Sport Report

This year marked the most successful sporting season the School has experienced, claiming five out of the 12 AGSV Premierships and finishing runners-up in three others. Badminton and Table Tennis continued their dominance, Swimming and Tennis took back-to-back Premierships, while Athletics won the 100th Championship and our first since 1980. Basketball, Hockey, and Cross Country had remarkable seasons and finished in 2nd place.

The Summer Season was again condensed into Term 1 this year; however, it was fantastic to see students participating in their chosen sports and to have parents spectating freely at matches, most notably Basketball. It was also a season of incredible success. In winning three Premierships, the School registered its 101st AGSV Premiership, being only the second school in the competition to surpass 100 AGSV Premierships.

Having only lost one player from the previous season, Firsts Tennis enjoyed another outstanding season and took backto-back Premierships. Andrew Lee brought charisma and poise as Captain and was well supported by the experience and quality of Number 1 and 2 players, Matthieu Gibert and Lachlan O’Neill. The depth of Camberwell Grammar Tennis was evident throughout the squad with all members contributing to a dominant season. Congratulations to Andrew, Matthieu, Lachlan, Ashwin Prabaharan, Lachlan Wei, Darcy Albert, Sam Keenan, the much-improved Kadell and Orlando Kuti, Joey Govenlock, Mattias Ho, and Ashanth Prabaharan. Many thanks to Teacher in Charge, Mr Manfred Pietralla, and Head Coach, Peter Owen.

Table Tennis was again recognised as an AGSV Premiership Sport this season after a change in AGSV regulations and the Firsts made it seven Premierships in a row and the School’s 20th overall. Captain, Eugene Goh guided the team with aplomb, and he spoke exceptionally following the Grand Final win. Justin Kwan and Aiden Tang played as Numbers 1 and 2 and were resolute in their performances. Joshua Hui demonstrated calmness and consistency, while the team also included Charles Lewis, Brendan Tse, Joel Cheok, and Matthew Shi. Well done to Mr Stephen Smith, Teacher in Charge, and Joe Gerada, Head Coach.

As mentioned previously, the AGSV Swimming team, led by Captains Cody Greenwood, Gregory Kerdemelidis, and Yanning Zhang, also claimed a back-to-back AGSV Premiership. On a tense evening at MSAC in late March, the consistency and depth across the team proved too great for our closest rivals. Yanning had an exceptional meet, breaking three AGSV records, while Nathan Nai broke one. It was another special performance by all team members, ranging from Year 6 to 12. Congratulations to all squad members, as well as all the coaches, who were guided brilliantly by Mr Nic Campbell and Mr Matt Belgiovane.

For the second season in a row, Firsts Basketball came incredibly close in their quest for the School’s first AGSV Premiership, only to be thwarted again by the might of Marcellin. Head Coach, Mr Steve Blackley, and Teacher in Charge, Ms Katrina Massey, were instrumental in developing the team. Captain, Sam Veitch was a standout, and he was well supported by guards Ryder Cheesman and Harrison Taylor, as well as rebounding machine Benny Grayson. With plenty of youthful talent in the lower year levels, we will continue to be a presence across the AGSV.

In an ordinary season, having finished 3rd, the First XI Cricket team would have featured in the finals, but a reduced season meant that only a First versus Second Grand Final was played. The highlight of the season was a convincing win against eventual premiers Trinity, where Joshua Davidson and Will Stamper combined for a powerful batting partnership. Earlier in the match, Nicholas Graves tore through the Trinity batting line up, claiming 5/24 off 12 overs. Connor Laird had an exceptional season and was selected in the AGSV Cricket Representative team as the Captain. Joshua and Nicholas were also members of the AGSV team.

We had success in Orienteering with the squad winning the Roger Slade and Gordon Wilson Memorial Trophy for the Orienteering Victoria Eastern Schools Park Street Summer Competition, while our Firsts Squash team shared the Premiership with Trinity in the Division 2 Schools Competition. Firsts Volleyball had a hard-fought season and narrowly missed out on a top-four finish. Notable performances also came from our Cycling, Kayaking, and Triathlon squads. Logan Taplin was the standout on the bike and represented the State at the National Track Championships, performing admirably and medalling in the Maddison event. In Kayaking, Campbell Rowland gained selection in the State team and competed at the National Sprint Championships in May.

