Annual Report 2023

2023

Sport at the University of Melbourne

Chairman’s Welcome Director’s Report

It is with delight and satisfaction that I reflect on the many achievements of the University sporting community in 2023 as captured in the Annual Report.

Our staff and stakeholders demonstrated great determination to continue to increase student and staff participation whilst also supporting our elite student-athletes and sporting teams.

This was achieved through a range of new innovative programs targeted at equity groups and students at rural and smaller metro campuses and the improved performance of the many traditional programs and services. I hope the report does this important work justice.

As Chair of the Advisory Board, it is with great pleasure that I present the 2023 Annual Report.

Once again, this year was an exciting time for sport for the University of Melbourne.

This report highlights and celebrates the many achievements of our studentathletes, sporting teams, alumni and the outstanding contributions of clubs and volunteers.

The report also profiles the impressive and growing range of programs and services offered across the University to encourage students and staff to engage in regular physical activity. Significant progress has been made through our sport and wellness offerings to contribute to wider University goals aimed at increasing student and staff engagement with and on campus.

The highlights included:

• Over 20,000 students and staff participated in a diverse range of sport, recreation and fitness programs and services (including the 43 sporting clubs) on over 680,000 occasions.

• Over 500 student athletes represented the University with distinction across a range of local, national, and international sporting competitions claiming eight national championships.

• The Men’s Basketball team took our first University Basketball League title against UTS in front of a packed stadium in Sydney.

The Water Safety Program returned to capacity with 2009 mostly international students enrolled, for a total of 7,000 participants since 2017.

• Over 2,400 students received the Student Life Active Pass, providing complimentary access to a range of programs, services and facilities.

• The Lacrosse Club celebrated the 140th milestone with a gala event at the Pavilion.

• A crowd of students, staff and alumni lined the banks of the Yarra River in October to cheer on our rowers in the Australian Boat Race against the University of Sydney with Ormond College women and Trinity College men victorious in their races.

Congratulations to the Lacrosse Club on the successful 140th Anniversary Celebration, a remarkable achievement for one of the University’s foundation sporting clubs.

Finally, sincere thanks to my fellow Advisory Board members, to Tim Lee and his team of dedicated MU Sport staff, to our committed volunteers and coaches for their efforts in 2023. I want also to record the MUS Advisory Board’s appreciation for the continued support provided by the University senior management team.

I encourage you to read what is both an informative and engaging annual report.

Ian Marshman AM Chair MU Sport Advisory Board

I would like to acknowledge the many people and organisations critical to our success:

• The staff at MU Sport and members of the Advisory Board, in particular the very dedicated chair Mr Ian Marshman.

• The commitment and dedication of our coaches, clubs, the office bearers, team managers, and other volunteers who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and passion.

• The sporting alumni who generously support the clubs and students.

• The Clubs Advisory Group, Blues Advisory Group, Elite Athlete Selection Committee and the Scholarships Committee for their diligence and commitment.

• Colleagues across the University, including the residential colleges, academic divisions, student representative groups and student services for their ongoing collaboration.

Tim Lee Director of Sport

Melbourne University Sport

MU Sport is a department of the University, reporting to the MU Sport Advisory Board, and provides highlevel policy, business and financial advice on the development and management of sport and recreation at the University.

The Director of Sport reports to the Deputy Vice Chancellor (People and Community) in the Office of the Provost and implements Strategic and Operational plans as approved by the MU Sport Advisory Board.

Sport has a special significance for the University of Melbourne through the performance of sporting clubs, teams and high-profile athletes that enhance the reputation of the University. Importantly, sport participation also improves the overall satisfaction of students and staff.

MU Sport is responsible for:

• The development of campus and offcampus facilities, and for managing all University sporting facilities, particularly the Sports Precinct, the Ski Lodge at Mount Buller, the Boat House on the Yarra River and faculty recreation rooms.

Provision of a diverse range of fitness and recreation services and programs, including fitness assessments, personal training, group recreational club activity, short courses, trips and tours.

• Supporting student recruitment activity and alumni engagement with University sport programs.

• Provision of sporting opportunities including supporting teams and individual students to compete in

Strategic Plan for Sport

Sport Matters at MelbourneIt Inspires,

Connects and Leads

Our Values Our Mission

Excellence

Diversity and Inclusion

Respect

Open and Honest Communication

Leadership

Improve student and staff physical and mental health, reduce social isolation and create lifelong connections to the University

regional, national and international student competitions such as the UniSport Nationals, the strategic development and operations of the competitive sporting clubs, professional management and promotion of lunchtime and college sport competitions, and support for elite-level student-athletes.

• Representing the University on matters pertaining to sport and physical recreation to local, state and federal governments, UniSport Australia, sporting bodies and related professional organisations.

Goals

Improve the physical and mental wellbeing of all students and staff

Provide opportunities for the University community to regularly engage in a diverse range of physical activities that are safe, respectful and inclusive.

Actions

Improve the quality, capacity and accessibility of sporting facilities that support regular physical activity for students and staff across all campuses of the University.

Provide programs that recognise and address the unique issues of students from disadvantaged groups and those suffering from mental health issues or experiencing financial hardship.

Develop and enhance leadership and  active citizenship

Provide a range of leadership development activities and programs to train, reward and recruit student and alumni volunteers.

Support programs and events that address important social issues and raise the educational aspirations of young people from underrepresented groups.

Improve the level of engagement with our sport and club alumni and increase their support for our sport programs, clubs and student athletes.

Celebrate and support sporting excellence

Recruit and support talented student athletes by providing a high-performance sporting environment and comprehensive athlete support services.

Increase our involvement in national University leagues and sporting events and provide a dynamic spectator experience and attract broad media coverage.

Ensure that the sporting clubs are the first choice of our student-athletes with support for quality coaching, professional administration, athlete development and student recruitment. Results

Melbourne University Sports Precinct, Parkville Campus.

Bachelor of Biomedicine student Jessica Del Brocco competing in a University Basketball League game.

Highlights

Melbourne Men Crowned University Basketball League Champions

In the third season of the University Basketball League, the Melbourne men took out top honours for the first time while the women’s team had their best ever finish, making it to the semi-finals.

Refreshed rosters helped propel the Melbourne teams to new heights, solidifying the University as one of the league's strongest forces in the competition. Homegame partnerships with Red Bull and league-leading spectatorship transformed the Nona Lee Centre into a raging sea of blue for each home game, flooding the court with fever-pitch enthusiasm that pushed both teams to their best home records since the League’s inception.

The women’s team had five first-year players, including WNBL talent Lana Hollingsworth and standout defensive force Meera Coburn. Hollingsworth proved herself as a dominant scorer, averaging 19.4PPG, while Coburn led the league in blocks and finished second in total rebounds.

Despite an early loss to Curtin University in Round 3, the women rebounded, going on

to secure a playoff spot and the 6th seed, boasting a 6-3 record. Facing off against the University of Technology Sydney in the quarterfinals, double-digit scoring performances from Eloise Leonard, Laura Hamilton, and Hollingsworth would carry Melbourne to a convincing 82-60 win and a spot in the semi-final. Facing off against 2022 Champions La Trobe University, the women faced their toughest competition of the season, eventually falling to the eventual champions 52-74.

The men entered the season with a largely unchanged squad, adding Dihan Wiggett and Kai Garnaut in their pursuit of a maiden playoff berth. The season commenced with a resounding 48-point victory over the University of Adelaide, setting the tone for the rest of the season. Facing RMIT in the home opener, the men avenged their 2022 loss with a 15-point victory, led by team captain and 2021 League MVP Joel Rimes with 21 points, and third-year player Matt Roseby with 22 points.

The men's roster depth and broad offensive options were showcased in the following rounds, with impressive performances from Garnaut and Josh McNally in backto-back matches on the Perth road trip.

The men escaped with a close win over the previously undefeated Sunshine Coast but would take their only loss of the season in Round 7 against first-year opponents the University of Tasmania.

Finishing the regular season in second place, the men entered their first playoffs with the dynamic trio of Rimes, Wiggett, and Garnaut silencing RMIT in the quarterfinals, leading to a semi-final showdown against long-standing intervarsity rivals, the University of Sydney.

A packed Nona Lee Sports Centre witnessed a spectacular display of basketball, with Melbourne scoring an electric 104 points to secure a 17-point victory against their Sydney rivals.

A trip to Sydney followed for the Grand Final against the undefeated University of Technology Sydney, an extremely tough opponent and an even rowdier home crowd. An explosive first quarter from Roseby was the catalyst for an unanswered 17-point run, establishing a lead that they would hold throughout the game. Rimes and Roseby combined for 41 points, leading to a historic 77-67 victory and the University’s inaugural UBL Championship.

The Men's University Basketball League team after winning the grand final against University of Technology, Sydney.

Activating the campuses

A new pilot program, Active Campus, engaged over 10,000 students and staff in its inaugural year, providing more opportunities than ever for students and staff to participate in regular physical activity, both at the Parkville campus but also at smaller metropolitan and regional campuses.

Funded through the Student Services and Amenities Fee, the program has explored how MU Sport can engage with students and staff, away from the traditional Sports Precinct and its programs. Targeted communications to ensure greater connectivity with students through their

faculties and broader University channels, has also been a key aim of the program.

Over 75 additional programs, events and activations were added to the student calendar and promoted through the Active Campus timetable on the MU Sport website, with a weekly What’s On email sent directly to students every Monday in semester.

On the Parkville campus, the activities included free play badminton, table tennis and pickleball, self-defence classes, group fitness and yoga classes within faculty buildings, pop-up activities and games in the new Student Precinct, a series of recreational rooms across the campus and much more.

A temporary recreational room was established in Market Hall during the first week of each semester, which benefited from the large influx of commencing students. This also provided the opportunity to promote existing programs, clubs and events held by MU Sport. By the end of the year, semi-permanent recreational rooms have been set up in the SPOT and 1888 Building to service students in 2024. With more collaborations and engagement with faculties and staff groups planned for 2024, the program is looking to expand and deliver more opportunities to get people engaged on our campuses.

Celebrating 140 years of Lacrosse

Saturday 13 May was a milestone evening for the Melbourne University Lacrosse Club, as around 100 club members, alumni and supporters gathered to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Club at the Ernie Cropley Pavilion.

Established in 1883, the Club has been continuously operating ever since, making it the oldest Lacrosse Club in the country and among the oldest in the world.

Lacrosse has a storied connection to the University, encompassing intervarsity competitions, state leagues and highperformance support.

The celebration was attended by different generations of Lacrosse members. The guest of honour was Ian Marshman AM, who is currently the Chair of the Melbourne University Sport Advisory Board. Ian was a member of the Lacrosse Club while he was a student at the University, received a

Blue and captained the Men's team from 1970-1972.

The Club also unveiled plans to establish a Lacrosse Club Foundation Chapter to help foster future generations of Lacrosse players at the University.

View a full recap of the Club's year on page 57.

Preparing international students for summer by the water

2009 predominantly international students completed the popular Water Safety Program in preparation for a summer at Australian beaches and pools.

The demand for the program was incredible across the year, with a waitlist of 1000 students wanting to commence or continue in further water safety programs. Targeted at those who lack water confidence or have not previously had the opportunity to learn basic swimming techniques, the 10-week program is conducted in partnership with Life Saving Victoria to teach essential skills and knowledge for survival in and around water, and culminates in a beach visit at the end of semester.

The free aquatics education initiative for students launched in 2017 and has seen over 7000 students graduate from the program.

Read more about the program on page 18.

Students participating in casual sporting opportunities through the Active Campus program.

The Lacrosse Club's anniversary event at the Ernie Cropley Pavilion, Parkville Campus.

Recognising the contribution of our volunteers

The evening of 7 December saw a vast network of stakeholders come together to honour and commemorate the salient efforts of the volunteers from our sporting clubs, advisory groups, and programs at the annual Sport and Volunteer Celebration event.

Each year, volunteers are recognised by Melbourne University Sport through a series of awards based on their Service, Performance, and Excellence. This year, twelve awards were given to individuals and clubs who provided exceptional service, showed outstanding leadership, or contributed towards raising the profile of clubs.

“I know that many of you as club leaders and volunteers spend much of your time supporting, recognising, and rewarding the work of others and that often your contribution goes unnoticed, so tonight I would like to acknowledge your efforts and say thank you,” Director of Melbourne University Sport, Tim Lee expressed on occasion.

To present the awards on the night, Advisory Board Chair Ian Marshman (previous member of Lacrosse Club) and Rosemary Bissett, Melbourne University Renegades Vice President, member of Clubs Advisory Group and Advisory Board, were invited up to the stage.

Taking away the night’s first award, Club of the Year was the Lacrosse Club for its successful year with victories in both men’s and women’s senior categories, initiatives in diverse community programs, and a stellar performance that culminated in its 2023 Uni Nationals championship.

Beyond its on-field achievements, 2023 also marked a significant milestone as the club celebrated its 140th anniversary.

The Club Individual Performance of the Year was won by Tom Lennard (Rugby Club) for being the leading scorer in Dewar Shield, the highest division of Rugby played in Victoria, while the Melbourne University Lightning Club - 19&U team won the Club Team Performance of the Year for a dominant season in the Victorian Netball League where they won the premiership.

Sarah Mylrea-Norton, coach of the Lightning 19&U team, was also recognised as the Club Coach of the Year

There were two recipients of the Award for Excellence in Inclusion with Lachlan Francis (Touch Club) and the Soccer Club both acknowledged for their significant contributions to changing policies and influencing positive cultural change through programs like the ‘All Abilities’ Touch Football Program and All Gender Games Series, respectively.

Four individuals received Service Awards for their selfless service towards their sporting club: Ellen Liu (Fencing), Henry Tan (Karate), Allegra Randazzo (Squash), and Cameron Richardson (Squash).

Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Jason Kotchoff (Basketball) and Michael Owen (Soccer) for service to their respective clubs for ten or more years. Volunteers like these are the backbone of the University’s sporting community and are essential in upholding its distinguished performance and social responsibility profile. We extend our gratitude to all volunteers who helped keep sport alive this year.

Supporting students with financial hardship

Through the Sport Access Scholarship, MU Sport provided support to 193 students experiencing financial hardship, with the opportunity to engage in a range sport fitness and recreation activities that they may not have been able to access previously due to financial restraints.

The Scholarship provides a subsidy towards club membership or intervarsity representation, entry to a Campus Sport competition, free court hire, and a complimentary fitness membership.

Since the program commenced in 2020, 462 students have been assessed by the Scholarship Office as experiencing financial hardship and received the scholarships.

In Semester 2, the University provided an additional $50,000 from the Student Services and Amenities Fee to support student-athletes in financial hardship attend Uni Nationals on the Gold Coast. This funding supported 101 student-athletes from 24 teams across 14 sports, and enabled a further 108 students to attend in teams struggling to recruit the minimum competitors required.

Women’s only gym sessions

A women's only gym program was launched in Semester 2 at Lincoln Square Fitness, providing the opportunity for women students from around the world and diverse cultural backgrounds to engage in regular physical activity. The sessions ran every Saturday morning and were free for University of Melbourne women students.

Speaking of their engagement in the program, student Alina stressed the supporting environment of the sessions.

“The highlight has been finding gym buddies and helping each other improve our form. think that is something hard to do by yourself as you cannot see your form properly and you don’t feel comfortable asking strangers in a public gym sometimes. It is definitely a better environment to find gym buddies and they make you feel more motivated to put more work and effort into your workout,” Alina said.

The program will continue in 2024, and MU Sport encourage women from all backgrounds and faiths to try out the free sessions, with bookings available through the group fitness timetable or by walk-in on the day.

New Point of Sale Management System

After an extensive tender and implementation process, XPLOR, MU Sport’s new Point of Sale Management System went live to start Semester 2 in July.

The new customer portal provides a better experience for the University sport and fitness community, with the ability to book group exercise classes, manage memberships, and book casual activities such as badminton, squash, tennis and volleyball, online, at the click of a button.

The transition to XPLOR has been a significant project for the organisation, with a large selection of staff providing input over the last 18 months.

Award recipients at the Sport and Volunteer Celebration event.

Sport Access Scholarship supported students to join clubs like Mountaineering.

