1999: Made his long awaited return to the game and quickly cemented a place at Flinders Uni with glamorous left back play that was oddly out of place in the double blue (…but a sign of things to come…). Made crucial contribution to A1 Collegiate Championship side of 1999 both on the field and as linesman (as both Norwood players/officials and peacekeeping security guards will attest).

2000: 2nd season in double blue at Flinders saw a move to libero and culminated in a landslide win in the Academicals’ B & F despite not playing the entire season with the team.

2001: Greener (or should that be whiter) pastures were sought and Bill Hill’s ‘hard sell’ was enough to confirm a new home. During 2001 Brett displayed admirable time management skills as he juggled the commitments of elite level glamour, completing a PhD and valet parking at the casino on Friday nights. Nathan Buckley’s famous pre-match preparation pales into insignificance when compared with Brett’s pre match carbo-hydrate loading ritual consumed en-route to the match after 2 hours sleep. Made valuable contribution to the Uni Whites B’s in an excellent season where the team finished equal second in the league – rarely beaten and never out-sledged. Highlights included a stunningly late tackle from behind where he was awarded the fee kick (truly remarkable) and a “Greg Louganis” dive caught for posterity’s sake by Richie Coburn’s (aka the Don) 2001 season video (release date soon we have been assured). Fittingly he was not awarded a free kick but FIFA officials who managed to get a trailer of Richie’s video made use of this footage as a case study to develop the “simulation” guidelines enforced at the 2002 world cup.

2002: Brett put in a huge pre-season looking for that extra sl(edge) to his game in 2002. It did not go unnoticed and his rare combination of pace and a left foot came to the attention of senior coach John Whitehouse culminating in selection in the Uni White A team. What looked to be an opportunity to catch a couple more hours sleep prior to the later game was dashed when his driving and parking skills were required to chauffeur his slighltly slower and more brutal associate to B grade games. Versatility saw Brett play a range of positions in the back 4 and midfield but enduring memories remain of Brett leaning menacingly over crest-fallen opponents reminding them why they were on the ground and who put them there. A particular highlight were the immortal words “get up princess” uttered to a 6’4 Rostrevor player with blonded highlights, white boots, bicycle shorts and plenty of kappa gear.

2003: With PhD in hand greener pastures were sought once more and the lure of bluegrass country in Lexington, Kentucky (and being paid in $US) drew Brett away from the glamorous Uni White family. No clearance papers have been sought but rumours abound of him starring at the University of Kentucky in a five-a-side comp. Proving you can take the boy from the whites but you can’t take the whites from the boy he continues to play with glamour and sledge his way through the league – accent barriers and all.