Australian Football

Hailing from northern Tasmania, Michael Redenbach spent two years at Essendon and played three games for the Bombers in his second season, 1978.

Redenbach had represented Tasmania as a centreman in Brisbane at the National Schoolboys Under 16 Championships in 1974, at which time he signed a "Form 4" tying him to the Dons. He spent the 1974 and 1975 seasons with Smithton in Tasmania's Circular Head Football Association, before playing a season with the Burnie Tigers in the North West Football Union in 1976.

1977 saw Redenbach make the move to Melbourne and he played reserves football for Essendon during that year before finally making his senior debut in round 14, 1978. He managed two further games.

Though he continued to live in Melbourne after severing ties with Essendon, Redenbach played in the Northern Tasmanian Football League over the next two years, for City South in 1979 and East Launceston in 1980.

In 1981, Redenbach was lured to Werribee by ex-Essendon teammate (and former Carlton player) Brian Walsh, who was appointed playing coach in that season. He was runner-up to ex Essendon and Richmond player Gary Parkes in the 1983 best and fairest award and, under John Murphy in 1984 and Ian Dunstan 1985, Redenbach served as club captain. He spent two years on the board of Werribee in 2005-06. Though he played mainly played in the centre, Redenbach earned selection as a wingman in Werribee's Silver Anniversary Team 1965–1989.

Author - Andrew Gigacz