Sam Berezansky: The Journey From 16 to Best & Fairest

Photo credit: Football Tasmania

I have known Sam Berezansky for nearly a decade.

When he first came to South Hobart from New Town White Eagles, he was a skinny kid who simply loved his football.

Over the years I have watched him become part of the fabric of the club, growing not just as a player but as a person.

He has always been a fabulous person to have around the club. Friendly, respectful and always ready for a chat.

And over those years I have also got to know the family around him.

I have always loved my interactions with his dad, Tristan, who would regularly put his hand up to be match manager. There have been plenty of afternoons when the two of us have stood on the sideline biting our nails and muttering, "Oh my God", as the opposition suddenly grabbed control of a game.

Then there is Sam's mum Sarah, one of those wonderfully passionate football mums you can always hear from the stands, and his sister Annabelle, just as loyal in her support.

They have been one of those families who simply become part of a club.

So watching Sam win the 2026 NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest felt special.

Not just because of the player he has become.

But because of the growth we have all been lucky enough to watch.

Arriving at South Hobart

When Sam Berezansky arrived at South Hobart in 2018, the first thing he noticed was the environment.

"It felt special to arrive at such a successful club such as South Hobart," he remembers.

"I definitely remember walking into a very professional environment."

Eight years later, Berezansky is no longer the young player walking through the door wondering where he fits.

He is one of the senior players.

One of those younger footballers now look towards.

And in 2026, after years of growing, learning and establishing himself in South Hobart's midfield, he was named the NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest.

For Berezansky, though, the individual award sits inside a much bigger story.

A story about a group of players who grew up together.

A story about persistence.

And a story about staying.

Growing Up Together

Ask Berezansky what has kept him at South Hobart and his answer comes quickly.

"The culture of the club and the people involved."

But particularly, he says, it is the group of players around him.

"We have been together for the majority of that time and formed a really strong bond as a group."

That connection has been built over years.

When Berezansky first became part of the senior environment, South Hobart had a young group learning alongside several experienced players.

"We started as a group of young men with a few senior leaders at the time," he says.

"We have worked hard to improve each year and it feels special to see the rewards we are getting now."

Those rewards have not always come easily.

There have been near misses.

Cup final defeats.

League campaigns that went down to the wire.

One season in which South Hobart lost the title to Glenorchy Knights on goal difference.

But throughout Berezansky's senior career, South Hobart has never finished lower than third.

After winning the Lakoseljac Cup in 2019, silverware became harder to find.

South lost consecutive Lakoseljac Cup finals to Devonport and came agonisingly close in league campaigns without quite getting over the line.

That made finally winning the NPL title in 2025 mean considerably more.

"To finally get that NPL league success last season was so sweet and rewarding," Berezansky says.

"And to go back to back is amazing."

It is that resilience, rather than any individual moment, which he says makes him proudest.

"It is a proud feeling to be a part of this club and group of players that I know will do anything for each other."

From the Wing to Midfield

Berezansky's own development has mirrored that of the team around him.

When he first broke into South Hobart's senior side, he played as a winger.

Midfield, though, was where he had played throughout his junior years.

"I debuted for the senior team as a winger and played there for a couple of years," he says.

Eventually, he worked his way back into midfield.

With that came greater responsibility and a role which now suits the player he has become.

The biggest changes, he believes, have been his composure and his ability to read the game.

"As a younger player first coming in, you have those nerves and maybe rush things or tend to force a decision."

With experience has come greater composure.

Playing in midfield now means being constantly involved, reading what is happening around him and making decisions quickly.

"Most of the time I find myself in the thick of things," he says.

"Those early years of senior football playing more in the wider spaces definitely allowed me to gain confidence and build into being a ball-playing senior player."

There is another part of his game he particularly values.

The willingness to play forward.

"Having the confidence and mindset to play forward as often as I can," he says.

"And also my defensive side."

The Night His Name Was Called

Berezansky has attended plenty of NPL awards nights.

He has watched plenty of outstanding players win the NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest.

In 2026, it was his turn.

"It meant a lot," he says.

"I have been to a lot of NPL dinners now and witnessed some great players win the award. So it's a great honour to be among those guys and a nice feeling to see how far I have come."

There was a moment during the count when he realised something significant might actually be happening.

"After round 15 I jumped into the lead by a few votes and it started to hit me a bit I could be a chance to win from here haha."

He regards 2026 as arguably his best individual season, although he also points to 2025, when South Hobart won both the league and cup.

This year was different.

"Personally though I really enjoyed the role I played for the team this season, topping it off with a league title and finals series."

A league title.

A successful finals series.

And the Best & Fairest medal.

The Players Who Help Shape You

Football careers are never built alone.

When Berezansky talks about his development, he repeatedly comes back to the players and coaches who were around him.

Two teammates have been beside him for almost his entire senior career.

Kobe Kemp and Nick Morton.

"Coming in as a youngster they were guys I really looked up too, always trying to learn from and they were a huge part of improving as a player."

There were older South Hobart players too.

Dan Brown.

Hugh Ludford.

Loic Feral.

"All great leaders and people, when they had bits of advice you would make sure to take as much as possible on board."

Now the cycle has turned.

Berezansky is one of those senior players.

He enjoys helping younger footballers coming into the group and understands why those small pieces of advice can matter.

"Yes I do, where I can step in and help a younger player with bits of advice I try too, because I think it's important it continues."