Grand year for elite student-athletes

The University of Melbourne has a long and proud tradition of supporting student-athletes in their sporting and academic pursuits. In 2023, our Elite Athlete Program supported 449 student-athletes across a vast range of sports, providing support to students with a range of financial and in-kind supports. This is a snapshot of some of the key performances from last year, including a Men's AFL Premiership captain, multiple medals and outstanding performances at World Championship events, and one of the first athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Darcy Moore

Master of International Relations

Darcy Moore captained the Collingwood Football Club's men's AFL team to their 16th Premiership, defeating the Brisbane Lions in the Grand Final by four points, 12.18.90 to 13.8.86. Moore's leadership throughout the home-and-away season and finals series was pivotal to the Magpies' success. Moore was also selected to the All-Australian team for the second time (his first was in 2020).

Annabel Sutherland Bachelor of Science

A member of the winning Australian ICC Women’s T20 World Cup team, maiden Test and One Day International centuries, and the joint most expensive player in the Women's Premier League player auction, it was a huge year for Annabel Sutherland. Read more about Annabel's incredible year on page 39.

Saffron Tamby-Rajah Bachelor of Science

At the Taekwondo World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tambyrajah competed in the Women's Flyweight competition winning her first two matches. In Section 4, Round of 16, Tambrajah faced the 2020 Olympic gold medalist and dual World Champion, Panipak Wongpattanakit from Thailand. Despite losing the match (Wongpattanakit went on to win silver), Saffron's breakthrough performances put her in good stead for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Campbell Harrison Bachelor of Arts

In late November, Sport Climbing superstar Campbell Harrison became one of the first people to be selected for the Australian Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Campbell's place in the team was confirmed in front of a raucous home crowd at the International Federation of Sport Climbing Oceania Qualifier in Melbourne, where he finished with a score of 154.1 in the Final of the Men's Boulder and Lead.

Medicine

Montag became the first Australian woman to win a racewalking medal in the Women's 20km event at the Athletics World Championships. Off the back of winning her second Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2022, Jemima finished second behind Spain's Maria Perez by 25 seconds in a new Australian record time of 1hr 27mins 16secs.

is a current recipient of the Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship and will be targeting an Olympic medal in Paris in 2024.

Sam Williamson

Bachelor of Science

Following a four-medal haul at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships, Williamson went to the Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, looking to add to his collection. Sam was Australia's sole representative in the Men's 50m Breaststroke. After progressing through the heats with the fourth fastest time, Williamson then had the eighth fastest time in the semifinals to qualify for the final by 0.01secs. In the final, Williamson swam an incredible race to finish 4th and just missed out on a medal. Williamson swam the breaststroke legs of the Mixed and Men's 100m medley relay heats as well. Both qualified for the final with the Mixed winning silver and the Men winning bronze, meaning Williamson took home two medals.

Mohammed Alharbi

Master of Applied Linguistics

Mohammed Alharbi is a part of Saudi Arabia’s national judo team, and won a gold medal in the Men's -90kg category at the 2023 Saudi Games in December. The event is the biggest multi-sport event in the country. Earlier in the year he won two more golds at the Saudi Judo Federation Ministry of Sports Cup. Alharbi is a Master of Applied Linguistics student and also works as a teacher with the Ministry of Education. While in Australia, the international student trained with the Australian National Judo Team while balancing his studies.

Jaryd Clifford

Bachelor of Arts

In the Men's 5000m T13 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, Clifford finished second behind Spain's Yassine Ouhdadi by only 1.26 seconds to win his fourth World Championships medal, after winning gold in the same event in Dubai in 2019. After the race, it was confirmed that Clifford had a stress fracture in his left femur, ruling him out of the chance to defend his 1500m T13 crown from 2019. Clifford who graduated with his Bachelor of Arts this year, will also be aiming for Paris in 2024 at the Paralympic Games.

Bachelor of Science student Sam

Williamson competing at the Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Catriona Bisset

Master of Architecture, Diploma in Languages

Continuing on from a successful 2022, the newly graduated Master of Architecture and Diploma in Languages student retained the Women's 800m national title in April, competed in seven events of the Diamond League Series, made the semi-finals of the World Athletics Championships in Hungary, and broke her own Australian and Oceania record with a time of 1:57.78 at the Olympic Stadium in London. Bisset also won a silver medal in the Women's 800m Short Track at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Birmingham, England.

Fraser Miscamble

Bachelor of Biomedicine and Diploma in Languages

Racing in the Men's Four at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Miscamble and the crew finished second behind Great Britain to win a silver medal.

The Jopling Family Rowing scholar was also recognised by Rowing Australia at their annual awards for his role in that crew, winning the Bolle Pathways Crew of the Year. Miscamble was also captain of the University's men's crew for the 2023 Australian Boat Race against the University of Sydney.

Sara de Uray

Bachelor of Biomedicine

De Uray won a bronze medal as a member of the Women's Four at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In a close finish, the Australian crew were pipped at the line by Poland and Chile in an incredible race. Sara was also awarded the John Hall Rowing Scholarship this year, won a Full Blue for Rowing due to her performances at the Uni Nationals Rowing where she won a gold and a silver medal, and was also a member of the Women's crew for the Australian Boat Race.

Jemima Montag Doctor of

Jemima

Bachelor of Science student Annabel Sutherland after scoring her maiden test century for Australia during the Women’s Ashes against Englan.

Winged Victory remain the best in Victoria

528 student-athletes represented the University in 70 competitions and winning 9 national university titles, including the retention of the Big Blue vs Monash, and the John Campbell Trophy from UniSport Australia as the top southern university in 2023.

Overall, the University placed 4th at Uni Nationals, with Men’s and Women’s Fencing, Women’s Cycling, Women’s Table Tennis, Women’s Golf, Men’s Rugby 7’s, Men’s Volleyball and Mixed Lacrosse winning national titles, along with the Men’s University Basketball League team. Read the Uni Nationals and Big Blue recaps on pages 32 and 33.

Students Honoured at Blues and Sport Awards

The University’s sporting achievements were celebrated at the Annual Blues and Sports Awards. 119 studentathletes were awarded a University Blue while others were recognised for their incredible on-field performances.

The Annual tradition of awarding University Blues is inspired by the Oxford and Cambridge Universities tradition dating back to the mid-19th century. The presentation recognises the University of Melbourne athletes’ performance in the UniSport Nationals, UniSport National Championships and other intervarsity events.

Five-time Full Blue recipient and Winter Olympian Anton Grimus gave an inspiring guest speech at the event, reflecting on his time at the University and the value of

being involved in representative sport. Anton completed a Master of Engineering in 2019 and competed in Freestyle Skiing at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.

"This University has not only provided me with a world-class education but has also been the backdrop that has enabled me to create one incredible adventure...one that revolves around a sense of belonging, overcoming challenges and striving to excel in all aspects of life", said Anton.

"Looking back on my time as a student, I've realised the strength of the connection between the university and its sporting community with life beyond study.

I've connected with many people since finishing my time here purely over the fact of attending the University and receiving a blue. This not only helped professionally however,

it led to new friendships and a great sense of community", he continued.

The highlight of the evening was the naming of the Outstanding Sporting Achievement of the Year, which was awarded to Master of International Relations student Darcy Moore who captained Collingwood Football Club to their 16th Men’s AFL premiership this year.

"It's really significant to me to recognised by Melbourne Uni Sport, you guys have supported me so much in my studies and over my professional football career so it means a lot to get the recognition", said Moore.

Moore completed a Bachelor of Commerce in 2020 and is currently pursuing a Master of International Relations at the University.

View a full list of Blues recipients on page 36.

Pride in Sport Week

From 10 to 20 May, the Sports Precinct was littered with colour as we celebrated Pride in Sport week. A series of events were held to acknowledge and celebrate the diverse identities within the sporting community, including IDAHOBIT day.

The celebrations kicked off with the inaugural ‘Pride Party’, where more than 1500 students and staff converged on the Sports Precinct. The Pride Party was the perfect opener for the week and culminated in the women’s and men’s University Basketball League teams celebrating their Pride Round.

Across the week, several clubs hosted special events, like the Women’s Football Club who held a Pride Round for the Thirds game, which was followed by Drag Bingo. MU Sport also hosted a series of inclusive workshops and classes for dance, fitness, and cycling.

Unfiltered access to the Elite Athlete Program

Launching in July, ‘EAP Unfiltered’ showcased student-athletes in the Elite Athlete program and their pursuits of both high-performance sport and studying at the University.

A new episode was released each week throughout Semester 2 on the Melbourne University Sport YouTube channel and social media platforms. Search @MelbourneUniSport on YouTube to watch the full episodes featuring:

• Misha Allinson, Doctor of Medicine - Triathlon

• Tiarah Minns, Bachelor of Science - Rugby

• Ehsan Lohrasbipeydeh, Doctor of Physiotherapy - Taekwondo

• Sophie Ash, Master of Teaching (Secondary) – Freestyle Skiing

• Sara de Uray, Bachelor of Biomedicine - Rowing

Janak Prakash, Bachelor of Commerce - Cricket

• Gabby Coffey, Bacehlor of Arts (Communications and Media) - Netball

Sam Williamson, Bachelor of Science – Swimming

• Saffron Tamby-Rajah, Bachelor of Science - Taekwondo

Mayuri Muralidharan, Bachelor of Arts – Fencing

Bachelor of Arts student Odette Lynch competing at Uni Nationals Cycling on the Gold Coast.

Blues and Sport Awards recipients presented at the Kathleen-Fitzpatrick theatre, Parkville Campus

Students attending the Pride Party as part of Pride in Sport week.

Australian Boat Race returns to the Yarra River

After four years the Australian Boat Race returned to the Yarra River on 14 October, hosting the best studentathlete rowers from the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney.

Hundreds of spectators lined the river for the races which saw the Sydney crews taking victories in both main races.

The event opened with the College races, with Trinity and Ormond College representing Melbourne in the Men’s and Women’s events respectively. Both crews put on an impressive display, with Ormond

facing off against St. Paul’s College and Trinity taking on Wesley College. The Melbourne Colleges completed a double sweep, taking out both races convincingly.

The much-anticipated Australian Boat Race events lived up to the excitement, providing scores of spectators with two exhilarating races.

The Women's race started with both crews battling head-to-head for ascension on the river. The Sydney crew emerged from the first bend in the course in the lead and held onto their position over the 4.1km race, crossing the line around 15 seconds in front of Melbourne.

The Men’s race started in windy conditions and some controversy, with the two boats almost colliding while vying for pole position around the first turn of the course which led to the race being restarted by race officials.

In the second race, The Sydney crew got off to an early lead and powered to a dominant victory over the Melbourne crew.

The Edmond Barton (Men) and Bella Guerin (Women) Trophy tallies now sit at 2-11 and 8-5 for Melbourne and Sydney respectively, with much anticipation already building around the Boat Club for the University’s redemption campaign in 2024.

Students shake hands during the College Sport Tennis final

The Women's crew crossing the finish line at the Australian Boat Race.

Giving Back to the Water Safety Program

Swimming and water activities are an integral part of the Australian lifestyle, and most locals learn the skills early in their childhood. However, this is not the case for many students who grew up overseas.

To help its cohort of international students learn this essential life skill, the University of Melbourne started the free Water Safety Program in partnership with Life Saving Victoria in 2017. The 10-week-long program consists of a 30-minute lesson from qualified staff each week, in which students learn necessary water safety and survival skills and basic formal strokes to help them safely participate in water-based activities at the pool and beach.

While the program is primarily aimed at students who have not previously had the opportunity to receive swimming training, it is also open to those who want to further

develop their water safety skills. Yuetong Wang, a third-year Bachelor of Biomedicine student from China, had learnt artistic swimming in primary school but joined this program as she thought some of her strokes needed improvement. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to become an instructor at the University. After finishing the program, Yuetong obtained a swim teacher certification from Life Saving Victoria, which required learning to perform CPR, first aid, and swimming techniques from experienced coaches.

In the program, students learn the four conventional swimming styles (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) and water safety techniques like survival backstroke. The lessons are tailored to the individual needs of the students.

Yuetong ensures that she asks each student about their swimming skills and goals before starting the lessons and plans for different levels differently. “Usually, for beginners, I start with breathing and simple kicking and then advance to freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. For advanced swimmers, I usually let them start with practising freestyle. I give them some technical guidance, such as side breathing and paddling. Then, we move on to backstroke and breaststroke. At the end of the program, I also teach backstroke and tumble turn if students want to learn. But whether students are beginners or advanced swimmers, I spend some time teaching floating and survival backstroke so that they can keep themselves in the water effortlessly,” she said, explaining her teaching process.

For Yuetong, building trust with her students and ensuring they enjoy the lessons is crucial. “Patience is important. Some students are afraid of water. Instructors need to be patient and help them overcome difficulties slowly,” she said, stressing the importance of good communication.

Whether you have learned to swim or not, don’t worry! This program is suitable for students at different levels” Yuetong said when asked why University students should join the program. “The great thing is, it’s free! Outside of swimming lessons, students also have free access to the pool. They can come to swim and practice on their own at any time. And there is a chance to go to the beach at the end of the semester. It is also a good opportunity to make more friends. I highly recommend students participate; you will gain a new skill and a precious experience!”

Participation

The link between regular physical activity and emotional wellbeing, as well as improved academic performance, are comprehensively documented. Regular physical activity improves student wellbeing and academic success through improvements to physical and mental health, confidence, self-esteem and reduced social isolation.

A broad range of programs and activities were conducted at the University in 2023. Over 20,000 students, staff, alumni and community members participated over 681,000 times, from our sporting clubs and fitness services to lunchtime sporting competitions and pop-up activities across our campus.

Campus Sport

Campus Sport provides opportunities for students and staff to compete socially in a fun, lunchtime sporting program.

Competitions were held in both Semester 1 and Semester 2, with the most popular sports being mixed volleyball, futsal and netball. Both netball and futsal were consistent, each providing four separate competitions throughout the year to engage students and staff. Futsal and Basketball continued to grow into Semester 2 with more teams engaged.

Mixed Basketball and Volleyball have both grown with strong competitions in each semester, with Badminton starting for the first time in Semester 2. New activities like Lacrosse, Spikeball, and Pickleball have been implemented as informal competitions to begin, with the hope of building them into the full program in future.

Community Sport

Community Sport offers social sporting competitions for participants from the University and wider community in after-hours and weekend competitions.

Tin Alley Netball reached 43 teams registered in the Autumn season and 40 for the Spring Season, totalling 83 across all competitions and 9,710 playing opportunities in 2023.

Competition Winners 2023

Sport Winner

Tuesday Men's Futsal ABCDE FC

Tuesday Mixed Netball Head McInness’s Girls

1

Wednesday Mixed Netball MU Superstars

Thursday Mixed Basketball Smithylads

Friday Mixed Volleyball Jaywalking Cross Highways

Friday Mixed Futsal Scoregasms

Tuesday Men's Futsal ABCDE FC

2

Wednesday Mixed Netball Pegs

Thursday Mixed Basketball 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Friday Mixed Volleyball LBH GOAT

Friday Mixed Futsal Mary’s Ball Handlers

Friday Mixed Badminton Big Guys

Competition Winners 2023

Sport Winner

Monday Outdoor Catafalco LS

Wednesday Outdoor Sarah’s Angels

Wednesday Indoor Women's ACU Angels

Wednesday Indoor Mixed Green Wing Protec Wing Attack

Wednesday Indoor Mixed Gold Net Set Ho’s

Monday Outdoor Net Busters

Wednesday Outdoor Sarah’s Angels

Wednesday Indoor Women's ACU Women’s

Wednesday Indoor Mixed Green Ballers, Babes & Beers

Wednesday Indoor Mixed Gold Net Set Ho’s

Bachelor of Biomedicine student and Water Safety Program instructor Sasha Wang.

Water Safety Program beach visit.

College Sport

College Sport provides opportunities for the students living in the University’s affiliated colleges to compete for their college in a range of sports, some dating back more than 130 years.

College Sport provided 7,437 participation opportunities for residents to participate in throughout the year. This is up from the 7,192 opportunities in 2022. Many sports, particularly finals (including Tennis, Netball, Soccer and Football), carnivals and the rowing regatta on the Yarra River drew vocal crowds to cheer on their respective teams. There were approximately 9490 spectators across all College Sports in the year.

