Sydney Uni Snares Ex-AFL Trio

The Sydney University Australian National Football Club (SUANFC) has had a very active preseason period in the lead up to the new look 2014 (NEAFL) and Sydney AFL (SAFL) seasons.

Tom Reddin has been appointed the Club’s full time Strength & Conditioning Coach will complement the HP Program currently managed by former WAFL player and 2013 recruit, Tommy Ayton, himself an Exercise Physiologist.

With the support of Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness, Reddin was recruited from A-League Club Melbourne Heart and with a Sports Science qualification and a playing background in Australian Rules, his expertise will be a boon to a young students side.

Sydney University’s Elite Athlete Scholarships have played a role in several key recruits’ decision to join the Club, with a number of players invited to take up offers with The University of Sydney Business School’s 2014 Masters’ Program.

Ryan Brabazon (pictured) is one such player joining SUANFC in 2014.

Brabazon was drafted to the Sydney Swans in 2005, before returning to WAFL Club Claremont, where he made two grand final appearances, winning a premiership in 2011.

The 27-year-old has spent the past two seasons in the NEAFL with Canberra side Eastlake

He’ll will join NEAFL Senior Coach Daniel Gilmore as one of three 2014 senior assistant coaches at Sydney University.

“Having been offered the chance to take on a playing Assistant Coach role was something that really appealed to me at this stage of my football career,” Brabazon said.

“I have also accepted a role in the Sydney University Masters Degree program which will further my education and enhance my career off the field. It is an exciting time for the football club and I am looking forward to the challenge of helping to develop the club into a strong position within in NEAFL in 2014 and beyond”.

Joining Brabazon on the students’ playing roster are former VFL star and Sydney Swan Matt O’Dwyer, ex-East Fremantle senior player Lewis Fasolo, and former Hawthorn  and North Melbourne FC listed player Will Sierakowski.

Recently elected 2014 SUANFC Vice President of NEAFL Football Tom Matson adds to the quality management and oversight of the university-based football program, bringing a decade of WAFL playing experience backed by a professional background in elite sports administration and management.