BIO

Scott "Sponge" Direen was born in Hobart where he played 80 games for the New Norfolk Football Club before being selected by the Sydney Swans at pick number 95 in the 1992 national draft.
 
An elite kick of the football, Direen played predominantly in the back pocket for the Swans where 1995 was possibly his best season. He played 19 AFL games for the year and added another 13 games in 1996, but somewhat surprisingly missed out on Sydney Swans' finals campaign. After 52 AFL games in five seasons, he was delisted by the Swans.

Norwood then recruited Direen for the 1998 season, along with St Kilda's Robbie Neill. Both were seen as important players in the club's effort to cover the losses of 1997 premiership midfielders, Andrew Jarman and Stephen Rowe.
 
Either as an onballer or defender, the classy Direen was a key player for the Redlegs over the next seven seasons. He won State selection in his first season in the SANFL.

Appointed vice-captain in 1999 under coach Peter Rohde, he went agonisingly close to playing in a winning Grand Final, the Redlegs narrowly losing the 1999 decider to Port Adelaide.
 
Under new coach Neville Roberts, Direen played the 2000 season mainly as a defender. He had an outstanding year, culminating in winning the Norwood best and fairest award.
 
In 2002, he was equal third in the best and fairest award and played his 100th game, against Sturt in the Preliminary Final.
 
A regular State player, Direen made his final senior appearance for the Redlegs, early in the 2004 season.
 
He later joined club legend Garry McIntosh as assistant coach of Payneham/Norwood Union from 2009 to 2015, in the South Australian Amateur Football League.

R Cialini June 2015