10 minute read
Football
First XVIII Football
The First XVIII Football team had a very enjoyable season this year. Having the opportunity to play the whole season from start to finish was a breath of fresh air in comparison to the last two years. I had the absolute privilege of captaining the team this year and was accompanied by Benjamin Carlisle, the Vice Captain, and an amazing group of students on the leadership group. I would like to thank Rayden Tallis, Neil Connell, Teri Miriklis, Ryan Whitehead, Ryan Walsh, the Strength and Conditioning coaches, and the Friends of Football for an amazing year and for supporting all of us every step of the way.
Presented with such a role, I was able to experience the growth and maturation of all the students who were part of the team. The team trained hard each and every week leading up to the season, providing us with an extremely strong foundation and allowing us to secure two wins. Although not the result we were hoping for, it provides the Football community with a step in the right direction and a step toward winning more games for those who will play in 2023 and beyond. The highlight of the year, however, was experiencing the everlasting culture which surrounds Camberwell Grammar Football and the enjoyment you receive when you play such a sport. Creating lifelong friends and being able to share those victories with them, is exactly what Camberwell Grammar Sport as a whole is about, and it is something that I will truly miss as I depart the School at the end of this year. As I look back on the season, I realise how much of it I took for granted and I regret not taking a few more risks. I strongly recommend that students in the Football community who want to play for the First XVIII team to strive for it and work hard to achieve their goal. Whether it is going for a crunching tackle or playing your first game, I encourage everybody to seize their moment and enjoy the sport they play, because sport is about having fun and improving. Always make the decision to put your best foot forward – for me that was playing First XVIII Football this year, and I hope it will be for you too.
Jack Spalding
Captain
Second Football Third Football
This was perhaps the most remarkable Third XVIII Football team in Camberwell Grammar history. The players were academics, musicians, thespians, debaters, and chess players. One student, later a star at Hamer Hall, had not only never played, but had never seen the code, even on television.
And so it was that the squad was determined to excel in yet another sphere. What it required was commitment, and the students gave this in spades. There was boundless enthusiasm for the trinity of Gordon Barnard hills, and slowly but surely the level of fitness improved. Minor transgressions (and support for Collingwood) meant that push-ups were required, and by the end of the season, bicep strength was through the roof.
This was the first year since 2019 when we could have a full season, and the students made the most of it. Sometimes at this level, there is a reluctance among some to train or play in the depths of a wet and cold winter, but this group always turned up reliably and with alacrity.
As for the result of the matches, we need only look at the excursion to PEGS, where we prevailed in the final quarter. The post-match rendition of the song was high-decibel and chorally perfect.
Mention must be made in particular of Rafael Carmel (Best and Fairest), James Kerferd (Best Clubman), Connor Inston (Camberwell Grammar Team Player of the Year), and Harley Inglis (Leading Goalkicker), but all players are to be congratulated on their determination and improvement over the season. To put this in context, we played the same Mentone team twice and managed a 15-goal turnaround.
Most of the squad were in Year 11, and we look forward to them putting on the boots again in 2023. Mr Hone is already working on his oratory.
Camberwell Grammar Second XVIII Football had a successful year, despite losing every game of the season, there are many positives to pick out. So, let’s ignore the scoreboard and stat sheet and take a glass-half-full approach. The improvement of our Football was evident among players, coaches, and parents. As the season went on, our chemistry and culture grew exponentially. We could feel the difference in our game and the energy we had when we played. The little things such as a tackle or a mark brought sparks of positivity and excitement amongst the players, which made this beloved sport all the more enjoyable. I found that some of the moments I dreaded the most beforehand, ended up being core memories that I will never forget. Whether it’s huddling for warmth at 9.00am in 1-degree weather up at Assumption or seeing your mate miss from directly in front of the goals. Regardless of the number of wins we got, these are the stories that are remembered and retold years after leaving school.
Overall, I’m proud to say I played in the team, and I wish the future years more success. Maybe they’ll actually be able to sing the sports song.
Pavara Jayawardena
Mr Julian Grigg
Co-Coach
Intermediate Football
The Intermediate Football teams had varying success this season.
The Intermediate B team, consisting of dedicated, hardworking, and skillful Year 9 and 10 students, had a fantastic Football season. Lachie McGowan, Jamison Smith, and Sam Grlj were nominated by their teammates and led from the front, showing great leadership and accountability throughout the season, as well as respect for both their teammates and coaches. The first few rounds started off with some emphatic wins, this showed us how good a team they really were. The game of the season was against Trinity: it was neck and neck all game until our team ran away with it with 3 goals to zip in the last quarter to win by 29 points. Special mention to Angus Rynne, Sam Grlj, Callum Yates, Lachie McGowan, and Ryder Smith who were able to impact games and find the ball when the team needed it.
