Club
Sydney University
Key players
Very difficult at this stage of the year to know who will play in the Premier Division side and much like Sydney Hills Eagles, being a Reserve Grade side means the influx of Under 18 players will be pivotal to their success. Experienced players such as Jack Caspersonn and ruckman Callum Kennedy will need to show leadership when the side comes under the pressure of highly-regarded opponents. If newly appointed coach Anton Turco gives himself much game time he will provide some much needed experience.
Star on the Rise
There is an abundance of talent across the club. Being essentially a development side for the Students NEAFL side means that there is an abundance of young talent on display. Among this list is Yarran Jaffer-Williams (Started in Under 18s, played 1 NEAFL game for Sydney University and 12 for the Sydney Swans Reserves as a top-up), Matthew Vicic (AFL Sydney Under 18 B&F) and Jack Hiscox (Played for Sydney Swans as a top-up player for the majority of the season including in their Grand Final win). All 3 players are eligible for Under 19’s again this year but you would expect they will get plenty of senior football in 2014.
Strengths
The young players named above should provide spark on the outside if they get a run in Premier Division. There is a strong program for aspirational NEAFL players so those who have been training over the off-season have access to top-line coaching and facilities which should bode well in getting players up to speed early in the season.
Weaknesses
Depth is always an issue, particularly midway through the season when injuries often crop up across the NEAFL and Premier Division sides. With the loss of Charles Shaw, there is a dearth of key position players. They have also been somewhat unsettled off the field with their coach only recently announced after Tom Morrison was promoted to the NEAFL coaching staff. Turco has been a veteran of the Students side and his NEAFL experience should be beneficial for his charges.
Season defining month
Rounds 7 -10
There is no reason Sydney University can’t win at least a couple of games in their opening month of the season which can set them up nicely so its Round 7 through to 10 which will be their real test. This stretch sees them play last years top four sides in successive weeks starting with a road trip to St George, hosting the Demons at home, travelling to Gore Hill to face North Shore rounded out by hosting last years Premiers, Manly-Warringah. With this being the grind stage of the year and the depth stretched it will be a season defining month for the young side.
Notable Transfers
There is no doubt that with the transfers into Sydney University that they are the most talented combined list to come into AFL Sydney in one season. These marquee players will obviously play in the NEAFL team so AFL Sydney is unlikely to see many of these however it does bode well for their depth.
Pertinent to their AFL Sydney Premier Division side is the loss of half-forward Charles Shaw to UTS. Shaw was noticeable with his contested marking ability and was a prolific goal kicker for the Students.
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INS
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Name
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Surname
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Club From
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Association From
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Matthew
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Rawlinson
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UNSW/ES Bulldogs
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AFL Sydney
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Nicholas
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Winmar
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Claremont
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West Australian Football League (WAFL)
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Max
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Wilson
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Eastlake
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North East Australian Football League (NEAFL)
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Kane
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Clark
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Campbelltown Blues
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AFL Sydney
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Daniel
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Costello
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University Blacks
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Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA)
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Harry
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Dobson
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Illawarra Lions
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AFL Sydney
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Jacob
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Derickx
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East Perth
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West Australian Football League (WAFL)
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Lewis
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Fasolo
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BRIGADES FOOTBALL CLUB
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Great Northern Football League
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Jackson
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Monk
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Northcote Park
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Northern Football League (NFL)
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Andrew
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Morris
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North Shore Bombers
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AFL Sydney
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Ryan
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Brabazon
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Eastlake Football Club
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AFL Canberra
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Matthew
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O'Dwyer
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Eastlake Football Club
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AFL Canberra
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Gabriel
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Orr
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Kelmscott
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West Australian Amateur Football League (WAAFL)
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Nick
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Perry
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Eastlake Football Club
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AFL Canberra
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Jesse
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Cox
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Collegians
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West Australian Amateur Football League (WAAFL)
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David
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Johnson
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Lockhart Football Netball Club
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Hume Football League
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Erol
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Sertbas
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North Shore Bombers
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AFL Sydney
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Evan
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Smith
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Turvey Park
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Riverina Football League
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Joshua
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Smith
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North Shore Bombers
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AFL Sydney
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Beau
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Vaux
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Kalannie
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Central Wheatbelt Football League
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William
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Sierakowski
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North Melbourne
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AFL
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Predicted finish - 9th
When looking back to the strong showing of this side during the 2013 season and the list of impressive names coming in to the club for the upcoming season, a predicted 9th place finish may appear a harsh assessment however it probably says more for the evenness of the competition. There is no doubt they will cause a few surprises to ‘more fancied’ sides again this season and a much higher finishing position would not surprise at all. Could be a real smoky.
Last Modified on 10/03/2014 11:20
