St Bernard's College Essendon - Old Collegians Page

Congratulations to old collegian and past teacher Hayden Kennedy (Class of 1983) who was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame this week!

Debuting in 1988, Hayden quickly became one of the AFL’s most respected umpires. He was trusted to umpire 5 grand finals and a further 34 finals over the journey, and retired in 2011 after 495 AFL games, a record not broken until 2019. He went on to become the AFL’s umpires coach from 2013 to 2021, training the next generation of elite umpires.

For much of his career Hayden also held a long-serving teaching role at St Bernard’s, and worked with the EDFL to lead an umpiring academy program at the school. He has been a supportive and empowering mentor and coach for many in our community.

A prestigious and deserved recognition—well done Hayden!

Interested in how construction jobs like our Quays project come to life? Looking to network with others in the industry? Then come along to our FREE networking evening for the Construction, Property and Trade sectors on Thursday, 18 June.

Alumni and parents are invited to join us in the relaxed setting of the Peter Hogan Boardroom for drinks, canapés, and meaningful conversation with like-minded professionals. For our young alumni interested in these busy sectors, this an excellent opportunity to ask questions, build connections and gain insight from professionals in our community.

We're delighted to welcome a diverse panel of highly accomplished industry leaders to this special event.

Register for this complimentary event here: https://www.trybooking.com/DMGQH

A huge congratulations to old collegian Mitch Podhajski (Class of 2016), who after being selected in the AFL Mid-Season Draft, will make his debut for Collingwood in the iconic King's Birthday clash against Melbourne.

Playing for Coburg in the VFL, Mitch has taken his game to a new level in recent seasons, and is currently the league's leading goalkicker with 28 goals from 8 games. Combined with a four-goal effort representing the VFL in a recent state game against South Australia, he has done plenty to put his hand up for an AFL debut.

Well done Mitch and we can't wait to see you in action at the MCG on Monday!

St Bernard’s College warmly invites parents and alumni working in the Construction, Property and Trade sectors to a free networking evening on Thursday, 18 June.

Join us in the relaxed setting of the Peter Hogan Boardroom for drinks, canapés, and meaningful conversation with like-minded professionals. For our young alumni interested in these busy sectors, this an excellent opportunity to ask questions, build connections and gain insight from professionals in our community.

We're delighted to welcome a diverse panel of highly accomplished industry leaders to this special event.

Register for this complimentary event here: https://www.trybooking.com/DMGQH

Congratulations to Charles Barrett (2025) who has been selected to represent Australia in the 3km and 5km events at the 2026 World U20 Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Charles will be competing in August, heading over to the USA alongside stars such as Gout Gout and Izobelle Louison-Roe.

A fantastic achievement and reward for effort on the track—best of luck Charles!

Our old collegian community are invited to attend the Silent Sight Foundation's Gala Night on Saturday 13 June 2026.

The Silent Sight Foundation was founded by old collegian Stephen Simone (Class of 2008) and his wife Stephanie, and it exists to deliver breakthroughs that lead to effective treatments and ultimately a cure for the blindness caused by Usher Syndrome, the leading cause of genetic deaf-blindness worldwide.

The Gala event will be of celebration and enjoyment and will be held at Hyatt Place Melbourne, Essendon Fields.

Tickets start at $150 each, with all proceeds from the gala going directly to the Silent Sight Foundation—a huge opportunity to help move the dial on their goals.

Tickets can be booked at https://letthemflourishgalanight.raiselysite.com/

SBOCA invites you to our next Old Boys Night!

📍 Ascot Vale Hotel
🗓 Friday 29 May
🕑 6:30pm onwards
Register for free here: https://www.trybooking.com/DMEYE

It’s a simple formula, we’ll book a venue, you show up! Register your spot for free and bring whoever you wish.

Look forward to seeing Old Collegians of all generations throughout the year!

Our alumni community are invited to the ACC Reconciliation Round match between St Bernard's and St Joseph's Geelong on Wednesday 3 June 2026.

Whether you live in the Geelong area or have time to spare for a trip down the highway, we encourage you to come on down and get around the boys. Both teams are currently 3-0 to start the season - so it's sure to be a cracking game!

We thank St Joseph's College Geelong for extending this invitation to our community, and wish you luck - but not too much! - for the match and season.

Congratulations to our wonderful sponsor McDonald Upton on celebrating 20 years in business!

Your ongoing support of the St Bernard’s community has made a lasting impact. From helping bring the McDonald Upton High Performance Centre to life, to backing our Old Collegian events that keep old boys connected and our community strong, and even offering career insights to our current students, your generosity has been invaluable.

Here’s to the next 20 years!

We congratulate old collegian Lachlan (class of 2024) on recently signing with Western Colorado University Athletics and earning the chance to compete in the NCAA in distance races.

An incredible achievement to travel to the US and earn a spot in an elite and highly competitive college athletics program. Well done Lachlan—we wish you every success!