ANDRLON Dubravko

DUBRAVKO ANDRLON, was born about 1966 and attended Mitchell High School in Blacktown in Sydney. He developed his hockey skills playing for the Macquarie Bears bantams and representing New South Wales, including in the 1982 Tange Trophy U18 tournament. In 1983, he played senior hockey with the Macquarie Bears in the NSW Superleague and then the Blacktown Flyers in the late 80s.

The Bears won the CP Air Cup five times in the ten years leading up to the folding of the Superleague in 1999, and Andrlon also played for the Canterbury Eagles in the 1990s. He won Goodall Cups representing New South Wales in 1988 and 1989, under the coaching of Ryan Switzer, and again in 1992.

He first represented Australia on the inaugural Australian National Junior Team (U20) in Bucharest, Romania, with coaches Glenn Williamson, Ivan Brown, and Scott Davidson. He returned to the national junior team in 1984, coached by Scott Davidson and Craig Campbell. He represented Australia as a senior in the 1988 Thayer Tutt Olympic consolation tournament in the Netherlands, as well as the 1989 IIHF Pool C World Championships held in his hometown of Sydney.

During the 1985-86 season, Andrlon played defense with HCL 76 in Sweden's 4th Division (now HC Linköping Red Roosters in Division 2), and in 1987-88 he played 3rd Division with Järnbrott in Goteborg Sweden. “Brad was a good defenseman in HC Lidköping, Sweden, mid 80’s,” writes Krister Olsson. “Outdoor hockey the most of the season, that must have been an experience. Brad is well remembered in the club, the second Australian out of four playing with us. Chris Hilton-Beck was first out”. Andrlon also played a pre-season with the Knoxville Speed in the United Hockey League coached by former NHL player Terry Ruskowki in 2000 and 2001.

After retiring as a player, Andrlon served as an assistant coach in the AIHL for the Sydney Ice Dogs alongside Head Coach Ron Kuprowsky until the coaching team resigned at the end of the 2014 season. In 2016, he returned to the national league with the Sydney Bears, again as part of a coaching team that included Kuprowsky.

Brad Andrlon had an Accounting Diploma and a Commerce degree from the University of Wollongong. He died in Sydney in December 2020. On hearing of his passing, Coach Ruskowski remarked he could have turned him into a pro hockey player if he had him a couple of years younger.

Andrlon didn't lose a fight, according to former Bears teammate Chris Hilton-Beck, and was very popular with teammates. "He would do anything that was asked of him," said Glen Foll, "maybe not to perfection, but he would give it 100% all the time".

Former coach Wendy Ovenden recalls ”Braf was a larger-than-life character, who lived and breathed hockey and just wanted it so bad. He wore his heart on his sleeve and always gave it everything”.