2023 College Sport Champions

Athletics Ormond College Ormond College Ormond College

Badminton (Mixed)

Basketball Ormond College Queen's College

Cricket Queen's College St Hilda’s College

Cross Country Newman College Trinity College Trinity College

Football Queen’s College Ormond College

Hockey Queen's College Ormond College

Netball Division 1 St Hilda's College

Netball Division 2 St Mary's College

Rowing 1st Trinity College Ormond College

Rowing 2nd Ormond College Trinity College

House

Fitness Services

A range of fitness opportunities are provided for students, staff, alumni and the community across three sites: the Nona Lee Sports Centre, the Beaurepaire Centre and Lincoln Square Fitness.

Fitness Services include aquatics, strength and cardio, and group fitness classes which are provided through the Beaurepaire Centre, Lincoln Square Centre and Nona Lee Sports Centre fitness facilities. Since 2015, membership fees and casual visit prices to MU Sport’s fitness facilities have been capped to make fitness more accessible to all University students.

There were 292,862 fitness visits in 2023 across the gyms, group fitness and aquatics.

Lincoln Square Fitness saw exponential growth in number of visits in 2023 due to the successful delivery of Diversity and Inclusion programs such as Queer Friendly, Strong Women’s HIIT and women's only gym.

Soccer Ormond College St Hilda's College Ormond College Squash (Mixed) Ormond College

Swimming Trinity College Trinity College Trinity College

Table Tennis (Mixed) Ormond College Tennis (Mixed) Ormond College

Fitness

The Beaurepaire Centre and Lincoln Square Fitness Centre have a broad range of strength and fitness equipment, with staff on hand to provide training programs and guidance for all users.

Fitness Staff completed over 2,687 appointments with 460 Introductory Sessions for new members, 600 Training Programs and 1,627 Body Composition Scans. Small Group Training attendance was a strong performer with 2,867 visits across Semester 1 and 2 and 3,500 visits across the year.

There were also over 4970 total users across the year on the Mywellness App with a range of Fitness and Wellness opportunities for the University community to engage with us remotely and enhance the experience within the fitness facilities. In addition, virtual programs and classes were launched through the MyWellness App and through TV screens running throughout the facility to provide fitness members more flexibility in working out.

Cardio machines at the Nona Lee Sports Centre.

Students exercising at the Beaurepaire Centre

Aquatics

The 25-metre Beaurepaire Centre Pool is ideally suited to lap swimming and learn-to-swim programs for swimmers of all abilities. The space is shared by numerous groups including students, staff, alumni and community who comprise casual users, fitness members, external contractors and club bookings.

The Pool had its most successful year to date with over 71,282 visits exceeding 2022 and 2019 participation numbers by 126%. This was due to several factors: return to normal operating hours in 2023, additional hours allocated to club hire, the success of the Water Safety Program with 2009 participants, and continuity in Propulsion Aquatics learn-to-swim and squad programs. A new water testing machine was also employed to ensure water quality was kept at optimal levels and within regulatory standards for all swimmers.

Group Fitness

The Group Fitness Program consists of a variety of exercise classes set to music and led by qualified fitness professionals.

Group Fitness classes cater for all levels of fitness and include Les Mills pre-choreographed classes such as BODYPUMP®, BODYATTACK®, RPM™, SPRINT™ and BODYBALANCE® alongside classes as diverse as ZUMBA®, Yoga and Pilates. BODYPUMP® continues to be the most popular class on the timetable, while ZUMBA® attracted great numbers throughout the timetabled year.

We had 21,083 participants in Group Fitness throughout the year, an increase of over 6,000 visits from 2022.

During 2023, Group Fitness classes were also extended to off-site locations to further engage staff and students at different faculties. These programs were run as part of staff or student wellness initiatives and encouraged participants in their return to campus activities.

Casual Play

Students, staff, schools, organisations and other members of the community use sporting facilities on a casual basis. Facilities available include Tennis, Squash, Badminton, Basketball, Netball and Volleyball courts, as well as an Athletics track and synthetic Hockey pitch.

Casual Play numbers continued to grow from the record numbers of 2022 and 2019, with an increase of 21% across the board to 42,563 total visits. Notable areas of growth were in usage of the synthetic Hockey Pitch for Futsal, the Nona Lee Sports Centre stadiums for Badminton, and the Tennis Courts for Tennis.

Active Campus

The Active Campus Program provides opportunities for students to make their campus experience more fun, relaxing, and engaging with a yearlong calendar of events, activities and classes.

This year a dedicated recreation room was launched in Social Space B at the Nona Lee Sports Centre.

Over 10,000 students participated in the program across the year, with the highlights being new recreation rooms across the Parkville campus, activations in Market Hall, the establishment of a run club and Free Play Badminton among others. Read our full Activating the campuses recap on page 8.

Sport Beyond Parkville

This program provides recreation, fitness and sporting opportunities to students studying at regional and smaller metropolitan campuses and to international students to enhance their student experience. All programs are provided to students at low or no cost.

Progress from last year was consolidated and built on with the Rural Health and Dookie programs, and expanded offerings at Werribee and Southbank. With four mixed netball teams from Dookie and Rural Health, approximately a third of Rural Health students taking up gym reimbursements, engagement at rural and regional sites has been high.

New activities run for the first time in 2023 include free drop-in group fitness classes run at the Southbank campus, a visit from MU Sport to Dookie and Southbank, and the provision of soccer equipment for Werribee to enable lunchtime casual sport.

Beaurepaire Centre Pool, Parkville Campus.

Group Fitness Class at the Beaurepaire Centre.

Badminton in the Nona Lee Sports Centre

Students enjoying the hottest new sport, Pickleball

Alpine Lodge

The Alpine Lodge is a 40-bed, shared facility in the heart of the Mount Buller Alpine Village. The Lodge is available for students, staff, alumni and community members.

There were less than ideal snow conditions on Mount Buller, unfortunately leading the lodge to be closed earlier than expected on Friday 8 September. That said, it was still a fantastic season with all beds filled every weekend and weeknight bookings were high. Even with the shorter snow season, occupancy sat at roughly 85% overall. While the number of student bookings had a slight decrease, there was a large increase in external booking groups and individuals, demonstrating the appetite for such venues from the wider community.

Water Safety Program

The Water Safety Program is a free aquatics education initiative that provides students with the awareness, knowledge and skills crucial for water safety, survival and rescue.

A record number of 2009 participants graduated from the program. 78.5% of students were female, and 93% were international students. This year, additional initiatives were taken to make the program more inclusive and accessible to certain student groups, with women’s only classes and private lessons for students requiring additional assistance.

A Student Swim Squad was also introduced in 2023 following the success of the pilot program in 2022. 46 unique students participated in the squad program across 2023, with many of these participants indicating that they were grateful to have had the opportunity to further their swimming capabilities in a social environment at the University.

Sporting Clubs

Sporting clubs offer competitive, instructional and recreational opportunities for University students, staff, alumni and the wider community.

In 2023, there were 44 sporting clubs with a total of 6,936 members. Student participation in clubs increased overall with 4,206 student members comprising 61% of all members (up by 6% from 2022). 111, 709 participation opportunities were provided over the course of the year in a variety of local, state, and national competitions including recreational activities in exciting environments and instructional sessions such as courses in martial arts and other self-disciplines. Melbourne University Sport has also provisionally affiliated two new clubs, Judo and Triathlon in 2023 and seeks to support them in attracting more members in the future.

Intervarsity Sport

Students represent the University in regional, national and occasionally international sporting competitions.

528 student-athletes represented the University across 70 competitions, winning 9 national university titles. For further details on intervarsity sport, page 34.

Melbourne University Alpine Lodge. Water Safety Program beach visit.

Underwater Club trip to South Australia.

Women's Soccer, Uni Nationals Gold Coast.

Cameron Richardson being presented with a Service Award at the Sport and Volunteer Celebration

The All Gender Games has gone from strength-to-strength during its second year.

Soccer Club levelling the playing field for all

Since 2021, the Melbourne University Soccer Club has been championing diversity and inclusion in sport through its All Gender Games (AGGs) initiative. 2023 marked the year for the program's second iteration to level the playing field for all queer, gender diverse, black, indigenous, and other people of colour.

The games were initially introduced to tackle the issue of low sport participation numbers within the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, a direct consequence which came out of experience of discrimination. It does so by implementing a unique and experimental competition design.

First, teams are formed by allocating players at random without any gender quotas in place, contrary to the practices at most mixed competitions. These teams then compete in rounds played at Carlton's Princes Park, making room for social connection and respect for one another. The welcoming nature of the games and its players compels participants to return, and many have also expressed their desire to extend the five-week program into a regular season. In 2023, there were 60 participants from several gender and sexual identities.

A number of steps are also taken to make the game enjoyable, for instance, adapting rules, field size, and numbers depending on the number of participants. Safety is not compromised either, with coaches trained

to employ inclusive language and make the pitch a judgement-free place for all.

The Soccer Club is driving change off the field as well. All players are invited to a free food banquet after each game, fostering a sense of community and cultivating lasting friendships far beyond the soccer field. The Club also runs a variety of other initiatives to make sport a better space for all, including its work for Pride in Sport, mental health campaigns and gambling harm awareness.

The Club seems to be kicking goals both on and off the field. This year, the club was recognised with an Award for Excellence in Inclusion at Melbourne University Sport's annual Sport and Volunteer celebration event.

Undoubtedly, the club has formed waves of impact within the sporting community.

"We had participants at the games share their experience of trauma in team sports settings and how All Gender Games was a stepping stone in their healing, and that is an impact beyond what I could ever hope for," shared Cat Hoang, the Chief Inclusion and Equity Officer at the Melbourne University Soccer Club.

"I tend to get very emotionally involved with the game. But I learned how to be emotionally involved in a different manner, in a much more positive manner," Rish, an AGG participant, said about the effect the games have had on him. The year 2023 also marked a momentous occasion for the

LGBTQIA+ soccer community when openly gay Australian household names like Sam Kerr showcased their talent on a grand stage during the FIFA Women's World Cup (WWC) which was held in Australia and New Zealand from 20 July to 20 August. However, Cat says this isn't enough as there is a lot of legwork still required at grassroots levels. "I think having so many openly queer women participate in the WWC has definitely brought positive visibility to the LGBTQI+ community to say very generally. Though, also think it is important to make it distinct that each identity within the LGBTQI+ community has faced different historical treatment and public perception in sports. Grassroots initiatives like All Gender Games aim to move beyond visibility. We create fluid playing formats that are inclusive of abilities, sexual orientation, and gender. All to show that it is possible to remove rigid rules and attitudes that prevent LGBTQI+ folks or anyone in that matter from playing sports" she explained.

What does the future of the AGG hold?

For one, the games will be returning for 2024 in a new and improved format.

"It is still in the works but we will be incorporating soccer skills into more "games" rather than only playing matches. Our hope is to get to a point where the games would be self-sustaining and can be run without us!" Cat explained on how the Club is looking onward and upward with its vision for the All Gender Games.

Leadership

Sport provides the platform to showcase and develop exceptional leadership. Many student-athletes and club members make rewarding contributions to our clubs, sporting teams and the broader community by becoming articulate and engaging advocates for the University.

The Leadership pillar supports the development of leadership capabilities in our programs and clubs to enable students, staff and alumni to demonstrate leadership and active citizenship.

Moondani Yalingwa

Moondani Yalingwa is our Indigenous Sport Program, and provides access to sport and recreational activities and plays a vital role in the retention of Indigenous students in tertiary education. The goal of the Program is to develop Indigenous student leadership and use sport as a vehicle for social change.

MU Sport assisted in the delivery of Indigenous Nationals, Buroinjin Cup, and Indigenous rounds for Australian Rules Football and Rugby. 100 Indigenous students were supported with a fitness membership with some of these students also regularly attending an early morning Small Group Training class together. A number of Campus Sport teams also participated in the lunchtime social sport competitions.

Pride in Sport

The Pride in Sport Program aims to facilitate inclusion of the University’s LGBTQIA+ community, through elimination of the barriers preventing this community from engaging with sporting programs.

Key activities to maintain support towards the LGBTQIA+ community included: Pride Party celebration during Pride week.

• Queer Gym Nights as a promise of inclusion and a safe space in the fitness facilities.

• Pride themed fitness classes.

Support provided to clubs to organise; pride rounds, inclusion initatives (All Gender Soccer Games and Lacrosse Together) as well as necessary training and educational sessions.

The program will continue to grow in 2024 by implementing new programs and initiatives and continuing existing ones.

Strong Women

The Strong Women program promotes the meaningful inclusion of women students across all levels of sport and active recreation at Melbourne University Sport – as participants, athletes, managers, leaders, coaches, umpires, and volunteers.

The Strong Women program is an initiative providing a range of free participation and leadership opportunities for women so they may be able to develop vocational skills, network with one another and form deeper connections.

The Strong Women Network is one part of the program, it is a semi-structured mentoring program that fosters relationships between experienced professionals and current student-athletes, to enhance their

transition from the University into the professional workforce in their chosen field. In Semester 2, the Women’s Only Gym sessions were trialled at Lincoln Square Fitness on a Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm. Due to positive feedback and participation levels, they were extended until the end of the year. The program also continued to offer a dedicated Strong Women’s HIIT classes over the year.

College students competing in Buroinjin at University Oval.

Opening Ceremony at the College Buroinjin event.

The Strong Women Program established special Women's only gym sessions at Lincoln Square Fitness.

The Pride in Sport program hosted various Pride events during the year.

A 360° perspective into the Strong Women Network with Hannah Kuhar

The Strong Women Network mentorship program has not only won awards but has had a profound effect on the lives of both mentors and mentees.

Now entering its fifth year, Hannah Kuhar, professional netballer and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Diploma of Music alum, returns to reflect on her unique experience of coming full circle, having been both a mentee and mentor.

Hannah first joined the Network in its inaugural year in 2019 as a mentee looking to gain insight and sagacity into a world after study and university sport. This is a common transition for many university students but one that comes with great uncertainty and stress.

The Strong Women Network was established to bridge the gap between the two stages and alleviate some of this anxiety by placing peer-to-peer connections at the core of its design so students could learn from shared experiences and gain valuable and applicable insights.

When relocating to Perth for her grad role with Bankwest, Hannah said having her mentor, Amanda Crouse, by her side made the move easier as she shared with her “little tips and tricks” about starting in the professional corporate environment. "She had already been in my shoes" Hannah said.

Three years later, in 2022, Kuhar decided to give back to the Network by joining as a mentor herself. Kuhar remarked on an onus she felt to pass on she had adopted to flourish to the next cohort of mentees. She was matched with Victoria Shi, a Bachelor of Science student and avid gymnast. Shi, a neuroscience major, is also the co-founder of TENSible, a drug-free solution for chronic back pain.

"Hannah was a fantastic mentor. It was refreshing to hear from a talented individual who balanced both sport and a professional career and how she translated her skills from the court into her life. She gave me the confidence to transition into the workforce and chase my lifestyle and goals," expressed Victoria.

Kuhar has been balancing a producer role for Fox Sports while working as a Major Incident Manager for Bankwest. Through all

this, Hannah has kept netball a priority in her life, currently competing in the Victorian Netball League for the Casey Demons.

While her input as a mentor has proved invaluable for her mentees, Hannah has also seen much benefit herself, often applying the skills and experience she has gained from her time in the Strong Women Network to her professional work.

“I’ve put my mentoring skills to work by leading digital teams at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, becoming a Director of a local sporting organisation and working as a Major Incident Manager in the financial services sector. I often field calls from young people of all backgrounds who could use an empathetic and pragmatic ear — something which I practiced within the Strong Women Network environment”. Expressions of interest for both mentors and mentees are open for the Strong Women Network. Student-athletes in their second or third year of undergraduate study, or those in a postgraduate course, are invited to apply as mentees. Graduates with three or more years of professional experience and a background in sport are welcome to apply as mentors

Hannah Kuhar was a member of the first Strong Women Network in 2019 and became a mentor for the program in 2022. Kuhar competing for Casey Demons in the Victorian Netball League

Performance

Sporting events and competitions unite the University community and are opportunities for meaningful engagement with alumni, businesses, government and the wider community.

Some of Australia’s most successful athletes have been students at the University and include Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists, world champions and national representatives. We have celebrated their athletic triumphs as demonstrations of excellence and follow them closely as many develop into significant community and industry leader.

UniSport Nationals

The UniSport Sport Nationals are a series of multisport and standalone events held across the year. Pennants are awarded to winners of each event, with the University that wins the most pennants declared the Overall Champion. The University has been Overall National Champion in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2013.

