SUANFC is the oldest Australian Rules Club in NSW and the fourth oldest in Australia (est 1863).
Over the past 25 years the club has won seven Senior first grade flags('1981, '1986, '1987, '1992 (SFL), '1997, 2003 and 2005 and have been runners up a further five times ('1998','1999','2000', '2002', '2004', '2006').
Our Reserve Grade team have had an unprecedented level of success winning 5 consecutive flags '1997 - 2001' (a Sydney AFL record) and again in '2003' and '2005' and Runners Up in '2006' and '2008'.
We are also a founding member of the former Division 2 competition in which our 3rd Grade have placed well in the last decade, being runners up in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008 and Premiers in 2004.
Most recently, SUANFC has won premierships in Division 4 and the U18s Challenge Cup in 2009.
2009 saw a restructure of the Sydney AFL Competition, with the former Premier Division Reserves, 1st Division Reserves and 2nd Divisions being replaced by a complete divisional structure.
Premier Division
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Division 4
U18s Premier Cup
U18s Challenge Cup
2009 saw Sydney Uni Seniors maintain their place in the top flight 'Premier Division', with further teams in Division 1 (Sydney Uni Reserves), Division 2 (Sydney Uni Blues), Division 4 (Sydney Uni Reds), and the inaugural year of the U18s Challenge Cup (Colts).
Aside from the introduction of the "Colts", coached by former Richmond/Sydney Ruckman Tim Barling, another notable fact of the 2009 competition saw the elevation of the Blues up two divisions following a successful 2008 season.
In 2010, Sydney Uni expects to fields 6 teams in the SAFL Competition (5 open age and 1 U18s side).
Following the success of 2009, it is expected that the Division 4 Reds will be promoted to Division 3, as well as the Colts being promoted to the U18s Premier Cup. SUANFC will build on this by introducing a new Division 4 Golds Team.
 The Club is run entirely by the players for the players. As such everyone is expected to contribute in some way to the many tasks that are required to keep the club running week in week out. So don't be shy to put your hand up. Whether it be running water, helping in the canteen, washing jumpers or running a boundary do your bit, so we can all continue to enjoy our football. If you can wish to help out in a more permanent fashion please come forward and chat to any of the committee as we are always looking for volunteers to help arrange match day tasks etc and would appreciate any help you can give.
The Club also has a long history of
Inter-Varsity Football. Although most of our greatest IV victories have been off the field, over the last three years our on field performances have started to emulate those off the field. Finishing first in 2005 and 2006 Eastern Conference Games, second in the 2001 Eastern Conference Games and Top 6 in the last four Australian University Games.
History of Sydney University Australian Football Club
The Origins of Australian Rules
The Origins of Sport at the University of Sydney
The Birth of the Bouncers
The Resurrection
The 1960s
The 1969 Premiership
(Instalments from 69 to present day from Down and Rowdy to follow.)
Thanks to Peter Hastings
Peter Ramus Cup - Sydney University v. Sydney Magpies
In 2008 the Sydney University Australian National Football Club struck a trophy to honour the four decades of service to the club by Peter “Branch” Ramus.In recognition of his association with the Western Suburbs Australian Football Club, where Peter was a former President of the junior club, it was decided the Cup would be awarded to the winner of the annual fixture between the Sydney Uni and Wests with each club hosting the Cup on alternate years. Click here to read more by Rod Gillett.
JB Cup - Sydney University v. Macquarie University
Every year when we play Mac Uni at their home ground the clubs compete for the “JB Cup”, which is awarded to the winning side in honour and remembrance of Kookas star player John Benson. JB was an integral part of the power Mac Uni sides of the 1998 to 2002 period, with whom we shared a great rivalry. It's always a big day for both clubs and competitve footy is assured.
Read an article copied from the Kooka site with permission.
Click here to read the 1969 NSW Football Record.
Click here to read the 1981 NSW Football Record.
