OUTSIDE THE

An initiative at Timbertop that has grown and progressed in 2022 has been our annual winter expeditions to the Bogong High Plains. Introduced in 2014, the expeditions were intentionally designed to take students outside of their comfort zone in Term 3. Every other Term at Timbertop presents students with big challenges in the outdoors, but Term 3 was for hobbies and Mt Buller ski days. Even the ski trip to GGS Hut near the summit of Mt Stirling is pretty comfortable – students are sleeping in a hut, cooking bacon and eggs on the fire. The exposed and expansive Bogong High Plains presents students with a different alpine environment and a different type of challenge.

On that first expedition in 2015, it immediately felt like this is what Timbertop students should be doing; camping in the snow, utilising the skills and capabilities that they had built up over the first two-and-a-half terms. It felt like a natural extension to our existing outdoors programme. Unit groups would set off from Windy Corner, skiing for about five kilometres, over and around Rocky Valley storage dam, to set up base camp. Initially, in those early years, the tents were already set up and sessional outdoor staff cooked the meals. Students would camp in unit groups, helped build snow kitchens and set off on day trips to explore their new environment.

This year, we challenged our students to be more independent. They took their own tents and cooked their own meals. When some of the groups arrived at base camp it was dumping with snow, everyone was wet and cold, and they had to set up their tents. It was challenging, but the students responded with resolve and resilience. It was progression through testing the boundaries of their capacity. They also had a lot of fun, applying their creativity to building in the snow, using snow shovels to build igloos and quite elaborate snow kitchens and caves.

The expedition to Bogong has become a highlight of the Timbertop year. I don’t know if that’s because students enjoy it necessarily, or just because it is so unique. It feels like we’re tapping into their adventurous spirit and we’re heading afar, going to a new place, camping in the snow. For this age group, that’s something that excites them. It makes them nervous as well, but they’re excited to head away on this adventure. Of every trip or hike that we do, it is also the most weather dependent. If it’s sunny, the high plains are the most glorious place you could possibly want to be, but on one trip this year it was a white out for two days, you couldn’t see, it was wet, cold and snowing. It was most definitely outside of the comfort zone.

Since the beginning of June 2022, three Geelong Grammar School students and one Old Geelong Grammarian have joined the ranks of the AFL/AFLW. Light Blue spoke to Troy Selwood, the School’s Head Coach of Football and Sports Performance Mentor, about his experience working with each of the draftees and what he hopes to see from them at the next level.

Georgia: I absolutely loved supporting Georgia this year, particularly in the lead up to the draft. Early in the academic year Georgia faced the disappointing news that she had a stress-fracture in the navicular bone of her foot; an injury which required immediate surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation program. It also meant that Georgia would miss her entire Year 12 of school sport. Despite the challenging situation Georgia found herself in, she never once felt sorry for herself. I really enjoyed becoming her ‘training and rehab buddy’ at the School, where we would often meet early in the morning at the Handbury Centre to complete pool, bike and, later, running sessions. Georgia showed determination and a level of resilience that will hold her in good stead for the rest of her sporting career. I look forward to watching Georgia develop and thrive in a professional sporting environment.

Noah: I think the West Coast Eagles have chosen very astutely, considering they selected Noah with the second-last ‘live’ pick in the draft. Noah is another student who had to deal with setbacks throughout his time at Geelong Grammar. He still found a way to stay positive, develop and improve himself. He was another student that was highly respected by students and staff, with everyone on campus always speaking so glowingly about their interactions with him. When working with Noah, the thing that stood out to me was his strong work ethic and focus to get the very best out of himself. He was never going to rely on his natural talent to make the AFL, instead matching that with elite dedication and perseverance. I can envisage Noah settling into his new life in Perth very well over the coming months and years. He deserves some luck with his body now, and I think he will take care of the rest.

Ollie: Ollie has impressed me from the day I started working at Geelong Grammar. He is a classy individual with a professional mindset. He is admired by many of the students in our football programme and accepted the responsibility that came with being a role model at the School. What really impressed me about Ollie this year was the way he handled himself when targeted by opposition teams and players in APS fixtures. He displayed patience, selflessness, determination and work ethic when really tested. He was still able to play terrific football despite the extra attention. Ollie has a very exciting AFL career with the Carlton Football Club ahead of him.

Oskar: Oskar is a great example of quickly getting back to your feet when you have been knocked to the ground. Like many talented young footballers, he was devastated when he missed out on being selected in the 2021 draft. Immediately after the draft, we put together a plan to help him further develop and remain in AFL recruiters’ thoughts. To Oskar’s credit, he absolutely nailed his pre-season with the Geelong VFL team and the Bendigo Pioneers. This led to him having a strong start to the 2022 season at both NAB League level and the VFL, culminating with his selection in the mid-season draft. I was extremely proud of him when the Gold Coast called his name out. He quickly relocated to Queensland and has transitioned into their AFL program very well. His is a story of perseverance and persistence.