Sydney University Australian National Football Club (SUANFC) and Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness (SUSF) have appointed Tom Ayton as the SUANFC High Performance Manager for 2013.
Ayton brings a wealth of experience with him to the club after spending the 2012 season with Eastlake in the NEAFL competition, and the four years prior playing senior football with Claremont in the West Australian Football League. Ayton quickly established himself in the NEAFL competition after moving east, finishing the year with selection in the midfield of the NEAFL Eastern Conference Team of the Year.
With a degree in Sport Science, Exercise and Health with honours in Exercise Physiology, Ayton is perfectly placed to drive the SUANFC High Performance Program into 2013 and beyond.
Daniel Gilmore, recently appointed Senior Coach, was delighted with Ayton’s decision to join the club and take on the HP Managers role. “Tom is the perfect fit for both the Club, and for driving the high performance program. In addition to his football ability and experience, Tom’s qualifications in exercise physiology affords him the knowledge and skills to co-ordinate the human resources within the SUSF network,” said Gilmore.
He continued, “Tom came to the club as a very well regarded human being and his interpersonal skills reflect this. He understands what is required to propel a quality environment at national second tier level and with his experience in coaching; he is the perfect fit to further expand our program.”
Ayton said the opportunity with SUANFC was too great to pass up. When asked, he outlined the following as the key drivers behind his decision.
“The direction Daniel Gilmore has taken the High Performance Program over the last 12 months provides a fantastic platform for continued growth of the program. The facilities we have access to thanks to SUSF are arguably the best outside of a professional environment. There are a number of well established Elite Development Programs in place across other sports within SUSF which we can draw experience from.
One of the primary focuses will be on continually growing the level of professionalism across the entire senior group, including players at NEAFL level as well as those developing in Sydney AFL Premier Division. Overall, the opportunity to work with SUANFC and these resources is an exciting prospect and I will be looking to build on the existing culture of continued success.”
In addition to Ayton’s role with the club, he will also be working with the Sydney Swans Academy, as well as AFL NSW/ACT as a development officer.