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Blast from the Past - 1981 Premiership: This photo is from the 1981 Grand Final, when we beat St Ives by seven points (or about that) at Erskineville Oval. That was out first flag in a long time. As you can see, we had a lot of very tall players, but I wasn't one of them! I'm being held aloft by one of our ruckman, Neil Ward, who was one of a host of really talented players in that team. This was my first season playing for the University, which had come third the year before and had a very settled team. Fortunately, the team needed a rover, so I was one of a handful of new players in the firsts that year. We were beaten by six goals by St Ives at the Uni early in the season, then beat them at the St Ives Showground later in the year (much to my surprise). They came from behind to beat us by a goal in the second semi final, then we held on in the grand final, defending a small lead and kicking into a strong wind in the last quarter. (Posted by Tim Driscoll, 2005)
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Article from the "Footy Record" 2003
 The Sydney University Australian National Football Club can lay claim to being the oldest club in the Sydney AFL, playing its first game in 1887 against St Ignatius College.
Sydney University was part of the Flanagan Cup, which began in 1889, but records indicate the club only competed in it for one season.
Sydney University won its first and only SFL premiership in 1992, defeating North Shore in the Grand Final. The club took all before it that season under the coaching of former Swans champion defender Rod Carter, to finish on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season.
Sydney University has enjoyed solid success in the Sydney Football Association, winning premierships in 1981, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2003 and 2005.
In 1964 Sydney University and UNSW combined as one club in the NSWAFL, with Sydney University playing in First Grade and UNSW in Reserve Grade. Sydney University's Second XVIII played in the St George Association.
 Prominent players in those days were 'Beast' Ramsden, 'Gobbler' Helm, 'Stalk' Cottom, 'Twinkle Toes' Keeble and Arthur 'Nozzle' Charles. Arthur, a non-University student at that stage had borrowed the name P Nosworthy from a non-sporting but legitimate student living in one of the residential colleges. No one had ever met P Nosworthy and we didn't even know what the P stood for. So, Arthur was known simply as 'Nozzle'.
In 1969, UNSW was promoted to First Grade and the SUANFC First XVIII won the NSWAFL Reserve Grade premiership, defeating Newtown, Western Suburbs and St George in the finals.
In 1965 players had to pay a few shillings to enter the ground unless they produced their players' passes, which were issued by the NSWAFL on a weekly basis. The Sydney University secretary at the time was a well meaning but less than efficient Australian Bureau of Statistics employee 'Tall' Paul Muller. He was responsible for issuing the players' passes and used to mail them out at the expense of the ABS. The passes rarely reached their destinations until the Tuesday after the match
However 'Tall' Paul did have a great sense of tradition. After collecting a huge amount of data on Sydney University, lie took long service leave to write the club's first official history. He decided to combine this labour of love with a trip to central Australia in his trusty VW beetle, which was duly loaded with 80 years of data. He got caught in a flash flood of the usually nonexistent Todd River, losing the first 80 years of club records.
 The other great club personality was Mickey Barrup, a young thirds player from the 1980s who has been irnmortalised in the club song. While Mickey's playing skills were not immense his social skills were exquisite.
Sydney University currently fields four teams: firsts and reserves in SFA Division One and two teams in Division Two Uni Reds and Uni Blues.
Affiliated: NSWANFL 1948-57 & 1962-68; SFA 1971-87; SFL 1988-94; SFA 1995-present
Club Address: Arena Sports Centre, A30 Western Avenue, University of Sydney 2006, New South Wales
Home Ground: No 1 Oval, Sydney University, Parramatta Road, Camperdown
Formed: 1863
Colours: Gold and blue
Emblem: Students
Premierships: SFL - 1992 (1 total); SFA - 1981, 1986-87, 1997, 2003, 2005 (6 total)
Phelan Medallists: Geoff Davidson 1953; Michael Davis 1990; Brydon Coles 2009 (3 total)
Snow Medallists: Peter Sadler 1971; Peter Moggach 1979; Tim Driscoll 1987 (3 total) |
