The History of the Swinburne University Amatuer Football Club

1995

The Swinburne University Amateur Football Club (The Razorbacks) was started in 1995 when the Swinburne University’s then Chancellor and business magnate, Richard Pratt, began proceedings to form a football club to add to the many other sporting committees and clubs already part of the Swinburne sporting culture. He laid the foundations offering both financial assistance and off field guidance with the appointment of Keith McKenzie as our coach. Keith was, and still is, essentially one of Richard’s right hand men for a majority of his business dealings with Visyboard and all it’s associated companies that Richard owns. Keith was a major coup for the SUAFC, as he has played at the top level in his younger days and coached North Melbourne for 2 years and was assistant coach to Ron Barassi at Carlton for a number of years, throughout the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

The club played in yellow and green colours, as that was the colour of all the University team colours at the time.

SUAFC Inaugural jumper 1995 - 2001

Mark “Fridge” Johnston was President, Secretary and Treasurer in the club’s first season, acting as the whole committee for a bunch of students keen to have a kick in the park but not really aware just how serious the VAFA competition was.

In our first year in 1995, the club only had one team in one of the Club 18 sections in the VAFA. We were reasonably successful, narrowly missing out on the finals in our first year and finishing 7th. We were based at Rathmines Road Oval in Hawthorn, which is now home to the Hawthorn Amateur Football Club.

Anthony Mills was the club’s first captain, and vice captain Damien Milano took out the club B&F and also B&F in the league, the A. Fisher medal.

1996

1996 saw the club remain training at Rathmines Road oval, but the home ground on match days became Glenferrie Oval, home ground of the Hawthorn Football Club. It was obviously great to have such a fantastic facility for home games, even though our canteen had to be outdoors. We also moved into one of the E Grade (E East) competitions, and had a reserves side start up, so we were now putting 2 teams on the field. Unfortunately the results did not match our off field camaraderie and the club’s senior team went winless for the year. The reserves went only marginally better with 3 wins, but 2 of those were because of games forfeited by opposition teams after they were found out for playing unregistered players.

1996 also saw a great act of generosity extended to the club that has never been forgotten. Keith was struggling to make it to a number of games because of an overseas work trip that he had to go on, and the club fronted up to a game against the strong Yarra Valley combination one Saturday at Yarra Valley. We had 16 Reserves players on the field, 2 of whom had to double up and play seniors as well, and when the 2’s ran out onto the ground the fog was that thick you couldn’t see halfway across the ground. We had no coach, no bench, no trainers, no runners and not one person who wasn’t actually playing that day in attendance. The reserves got beaten by about 40 goals and the seniors by about 32. That week, a guy by the name of Wayne Reddaway who was involved in the Yarra Valley side and who still is today, came down to training and offered to coach us for the rest of the season in Keith’s absence. He was a premiership coach with Yarra Valley, and has been high up in the EDFL senior and junior leagues administration, so his experience was of great benefit.

1997

1997 saw the SUAFC restructured into a different E Grade, this time it was E Central.

It also saw Hawthorn ask SUAFC to play our Reserves elsewhere because they felt we were doing too much damage to their ground on a Saturday. Unfortunately this is not something a young club such as ours is capable of doing - with little off field help and support at the time, playing teams at different grounds simply wasn’t an option if we were to keep our club alive. So 1997 saw us play our first game at St James Park. Keith and Wayne also had to give up the coaching position due to their work commitments, but Keith remained on as our figurehead in the Club President’s role, even though I’m sure he would agree that the Vice President that year actually did all of the President’s work (Shane Lee).

The coaching reins were taken over by Garry Hickey. 1997 was a much better result where the seniors won 7 games and the reserves chalked up 4 wins for the year.

1998

SUAFC was again restructured in a reshuffle of the lower grades, now competing in E Blue.

The club was competitive but again finished in the bottom half of the ladder, the seniors chalking up 4 wins and the Reserves 3.

Vice Captain Carmelo Dell’olio took his third straight B&F award for the year, before saddening many at the club with the news that he was going to try a higher level of football with his uncle’s club Panton Hill in the Diamond Valley League. “Mel” went on to win B&F’s there as well as captain their club.

1999

1999 saw the club not accept Garry Hickey’s reapplication for the senior coaching position, instead opting to go with Evan Evans, an experienced campaigner from competing club St Mary’s in the VAFA.

The club struggled again in 1999 after the loss of a number of key players, the seniors only managing to win 3 games for the season, whilst the Reserves went winless.

2000 2000 saw another change in structure of the lower divisions, with the VAFA becoming completely structured in varying levels, A, B, C, D1, D2, D3, D4. Swinburne was placed in the lowest division, D4.

Matthew George took on the senior coaching position after Evan Evans opted not to continue in the senior coaching role, and returned to St Mary’s. Matthew had coached the Reserves at Swinburne in 1999, and he had Adrian Fidler join him as playing assistant coach. Adrian had been training with the Razorbacks for a number of years, but returning to the country on weekends to play.

Together, these two guys took the Razorbacks to a record number of wins for the senior team to date, with 8 wins, whilst the Reserves had 7.

2000 Team Photo

Gareth Brown took on the presidency, becoming in the end the third “one year president” after Shane Lee and Trevor Grimshaw in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

2001 2001 saw Adrian Fidler take over the senior coaching job from Matthew George, with Matthew resigning due to other commitments. Adrian bought on board a friend as assistant coach, Derek Thoene which was to prove a very fortunate move on Swinburne’s behalf.