The University displayed its sporting prowess across the year with eight national titles, seven silver and four bronze medals to finish 4th overall, and the top southern university to win the John Campbell Trophy.

During Semester 1, standalone events for Triathlon, Futsal, Athletics and Swimming were held, with Women's Futsal and Women's Triathlon claiming a bronze medal in their respective events.

The Snow Nationals were held at Mt Thredbo in New South Wales in early September, with Melbourne teams being competitive but medalless in five disciplines.

From 23-29 September, the UniSport Nationals were held on the Gold Coast. Melbourne's 36 teams came home with 8 Overall National Titles.

The University dominated the Fencing competition on the opening two days, winning six gold, a silver and two bronze medals to claim the pennants in both the Men's and Women's competitions.

Women's Cycling started the week strongly with a podium clean sweep in the Women's Individual Time Trial and followed it up with a strong performance in the Criterium and gold and bronze in the Road Race.

Women's Table Tennis claimed their title on the final day, defeating the University of Sydney 6-5 in an epic gold medal match that came down to the final rubber.

The Men's Rugby 7's team went undefeated in the tournament, rounding off their competition with a spectacular performance against the University of Sydney, defeating

the traditional rugby powerhouse 27-10 in the final. The victory was also the first time a Victorian university had claimed the title. Mixed Lacrosse also went undefeated for the competition, defeating neighbours RMIT in a nail-biting gold medal match with a 16-14 victory.

Women's Golf had a fantastic week, led by Shanaiah Fernando, who won the Individual and Team Golds. Shanaiah was in the lead from Day 1 of the competition, and her accuracy led her to finish with the lowest score of any competitor, male or female.

After an epic comeback win in the semi-final against Macquarie, Men's Volleyball claimed the national title by defeating the University of Queensland in the final. After a slow start and losing the first set, they won the next three emphatically to come home with gold.

Women's Basketball, Women's Rowing, Men's Golf, Men's Taekwondo, Cheer & Dance, Sailing, and Squash were all on the verge of the ultimate prize but gallantly finished the tournament as runners-up, while Women's Taekwondo and Ultimate finished the week in Third Position.

Big Blue vs Monash University

The Big Blue encapsulates the sporting rivalry between Victoria’s two largest Universities, Melbourne and Monash. Rivals on and off the sporting field, the 22 competitions were held across Semesters 1 and 2 at Melbourne’s Parkville Campus and Monash’s Clayton Campus.

Melbourne retained the Big Blue Challenge for the second consecutive year, defeating Monash 13 to 9 across 22 competitions.

Before Melbourne’s University Basketball League campaign began, they took on both Monash teams in the Nona Lee Sports Centre on 8 March to kick off the Big Blue for 2023. Both Melbourne teams recorded victories, the women 53-48 and the men 6752. The annual Labour Day T20 competition on University Oval was next up. Batting first, Melbourne recorded 7/139 in 20 overs, with Monash proving too strong, chasing it down to record 4/140 in 15.5 overs and claiming the 6-wicket win to make it 2-1 overall.

As part of the Big Blue, each University has a home leg where multiple events are held on one evening. Monash hosted Football (Men and Women), Squash (Men and Women), Hockey (Women) and Ultimate (Mixed) on 27 March. Across the six competitions, honours were split three apiece on the night. Monash claimed a nailbiting 10-9 victory in Mixed Ultimate, and both Men’s and Women’s Squash won their matches 3-1. Melbourne’s three victories came in Women’s Hockey with a 1-0 win, Women’s Football with a comfortable 3-1 win, and Men’s Football 4-2 on penalties after the game finished at 2-2 after 90 minutes.

For Melbourne’s home leg on 3 April, the seven competitions were Tennis (Men and Women), Touch (Men and Women), Volleyball (Men and Women) and Hockey (Men). In a successful night for the Melbourne teams, they won five events, sweeping the Tennis, 3-0 for the Women and 2-1 for the Men, Men’s Hockey 2-0, Women’s Touch 7-2 and Men’s Volleyball 2 sets to 0. Monash won in Men’s Touch 9-7 and Women’s Volleyball 2 sets to 0.

Rounding out Semester 1 were the Men’s and Women’s Australian Rules Football matches. Unfortunately, the Melbourne women’s team had some late omissions so they had to forfeit the contest to Monash, though the men’s match still proceeded at Monash Uni on 5 April. Melbourne hit the ground running from the first bounce and ran out convincing 67-point winners, 13.11.89 to 3.4.22. At the end of Semester 1, Melbourne led 11-7 with four events to go. Needing to win all four remaining matches to tie the overall Big Blue, Monash hosted Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis, with both universities always being ultra-competitive in their previous matches. Melbourne was too strong in each competition, the Men winning 5-0 and the Women 3-2. Melbourne hosted Badminton in the Nona Lee Sports Centre in the last two events. In front of over 200 people who packed in to watch, Monash won both matches 2-1, each going down to the Doubles to decide the victor in a thrilling night of Badminton.

Table Tennis, Uni Nationals Gold Coast. Sailing, Uni Nationals Gold Coast.

Men's Australian Rules Team after winning their Big Blue match against Monash University.

Intervarsity Sport Results

Sport Division Event Location Result Team Manager Coach

Athletics  Men  Athletics Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 31  Liam Tully  Sandro Bisetto

Athletics  Women  Athletics Nationals Gold Coast  8th of 36  Liam Tully  Sandro Bisetto

Australian Rules Football Men Big Blue Monash Uni  Champions  Bob Girdwood  Bob Girdwood

Australian Rules Football Women Big Blue Monash Uni  Runners-up

Badminton Men Big Blue Melbourne  Runners-up Carmen Lim

Badminton Women Big Blue Melbourne  Runners-up Carmen Lim

Basketball  Men Big Blue Melbourne  Champions  Nathaniel Low  Tim Bamford

Basketball  Men  University Basketball League Various Champions Tony Sephton  Shawn King

Basketball  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 36  Nathaniel Low  Tim Bamford

Basketball  Women Big Blue Melbourne  Champions  Lulu McLaughlin  Amelia Smith

Basketball  Women  University Basketball League Various Equal 3rd  Tony Sephton  Keith Noack

Basketball  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Lulu McLaughlin  Amelia Smith

Cheer & Dance  Women UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Megan Allis  Geneveive Clark/ Lauren Lordes

Cycling  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  4th of 6  John Prince  John Prince

Cycling  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  John Prince  John Prince

Fencing  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  Ellen Liu

Fencing  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  Ellen Liu

Football Men Big Blue Monash Uni   Champions  Stefan Cardamone  Max Gaydovsky

Football Women Big Blue Monash Uni  Champions  Lydia Alford

Football  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 21  Stefan Cardamone  Max Gaydovsky

Football  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 15  Lydia Alford  Liam KafkaSweeney

Futsal  Men  Futsal Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 17  Oscar Yee  Sean Lally

Futsal  Women  Futsal Nationals Gold Coast  Bronze  Greta Jowett Smith  Tom Mullumby

Golf Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Zixu Zhou

Golf Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  Zixu Zhou

Hockey Men Big Blue Melbourne  Champions  Ben Rogalsky  Pim Okhuizen

Hockey Women Big Blue Monash Uni  Champions  Carolyn Watson  Sally Howie

Hockey Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  4th of 10  Ben Rogalsky  Pim Okhuizen

Hockey Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 13  Carolyn Watson  Sally Howie

Kendo  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 11  Daniel Del Castillo  Richard Ten

Kendo  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  5th of 8  Daniel Del Castillo  Richard Ten

Lacrosse  Mixed  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  Louisa McKee  Ethan Boyd

Netball  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  4th of 28  Daisy Graham  Maddy Goldsmith

Rowing  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  6th of 15  Samuel Jeffrey  Ameila Ghali

Rowing  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Romy Cantwell  Ameila Ghali

Rugby 7s  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Champions  Dinesh Al  Lotu Auita

Rugby 7s  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  7th of 11  Olina Parrish  Lotu Auita

Sailing Mixed  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Ethan O'Brien  Snow Sports Alpine  Men  Snow Nationals Thredbo  9th of 13  Jessica Yang

Sport Division Event Location Result Team Manager Coach

Snow Sports Alpine  Women  Snow Nationals Thredbo  4th of 8  Jessica Yang

Snow Sports Freestyle  Men  Snow Nationals Thredbo  6th of 6  Jessica Yang

Snowboard  Men  Snow Nationals Thredbo  7th of 7  Jessica Yang

Snowboard  Women  Snow Nationals Thredbo  7th of 9  Jessica Yang

Squash Men Big Blue Monash Uni   Runners-up Druvinka Perera

Squash Women Big Blue Monash Uni  Runners-up Druvinka Perera  Squash  Mixed  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Druvinka Perera

Swimming  Men  UniSport Nationals Sydney  8th of 19  Tony Sephton

Swimming  Women  UniSport Nationals Sydney  9th of 19  Tony Sephton

T20 Cricket  Men Big Blue Melbourne  Runners-up Tony Sephton

Table

Table

Table

Table

Taekwondo  Men  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Runners-up Adeleine Zuniga  Kyungchoon Woo

Taekwondo  Women  UniSport Nationals Gold Coast  Bronze  Fiona Trieu  Kyungchoon Woo

Tennis Men Big Blue Melbourne

Men’s Fencing, Uni Nationals, Gold Coast.

Mixed Lacrosse, Uni Nationals, Gold Coast.

University Blue Recipients

The tradition of the Blue originated at Oxford and Cambridge Universities is now an annual event with the University of Melbourne Blues announced each November. To date, over 11,000 Blues or Half-Blues have been awarded to University

sporting representatives since 1870these include University of Melbourne sporting alumni who are Olympians, World Champions, Commonwealth Games representatives, Wallabies and many other National champions and representatives.

Athletics

Full Blue Jaryd Clifford Bachelor of Arts

Roman Anastasios Bachelor of Fine Arts

Half Blue Benjamin Nash Bachelor of Arts

Liam Tully Bachelor of Commerce

Chui Ling Goh Master of Law

Eleanor Cooney Hunt Juris Doctor

Australian Rules Football

Full Blue Charlie Furphy Bachelor of Arts

Half Blue Jack Nicholls Bachelor of Arts

Henry Meggitt Bachelor of Agriculture

Lachlan Gee Doctor of Physiotherapy

Basketball

Full Blue Joel Rimes Doctor of Philosophy

Matthew Roseby Bachelor of Commerce

Diederik Wiggett Bachelor of Commerce

Half Blue Kai Garnaut Bachelor of Arts

Joshua McNally Bachelor of Science

Ellis Biggar Bachelor of Arts

Laura Hamilton Bachelor of Agriculture

Meera Coburn Bachelor of Commerce

Hayley Cumming Bachelor of Commerce

Leila Davis Bachelor of Science

Victoria Poulos Bachelor of Science

Cycling

Full Blue Odette Lynch Bachelor of Arts

Half Blue Hannah Armstrong Master of Public Health

Destinee Stubbs Bachelor of Science

Fencing

Blues are awarded to student-athletes for outstanding sporting performance at UniSport Nationals or other endorsed interuniversity competitions.

Full Blue Jiashu Wu Master of Data Science

Mayuri Muralidharan Bachelor of Arts

Half Blue Hans-William Chung Bachelor of Biomedicine

Julian Mortimer Bachelor of Arts

Ellen Liu Master of International Business

Ka Wan Cheung Juris Doctor

Runhan Yuan Bachelor of Design

Shut Yan Chan Bachelor of Science Football

Full Blue Kasper Hallam Bachelor of Arts

Molly Burke Bachelor of Fine Arts

Half Blue Stefan Cardamone Master of Teaching

Ricky Murase Bachelor of Commerce

Ondine Giummarra Bachelor of Arts

Ruby Walsh Bachelor of Biomedicine

Futsal

Full Blue Oscar Yee Bachelor of Design

Greta Jowett Smith Bachelor of Arts

Half Blue Ricky Murase Bachelor of Commerce

Corey Hogan Bachelor of Biomedicine

Eszter Benedek Master of Commerce

Claudia Zapata Aquino Master of Data Science

Golf

Full Blue Shanaiah Fernando Master of Biomedicine Engineering

Half Blue Cameron Taylor Bachelor of Science

Jack Risbey Bachelor of Biomedicine

Zixu Zhou Bachelor of Science

Imogen Jones Bachelor of Arts

Hockey

Full Blue William Robbins Bachelor of Arts

Half Blue Pim Okhuizen Master of Architecture

Benjamin Rogalsky Bachelor of Commerce

Alannah Hibbard Bachelor of Biomedicine

Neive Campbell Bachelor of Biomedicine

Lacrosse

Full Blue Andreas Andrews Bachelor of Science

Half Blue Miles Cowton Bachelor of Science

Jason Fung Bachelor of Arts

Mihiri Dharmabandu Bachelor of Science

Meghann Gallagher Juris Doctor

Netball

Full Blue Eryn Stocker Bachelor of Science

Half Blue Matilda Cook Bachelor of Arts

Rowing

Full Blue Damien Schroder Bachelor of Science

Romy Cantwell Bachelor of Biomedicine

Meg Cartwright Bachelor of Science

Zara Lavery Bachelor of Science

Sara De Uray Bachelor of Biomedicine

Eleanor Buchanan Bachelor of Science

Half Blue Brooke Doolan Bachelor of Science

Katerina Bitzios Bachelor of Design

Charlotte Ball Bachelor of Commerce

Ellie Mcclure Bachelor of Commerce

Rugby 7s

Full Blue Hunter Wright Bachelor of Arts

Max Pendlebury Bachelor of Agriculture

Dinesh Al Bachelor of Design

Half Blue Alfred Hughes Bachelor of Science

Hajo Van Der Tang Bachelor of Science

Jackson Evarts Undergraduate Exchange

Tom Pattinson Bachelor of Agriculture

Natalia Rebollo Sampedro Master of Agricultural Sciences

Teah EtheringtonFreeman Bachelor of Arts

Squash

Half Blue Druvinka Perera Bachelor of Commerce

Yi Yan Mak Bachelor of Design

Kulvir Sharma Bachelor of Commerce

Swimming

Full Blue Samuel Williamson Bachelor of Science

Adam Selwood Bachelor of Commerce

Evan Chee Bachelor of Biomedicine

Zoe Deacon Master International Relations

Table Tennis

Full Blue Yueyuan Yang Master of Law

Jiayi Zhou Bachelor of Biomedicine

Yi Zhen Yan Doctor of Physiotherapy

Caiwei Gong Master of Global Media Communication

Taekwondo

Full Blue Chen-Yu Yang Bachelor of Music

Half Blue Jia Cheng Low Bachelor of Science

Loban Matin Master of Mechatronics Engineering

Alexander Cock Bachelor of Science

Albert Dong Bachelor of Commerce

Dhruv Dhaka Bachelor of Commerce

Yu-Guan Tsai Bachelor of Science

Aarav Shah Bachelor of Science

Adeleine Zuniga Bachelor of Science

Fiona Trieu Bachelor of Science

Ophelia Cui Bachelor of Science

Tennis

Half Blue Mohit Rudraraju Suresh Master of Data Science

Ka Weng Kuong Bachelor of Science

Yi Zhen Yan Doctor of Physiotherapy

Caiwei Gong Master of Global Media Communication

Touch Football

Half Blue Victoria Chiu Master of Management

Annabel Nelson Bachelor of Music

Full Blue Misha Allinson Doctor of Medicine

Darcy Williams Bachelor of Science

Ultimate

Half Blue Amy Luo Doctor of Medicine

Clement Lam Bachelor of Science

Julie Chong Master of Teaching

Josh Philip Bachelor of Biomedicine Volleyball

Full Blue Alexander Bye Bachelor of Science

Chun Hin Man Master of Construction Management

Lorenzo Bosio Doctor of Philosophy

Cameron Mcintyre Bachelor of Commerce

Half Blue Augustin Marcial Undergraduate Exchange

Gurjot Sidhu Doctor of Dental Surgery

Kintija Jakse Bachelor of Design

Laura Pangrazio Bachelor of Arts

Sutherland’s Script of Success

It has been a breakthrough year for Bachelor of Science studentathlete Annabel Sutherland on the international cricket scene.

