The Oxford University Aussie Rules captain

It was just a typical post-match function for the Oxford University Aussie rules team. Drinking, chatting and winding down after a gruelling match in the Oxford cold. At the centre of it all is captain Sam Stranks, who stops to say hello to everyone and have a conversation with teammates and opposition.

It’s easy to see why the Oxford Aussie rules team is thriving when you see how passionate and dedicated Stranks is about the club.

Aussie rules football has always been an important part of Sam’s life. Growing up in footy mad Adelaide, playing Aussie Rules is almost compulsory. Stranks began his footballing career as a yr 4 student at Westbourne Park Primary School in Adelaide, because some of his school mates were involved.

“I started playing and got my whole family involved in it…We only played about eight games a year but as little kids that’s probably all you can handle,” Stranks says.

His love for football grew, and the game that Sam describes as ‘addictive’ caught on to his whole family. Their obsession lead to them camping out over night to get Adelaide Crows season tickets, a greatly desired possession for any Adelaide Aussie rules fan.

It is obvious that his love for the indigenous game is still as strong today as it was that first time he pulled on his boots with his Adelaide mates.

However, as with anyone, Sam had to make choices between football and career aspirations. After captaining the first XVIII at Adelaide’s prestigious Scotch College and receiving one of the highest academic results at the end of his schooling, Sam had to prioritise.

“While I was at school I was playing juniors in the [South Australia National Football League]. I went through under-17s and under-19s and I was captain of both teams. After leaving school, I played some league reserves games in the SANFL,” he says.

“Growing up, I always wanted to play Aussie rules. After playing in the SANFL for a few years and getting a chance to play reserves and maybe if I’d persevered I might’ve played higher, I had to make a choice, when my studies started increasing, of where I wanted to go. I wanted to still play football and high level football so I went to Scotch Old Collegians in the Amateur League which is still a very high level, and played there, so I could still continue my studies and play football but wouldn’t have to commit seven days a week, ten trainings a week,” he continues.

This is most likely a choice that Stranks is glad to have made. After studying a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Adelaide University, Stranks successfully applied for an incredibly prestigious Rhodes scholarship.

As a researcher, Sam is no stranger to exploring undeveloped areas and since coming to Oxford he has been at the forefront of Aussie rules development.

Despite having a long established team at Oxford University, Aussie rules is still a relatively unknown game in the area. Stranks is hopeful that this can change, starting with their recent purchase of permanent goal posts for their oval. Previously, the club had to use materials such as PVC piping as makeshift goal posts.

As a result of fundraising organised by the Aussie rules committee, Stranks and the club have changed this forever.

“[Oxford, Birmingham, Cambridge and Chichester] are the main university clubs that are really pushing for expansion. AFL Britain has recently become quite interested in supporting university teams…I think, especially having such an established league, now we can start playing each other a lot more. In the past, it’s mainly been the varsity match [between Oxford and Cambridge] but we can probably try and have like 6 or 7 matches for the year,” he says.

Off the football field, Stranks is studying for a PhD at Oxford University, developing different types of solar cells from the currently used silicon cells.

“What we’re working on is organic solar cells, which are other materials. They have the potential to be very cheap and very flexible. You can paint them on roofs and windows and still have windows transparent that have the solar cell on them. So it has a lot of scope and a lot of potential. It’s also very cheap, so you could just coat your whole roof with it and not have to worry about the price,” he says.

When talking to Sam Stranks about football and about his studies, it is plain to see that he only commits to things fully. This dedication and commitment will definitely serve him well as he finishes his PhD.

He hopes to do more research around the world after his wife, Amanda, finishes her studies in cancer research, also at Oxford. The 25 year-old plans eventually to head back to Australia.

“I’d like to [go back to Adelaide]. It’s just a toss up as to where the jobs are in our field. Working on solar cells and Amanda working on immunology, cancer research, it means we have a reasonable amount of flexibility but we still have to work out where the lectureships are and where the jobs are.

“So we’re not too fussed where we come back to but longer-term we’d like to come back to Adelaide. It’s a great lifestyle,” he says.

No matter where in the world he ends up, though, it is clear that this determined young man will continue to make an impression academically and on the sporting arena.