-kekovich&pg=3428%2C4193840 Assumption's good win, ''The Age'', (Monday, 21 June 1971), p.20.]</ref> played for the North Melbourne First XVIII on [[1970 Radiant Cup#Round 1|Thursday, 10 September 1970]] against Footscray, in the first round of the 1970 VFL night premiership.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M-FUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6621%2C2164476 Robb, J., "Youngest Kekovich eligible — League", (Thursday, 10 September 1970), p.26.]</ref> North Melbourne lost 6.7 (43) to 14.13 (97).

Michael also played in the North Melbourne Second XVIII team that lost the 1970 preliminary final to Melbourne,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OeFUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4920%2C3955225 Reserve Grade, ‘’The Age’’, (Friday, 18 September 1970), p.28.]</ref> and he kicked one goal in a losing team.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O-FUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5200%2C4741579 Robb, J., "Demons too Pacy for Kangaroos", ''The Age'', (Monday, 21 September 1970), p.22.]</ref>

Michael was killed, aged 17, when he was hit by a motor-car whilst on a training run in High Street, [[Doncaster, Victoria|Doncaster]] (near Curnola Avenue) on Saturday evening 26 June 1971.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6OBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qZADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2652%2C5605489 VFL Hope Killed as He Trains, ''The Age'', (Monday, 28 June 1971), p.1].</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6OBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qZADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5164%2C5739918 Carter, R., "Rising Star is Killed", ''The Age'', (Monday, 28 June 1971), p.26].</ref>

==Football career==
Kekovich started his senior football career with [[Myrtleford Football Club|Myrtleford]] in the [[Ovens & Murray Football League]] and kicked 55 goals in 1967<ref>{{cite web |title=1967 - O&MFL Goals (Scott wins) |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/140137596@N02/51389015227/in/album-72157719698816398 |website=Flickr |publisher=Wangaratta Chronicle newspaper |access-date=23 September 2025 |date=4 September 1967}}</ref> prior to playing in the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] (VFL) with club [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] (Kangaroos) in 1968. The following year he won the club's [[best and fairest]] award and was the top goalkicker with 56 goals.  He played a key role in the club's first premiership win in 1975 by assisting ruckman [[Mick Nolan (Australian footballer)|Mick Nolan]] by contesting boundary throw-ins, in which he won most of the hit outs against Hawthorn's top ruckman [[Don Scott (footballer, born 1947)|Don Scott]].<ref name="nmfc1" />

After playing 124 VFL games for the Kangaroos, between 1968 and 1976, he moved to [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] in 1977, but only played four games, retiring from the VFL that season. His football career did not end, as he switched to play in the [[Victorian Football Association]] for the Prahran Football Club; he played 20 games for the Two Blues<ref name="coaching">{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|publication-place=Melbourne|page=81|author=Amanda Buivids|date=15 September 1989|title=VFA in coaching turmoil}}</ref> and played in the 1978 VFA Premiership side against Preston at the [[Junction Oval]].<ref name="nmfc1" />

In 1987, Kekovich signed to coach VFA club [[Camberwell Football Club|Camberwell]], which had just been relegated to Division 2 following a winless 1986 season.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Paul Cunningham|page=84|date=25 July 1987|title=Wild Sam eyes change of luck}}</ref> Kekovich coached the Cobras for three seasons and he left the club after its winless 1989 season.<ref name="coaching"/>

He was included in the [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] Team of the Century, on the interchange bench.

==Media career==
{{See also|We Love Our Lamb Campaign}}
He has carried on his flamboyant style into the media sector, being most notable for his 'rants' on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] show ''[[The Fat]]'', a breakfast show on [[Melbourne]] radio station [[3AK]], as a radio presenter on Melbourne Sports Radio Station [[SEN 1116]], in pre-match [[Australian Football League|AFL]] coverage on [[Triple M]], and on PTI Australia on [[ESPN]].

Kekovich's direct-to-camera TV [[monologue]]s are done [[deadpan]] and use wide-ranging [[Popular culture|cultural references]]. Created by the writers of ''The Fat'', the monologues were first piloted with AFL player [[John Platten]] and boxer [[Spike Cheney]] before the ABC asked Kekovich to perform.  The 'rants' normally place in contrast many disparate or incongruous verbal images and ideas, ending with the trademark, "You know it makes sense. I'm Sam Kekovich." The ABC released a spoken word album, ''You Know it Makes Sense'', which was nominated for the [[ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release]] at the [[ARIA Music Awards of 2002]].<ref>[http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2002 2002 ARIA Music Awards]</ref> Kekovich has performed these 'rants' in commercials for [[North Melbourne Football Club]] membership drives and [[Dan Murphy's]] [[bottle shop]]s.