This was the first year that Swinburne made the finals. With D4 the only division in the VAFA to have a final 5, Swinburne locked up 5th position with a couple of rounds to go, and charged through the other finals contenders to make the grand final and the club’s first “promotion” in the VAFA. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to pinch the game, after being 1 point up at half time, were convincingly beaten in the second half by a strong Syndal Tally-Ho outfit. However, it set the pattern of expectation for the future at the club.

2001 saw Jim Ryan take over as President, further enhancing his involvement with the club beyond the sponsorship with his pub, “The Whitehorse Inn”, which is essentially the social rooms at St James Park due to the clubrooms being change rooms and canteen facilities only. Brett Canfield and Nigel Smith took over the Secretary and Treasurer duties respectively.

2002 2002 saw the club change it’s colours and Guernseys to match the same changes that were made to the rest of the university teams, from the green and yellow to the much more fashionable red, white and some black with the emblem of the University “Razorback” pig emblazoned on the front.

SUAFC Jumper 2002 – Current Day

In 2002 the coaching baton was passed to 2001’s Assistant coach in Derek Thoene brought his previous coaching experience at Yarra Junction to us and a great deal of professionalism.

Derek Thoene, SUAFC Senior Asisstant Coach 2001, Senior Coach 2002 - 2004

After going up to D3 in 2002, the club only just narrowly missed the finals. Jason Murchie had an excellent second season with the club after joining us halfway through the 2001 season, finishing with 85 goals and the D3 goalkicking award for the most goals in the VAFA section in 2002.

2003

What a year! The club’s first premiership since it’s inception, a resounding victory by 89 points in the grand final against the Monash Gryphons saw the seniors take out a convincing flag, only suffering two losses throughout the year. Impeccably prepared by coach Derek Thoene, the Razorbacks were convincing flag winners in D3 in 2003, gaining the club’s second promotion in 3 seasons, this time up to D2.

7 players from this premiership team were named in the VAFA D3 section’s “team of the year”, a remarkable achievement.

SUAFC – Premiers in VAFA Section D3 in 2003

Just as importantly, 2003 saw Swinburne’s Reserves side play finals for the first time in the club’s history. The two’s just missed out on making the grand final, finishing third under the tutelage of second year coach David Murphy.

It also saw the club’s first “century goalkicker”, with Jason Murchie kicking 116 goals for the season in 20 games, more goals than any other player in any division of the VAFA, and he again obviously took out the D3 section goalkicking award for 2003.

Jason Murchie – 116 Goals in Season 2003

2003 also saw the induction of the club’s first life member, Damien Milano. Damien’s achievements at the Razorbacks can be seen in detail in the club’s life member section, but suffice to say that most games, much committee involvement and a determined resolve that saw him captain the senior team from 1996 to 2001 made him a clear choice as the Razorback’s first inductee into this prestigious club.

Damien Milano – SUAFC’s First Life Member, Inducted 2003

2004

The club entered 2004 with high hopes after such a successful season in 2003. Unfortunately, narrow losses against the top sides in the first few rounds resulted in many injuries that then resulted in losses to sides lower down the ladder that should have been comfortable wins. The Razorbacks recovered and got players back on the park in the latter part of the year to end up winning 6 games out of 18 and avoid the dreaded “relegation zone”, finishing 7th.

Derek Thoene and Paul James were the senior and reserves coaches respectively, Paul retiring from playing after 108 games with the club to take up the Reserves coaching role.

Simon Fragiacomo equalled Mel Dell‘olio’s record of 3 best and fairest awards in a row, taking out the 2004 B&F by a record margin of 59 votes, finishing on a total of 85 votes for the season. Another stellar season for Simon, he narrowly missed out on selection for the C – D4 VAFA Representative team in 2003, but for the third year running was named in the VAFA section’s “team of the year”.

2004 also saw Derek Thoene hang up his coaching boots after 4 years involvement with the club and being a major force behind the club climbing 2 divisions during his tenure.

2005

2005 saw Swinburne have mixed fortunes. On field, the club recruited experienced campaigner Manny Debono for his 15th season as a Senior Coach and first in the VAFA after a career in the EDFL, YVMDFL and a number of others. Unfortunaltely, the club struggled with the loss of several key players and significant injuries to others, resulting in the club’s worst season since 1995, not winning a Senior game, and the Reserves winning four and drawing another one. Despite all of this, Manny remained upbeat and positive, concentrating instead on developing players at the club for the future.

The return of Mel Dell'Olio after a year off and 5 years in the Diamond Valley League to both play and coach the Reserves was a fantastic bonus. Although injury restricted Mel to just a handful of games, his experience and commitment was a shining light to the younger players at the club.
The club then picked up a number of other smaller sponsors, as well as taking up a social residence at the Hawthorn Bowling Club at the top of the hill at St James Park, where Thursday nights and after match functions on home games would take place, as well as a number of official social functions.

As a result the club posted it’s first official profit (without top up from the Swinburne Sports Association) of just over $2200, which was a fantastic result for all of the hard work that had been put in by a number of people around the club, but particularly Tanya James and David Harmer, who were duly presented with the “Best Clubperson” award in a tied result that was very fitting.

The club also inducted it’s second life member in John-Paul Sheedy. “Popey” as he is known, has won club leading goalkicker awards and been high in the club B&F a number of times. He is just the third player at Swinburne to play 150 games, displaying a beautiful kick and a super discipline to be rarely beaten without somehow getting a fist to the ball to spoil. He is a premiership player but he has been much, much more than just a player to this footy club. In 1998 he went on a Sports Association training course for administrators and become Secretary the following season, in 1999. He was then on the committee for 6 years, 4 of them as secretary, 2 of them as assistant to the secretary because it is such a massive job.

John-Paul “Popey” Sheedy – Life Member Inducted 2005.