For the first time since 2019, students were able to enjoy participating in complete Winter and Spring Seasons. The seasons saw both individual and team success and, more importantly, a return of togetherness and community, as highlighted by the tremendous support at the Grand Final of our First XI Hockey team, and we enjoyed Season Launches and Presentation Evenings to celebrate seasons.

Congratulations to our First IV Badminton team for winning the AGSV Premiership. Led by Captain Jordan Yang, the young squad went through the season undefeated and beat Yarra Valley Grammar convincingly in the Grand Final. The team was well led by Head Coach, Mr Nick Ong, and Teacher in Charge, Mr Tap-Long Duong. A popular sport in the School, teams across most Divisions experienced great success, which should assist in maintaining our dominance in the AGSV for future seasons.

The Cross Country squad completed their most successful season in many years, finishing in 2nd place. Highlights throughout the season included a Round 5 win, knocking off perennial champions Marcellin for the first time in a very long time, and four individual year-level medallists: Gold and Silver for Harvey Williams and James Alex respectively, as well as Gold to Joshua Carlin and Harrison Car. With the influence of Mr Craig Mottram and his team of talented coaches, Teacher in Charge, Mr Mark Collins is confident the squad will be able to perform strongly again next season.

Our Hockey teams performed consistently, particularly the 7/8A team who went through the season without losing a match, while the First XI only lost one. Heartbreakingly, it was the Grand Final; however, the team were outstanding throughout the season. Firsts Coach, Mr Jamie Watson, and Head of Hockey, Stuart Webster, were instrumental in guiding students on and off the field. This year saw a number of Year 12s play their final season for the School after decorated school careers. Brodie Carswell will be missed in the goalie net, Liam Corr in defence, Ed Harper’s run through the midfield, and Nicolaas Bray’s skills up forward.

First XVIII Football Coach, Rayden Tallis, inspired his team to their highest ladder position in many years after winning two of their matches against Yarra Valley Grammar and Peninsula Grammar, and remaining competitive across many others. Along with the First XVIII, the program and the students in it are developing positively, including an enthusiastic and skilled group of Year 9 and 10 students. The Inter B team enjoyed an undefeated season.

The season was predicted to be challenging for the First XI Soccer team. A team of varying experience and age, they performed valiantly to record two wins and finish in 7th place. Gregory Kerdemelidis enjoyed a consistent and much improved season under the guidance of Head Coach, Mr Anthony Frost and Head of Soccer, Mr Andreas Papanicolaou. Another sport with talent oozing in younger year levels, there is excitement for future seasons following the development of styles of play and individual growth. Special mention must go to the Inter A team and their Coach, Mr Nathan Jones, for their impressive season.

Participating in the Melbourne Winter Baseball League, our four teams across Under 13, 15, and 17 enjoyed a fruitful season. Three teams made the finals, while the Under 17s, led by Taran Rose were victorious in winning their Grand Final. Our Fencing squad also enjoyed success in individual and team events. Sean Xu performed particularly well, winning the Fencing Victoria Schools’ League Senior Secondary title.

After a substantial preseason and a long hiatus from accessing the slopes, the Snowsports squad enjoyed competing in the Victorian Interschools Snowsport Championships at Mount Buller in August. Participants ranging from Year 2 to Year 12 competed in a host of Skiing and Snowboarding events. Alec McDougall was gallant in his performance in the Cross Country, but it was Arya Aminazad who set the standard for all squad members. He was exceptional and earned himself a position at the National Interschools Championships. Teacher in Charge, Mr Ryan Thomson, and Strength and Conditioning Coach, Mr Adam Earnshaw, played significant roles in organising and coaching students. Thanks must also go to the parents and Friends of Snowsports for their unwavering support and commitment to the students and the program.

As mentioned previously, not since 2019 had the Spring Sports been held, meaning it was the first opportunity for students from Year 7 to 9 to experience Athletics and Water Polo at the School. After five weeks of intense training sessions and trials, the Athletics squad participated in the Centenary Event of the AGSV Finals. The special event was held on a Saturday at Lakeside Stadium and the team did incredibly well, winning the School’s first AGSV Athletics Premiership since 1980. A fitting result given we won the very first event in 1920. Standout performers included the 3000m team, comprising of Harrison Car, Jack Dobbyn, and Henry Shirrefs, Shen Rong’s performances in the long and triple jump, and Henson Chen’s all-round performances on the track and field. However, it was the depth of the team that contributed to the win, as we edged out Ivanhoe by five points!