From 2005 to 2014, Kekovich headed a well-known annual [[advertising campaign]] for [[Meat and Livestock Australia]] in the lead-up to [[Australia Day]] encouraging people to [[We Love Our Lamb Campaign|eat more Australian lamb]]. The advertisements were delivered in the style of Kekovich's deadpan rants, and often made satirically outlandish statements regarding [[un-Australian]]ism.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=News.com.au|url=http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/richie-benaud-replaces-sam-kekovich-as-face-of-australia-day-lamb-campaign/story-fnki1jcy-1227179268951|title=Richie Benaud replaces Sam Kekovich as face of Australia Day lamb campaign|date=9 January 2015|access-date=28 March 2015}}</ref> The first such advertisement drew particular controversy, when he labelled [[vegetarians]] as being un-Australian for not eating lamb on Australia Day, provoking outrage from [[animal rights]] [[activist]]s and groups such as the Australian Vegetarian Society;<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/vegetarians-out-of-flavour-with-the-aussie-palate/2005/08/01/1122748579465.html Vegetarians out of flavour with the Aussie palate]</ref> but the Australian [[Advertising Standards Bureau (Australia)|Advertising Standards Bureau]] allowed the ads to remain on the air, ruling them to be satirical, despite viewers' complaints.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/lamb-roast-gives-some-a-bitter-aftertaste/2006/01/19/1137553712929.html |title=Lamb roast gives some a bitter aftertaste |first=Julian |last=Lee |date=20 January 2006}}</ref> Many of the subsequent ads have also drawn complaints from viewers, but all have been dismissed by the Bureau.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/rural/wa/content/2006/s2135936.htm NZ issue a lamb challenge]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Case Report 27/09|url=http://www.adstandards.com.au/casereports/determinations/standards?ref=27/09|publisher=Advertising Standards Board|access-date=21 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Case Report 0024/11|url=http://www.adstandards.com.au/casereports/determinations/standards?ref=0024/11|publisher=Advertising Standards Board|access-date=19 January 2011}}</ref> In the Australia Day commercial promoting lamb for the BBQ, which featured [[Richie Benaud]], Kekovich made an appearance along with "[[Captain Cook]]", "[[Ned Kelly]]", "[[Burke and Wills]]", and [[Ita Buttrose]].

He continued in the Lambassador role into the next decade, appearing in the Australia Day lamb advertisements as knocking down the interstate walls<ref>{{cite web |title=Aussies smash down COVID border walls in cheeky new lamb ad |url=https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/aussies-smash-down-covid-border-walls-in-cheeky-new-lamb-meat-and-livestock-australia-lamb-ad-c-1931761 |website=Channel 7 |date=10 January 2021 |publisher=Channel 7 |access-date=24 January 2022}}</ref> in 2021 and as the head of the National Lamb Rollout<ref>{{cite web |title=Summer Lamb 2022 |url=https://www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/industry-news/summer-lamb-2022/ |website=Meat and Livestock Australia |publisher=Meat and Livestock Australia |access-date=24 January 2022}}</ref> in 2022.

Kekovich was an executive producer on the Australian film ''[[Blinder (film)|Blinder]]'' released in 2013. Shot around [[Torquay, Victoria]], the film is about a legendary former local footballer, Tom Dunn of the Torquay Tigers.

In October 2018 Kekovich appeared on Facebook advertising supporting the [[Australian Conservatives]] political party, with an aim to air the ads on TV.  The MLA criticised the use of the term "lambassador" to describe Kekovich in the Australian Conservatives ads.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henriques-Gomes |first1=Luke |title=Lambasted: Bernardi in hot seat over Facebook post featuring 'lambassador' Kekovich |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/18/lambasted-bernardi-in-hot-seat-over-facebook-post-featuring-lambassador-kekovich |access-date=18 October 2018 |work=the Guardian |date=18 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

===Albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of albums
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:14em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:20em;"| Album details
|-
! scope="row"| ''You Know It Makes Sense: The Wisdom of Slammin Sam Kekovich''
|
* Released: 2001
* Label: ABC Audio (ABC12262)
* Formats: CD
|}

==Awards and nominations==
===ARIA Music Awards===
The [[ARIA Music Awards]] is an annual awards ceremony held by the [[Australian Recording Industry Association]]. They commenced in 1987. 

{{awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| [[ARIA Music Awards of 2002|2002]]
| ''You Know It Makes Sense: The Wisdom of Slammin Sam Kekovich''
| [[ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release|Best Comedy Release]]
| {{nom}}
| <ref name="awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/Best-Comedy-Release|title=ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref>
|-
{{end}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.mla.com.au/TopicHierarchy/Marketing/DomesticMarketing/Consumer+Campaigns/Lamb+Marketing.htm View the Kekovich Lamb Ad and more at the Meat and Livestock Australia website]
*[http://www.votelamb.com.au Vote Lamb Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114061222/http://www.votelamb.com.au/ |date=14 January 2015 }}
*[https://samkekovich.com.au/ Sam's Official Website]
*[http://www.mla.com.au Meat and Livestock Australia]
*{{AFL Tables|S/Sam_Kekovich.html}}
*[http://www.blinderthemovie.com/ Blinder, The Movie]
*[https://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Kekovich,_Sam.php]
{{1975 North Melbourne premiership players}}
{{North Melbourne Team of The Century}}
{{Syd Barker Medal}}
{{North Melbourne leading goalkickers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kekovich, Sam}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:North Melbourne Football Club players]]
[[Category:North Melbourne Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:Syd Barker Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australian rules football commentators]]
[[Category:Collingwood Football Club players]]
[[Category:Prahran Football Club players]]
[[Category:Myrtleford Football Club players]]
[[Category:Camberwell Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Australian people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:People from Manjimup, Western Australia]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]