His message to a 16 or 17-year-old entering senior football is uncomplicated.

"Have the right amount of confidence, do the little things well and always be willing to work hard for your team mates."

And listen.

"Take as much as you can on board from those older players around you."

Where It Started

Long before South Hobart, there was New Town White Eagles.

Berezansky has not forgotten it.

"I will always owe huge thanks to the people at New Town White Eagles. My first football club where I met a lot of great people and mentors."

Among them was Shane Revell, who Berezansky says invested considerable time in him as a youth player.

"He was a quality coach and also a great guy."

Training in a senior environment from a young age under Andrew Leszczynski was another important step.

"Being exposed to senior training from a young age under Andrew Leszczynski was also a major step and I will always value the experience and knowledge that Andrew provided."

Ken Morton also played a major role in his development.

"Ken Morton played a huge part in my development too which I owe thanks, playing six seasons with him at senior level enjoying some great years."

And behind all of it were his parents.

"Also Mum and Dad for all the years of continued support, without them none of this would have been possible."

The Opponents You Remember

Eight seasons of NPL football also bring plenty of opponents you would rather not see lining up against you.

For Berezansky, Devonport stands out.

"It's hard to look past the Devonport teams of the past 10 years, they have had some great players."

As a younger player, Joel Stone made a particular impression.

"As a young player Joel Stone was an incredibly skilful player and fierce competitor."

More recently there have been the midfield battles with Charles Bidwell.

"Over recent times it was always a great battle and a game I looked forward to against Charles Bidwell, a tough but very talented player."

They were the sort of contests Berezansky looked forward to.

A Few Moments That Stay With You

Some football memories remain vivid regardless of how many games follow.

For Berezansky, one goes back to 2019.

South Hobart was playing in the Lakoseljac Cup final and Berezansky remembers making the starting eleven as a 16-year-old.

"My first senior trophy for the club, the 2019 Laka Cup final where I made the starting eleven as a 16 year old was a special one."

And then there was the goal.

The one from beyond halfway.

He knows people still talk about it.

"My goal from beyond half way last year, some people may say there was some wind around that day haha."

Keeping Players in the Game

Having played in Tasmania's top competition since 2018, Berezansky has watched the NPL evolve.

One of the most noticeable changes has been the age profile of teams.

"I think the competition is going through a bit of an age transition."

"A few years ago the senior teams were almost full of guys mid to late twenties and early thirties. At the moment there are some quite young teams going around which isn't a bad thing."

But he does believe it is important to make senior football attractive enough for players to stay in it.

"It's just important that clubs and the federation make the league attractive for people to keep playing and maintaining a strong top league here in Tasmania."

He is also supportive of promotion and relegation.

"I think the promotion relegation concept is great, if they can get that to work properly so every club has the chance of earning the right to play at the highest level that would be fantastic."

Life Away From Football

Football takes up a large part of Berezansky's life, but not all of it.

Away from the game, he enjoys spending time with his partner Evelyn and making the most of the occasional breaks the football calendar allows.

"Outside of football I enjoy time with my partner Evelyn, we try to get away as much as possible when football has its occasional breaks."

"I owe a big thanks to Evelyn as well for always being by my side and supporting my football career."

He has been a qualified electrician for almost a year and works with Lifestyle Electrical.

"I love the work I do and the opportunities it has given me."

And when there is a free weekend, there is another passion.

His motorcycle.

"A bit of a weekend hobby is my Motorcycle, I love riding my bike all over Tassie especially in the summer months."

Some of his favourite rides are with his dad.

"Getting away with my Dad for a good ride is always very enjoyable and a good way to relax away from everything."

Still Hungry

Winning the NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest might appear to be the culmination of a journey.

Berezansky does not see it that way.

There is still more football to play.

More to learn.

More to achieve.

"The hunger to be the best player I can be, to keep improving and to work as hard as I can to help keep this club at the top."

And there is also the prospect of testing himself at a higher level.

"You never know when there might be a chance to play at a higher level and the Australian Championship is a great example, to play in that against the opposition on offer is motivation in itself."

What 16-Year-Old Sam Would Think

When Berezansky looks back at the player he was at 16, one of the biggest surprises would be the role he now plays.

"I think the transition of becoming more of a holding midfielder and playing an important role for the team."

But perhaps the bigger change is what he represents within the club.

"If I was to think to myself at 16, I would be one of the senior players and leaders of our club that would be huge in itself."

"To add a NPL Best & Fairest is something incredibly special."

It is a long way from being the young player trying to establish himself in senior football.

And when the trophies and awards are eventually put aside, Berezansky knows what he hopes people remember about him.

"I hope people can remember my team first attitude and aggressive attacking style."

"I always give 100% when I step onto the field to do whatever the team needs to get that success at the end of the day."

Perhaps that is the clearest measure of how far Sam Berezansky has come.

In 2018, he walked into South Hobart and immediately noticed the professional environment around him.

He was a young footballer trying to establish himself.

A winger trying to earn minutes.

A 16-year-old learning from senior players.

Eight years later, he has become one of them.

A holding midfielder.

A senior player.

A leader.

A back-to-back NPL champion.

And now the 2026 NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest.

Yet when Berezansky talks about how he hopes he will be remembered, the answer is not really about medals.

It is about giving everything.

Putting the team first.

Playing with intent.

Doing whatever the team needs.

And perhaps that explains quite a lot about why, after all these years, South Hobart and Sam Berezansky have grown together so well.