At the age of 15 in 2016, Annabel was first selected to play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The prodigious talent with all-round skills was then handed an international debut in 2020 for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at home, which she went on to win with the Australian team. The same year, she joined the University of Melbourne. Being part of the University’s Elite Athlete Program, she is able to pursue her Bachelor of Science degree part-time, as she focuses on excelling her cricket career. Since then Annabel has been part of two more World Cup-winning campaigns and the Australian side that won the first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal for women’s cricket in 2022.

However, the 22-year-old spent a significant part of her initial few years in international cricket on the sidelines, getting picked as a backup player in the squads. She was also often referred to by the media as the

daughter of James Sutherland, the former CEO of Cricket Australia. But the retirement and unavailability of some key players in late-2022 brought her more regular opportunities to display her abilities and she proved that she was deserving of the backing she got from the side from a young age.

With her exceptional performances across 2023, Annabel has not only cemented her place in the Australian team but she has also walked out of the shadows of her sporting family – her elder brother Will also plays cricket for Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

After starting the year by winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with the Australian team in February, she brought up her maiden Test century during the Ashes series in England. She reached the triple-figure score in 148 balls, breaking the record for the fastest Test century by an Australian woman, finishing with 137 not out, a record for the highest score for a player batting at number eight or lower in Women’s Test Cricket. Her contribution helped Australia win the Test and retain the prestigious

Ashes trophy. A rare opportunity to open the batting also saw Annabel get her first century in ODI cricket a few weeks later.

Annabel also had a remarkable WBBL season, finishing as the tournament’s thirdhighest wicket-taker and the leading runscorer for her current team the Melbourne Stars, whom she captained in the last three games of the season.

The great run bore financial rewards as Annabel was picked by the Delhi Capitals for the equivalent of $AU364,000 in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) player auction. The bid made Annabel the jointmost expensive player amongst the 30 bought in the auction for the second season of the Indian league.

Annabel rang in the new year on the tour of India with the Australian team, a unit whose fortunes she will have a great influence on in the years to come. With two more World Cups scheduled in the next 18 months, the youngster will hope to carry her great form forward and keep winning games for the national team with both bat and ball, all whilst balancing her time studying Science.

Keynote and 6x Blue Anton Grimus addresses the 2023 Blues event.

Shanaiah Fernando receives a Full Blue for Golf from Blues Advisory Group member Tony Steele.

Annabel Sutherland after scoring her maiden test century for Australia.

The Elite Athlete Program supports student-athletes enrolled at the University.

In 2023, a total of 449 student-athletes were supported by the Program. Additionally, 102 received Strength and Conditioning support and 53 student-athletes represented their country.

Scholarships

Scholarship

Andrew

Andrew

Friends

Friends

Friends

Friends

Friends

Friends

Friends

High

High

High

High Performance Jeevaneesh (Jeevan) Soundararajah FEIT

High Performance Imara-Bella Thorpe UG EX Swimming

High Performance Samuel Williamson SCI Swimming

High Performance Kaitlyn Ea SCI Badminton

High Performance Jelena Kalajdjic SCI Karate

High Performance Tiarah Minns SCI Rugby Union

High Performance Mayuri Muralidharan ARTS Fencing

High Performance Saffron Tamby-Rajah SCI Taekwondo

High Performance Caitlin Young SCI Orienteering

High Performance Georgia-Rose Brown MDHS Gymnastics

High Performance Meezaan Dickinson FEIT Karate

High Performance Campbell Harrison ARTS Sport Climbing

Jopling Family Rowing Eliza Gaffney LAW Rowing

Jopling Family Rowing Fraser Miscamble MDHS Rowing

John Hall Rowing Sara de Uray MDHS Rowing

Club Scholarship Alannah Hibbard MDHS Hockey

Club Scholarship Sally Howie SCI Hockey

Rugby Young Achiever Award Lachlan De Garis ARTS

Peter Hone Rugby Lachlan Moen ARTS

Peter Hone Rugby Joel Morrison

Master of International Relations student Darcy Moore after captaining Collingwood Football Club to the 2023 AFL Premiership.

Outstanding Individual Results

Name Faculty Sport Event

Rose Abela MDHS Taekwondo Dutch and Belgian Opens

Mason Arthur SCI Orienteering Test match (v NZ), European Tour

Torren Arthur SCI Orienteering Test match (v NZ), European Tour

Zoe Azzopardi ARTS Triathlon World (Age Group) Championships

Catriona Bisset ABP Athletics World Championships

Louisa Bongrain SCI Rowing World University Games

Hannah Bradley SCI Ultimate U24 World Championships

Georgia-Rose Brown MDHS Gymnastics World Cups

Romy Cantwell MDHS Rowing U21 Trans Tasman Regatta

Lili Cavanagh ARTS Baseball World Cup

Ruben Chitters SCI Gymnastics World University Games

Julie Chong MGSE Ultimate U24 World Championships

Tracey Chong B & E Ultimate Asia-Oceanic Championships

Jaryd Clifford ARTS Athletics World Para Athletics Championships

Sara de Uray MDHS Rowing World U23 Championships

Meezaan Dickinson FEIT Karate Oceania Championships

Kaitlyn Ea SCI Badminton Oceania Championships

Hui Feng ARTS Roller Skating Asian Championships, World Championships

Damon Flicker SCI Bridge World Youth Teams Championship

Eliza Gaffney LAW Rowing Windermere Cup

Campbell Harrison ARTS Sport Climbing World Championships

Joshua Kah FEIT Speed Skating ISU World Cups 5 & 6

Jelena Kalajdjic SCI Karate WKF Karate 1 - Series A

Qun Tao Ke B & E Sport Climbing Youth World Championships

Romy Keppel LAW Underwater Rugby World Championship

Zara Lavery SCI Rowing U21 Trans Tasman Regatta

Josie Lawton ABP Hockey Women's Junior World Cup

Felicia Le MDHS Dragon Boat World Championships

Catherine Leung LAW Dragon Boat World Championships

John Li MDHS Dragon Boat World Championships

Ehsan Lohrasbipeydeh MDHS Taekwondo United States Open

Fraser Miscamble MDHS Rowing World U23 Championships

Jemima Montag MDHS Athletics World Athletics Championships

Joshua Montalto ARTS Canoe/Kayak U23 World Championships

Mayuri Muralidharan ARTS Fencing World Championships

Anhphi Nguyen SCI Dragon Boat World Championships

Eric Ny MDHS Dragon Boat World Championships

Nicholas Phang SCI Dragon Boat World Championships

Josh Philip MDHS Ultimate U24 World Championships

Kezia Pranata FEIT Dragon Boat World Championships

Ella Roberts SCI Dragon Boat World Championships

Outstanding Individual Results

First Name Faculty Sport Event

Lourenço Rodrigues Dias de Leal Amador MGSE Lacrosse Lisbon Lacrosse Cup

Benjamin Ross ARTS Canoe/Kayak U23 World Championships

Damien Schroder SCI Rowing World University Games

Annabel Sutherland SCI Cricket Australian Women's team Test, ODI & T20 tours

Saffron Tamby-Rajah SCI Taekwondo Dutch and Belgian Opens

Harrison Teague SCI Water Polo 18 and Under Australian Men's Tour

Viet Tran Truong ARTS Ultimate Asia-Oceanic Championships

Hing Yui Tsang MDHS Lacrosse World Championships

Ralphen Viane MDHS Touch Football Australia-Pasifika Cup

Stefanie Voelker MDHS Dragon Boat World Championships

Rayne Wang ABP Badminton Oceania Championships

Iris Webb MDHS Karate World Combat Games

Samuel Williamson SCI Swimming World Championships

Emily Zhang B & E Dancesport Blackpool Dance Festival

Josie Lawton representing Australia at the Hockey Junior World Cup.

The Women's Football Club and University Blacks Football Club displaying Indigenous round jerseys

Clubs

The University’s sporting clubs provide competition, instructional and recreational opportunities for students, staff, alumni and the greater University community. There are currently 44 clubs with a total of 6,936 active members, which offered more than 111,709 participant opportunities in 2023.

These participant opportunities included competitions at local, state and national level, adventure activities in unique and exciting environments, and courses in a variety of martial arts and other self-disciplines. The University’s sporting clubs have been offering sporting opportunities to the student cohort for more than 150 years.

Competitive

Athletics

Established 1890

The Athletics Club is one of the oldest clubs in Australia. With a host of Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championships medallists amongst its membership it has a proud and successful history. On-campus club facilities and a team of qualified and experienced coaches make the Club one of the strongest athletics clubs in Australia.

President Sandro Bisetto

Secretary Nick Montgomery

Treasurer Dustin Biernacki

Club Membership Participation Data

Badminton

Established 1956

The Badminton Club put on additional social sessions each Sunday that were well received by members. Two social tournaments were also held with a capacity of 48 attendees reached for each one.

Racquetlon (a combination of Table Tennis, Badminton, Squash and Tennis) had 49 attendees, with great feedback on the discipline that many weren’t familiar with.

President Jia Min (Jasmine) Wong

Vice-President Shan Ooi

Secretary Toby Fung, Kang Qi Goh

Treasurer Jerrold Phoa

Club Membership Participation Data

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Discipline Result

Richard Lim Protech Elite Series 1 Open Men’s Doubles Runner-up

Eric Zhong Protech Graded Series 2 Men’s Doubles B Winner

Anastasiya Bogoslovskaya Protech Graded Series 2 Women’s Singles B and C Winner

State Representation

Member Name Championship Discipline Result

Anastasiya Bogoslovskaya Bendigo Nationals Women’s Singles Qualifying

Baseball

Established 1926

The Baseball Club continued to grow rapidly in 2023, with active player numbers reaching almost 140, an expansion to 10 senior teams, including the introduction of a second Women’s team for the first time in the Club’s history. It was fantastic to have everyone involved, enthusiastic and having fun playing baseball in such high numbers.

On the field, the Club had five teams make the finals in their respective divisions (Women’s x2, A- Reserve, A3 and A4), although unfortunately, none won premierships. Additionally, the Club continued to invest in the development of both the player base and the coaching staff.

President Megan Kelly

Vice-President Nick Sherlock Secretary Jordan Sinnamon Treasurer Jade Devlin

Club Membership Participation Data

Basketball

Established 1953

The Basketball Club focused on refining player development programs, emphasising skills work for all players. This culminated in league MVP honours for Joshua McNally in the Youth League Two Men's division. This year also featured 200-game milestones for Nicholas Masunda and Stefan Pomason.

In parallel, a strategic emphasis was placed on fostering an inclusive culture and strengthening community engagement initiatives. Notable events included hosting a successful NAIDOC Round fundraiser and other volunteering initiatives showcasing the Club's commitment to community support.

President Peter Rossiter

Vice-President Matt Roseby

Secretary Seong Hyun Kim

Treasurer Jason Kotchoff

Club Administrator Joel Rimes

Boat

Established 1859

The Boat Club finished 4th on the medal tally at the Australian Rowing Championships and won the Men's Open

Eight and Women's Open Coxless Four. Sarah Marriott, Sara De Uray, Lucy Stephan and Damien Schroder all came away from the Championships with three gold medals each.

President Christian Ryan

Vice-President Minnie Cade

Secretary Eliza Gaffney

Treasurer Rod Zahara

General Manager Dan Wallace

Cheer and Dance

Established 2011

The Cheer and Dance Club focused on expansion, increasing its membership base to over 100 and growing from 7 to 11 teams, including Open and Premier teams in each dance style, as well as the return of a ¾ cheer team. Three of the Club’s Premier dance teams competed at Cheercon Icebreaker for the first time, and all Premier dance, ½ and ¾ cheer teams competed at Uni Nationals on the Gold Coast. The Club endeavours to maintain this growth in 2024 by reaching maximum capacity in all teams, now that there is a wider variety of teams catering for all levels of experience.

President Megan Allis

Vice-President Lauren Dodd

Secretary Sarah Carrington (Dec-June)

Alicia Savy (June-Nov)

Treasurer Claire Barber

Club Team Performance

Division Result

AASCF State MU Falcons Level ½ All Girl Non-Tumble Cheer 1st

AASCF State MU Firebirds Level ¾ All Girl Cheer 2nd

AASCF State MU Phoenix Premier University Pom 3rd

AASCF State MU Swans Premier University Lyrical/ Contemporary 3rd

AASCF State MU Griffins Open University Pom 3rd

AASCF State MU Doves Open University Lyrical/Contemporary 3rd

AASCF State MU Hawks Open Co-ed Hip-Hop 3rd

AASCF State MU Ravens Open Novice Pom 1st

AASCF Winterfest

AASCF Winterfest MU Swans Premier University Lyrical/ Contemporary 2nd

AASCF Winterfest MU Eagles Premier University Jazz 2nd

AASCF Winterfest MU Griffins Open University Pom 3rd

AASCF Winterfest MU Doves Open University Lyrical/Contemporary 2nd

AASCF Winterfest MU Jays Open University Jazz 2nd

Cricket

Established 1856

The standout results for the Club in 2022/23 were the Women’s T-20 and One Day sides who were Premiers in the Women’s Community Cricket Competition. The Premier teams seasons were promising going into the Finals, with the Second, Third and Fourth Grade teams making it to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, all three lost and were unable to capitalise on good seasons. The Club is in good position for the top grades heading into 2023/24.

President Nic Brian

Vice-President Andrew Burridge

Secretary Jayden Kennedy

Treasurer Andrej Yaksender

General Manager Glenn Beard

Club Membership Participation Data

Established 1856

The Cycling Club saw an increase of women members into the Club in 2023. Their presence has enriched the community and stengthened the Club’s competitive edge with strong performances in the National Road Series. Sam Satchell had a breakout year with some great results in the Australian and Victorian Cyclocross Championships, while alum Cyrus Monk was the first Club member to compete in a classic road race in Europe.

President David Randall

Vice-President Matt Irons

Secretary Rafael Unger

Treasurer John Prince

Dragon Boat

Established 2018

The Dragon Boat Club has seen one of its biggest seasons to date. The improvement was evident through its strong results at State, National and Invitational International competitions. Individually, a significant number of the Club’s paddlers were selected and represented both Victoria and Australia at the Australian and World Championships respectively. The Club’s membership base continues to grow, making it an exciting time for the for upcoming regattas!

President Eric Ny

Vice-President AnhPhi

Secretary Ella Roberts

Treasurer

Fencing

Established 1946

The Fencing Club showed rapid growth over this year with intake of beginners and collaborative efforts with other university clubs (Monash and La Trobe). The Club has retained more beginners than previous years and has assigned two new committee roles to aid in further growth. The Club aims to further encourage competition to improve participation and representation in fencing across Australia.

President Georgia Fitzpatrick

Vice-President Julian Leung

Secretary Sara Feys

Treasurer Nicholas Zeitoun

Club Membership Participation Data

National Representation

Member Name Championship Division Result

Mayuri Muralidharan Oceania Junior Championships Women’s Foil Gold

Nicholas Zeitoun Championnats Asiatiques Men's Epee 62nd

State Representation

Member Name League Division Result

Nicholas Zeitoun Australian Fencing Circuit 5 Epee Bronze

Nicholas Zeitoun Australian Fencing Circuit 1 Epee Bronze

Julian Leung Australian Fencing Circuit 2 Foil Silver

Julian Leung Australian Fencing Circuit 1 Foil Top 8

Dianna Gu Australian Fencing Circuit Epee Bronze

Football

Established 1859

The Football Club encompasses three different clubs whose senior teams all play in the Victorian Amateur Football Assocation, the Melbourne University Women’s Football Club, the University Blacks Football Club and the University Blues Football Club.

For the first time since 2017, the Blues and Blacks were both in William Buck Premier, with the Blues winning both contests between the two. The Blues went on to make the Finals but lost their Preliminary Final. The Women’s William Buck Premier team had a tough year, finishing 8th but remain in the division for 2024.

President Andrew Donald

Secretary Leah Caluzzi

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division

Blacks

President Patrick Barry

Secretary Zach Harris

Treasurer Campbell Moorfield

Football Operations Jeremy Hua

Blues

President Andrew Lowcock

Vice President Adam Lennen

Secretary Scott Russell

Treasurer Hugh Vickers-Willis

Football Operations David Phefley

Women

President Maddy Noack

Vice President Rozanne Mentzel

Secretary Marinella Salafia

Treasurer Donald Sahlstrom

Futsal

Established 2007

The Club successfully developed and distributed its Strategic Plan, alongside a Membership Policy for competitive teams. The men’s Friday Night League was organised successfully over both semesters, with increasing number of teams reaching beyond expected capacity. Hosting for the first time, the women’s Friday Night League also successfully grew in numbers in Semester 2.

