von Einem, Adrian

BORN IN 1968 IN ADELAIDE, South Australia, the son of Ray who was a Life Member and president of the local Blackhawks ice hockey club, he attended Norwood Morialta High School and developed with the Blackhawks in the local leagues. Ray took his son to one of John Botterill's first hockey schools in the early- Eighties; the BCH (Botterill Campbell Hildebrand) at Payneham. Club MVP twice in 1985 and '87, Club captain in the Nineties, he said he was "taught by the best".

A utility player, he was capable at both ends of the rink and in June 1985 at Thebarton, he represented his state against the Canberra Knights in their first visit to South Australia. The state team captained by Arte Malste and coached by Craig Campbell included players such as Jarrod Scott, Vlad Mihal, Gordie Cochrane, with goalies Dean Rurak and Damian Holland. "Great guy on and off the ice," recalls national teammate David Soldan. "With a booming slap shot and a sense of humour to match".

The next year, he helped win his State's historic first ever Goodall Cup and returned in 1987 for back-to-back victories. He repeated the back-to-back feat in 1990 and '91 and continued on in the interstate series, sometimes as alternate captain to Glen Foll. Six years later in 1997, he snatched his fifth Goodall Cup in a career at the top-level that by then extended over 10 years. "Money in the bank player," observes Craig Campbell. "Always showed up". Teammate Rad Benicky said he always enjoyed playing with von Einem, "a tough and relentless hockey player".

His first international was the 3rd Asian-Oceania World Championships in Adelaide coached by Fuyarchuk and Botterill, which was also the first major international ice hockey competition ever held here. The Class of '86 included emerging young players of the calibre of Nigel Chandler, Jon Moses, Murray Wand, Andrew Petrie, David Soldan, and Damian Holland. He returned with the National Junior Team in Esbjerg Denmark in 1987, coached by Darry Stevens and Marty McKowen. In 1992, he won Bronze representing Australia with the National Senior Team at the Worlds in England coached by Ryan Switzer.

Still a competitor for the 'Hawks in 2017, he was Best Defensive player in 2016 B-Grade, and he also competes the Oldtimers 45+ Division with the Adelaide Vintage Reds. Coach of the Blackhawks Premier League team in 2017, he was Alternate Captain of the Premiership Winning Blackhawks A-Grade side that year. A systems specialist at Intersystems in Adelaide, he is raising a young family, and his active involvement in the sport here is approaching a fourth decade.