The Intermediate C Blue team was prepared to call the season over after the first five losses in a row. However, the coaches pushed them harder than ever following the fifth defeat. With a fresh strategy, they had a reason for optimism going into the next game, especially because of the return from injury of the important forward, Kurt Zvirbulis. They then won the following game by 104 points. The players deserve praise for the caliber of Football they played and their unwavering will to triumph. Overall, the team would like to thank Jordan McCleery and Ben Wardlaw for working so hard to ensure it was an enjoyable season!
After losing the first two games by small margins, the Intermediate C Gold team was able to put together seven consecutive wins to finish the season off in style. The improvement from the beginning of the season to the end was quite pronounced and the team was well led at training and on match days by Joshua Day, Henry Deayton, Ryan Humphries, Matthew Allsop, Campbell Davidson, Max Pringle, Parker Rush, and Fraser Richardson. To see some of the least experienced players have breakout games throughout the season was a credit to both themselves individually and to the culture fostered by the team.
Well done to everyone involved on a fantastic season, we look forward to seeing the students progress with their Football in the years to come.
Mr Jack Conroy and Mr Jordan McKinnon Teachers in Charge
Year 8A and 7A Football
The 8A season was a great experience. We started off the season with a 100-point victory over Yarra Valley, with Joshua Tallis’ five goals highlighting a great performance across the board. However, we were soon hit with sickness and injuries and were unable to recreate our performance against tougher opponents in the next few weeks, including losses to Marcellin and Trinity, in which Daniel Bullock was a real standout. Perhaps our strongest performance of the year came in the game against a very strong Ivanhoe team, which was a back-and-forth contest that we, unfortunately, ended up losing, after being overpowered in the last quarter. However, this great performance showed us what we could play like, and great performances from Atticus Brennan and Jarvis Neal, in his first game of the season, instilled us with much confidence going into the next game against Marcellin. We were very proud of our performance as a team, especially in the second half of the season. Overall, Football this year was an amazing learning experience that allowed for the development of players of all different skill levels and stages, and allowed us to really bond and come together as a team.
The 7A’s started in a tough match against Marcellin to start off the season. We lost, but you win some and you lose some. We kept losing in a couple of close-call games. Finally, we played Assumption, and at the 3-quarter time, they were up by more than 60, but we didn’t give up and kicked 5 to 6 amazing goals. We played P.E.G.S and smashed them by over 70 points. In our final game, we played the other Marcellin team, didn’t give up, and played a good game. Although we lost everyone had smiles on their faces. It was a great season, played with a fantastic group of mates.
Year 7/8B Football
This season was a tough one for the students in the 7/8B Football team. We had a rocky start, as we set out to find our individual strengths and weaknesses as players, and then learn how to adapt to those as a team.
We started off with a few losses as players moved between different teams. We kept training hard and tried our best to improve for each game. We had some hard losses mid-season but bounced back and were trying to be competitive and enjoy our footy. We were unlucky to just miss out on winning our first game, coming within 4 points.
Even though we didn’t get that win, knowing we could compete helped us bond together as a team, and built team spirit.
I would like to thank our coaches Mr Van Maanen and Flynn Chable. They helped us improve our footy skills and get better as a team.
Leo Zvirbulis
Umpires’ Academy
Into its 16th year, the Camberwell Grammar Umpires’ Academy gave twelve students the opportunity to be coached and to umpire in the Yarra Junior Football League each Sunday. Coaches Harry Wray and Max Ramm taught the group the finer points of Boundary and Field umpiring. The extended season started in February and ended in August with a number of students gaining an opportunity to umpire in Finals matches.
Congratulations to Julian Thornton who was awarded the Camberwell Grammar School Academy Encouragement Award, Orlando Rofe who was awarded the Coaches’ Award, and congratulations to Ned Chesler for being appointed to a Grand Final as a field umpire!
The graduates this year were: Orlando Rofe, Julian Thornton, Ned Chesler, Aryan Ananthapavan, James Le Get, Darcy Merritt, Nathan Chan, Harvey Bourke, Harrison Lipscombe, Fin Williams, Atticus Brennan, and Fraser Richardson.
Mr Paul Double
Camberwell Grammar/YJFL Liaison and Team Manager