President Tanvi Kotwani

Secretary Ashley Hay

Club

Futsal

Futsal

Treasurer Oliver Rose Club Membership Participation Data

Hockey

Established 1907

It was a year of mixed fortunes for the Hockey Club. The major achievement was moving all teams to MSC-Parkville for training and home matches. This improvement in facilities was very well received by the Club’s members (and opposition teams!), especially on days with as many as eight Club teams playing games there. Areas for improvement remain, but a successful first season of this arrangement nonetheless. A tough season on the field however saw the Club relegated from both the Men’s and Women’s Premier League competitions (as part of reduction in league size from 16 to 12). Rebuilding and pushing for promotion back to PL will be a key focus moving forward.

President James Stewart

Futsal Director Keeley O’Reilly

Secretary Rosie George

Treasurer Peter Bolling

Club Membership Participation Data

Performance

Hockey Victoria Men's Pennant D North West Premiers

Hockey Victoria Men's Metro 2 Central 3rd

Hockey Victoria Women's Pennant D North West 3rd

Hockey Victoria Men's Masters 45+ NW Runners-up

Hockey Victoria Men's Masters 60+ Premiers

Representation

Alannah Hibbard U21 National Championships Victorian Women’s 5th Sally Howie U21 National Championships Victorian Women’s 5th

Hanneke Raaijmakers 34+ Masters Championships Victorian Women’s 6th

Individual Achievements

Member Name Competition Achievement

Keeley O’Reilly U13 National Carnival Assistant Umpires Manager

James Stewart U21 National Championships Assistant Tournament Director

James Stewart Hockey One Technical Official

Trudie Webber Hockey One HC Melbourne Women's Team Manager

Lacrosse

Established 1883

The Lacrosse Club celebrated 140 years this year. The milestone was celebrated with a formal dinner function in May at the Ernie Cropley Pavilion and attended by a hundred current members and alumni. Ian Marshman, a past player of the Club, was master of ceremonies.

Lacrosse Victoria restructured the Field Lacrosse competition which caused an exodus of men’s players. The men’s team merged with Surrey Park and won the Grand Final in the Men’s Championship Reserves division. The women’s team finished top of the ladder in the Women’s Championship Division and finished runners-up.

President Monica Ashton

Secretary Sidonie Prentice

Treasurer Nick Anthony

Club Membership Participation Data

Team Performance

National Representation

Member Name Championship Team

Lourenço Rodrigues Dias de Leal

Amador Lisboa Cup Portugal Lacrosse

Lourenço Rodrigues Dias de Leal

Amador Eurolax Sixes Cup Portugal Lacrosse

Netball

Established 1920

The Lightning had its most successful year to date with a new club record for wins and clean sweeps across all three teams, including a 13-game win streak for the 19&U team. The Club’s Championship side finished 4th, losing in the semi-final, while the 19&U team became Premiers. The Club also had its Victorian Netball League license renewed for the next five years, where the competition will change to only two teams, Championship and 23&U.

President Michael Hutchinson

Vice-President Rod Warnecke

Secretary John Tran

Treasurer Jodine Nadjovski

Club Administrator John Tran

Established

The Rugby Football Club made significant strides, particularly in personal development, club administration, and the successful completion of club facilities. This achievement sets the stage for a full year at home next season.

Soccer

Established 1947

The Soccer Club entered 19 teams in competitions, retaining its status as Victoria’s largest senior soccer club, and expanded social and all gender participation opportunities. The Club's top teams were competitive in leagues in which an increasing number of opposition clubs are paying players, with the Senior Men finishing third and Senior Women mid-table. The Club celebrated three Metro League championships and one grand final win. Members relished the FIFA Women's World Cup being hosted on home soil, with the Club hosting several screening events.

President Michael Owen

Vice-President Sasha Naidoo

Secretary Helena Tan

Treasurer Nez Ozergen

General Manager Angela Christian-Wilkes

Softball

Established 1961

The Softball Club had another successful year in 2023, with four teams spread across the Melbourne Softball Association. The Club had a great mix of experienced and new faces. The MUSC Wolves were semi-finalists of the B-Division with the Angels also making it to the semi-finals of the A division. The Raptors couldn’t quite get there to take out the A-Minor division and finished as runner up, with the Wolves doing the same in the A-Reserve division. Club Team Performance

Co-Presidents Han Gray / Tracy Woolacott

Secretary Isabella Phillips

Treasurer Jayne Perry

Club Membership Participation Data

(Team: Wolves) Runners-up Melbourne Softball Association A-Minor (Team: Raptors) Runners-up

(Team: Dragons) Semi-final

Squash

Established 1964

The Squash Club continued its momentum from previous years growing both its membership and improving its performance in all competitions. The Club has had strong performances and many premierships during the year across all levels, including 1st and 2nd place finishes in the Premier Division, and 2nd place finishes in Women’s Cup Grade. From a development perspective, the Club is now close to completing its rollout of coaching and introductory programs, enrolling more than 90 students and non-students through the year. Social squash has never been more popular at the Club.

President Jessie Yeung

Secretary Felicia Eng

Treasurer James Kavourakis

Table Tennis

Established 1954

The Table Tennis Club has been hard at work creating sustainable policies for the next generation of committee members. The Club had also hosted a total of 4 social events and 2 inter-university competitions this year to increase engagement with the community and to promote health and wellbeing. The Club also co-hosted a Racketlon event with the Tennis, Squash and Badminton clubs giving all members a diverse trial of each sport. Currently the Table Tennis club has over 180+ active members and now planning to expand the membership system with a digital membership card system.

President Preston Tan-Kang

Vice-President Henry Ye

Secretary Raymond Zhang

Treasurer Chenyu Jiao

Tennis

Established 1884

The Tennis Club attracted record numbers of students and members of the community, keeping them engaged with events for players of all abilities, including Beginner Tennis programs and events and competitions for experienced players. The Club aimed to enhance its processes by redesigning the Club’s website and communication standards. Future endeavours include the GLAM Slam, recognising the involvement of the LGBTQ+ community. The Club aims to improve effective communication and streamlined hierarchy to facilitate a cohesive and dynamic sporting environment internally and externally.

President Andres Pollano

Vice-President Nicole Nga

Secretary Kiki Jiang

Treasurer Nathan Jayawardene

Touch Football

Established 1997

The Touch Football Club is one of the oldest and largest Touch Football clubs in Victoria. The Club has continued to grow its member base, fielding over 15 teams in 2023 across a number of competitions in both social and elite competitions.

The Club also ran the inaugural interfaculty competition in Semester 1, with over 70 signups.

President Danielle Crosswell

Vice-President Millie Davis

Secretary Ryan Miller

Treasurer Lachlan Francis

General Manager Timothy Heathcote

Club Membership Participation Data

Triathlon

Established 2023

As one of the newest sporting clubs at the University, Triathlon offers a comprehensive and engaging triathlon experience, by providing consistent training, expert coaching, and a supportive community to all members, helping them to either start their journey or improve their performance in triathlon.

President Sihong Wu

Vice-President Cody Li

Secretary Jiayang Zhang

Volleyball

Established 1958

Ultimate Frisbee

Established 1994

The Ultimate Club started continuous and open competitive training for all members this year. Usually, competitive training is only available for those that make the team.

President Clement Lam

Secretary Anthony Qi

Treasurer Ashley Chiow

Treasurer Hannah Bradley

Membership Participation Data

Representation

The Club was unsure of what to expect returning from the two years of COVID interruptions. It was unclear whether membership numbers were going to be impacted in any way. The extremely positive numbers attending the selection trials was a sign that volleyball interest did not wain during the interruption. The Club was able to field a full quote of teams, and for the first time in many years also entered three teams in the Junior State League competition, thanks to a group of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this happen. The Club’s success this year, among others, proudly celebrates its award as Volleyball Victoria’s Club of the Year.

President Gus Cirillo

Vice-President Rosemary Bissett

Secretary Amber Allen

Treasurer Anthony Williams

National Representation

Membership Participation Data

State Representation

VVL - Victorian Volleyball League

Water Polo

Established 1963

Water Polo Victoria changed the structure of season and competitions in the 2022/23 year, with a new 2022/23 Summer State League that ran from October 2022 until March 2023, with a break over the Christmas period.

The traditional Winter competition was split into shorter, more social competitions, targeting new players as an introduction to the sport. Registration costs for these short seasons did not provide value for money to students and as such a larger number of students joined socially just for club training over winter and opt not to play in the WPV competitions.

Retention of these students’ members is important to the longevity of the club and the club is actively pursuing a number of strategies to enhance student engagement and provide new programs for students to gain access to water polo.

President Matthew Keen

Vice-President Keli’koa Peters

Treasurer Eliza Fasso-Opie

Instructional

Aikido

Established 1966

The Aikido Club worked together with Anthropology Class (ANTH20001: Keeping the Body in Mind) for a basic Aikido demonstration with about 45 students on how to use their bodies in an unfamiliar way in relation to their lecture material. The Club ran its first ever Kyu-Grading session with five students participating and successfully achieving 4th and 5th Kyu. There are plans for more grading sessions in the future. One of the members also achieved 3rd Dan through Aikikai Australia during Winter School.

President Harlan Smith

Vice-President Anna Liu

Secretary Nancy Tran

Treasurer Jean Luan Yong Club Membership Participation Data

Membership Participation Data

Dancesport

Established 1993

The Dancesport Club’s main goal for the year was to increase member involvement in club activities. Memberships increased by 15%, with all class attendance growing throughout the year. Many new styles and social events were arranged, and new performance teams were established for students looking for more performance opportunities. Collaborative events were also organised to cultivate stronger relationships with other clubs. The Club also ran a performance night where all students performed choreographies the students had learnt across Semester 2.

President Rushda Shaikh

Secretary Paramita Sharma

Treasurer Tristan Chandrartna

Club Membership Participation Data

Karate

Established 1968

The Karate Club has bounded through the year with poise and grace, welcoming 28 new members to the fold, with a strong tie of 10 ongoing members from last year. The Club held a successful AGM, electing a diverse committee with a mix of both old and new faces. This year, the club facilitated another successful joint annual easter camp with Taekwondo Rhee at the Bay Park Scout Camp, which provided the opportunity for blended learning. The Club also held a number of events, including a hike to Werribee Gorge and ice skating that challenged members to stretch their legs outside their comfort zone, as well as an annual dinner. Notable accomplishments included participation in the Lion Bushido Karate Tournament and successful gradings at all levels.

President Emeil Boddenberg

Vice-President Sean Lee

Secretary Margaret Xu

Treasurer Harith Kamil

Club Membership Participation Data

Established 2023

Judo is one of the newest clubs at the University and was founded in 2023. Judo is a martial art and an Olympic sport derived from traditional Japanese Jujitsu. Judo training is rigorous and intense, rapidly improves strength and fitness, develops mental focus, awareness, and perseverance.

The Club provides training and competition opportunities to all students, staff and the community.

President Christina Yuan

Vice-President Tam Nguyen

Treasurer Dmitry Zorin

Kendo

Established 1989

The Kendo Club had a strong start to the year. The club had 47 people try out Kendo for the very first time. Towards the end of Semester 1, the Club hosted a one-day training camp with 82 attendees after which it organised an inter-club competition with 81 participants. The Club claimed 4 medals at the Australian Kendo Championships held in April and 5 medals in the individual division and 3 medals in the team divisions at the Victorian Kendo Championships. In total, the Club took home 5 out of 10 trophies.

Three members of the club were selected to represent Team Australia at the 2024 World Kendo Championships as competitor and 2 members as Coach and Team Physiotherapist.

President Tommy Dinh

Vice-President Julie Tran

Secretary Ravon Chew

Treasurer May Chung

Club Membership Participation Data

Team Performance

Yen-Hsun Wang Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Kyu Individuals 1st

Chia-Tsen Chung Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Kyu Individuals 1st Yaya Jeong Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Dan Individuals 1st

Koki Hayao

Jeong World Kendo Championships Team Australia Selected

Daniel Jeong World Kendo Championships Team Australia Coach

Nicole Saccardo World Kendo Championships Team Australia Physiotherapist

Taekwondo (Rhee)

Established 1971

The Rhee Taekwondo Club has continued to be a successful club with a focus on fitness and community. The Club is consistent with bringing its members to gradings every three months, running monthly social events and training sessions. The Club is particularly proud of the effort that higher ranked belt members put into preparing for grading toward black belt level.

President Cameron Petty

Vice-President Rory Ribartis

Secretary Elle Chentang

Treasurer Fumiha Kai

Member

Colin

Shene

Jake

Leon Truong Graded to 4th Kup

Adam Symons Graded to 4th Kup

Cameron Petty Graded to 6th Kup

Josh Chen Graded to 6th Kup

Elle Chentang Graded to 7th Kup

Rachel Chen Graded to 8th Kup

Fumi Kai Graded to 8th Kup

Taekwondo (WTF)

Established 1971

The Taekwondo WTF Club observed an increase in membership to 80. More members actively participated in Poomsae and creative Poomsae, achieving 1st overall for Poomsae at the Victorian Inter-University Competition. Plans are underway to further boost membership next year and to witness the potential of mid-year joiners in competitions. The Club anticipates continued dedication and skill development in creative Poomsae from its enthusiastic members.

President Vivian Anh Van Pham Nguyen

Vice-President Chen-Yu Yang

Secretary Jia Cheng (Jason) Low

Treasurer Dhruv Dhaka

Wushu Kung Fu

The Wushu Kung Fu Club focused on building the skills of existing members. Having not competed since 2017, the Club made a great effort to be competition-ready for the Wushu Tai Chi & Qigong Australia (WTQA) competition. The Club’s efforts paid off, collecting 12 medals and an Overall Champion trophy. Members also entered the National All Styles competitions, winning two golds and three silver medals at the State Championship. The Club also ran a number of social events, mainly a Winter Camp and two cross-training events with Monash and performed at the Chinese Cultural Festival and Hawker Night Market.

President Connor McGowan

Vice-President Nathaniel Nguyen

Secretary Henry Tran

Treasurer Xiran Wang

Club Membership Participation Data

Individual Achievements

Member Name Championship Dicipline Result

Connor McGowan 21st WTQA Festival Wushu Overall Champion

Connor McGowan 21st WTQA Festival Sabre (Dao Shu) Gold

Connor McGowan 21st WTQA Festival Long Weapon (Gun Shu) Gold

Pakto Huang 21st WTQA Festival Taichi Barehand (Taichi Quan) Gold

Pakto Huang 21st WTQA Festival Taichi Sword (Taichi Jian) Gold

Connor McGowan 21st WTQA Festival Long Fist (Chang Quan) Silver

Connor McGowan 21st WTQA Festival Traditional Barehand Silver

Chunyi Qian 21st WTQA Festival Sword (Jian Shu) Silver

Kevin Edward Te 21st WTQA Festival Traditional Barehand Bronze

Xiran Wang 21st WTQA Festival Sword (Jian Shu) Bronze

Recreational Golf

Established 2020

In just its fourth year as a club, the Golf Club saw its most prosperous year yet. Welcoming double the number of members than the year before, the club continued to deliver on its main purpose of growing the game of golf amongst the University student demographic. The Club also sent both Male and Female teams to UniSport Nationals for the first time in many years, achieving fantastic success and beginning the Club’s expansion into competitive golf.

President Sam Cato

Secretary Jeffry Chen

Treasurer Maxwell Machin-Finch

Club Membership Participation Data

Inline Skating

Reaffiliated 2016

The Inline Skating Club continues to a be fun and social space for the different skaters that we attract, ranging from slalom, in-line hockey, freestyle and a general audience who are new to skating. The Club has secured an exciting sponsorship from the Finn Skate School, providing the club with some new skates, protective gear, and other equipment. Furthermore, the Club has established connections with other skating clubs, such as with LaTrobe University. The future club initiatives will provide a greater social and sporting experience with plans for a second weekly session and future collaborations with La Trobe University.

President Filip Madyarov

Vice-President Lincoln Clark

Secretary Amy Hsu

Treasurer Reo Sato

Club Membership Participation Data

Mountaineering

Established 1944

Club activities ramped up in 2023: A great number of bushwalking trips took place in a variety of places, including interstate trips (e.g. The Arthurs - Tasmania, Kosciuszko - NSW). This year was also marked by the return of more Canyoning activities thanks to the new guidebook for the region. Rogaining has seen good member engagement with new competitive members taking part in the activity.