Our Water Polo teams also had encouraging seasons. We fielded two teams each at Junior (Year 7/8), Intermediate (Year 9/10), and Seniors (Year 11/12). The Firsts finished runners-up to a

formidable Melbourne High School team, while our Inter A team defeated Melbourne in their Grand Final, 5 goals to 3. Gregory Kerdemelidis and Charlie Chun both represented

Sport Colours were awarded at the end of the Summer, Winter, and Spring Seasons. Full Colours are a reward for those who demonstrate the highest levels of commitment, character, and exceptional performance. Well done to the following students.

Athletics – Caleb Finlayson, Benny Grayson, Lachlan Ross, Sebastian Beck, and Harrison Car Basketball – Sam Veitch Badminton – Jordan Yang and Chauncey Yu Baseball – Taran Rose Cricket – Joshua Davidson, Connor Laird and Nicholas Graves Cross Country – Marcus Liew, Henry Shirrefs, and Harrison Car Cycling – Arya Aminazad, Kyle Scheer, and Logan Taplin Fencing – Sean Xu Football – Benjamin Carlisle, Joshua Davidson, Caleb Finlayson, and Sam Veitch Golf – Callum Yates Hockey – Brodie Carswell, Liam Corr, Ed Harper, Harry Watson, and Domenic Bozzone Kayaking – David Thomas Orienteering – Benjamin Price Snowsports – Arya Aminazad and Alec McDougall Soccer – Ethan Ensor Swimming – Cody Greenwood, Gregory Kerdemelidis, Yanning Zhang, Ryan Chung, William Watson, Maximilian Coia, Javier Lai, and Nathan Nai Table Tennis – Eugene Goh, Joshua Hui, Justin Kwan, Matthew Shi, and Aiden Tang Tennis – Andrew Lee, Matthieu Gibert, and Lachlan O’Neill Triathlon – Billy Swingler Volleyball – Gregory Kerdemelidis Water Polo – Charlie Chun and Gregory Kerdemelidis

Congratulations, in particular, to Gregory Kerdemelidis who obtained a Triple Colour pocket for being awarded Full Colours for his outstanding contributions to Swimming, Volleyball, and Water Polo. A significant achievement. At the completion of each AGSV Season, students who performed consistently and exceptionally were rewarded with selection in their respective AGSV Representative sport teams. This season, we had one of the largest numbers of students participating in the matches against the APS.

Badminton – Jordan Yang, Chauncey Yu, and Owen Lim Basketball – Sam Veitch (Co-Captain) and Benny Grayson Cricket – Connor Laird (Captain), Joshua Davidson and Nicholas Graves Cross Country – Billy Swingler, Jack Dobbyn, Marcus Liew, and Henry Shirrefs Football – Joshua Davidson and Caleb Finlayson Hockey – Brodie Carswell (GK), Liam Corr, Ed Harper, Harry Watson and Domenic Bozzone Soccer – Ethan Ensor Swimming – Gregory Kerdemelidis, Yanning Zhang, William Watson, Maximilian Coia, Javier Lai, and Nathan Nai Table Tennis – Justin Kwan and Aiden Tang Tennis – Matthieu Gibert and Lachlan O’Neill Water Polo – Gregory Kerdemelidis and Charlie Chun

Congratulations to all students on a fantastic year of Sport at Camberwell. Thank you to our Year 12 students for your contributions to Sport throughout your time at the School. We wish you every success in your future sporting endeavours and careers.

The Sport Department would like to recognise the efforts of all Friends of Groups who continued to contribute towards and enhance the experience of the students within their respective sports. Thank you for the time and effort you give our programs.

A host of people help to create a memorable experience for everyone involved, particularly the students. Thank you to the staff and coaches who guide our students and, more importantly, shape them into exceptional young people. The team within the Sport Department, in particular, do a tremendous amount of work to make Sport happen each week. Thank you to Mrs Sally White, Miss Amani Hanna, and Mr Connor Mara for your unwavering support.

Mr Lachlan Crawford

Head of Sport