Sydney Uni American Football Club

One of the highlights of not only the Sydney University American Football Club calendar but also the Sydney social scene is the annual jersey presentation evening held at the Grandstand Bar on campus. It is a night designed around welcoming the new players to the club, acknowledging the proud tradition of the club which is a foundation for the current success, and generally have a good evening.

It’s tough to sum up an extravaganza like the one that occurred to people who were not there, as everyone has a slightly different experience. New players get to spend time with the veterans hearing the old war stories, while the veterans get a chance to know the new players better, as it’s not always easy to get to know a guy when you’re going head to head on a Wednesday evening. Depending on who you spoke to (and at what time of the evening) each story you hear will be different, but regardless, everyone had an excellent evening.

Each freshman player was presented his jersey and welcomed to the team. These players are both the present and the future of the club, and make up a strong incoming class of players. They will be expected to contribute immediately, and if preseason is anything to go by, there will be multiple starters amongst this group.

One of the few individual awards the Lions hand out is the Randel Mann award. This is an award named after a stalwart of the club, who had his life tragically cut short. Randel played both tight end and defensive back, demonstrating commitment to the team, playing with the right attitude and inspiring those around him. For a brief video on the award, check out this clip on youtube. The award is given to a player who throughout the preseason demonstrates the attitude and intensity that comes with playing Lions football. The 2011 award winner was Andy Eisold, who was well deserving of the honour. Although definitely not the most vocal of players, he leads with his actions, and had an excellent preseason. Congratulations Andy.

From there, the captains for 2011 were announced. The tradition in American Football is to name two captains, one from offense and one from defense. These players are voted on by the players and coaches, as it is a group decision as to who will lead the Lions on the field. For 2011, the captains are:

Joseph Lim (LB)

Leigh Louey- Gung (DB)

Kiernan Dorney (QB)

David Thode (OL)

The final memorable (for some) moment of the evening came during the annual boat race. After the offense captured a shock victory in 2010, the defense was hungry to win back their honour, and claim what is usually their spoils. Although putting up a valiant effort, the offense was no match, and was soundly beaten by the D. Special mention goes to freshman Gavin Chipperfield, who finished the beer quicker than anyone else could pour it on the floor, and was a key cog in the defence’s efforts to claim a win.