President Maggie Dick

Vice-President Luke Spencer

Secretary Emma Ferris

Treasurer Darcey Delagnes

Sailing

Established 2020

The Sailing Club hosted two successful Come and Try sailing events, which had a record turnout of 40 people per session. The Club has strengthened its relationship with The Royal Brighton Yacht Club and has continued to offer a discounted level 1 sailing course to its members. The Club also secured sponsorship for its social events. A short video was produced in collaboration with Chris Duggan.

President Ethan O Brien

Vice-President Lachie Copeland

Secretary Max Shannon

Treasurer Mohammad Abeed Ul Mohaimin

Club Membership Participation Data

Ski

Established 1929

The Ski Club welcomed many new members in 2023. Interest in ski trips is growing, as memberships increased from 617 to 672. The Club was able to successfully run a record 11 ski trips to various resorts, plus a successful Oh-Weekend camp, run for the first time in conjunction with RMIT. A trip to Perisher was also a great success. The annual Snowball with 4 other university ski clubs was the largest social event the Club has run in years.

President Jess Ngan

Secretary James Coughlin

Treasurer Callan Hiho

Membership Participation Data

Snowboard

Established 1994

The Snowboard Club is proud of what its members have achieved this year. The Club claimed its first win for the University in over 5 years at the Victorian University Championships. We have also significantly expanded our gear offerings to be as inclusive as possible and increase inclusivity within the club and the safety of our members. Next year we look forward to continuing the trend at state championships, and potentially representing Victoria at the national games at Thredbo.

President Sinead Scott

Vice-President Sophie France Paterson

Secretary Madison Alexander

Treasurer Thomas Meijer

Surfriders

Established 1969

The Surfriders Club had an extremely successful year. Trialing a new ‘retreat’ camp style in the middle of winter involving hiking, surfing and team building activities were a hit. Multiple social nights, along with collaboration events with other university surf clubs made the year memorable with a special mention to our end of year celebration, giving host to 6 live acts, food and drinks completely free of charge for our members as a thank you for their commitment to the club. The Club is looking forward to having another successful year in 2024.

Underwater

Established 1977

The Underwater Club had an exceptional year, hosting 91 events that catered to dives for advanced, beginner, and new members. The club seized the opportunity to refine scuba divers' skills through pool sessions, and new try-dive sessions were introduced for Orientation, offering members the chance to explore dive sites in Port Campbell, Phillip Island, and Lake Elizabeth.

The Club also initiated boat driver courses and workshops, providing training for new boat drivers. Instructors played a pivotal role, successfully training 71 open water students and delivering advanced courses across all levels to enhance the club's safety and awareness skills.

The Club celebrated a significant milestone by signing up 222 members, and active efforts are underway to explore strategies that will retain all new members for 2024.

President Maciej Necki

Vice-President Andrew Hebbard

Secretary Burak Uslu

Treasurer Kevin Sek

Membership Participation Data

President Liam O’Reilly

Vice-President Laura Melatua

Secretary Beth Dewhurst

Treasurer Gabriele Di Dato

Club Membership Participation Data

Waterski & Wakeboard

Established 1965

Due to the floods over summer, most familiar waterways and camp sites had been deemed unusable to Club members. 2023 was a season of exploration as the Club was posed with the challenge of finding new and exciting areas to run future trips. New areas that were fun and offered exciting opportunities were discovered. We look forward to the possibility of returning to some of these areas as well as being able to return to regular sites.

President Michael Lowe

Vice-President Sean Taaffe

Secretary James Ternes

Team Trips

Trips Trip Details

Spring Break Weekend trip during around the mid-semester break

Revival Trip to launch 2022-23 Season

Boxing Day Boxing day to New Years trip

Triple J Weekend trip over the Australia day long weekend

NMC New Members Camp

Easter Weekend Trip over the Easter Holiday

Day Trips Various day trips throughout the season

Club Membership Participation Data

Facilities

The University has a range of sporting facilities located within the Parkville Campus Sports Precinct. Other facilities include Lincoln Square Fitness, the Ski Lodge at Mount Buller, the Boat House on the Yarra River, and the mountaineering hut at Mount Feathertop.

Estate Masterplan and Sport

The University released the Estate Masterplan in 2023 along with the commitment to improve the sport offerings within the Parkville campus, with further work to progress in 2024.

Accessibility upgrades

Ensuring our facilities are accessible to everyone is a high priority. We were pleased and grateful to the University when internal stairways and entrances were upgraded with new stair nosing, handrails and tactiles at both the Nona Lee Sports Centre and Beaurepaire Centre. Navigating our buildings is now considerably safer and easier as a result.

New electronic key cabinet

A new electronic key cabinet was installed at the Nona Lee Sports Centre to improve privacy and greater accessibility to stakeholders. The new system of borrowing keys provides improved accountability and visibility of who accesses facilities, while club volunteers can also access keys during unstaffed hours.

Nona Lee Sports Centre reception upgrade

A refresh of the reception area including new self-serve terminals and desks for staff have been installed in the Nona Lee Sports Centre. The project was completed early in the year for staff to better serve and interact with customers, while the new terminals allow patrons to directly book into classes and spaces.

School Holiday Program

Additional facility highlights included: Drainage improvements to the University Oval playing surface. Improvements to sliding curtain nets in the turf cricket practice area.

• Multiple end-of-life equipment. upgrades

• Securing additional facility access at University High School and Melbourne Sports Centre -Parkville. Upgrades to audio visual equipment in the Ernie Cropley Pavilion and Social Space A. Investigations into improved stair access for the Ski Lodge at Mt Buller. Commencement of works to allow out of staffed access to Lincoln Square Fitness.

The School Holiday Program is a daycare program for children aged 5-12 years and runs four times a year, coinciding with the Victorian school holidays.

This service is open to staff members from the university and members of the general public. It incorporates a multi-sport structure, featuring many group games and classes. Children learn the values of teamwork while improving their game sense, movement, and coordination skills in a friendly and safe environment, supported by staff and specialized coaches. Over the four programs in 2023, there were 2,165 enrolments, an increase of 20.8% from 2022. The program focused on exposing children to a wide variety of sports, with the introduction of badminton, handball, ultimate frisbee, table tennis and touch football. The science classes within the program have quickly become the most popular, with more than 70 children enrolled on those days. This highlights the significance of incorporating other activities into the the program in addition to the current sport offerings.

Children joining in the School Holiday Program, Parkville Campus.

Finance

The University reinstated a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) in 2012, following an alteration to federal legislation in October 2011.

In 2023 MU Sport received $4.94m to support the delivery of inclusive sport, facilities, clubs, fitness, and recreation programs that keep the campus community active, encourage community leadership and enhance the student experience.

MU Sport is committed to keeping costs as low as possible, providing tailored, affordable, fitness service options to students.

These funds have been used to:

Maintain the student membership fee with no increase since 2015. Provide students with increased participation opportunities through casual and one-off sporting and fitness engagement at low or no cost, such as the Water Safety Program and ‘Free-Hit’ programs allowing students to access venue hire facilities for no fee such as tennis, squash and badminton courts.

• Provide programs and services that support an increase in informal activity in the Sports Precinct, across the Parkville, smaller metropolitan and regional campuses.

• Provide more accessible locations for sport and recreational activity for students.

• Provide diverse and inclusive programs, activations and events.

• Provide additional club access to MU Sport facilities at no cost.

• Increase support for club coaching, governance, and management.

• Provide ongoing support for highperformance sport and elite athletes.

Melbourne University Sport Foundation

The endowment of the Melbourne University Sport Foundation (MUSF) has grown to more than $7.8 million, providing support for student scholarships and participation in Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, Football, Hockey, Mountaineering, Rowing, Rugby, Skiing, Soccer, Tennis and Volleyball.

The following graph demonstrates the significance of SSAF income on total income.

People, Partners and Donors

Donor Acknowledgement

Melbourne University Sport would like to thank the generous donor community of alumni and friends for their support of sport at the University in 2023.

Their contributions play an important and ongoing role in helping supporting University sport’s highest priorities, the immediate needs of student participation in a particular sport, support towards sporting scholarships, and to the long-term sustainability of University sport and clubs through the Melbourne University Sport Foundation and its Sub Funds.

Sara de Uray awarded

John Hall Rowing Scholarship

Bachelor of Biomedicine student-athlete Sara de Uray was named as the recipient of the John Hall Rowing Scholarship for 2023. The recognition came for her on the back of a period of great success with the Victorian rowing team.

The John Hall Rowing Scholarship, which was first awarded in 2020, provides financial support to a University of Melbourne student who is a member of the Melbourne University Boat Club (MUBC). The grant is aimed at helping a promising University athlete to focus on rowing competitively while completing their education.

Since being chosen as the recipient of the scholarship, Sara has gone on to represent Australia at the Under-23 World Championships in Bulgaria, where she won a bronze medal in the Women’s Coxless Four event. She was also part of the Australian crew that participated at the Head of Shanghai River Regatta in China in September.

The fourth-year Biomedicine student expressed her gratitude for receiving the scholarship that has enabled her to overcome her struggle of balancing rowing with university and part-time work.

“The impact that the scholarship has had on me this year has been immense. It has helped me better juggle my rowing, university and part-time job, where I've been able to work a little less and put more

time into my rowing, which has relieved a lot of stress for me. I definitely would not be in the position I am now without the help of this scholarship.”

As Sara returns to training, the support from the scholarship will allow her to concentrate on her development as a rower and work towards her biggest dream.

“I would really like to make a senior team one day, so I'll just try to take up as many opportunities as I can to grow as an athlete” Sara aspires to follow in the footsteps of Juris Doctor student-athlete and fellow MUBC rower Eliza Gaffney, herself a past scholarship recipient, and represent Australia at the highest level.

The John Hall Scholarship was established by Richard Hall in the memory of his father, the late John Hall, who was a member of the MUBC in the 1950s but had to give up the sport due to financial considerations. The scholarship will ensure talented student-athletes like Sara and Eliza do not have to choose between rowing and educational endeavours.

Sara de Uray (centre) representing the University in the 2023 Australian Boat Race.

To give in support of sport: visit go.unimelb.edu.au/v6ee or scan the QR code

For more information: phone +61 3 9035 4054 or email gift-processing@unimelb.edu.au

People & Partners

MU Sport Staff

Tim Lee

Director

Aaron McNaughton

Marketing Manager (from June)

Alex Affleck

Fitness Services Manager

Acting Leadership Manager

Amber Kerwin (to June)

Acting Marketing Manager

Jean-Luc Garlick (to May)

General Manager

Jen Eslick

Active Campus Manager

Jo Massoud

Facility Operations Manager (until May)

Acting General Manager (from May)

Ken Barton

Facility Operations Manager

Liz Tregoning

Finance Officer (from March)

Acting Finance Manager (from May)

Maria Barres

Guest Services Manager

Rod Warnecke

Sport Development Manager (to December)

Sally Phillips

Sport Development Manager (from December)

Ange La Scala

Group Fitness Coordinator

Andrew McDougall

Venue and Events Coordinator

Aran Lloyd-McIntosh

Venue Services Officer

Ben Andrews

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Billy Allen

Guest Services Supervisor

Brendan Parnell

Elite Athlete Coordinator

Bridie Dixon

Director’s Assistant (from October)

Christina Karayannis

Development and Maintenance Coordinator (from May)

Craig Bamford

Aquatics and Fitness Coordinator

Ellie Macaulay

Events Coordinator

Erin Riley

Events Coordinator (from December)

Felipe Yamashita

Development and Maintenance Coordinator (to May)

James Partington

Active Campus Coordinator

Jesse Rodler

Finance Officer (from August)

Julie Caundle

Director’s Assistant

Kristina Ciccone

Finance Officer (to April)

Maddy Goldsmith

Sport Competitions Coordinator

Marcus Grillo

Water Safety Program Coordinator

Matthew Cotte

Fitness Services Instructor

Michelle Edwards (to June)

Executive Support Officer

Peter Walker

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Rebecca Anselmi

HR Business Partner

Tom Mullumby

Clubs Coordinator

Toni Sutherland (from June)

Executive Support Officer

Tony Sephton

Sport Performance Coordinator

Sporting Club Coaches and Managers:

Angela Christian-Wilkes

Administrator

Melbourne University Soccer Club

Anthony McQuire (from April)

Director of Coaching and High Performance

Melbourne University Cricket Club

Caitlin Walsh (to January)

Administrator

Melbourne University Lightning

Netball Club

Daniel Wallace (to December)

Operations Manager

Melbourne University Boat Club

Glenn Beard (to March)

Operations Manager

Melbourne University Cricket Club

Joel Rimes (to December)

Administrator

Melbourne University Basketball Club

John Tran (from March)

Administrator

Melbourne University Lightning Netball Club

Lotu Aiuta

Operations Manager

Melbourne University Rugby Club

MU Sport Advisory Board

The Melbourne University Sport Advisory Board provides advice on the strategic direction of sport at the University.

Appointed May 2021

Ian was previously the University’s Academic Registrar from 1990 to 1999 where he had oversight of MU Sport for a number of years. He also served as a member of the Sport and Physical Recreation Committee (SPRC) which was previously the governing body for sport at the University.

In 1999, Ian was appointed the University’s Senior Vice-Principal (Chief Operating Officer), a role he held until his retirement in 2015. Across his career in public service, Ian has held Board and Chair positions for the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Melbourne Theatre Company, Grattan Institute, and Australian National Academy of Music. Ian also has a Blue in Lacrosse and has deep connections with many of our sporting alumni and an interest in sport.

Joanna is a current member of the Australian National Netball team (the Diamonds) and the Melbourne Vixens in the Suncorp Super Netball League. In 2022 she proudly represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games helping the country bring home a gold medal.

Off the court, Joanna graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce and previously worked within the Private Enterprise Division at Deloitte. She is also President of the Australian Netball Players’ Association which seeks to promote the interests of the country’s elite netballers. Joanna joins the Board with a wealth of knowledge and is a strong advocate for our athletes and athlete support program.

Appointed June 2019

Lara McKay has over 20 years’ experience in the public sector including leadership positions in higher education, public health administration and state government departments. In 2017-18 Lara worked as the General Manager Marketing and Communications for the highly successful Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games before returning to higher education as Master of Ormond College.

Lara spent almost five years heading up Communications and Marketing at the University of Melbourne where she led the development of the Collisions and Made Possible by Melbourne campaigns which have become the most awarded higher education campaigns in history, winning over 60 awards internationally. While in this role, Lara also led the realignment of marketing and communications functions in line with the revised Melbourne Operating Model.

Lara is currently the Master of Ormond College, the largest of the Colleges at the University of Melbourne where she is relishing the opportunity to work closely with its over 500 resident and non-resident students to have a direct impact on their college experience.

Sarah is the Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor International (China) and Director of the Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne. Sarah’s research focuses on the Chinese legal system with a particular emphasis on legal policy, law making and enforcement as they affect the administration of justice in China.

Her particular areas of research are contemporary Chinese administrative law, criminal procedure, labour, comparative law and the law regulating social and economic rights. She was a solicitor with Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) between 1986 and 1992 in Sydney and Melbourne and again between 1998 and 2001 in the firm’s Shanghai representative office. Sporting and recreation wise, Sarah has interests in Wushu, Taiqi, Sailing and Cycling. In her spare time, she never misses a chance to walk her dog and play silly games with him.

Professor Sarah Biddulph

Mr Ian Marshman

Ms Lara McKay

Ms Joanna Weston Appointed March 2019

Rosemary is a graduate of the University and a long-time competitor and club administrator at the Volleyball Club and an active member of the Club Advisory Group. Rosemary is the Head of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Risk Management at the National Australia Bank, a Director of North East Water and the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia.

Rosemary has been a member of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute Advisory Board, the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Research Hub Steering Committee, United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative Banking Committee and the Natural Capital Coalition’s Advisory Panel and Biodiversity Steering Group. She previously worked as a Board Secretary for a Victorian Government agency and in various roles in the water industry and has an MBA and Master of Applied Science in analytical chemistry.

Matt is a Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Melbourne. Since returning from playing college basketball in the United States, he has competed as a member of the Melbourne University Basketball Club’s Big V team and as part of the University Basketball League.

