“What a story. Two brothers from Perth, both with great football talent, join together at Sydney University to play footy together.” (SUANFC General Manager Chris Goodrope)
Sydney Uni are pleased to announce the signing of former Richmond Tiger and Sydney Swan Tom Derickx for the remainder of the 2017 NEAFL season. Derickx, a 200cm ruckman, is a product of the Margaret River region in Western Australia. He will add to the already strong contingent of Sydney Uni players from the West.
Goodrope has welcomed Derickx into the club. “We are thrilled to have Tom join us and I have no doubt the enormous impact he will have on our NEAFL group. Tom is going to add yet another layer of leadership and experience to this young group,” he said.
In addition to the wealth of experience and depth Derickx will add to the squad, what makes this signing even more special is that he joins younger brother, 2014 Driscoll medallist, Jake on the team.
For years, the Western Australian brothers have spoken about the hopes of one day stepping onto the field for the same team, however they have never had the opportunity, up until now.
‘I’ve always wanted to play footy with Jake. That’s my biggest motivation. I’ve played against him a few times back home in Perth in the WAFL and he embarrassed me! Jake and Morro (Coach Tom Morrison) are my best mates, so I want to get involved and be able to contribute to Sydney University in one way or another’, Tom said about joining Sydney Uni.
His brother Jake is equally pleased to have Tom involved in the team. ‘It’s great news for the Club that Tom has decided to join us this season. I have never actually played with him so that will be a great experience that we have talked about for a long time now. Tom will be a great addition to our team on and off the field, so I can’t wait for him to get back on the park. ’
Derickx AFL career was somewhat marred by injury, however his persistence and determination have helped him overcome these obstacles while his talent and experience mean he will be an extremely valuable asset to the squad.
Head Coach Tom Morrison is happy to have Derickx on board saying, “We are really excited to sign Tom as he has indicated that he still has the passion to play football at a high level. In regards to list management, we have identified our Ruck stocks as relatively slim. Tom will fill an area of need for us in supporting Sam Tagliabue and assisting in the development of our young talls.”
“Tom’s brother, Jake, is obviously a senior player of the group and Tom has strong relationships with a lot of our players, so he will fit into the group seamlessly. Tom has other commitments outside of football that are his priority at the moment but he will work hard to get himself into a position to play football in 2017 and beyond,” Morrison added.