As a head coach for Helping Hoops, Matt has used his athletic status to deliver basketball to disadvantaged and at-risk youth, particularly those residing in Melbourne’s public housing. Having previously volunteered as a tutor for the California School for the Deaf Fremont, Matt is passionate about utilising his role as a student-athlete to further submerse himself in the community as a positive role model.

Matt also joined the Student Wellbeing Reference Group with the goal of advocating for tailored mental health support for studentathletes and broadening the scope of mental well-being within Melbourne University Sport.

Ms Meezaan Dickinson (Student Member)

Meezaan is currently studying a Master of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne after having completed a Bachelor of Science (Physics). Meezaan is also an elite karate athlete in the discipline of kata and has represented at state, national and international level for years.

This includes competing at the 2018 Senior World Championships in Madrid to a 3rd round finish and coming away with a silver medal at the 2022 Oceania Championships in Noumea. Aside from competing, Meezaan is also a Victorian State Team coach and senior captain of the Karate Victoria State Team leadership group.

Seeking out further leadership opportunities has led to her involvement in the foundation of a National Athlete’s Commission as part of the Australian Karate Federation. She has also taken on a mentorship role as a member of the Elite Athlete Program at the University of Melbourne. Meezaan joins the board with the goal of representing the interests of student-athletes, and driving greater collaboration and involvement between students and various sporting opportunities at the University.

Stephanie is the Service Improvement Manager in the Operational Performance Group, which is focused on driving improved operational efficiency, effectiveness and experiences across the University. Prior to joining the OPG, from 2005 to 2015, Stephanie held leadership roles in domestic and international student acquisition for the Education, Science and Engineering and IT Faculties.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science from LaTrobe University and a Graduate Diploma in University Management from The University of Melbourne.

Stephanie was the inaugural Chair of the Stawell Gift Event Management Ltd Committee, formed by the State Government in 2020 with responsibilities for governing the iconic Easter event, The Stawell Gift. Stephanie was the first female President of the Victorian Athletic League, appointed after 123 years of male leadership. Prior to this appointment Stephanie was a keen participant in both amateur and professional running at a state and national level. In her spare time, Stephanie loves to cook and spend time with her family.

Kitty is one of Australia's leading and most respected sport administrators. She currently holds the position of Acting CEO of the National Sports Tribunal; as well as holding Board positions on the Executive of the Australian Olympic Committee (since 2013); President of the Oceania Modern Pentathlon Federation and an Executive Board member of the International MP Federation (UIPM).

Prior to her current role, Kitty has held several high-profile positions including CEO of Gymnastics Australia (2017 - 2023); and Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team for Rio 2016, the first time a female has held this prestigious role. Kitty also sat on the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Executive Board and the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Entourage Committee (both from 2018 - 2023).

An Olympian in Sydney 2000 in the sport of Modern Pentathlon, Kitty represented the University in swimming (in which she holds a Full Blue), athletics and fencing.

Kitty joins the Board with an exceptional network within the Australian sports sector and an in-depth knowledge of both highperformance and recreational sport.

Richard James is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, a leading centre for policy research in higher education. His research program spans access and equity, the transition to university, student finances, student engagement, quality assurance and academic standards. He has published widely on the effects of social class on higher education aspirations and participation.

He is a regular public commentator on higher education policy and is a member of the inaugural Higher Education Standards Panel, the national body that sets standards for the regulation of universities and other higher education providers.

Sporting-wise, in the 1970s and 1980s he represented Australia in track and field and was the Australian 100 metres sprint champion in 1980. He remains active in sport for fitness purposes.

March 2022

Pip currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (People and Community). Working across the breadth of the University, the DVC (P&C) provides focused leadership and direction for the ‘Community’ pillar of Advancing Melbourne. The DVC (P&C) focuses on the connections between the student experience and staff experience across the University and integrates the University’s people and academic strategies.

Pip served as Dean of the Melbourne Law School (MLS) from 2018 to March 2022, and also previously served as the Director of the Asian Law Centre. Pip has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the university community, having served as Vice-President and Deputy Vice-President of Academic Board between 2015 and 2017 and Chair of the Respect Taskforce in 2019.

For over 20 years, Professor Nicholson’s research has focused on the Vietnamese legal system and comparative approaches to development aid. A former barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia, Professor Nicholson’s professional experience spans commercial lawyering, legal aid and international consultancy, with a focus on development aid in Asia. Across this period, Pip has consistently taken insights from her research into her teaching at the MLS in the Juris Doctor and the Melbourne Law Masters programs.

Tim has been involved in the delivery of sporting, recreational and fitness services in the university and community sectors for over 30 years, and since 2009 as the Director of Sport at the University of Melbourne.

Tim has led the repositioning of sport at the University and with his team increased student participation and sport performance, completed a major capital plan and significantly improved the financial position of the organisation. MU Sport is considered an exemplar of good governance and management and regularly hosts national and international industry visitors.

Tim has been a key player in the development of national industry benchmarking and several national sporting initiatives whilst also serving on a number of boards and committees with the national body, Australian University Sport, including as a Board Director from 2002 to 2012.

Appointed June 2022

Mr Matthew Roseby (Student Member)

Appointed July 2022

Ms Rosemary Bissett

Appointed March 2022

Ms Stephanie Spence

Appointed August 2023

Professor Richard James (to March)

Appointed May 2021

Mr Timothy Lee

Ms Kitty Chiller AM

Appointed August 2023

Professor Pip Nicholson

Appointed

MU Sport Advisory and Scholarship Committees

Blues Advisory Group

Brooke Dunleavy (Snow Sports)

John Kanis (Australian Rules)

Tony Sephton (Secretary)

Dr Alice McNamara

(Rowing, Distance Running)

Terry Reade (Athletics)

Stephanie Skaras (Football)

Tony Steele (Cricket, Squash)

Sam Thompson (Tennis)

Genevieve Venosta (Water Polo)

Rod Warnecke (Chair, Director’s Nominee)

Club Advisory Group

Rosemary Bissett (Volleyball)

Ruby Craven (Surfriders)

Bob Girdwood (Football)

Sam Hoffman (Dancesport)

Tim Lee (Chair)

Maciej Necki (Underwater)

Michael Owen (Soccer)

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

Amelia Smith (Basketball)

Rod Warnecke (Observer)

Elite Athlete Advisory Group

Sophie Ash

Professor Mark Hargreaves

Professor Richard James

Tim Lee (Chair)

Dr Alice McNamara

Brendan Parnell (Secretarial Support)

Stephanie Spence

Eleanor Spencer-Regan

Dr Courtney Walton

Rod Warnecke (Secretary)

Scholarship Advisory Groups and Committees, Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship Committee

Sandro Bisetto (Athletics)

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

Rod Warnecke (Chair, Director’s Nominee)

Inter-Collegiate Sports Council

Executive, Heads of College Sport

Portfolio and Sports Council

Representatives

Baxter Aurisch (President, Trinity College)

Aarav Shah (Treasurer, Queen’s College)

Lemoni Japhary (Secretary, Queen’s College)

James Hardiman

(Sports Portfolio Chair, St Hilda’s College)

Chapman Wong (International House)

Cynthia Chen (International House)

Anouk Heidenreich (Janet Clarke Hall)

Shanuka Amantha Bogahapitiya Gamage (Janet Clarke Hall)

Ayush Kumar Mishra (Medley Hall)

Karissa Kelly (Newman College)

Angus Harms (Newman College)

Daisy Graham (Ormond College)

Angus Stewart (Ormond College)

Olivia Perkins (Queen’s College)

Will Savage (Queen’s College)

Bryce Junk-Gibson (St. Hilda’s College)

Beatrice Lonsdale (St. Hilda’s College)

Connor McAuliffe (St. Mary’s College)

Giulia Dunne (St. Mary’s College)

James Curran (Trinity College)

Georgina Ferreira (Trinity College)

Mackie Whitely (University College)

Harry Beasley (University College)

General Sport Scholarship Advisory Group

Annie Buntine

Claudia Gueli

Paul Rogers

James Stewart (Chair)

Rod Warnecke (Director’s Nominee)

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

John Hall Rowing Scholarship Committee

Andrew Michelmore

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

Christian Ryan (Chair)

Rod Warnecke (Director’s Nominee)

Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship Committee

Peter Antonie

Professor Mark Hargreaves (Chair)

Jack Naughton

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

Dr Vicki Roberts

Christian Ryan

Rod Warnecke (Director’s Nominee)

Rugby Young Achiever Award and Peter Hone Rugby Scholarship Committee

Lotu Aiuta

Kevin Culliver

Adrian Garvey

Dr Stewart Gill

Melanie Kawa

Brendan Parnell (Secretary)

Rod Warnecke (Chair, Director’s Nominee)

History of Sport at the University

Sport has always held a special significance in the life of the University through the performance of its sporting clubs, teams and studentathletes, and in the vast array of sporting programs and facilities that provide students and staff with an outstanding campus experience.

Students have participated in informal and organised sporting and physical recreation since the formation of the University in 1853. They came together to form clubs and teams to compete in weekly or regular community competitions, with the first recorded contest, a cricket match in 1857. Our sporting clubs evolved to become some of the pre-eminent university sporting clubs in the country.

Intervarsity sport followed in 1870 and the University soon adopted the British practice

of awarding sporting "Blues" for outstanding performance. In 1874, the land north of Tin Alley, the Sports Precinct, was provided to the University for recreational purposes, with the original pavilion built in 1906. The Boat House was constructed on the Yarra River in 1908.

In 1904, the governance and management of sport at the University broke away from the Students Union with the establishment of the Sports and Physical Recreation Committee and the Sports Union, with the first Director of Sport appointed the same year.

Intercollegiate sport was established in 1921 and now involves hard-fought competition between 12 residential colleges with many finals – in particular, the rowing regatta on the Yarra River – attracting colourful and vocal supporters. After the Second World War, the arrival at the University of returned servicemen and the children of post-war migrants led

to the introduction of new activities such as Fencing, Judo, Badminton, Basketball and Soccer. Many of these could not be accommodated on campus and required access to sporting grounds and facilities in Princes and Royal parks, as well as facilities within the local community.

In 1954, the Beaurepaire Centre was built with the generous support of Olympian and former Melbourne Lord Mayor Sir Frank Beaurepaire, and the first hardsurface running track was laid. The Sports Centre was developed in 1967, providing opportunities for the development of indoor sports on campus as well as weight training and general fitness programs. The building of the Ski Lodge at Mount Buller and the mountaineering hut at Mount Feathertop in the 1960s reflected an expanding interest in alpine sports and bushwalking. Franz Stampfl arrived in 1955

to teach physical education and successfully coach a generation of student-athletes, many of whom represented Australia, including 1968 Olympic gold medallist Ralph Doubell. Some of Australia's most successful athletes have been students at the University, many of whom have gone on to be significant community and industry leaders. Alumnus include Second World War hero and humanitarian Edward "Weary" Dunlop, the first Victorian-born rugby player to represent Australia, and Olympian and former Governor of Victoria John Landy, to name but two. The stand-alone intervarsity model was replaced by the emergence of the Australian University Games (AUG) in 1995 and the University has taken out the title of Overall University Champion six times, most recently in 2013. In 2009, the tradition of head-to-head competition was revived with the Australian Boat Race (ABR), reigniting a long-standing rivalry with Sydney University that has become an important annual event on the University calendar.

A significant upgrade of the Beaurepaire Centre was completed in 2006, incorporating a refurbishment of the pool and extensive strength and cardio-training areas. Two group fitness rooms were also established in the Sports Centre, significantly increasing the participation of female students. The Lincoln Square Fitness Centre opened in 2011 to accommodate the growing campus population south of Grattan Street.

The Boat House was extended and a function space added in 2009. Shortly after, the northern end of the Sports Centre was remodeled, and the building renamed in recognition of a significant gift from Nona Lee. The new pavilion was opened in 2014 and named in honour of long-serving head curator Ernie Cropley at the request of the many generous benefactors who made the development possible.

In 2009, the Sports and Physical Recreation Committee was replaced by a Universityappointed board to advise the University Council on sport and recreation strategy and policy. The move reflected the increasing complexity and scale of sport, fitness and recreational activities at the University, as well as the level of professional management and oversight required. In 2018, the University adopted a charter that outlines the mission and purpose for MU Sport along with the governance and management arrangements.

In 2019, Melbourne University Sport was named the Sporting Organisation of the Year (nationally) at the Pride in Sport Australia Awards, in recognition of the efforts of the University sporting community and sporting clubs over many years.

In March 2020, the University closed due to COVID-19 pandemic resulting in all sport operations and club activities either being suspended or continuing remotely for almost two years. Online programs were provided to students and staff to keep them active,

connected and engaged whilst the sporting clubs continued to connect with and support their members in many creative ways. Studentathletes were also provided with support and advice to continue to train remotely with many increasing their study load in response to the cancellation of national and international sporting competitions. In November 2021, after a couple of false starts, the campus reopened. Students have traditionally contributed to the cost of participation through compulsory student fees and the payment of participation, entry or membership fees. The University funded sport directly during Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) between 2007 and 2011, before a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) was reintroduced in 2012. The SSAF allocated to MU Sport is directed to support student sporting activity, provide direct and indirect support to sporting clubs and to maintain the University sporting facilities and grounds.

The University of Melbourne has a proud tradition of providing students with quality programs and facilities that foster participation, volunteerism and community leadership, nurture sporting excellence, and support exceptional athletes. It aims to continue to build on this legacy.

For the comprehensive history of sport at the University of Melbourne see The Ties that Bind by June E Senyard.

Timothy Lee

Director of Sport

In Memoriam Contributors

"Andy" Smith was one of the longest serving volunteers in Uni Blacks' history, with over 65 years of Club service to his name.

Andy was awarded life membership of the Football Club in 1980, and the Best Clubman award at the Blacks was changed to be named after Andy in the early 1990s, as a tribute tojust how great his impact was on the Club.

Whilst in his later years, Andy would often be found in the timekeepers box, there were not too many roles at the Blacks he did not fill throughout his journey.

A life member of the Soccer Club after joining in 2001, Madeline Horey served as a player, coach, board and committee member. Madeline joined MUSC in 2001.

Mads was awarded a life membership in 2020 in recognition of her immense achievements both on and off the pitch. Her legacy is the kindness, joy and inclusivity that stands out and lives on in our club’s culture. Whether you simply crossed paths with Mads at a club event, or had her as a friend for life, she made sure the club was a home.

Annual Report 2023 image credits

Grant Treeby, front cover, 7, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 30, 69, 71, 74; David Hannah, 4 Tsunamii Photography courtesy of UniSport Australia, 8; Mannhar Kaur, 9, 11, 24, 26, 29, 31; Melbourne University Lacrosse Club, 10, 58; Getty Images, 12, 13, 41; UniSport Australia, 15, 33; David Callow, 17; Queen’s College, 18; Charlie Cumberlidge, 19; Tobias Titz, 23, 24; Scott Barnes, 25; Tom Mullumby, 26; Melbourne University Soccer Club, 28; Courtesy of Hannah Kuhar, 31; Darren Hocking, 32; Melbourne University Football Club, 45, 56; Melbourne University Basketball Club, 49; Melbourne University Boat Club, 50; Melbourne University Cheer and Dance Club, 51; Melbourne University Cricket Club, 52; Melbourne University Dragon Boat Club, 54; Melbourne University Fencing Club, 55; Melbourne University Rugby Football Club, 60; Melbourne University Squash Club, 62; Melbourne University Aikido Club, 68; Melbourne University Judo Club, 69; Melbourne University Karate Club, 70; Melbourne University Kendo Club, 71; Melbourne University Inline Skating Club, 74; Melbourne University Mountaineering Club, 75; Melbourne University Sailing Club, 76; Melbourne University Snowboard Club, 77; Melbourne University Surfriders Club, 77; Melbourne University Underwater Club, 78; Sascha White, 79, back cover; Sydney University Sport and Fitness, 84

MU Sport Annual Report Design Team

Editor: Aaron McNaughton

Peter Walker

Creative:

Principle Design

Editorial Assistants and copy editors: Mannhar Kaur

Mai Pham

Editorial Writers: Matt Roseby

Mrinal Asija

Timothy Lee

Vale Madeline Horey

Vale Andrew Smith

Andrew

Nona Lee Sports Centre, Building 103, The University of Melbourne