2014 yearbook

LINDFIELD JUNIOR RUGBY CLUB YEARBOOK 2014

President’s Report We con nue to ensure our objec ve of providing a level of rugby for all par cipants and building life‐long friendships through involvement at the Club. At the same me, our Club con nues to grow with over 620 registered players during the season (7% growth on 2013 season) with 15 Minis teams (U6 through U9) and 22 Junior Teams (U10 through Opens). This is only possible through the significant me and effort our parents and helpers put into the Club all year round.

Congratula ons to the five Lindfield Teams that made it through to Cup Grand Finals. Our U11 Tartans, U13 Tartans and U13 Bucks were successful Premiership Cup victors. Our U13 Highlanders and U11 Bucks unfortunately lost their Cup Grand Finals. The Club has great strength across all of the Junior Age Groups with 18 of our 22 sides making it through to Semi‐Finals (Cup and Plate).

Well done to our 3 Plate Grand Final winners – U10 Tartans, U11 Stags and U12 Stags.

The skill level of our junior players was again shown with 82 players making representa ve teams. We wish to also congratulate 3 boys who have been selected to represent NSW Combined High Schools; Brandon Marsh, Isa Abdullah and Sam Reimer.

In addi on to the schools selec on, Lindfield had 7 boys represent Sydney in 2014 as follows: U14s – Tom Cameron, Luke Reimer, Nathaniel Panozzo, U15s – Michael Fenn U17s – Sam Reimer, Brandon Marsh, Sam Tapa Congratula ons must also go to Michael Fenn, Sam Reimer and Brandon Marsh who gained NSW selec on in 2014. We wish them well for their games in October.

These excellent results con nue to reflect the efforts of all of our coaches and managers and the significant me they devote throughout the season in helping our players enjoy their rugby.

The Club con nued its investment in ongoing coach educa on through the use of Terry Preston (Gordon 1st Grade players) for specialist coaching across our age groups both pre‐season and throughout the season.

Our ongoing ARU Educa on program con nued to provide Level 2, Level 1 and Smart Rugby accredita on to all of our parents involved with Coaching. We con nued to build our Junior Player Accredited Referees during the 2014 Season with a number of successful Level 1 gradua ons.

In addi on, our Club con nued its working rela onship with NSW Rugby/SJRU with its Special Needs Rugby ini a ve (Trytons), bringing rugby experience to disabled/special needs children. I have received some excep onal posi ve feedback from parents with children involved in this ini a ve. I would like to thank our generous group of volunteers for the help they provided each week to this programme. Special thanks to NSW Rugby, we look forward to con nuing to support this ini a ve during 2015.

The Club is very apprecia ve of the significant support from our record number of Age Group Sponsors as well as McConnell Bourn (Gold Sponsor), County Construc ons (Silver Sponsor), Triforce Sports (Silver Sponsor) and the Greengate Hotel (Man of the Match Sponsors). Mary‐Anne van Adrichem has worked extremely hard over the past season to build these links with our local community businesses, establishing an excep onally strong sponsorship network. We will miss her hard work for our 2015 Season.

Our inbound Kawanishi Tour was a fantas c success with special thanks to Kevin and Danielle Pringle and the en re Kawanishi Commi ee. We have a strong core group of families already looking at par cipa ng for the 2015 outbound tour, please register your interest early with Kevin & Danielle as places are expected to fill fast.

Our season awards seek to acknowledge a number of our parents that contribute over a significant number of seasons (and in some cases a decade) to the success of the Club. It is always difficult to reduce down to our final winners, hopefully a number of addi onal parents can be recognised next year. This year’s recipients are: Cooper Cup for Contribu on to Club and Rugby Andrew & Catriona Harrison Lindfield Spirit Award—Contribu on to the Club Mark Tunnicliffe Excellence in Coaching Award‐ Coaching Acknowledgement Mark "Space" Houston John Olmsted Memorial Trophy (outstanding contribu on to team performance) Margot Reimer Ticka Tynan Junior Referee & Club Spirit Trophy ‐ Recognising Junior Referees

Harry Cannell President’s Awards for Services to the Club Anton Ferreira, Linda Payne, Ma Andronicus, Linda Hu on

I wish to thank all our volunteers, especially those finishing up on the Commi ee and Players and Parents finishing in Opens.

The success of our Club is also driven by the significant me commitments made by our Commi ee which start with pre‐season planning in November. Andrew Heaven has been instrumental in his con nued leadership role as Vice President Juniors. This role is fundamental to the success of the Club and the me commitment from Andrew has been amazing. Andrew has worked relessly in gaining great support with the Sydney Junior Rugby Commi ee (SJRU) and working closely with the Village Clubs. He will provide great leadership next season if elected for the role of President and will leave significant shoes to fill for the VP Junior role. I valued his wise counsel over the years and am very lucky to have him as a close friend beyond rugby.

Andrew Harrison has worked very hard in his role as our Minis Vice President – special men on for the Minis Gala Day – great success with record numbers of players and great coordina on of games, referees and BBQ each Saturday. Our invita onal Minis Gala Day at season commencement con nues to be a great success to host the increased number of teams par cipa ng from all Village Clubs.

Special thanks to Catriona and Andrew for the significant me and effort in making this happen. Friday nights have been a huge success with great thanks to Andrew, Charlie Powell and Linda Payne for the social atmosphere both for Minis and Junior Friday night games.

Sandy Basten has brought his energy and extreme organisa on skills in taking over the role early in the season to ensure our Social func ons throughout the year hit new highs with a large team of key support personnel making each event a success. His subcommi ee including Linda Hu on, Natalie Brandon, Kate Quigley, Chris na Seppelt, Mary Anne Van Adrichem, Tim Palmer, Jacinta Gill and Kellie O’Keefe made our Orienta on Day, Jersey & Jeans Func on, U9‐U11s Parent/Son Camping Weekend, Mul ple Clubhouse Func ons, Golf Day and Presenta on Day wonderful successes.

Linda Payne has done a sensa onal job in con nuing her role with both the Koola and Tryon Oval Canteens. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents and helpers that assisted with canteen duty throughout the season at both Koola and Tryon Ovals. The Club appreciates the assistance of the Senior Lindfield Rugby Club across a number of our social func ons and BBQs throughout the season.

Annabel Gunns has done a sterling job of taking up our registrar role and resolving the significant paperwork behind the scenes associated with the Buddha system. We look forward to Annabel con nuing this work as NSW Rugby change systems during the off season. Fraser Allen has been instrumental in following in the footsteps of Ticka as Club Secretary by keeping us accountable throughout the season and ensuring we deliver on our ac ons.

President’s Report Brad Harrison during the season stepped into our Gordon Liaison Officer role, represen ng our Club at the Gordon Village Presidents mee ngs. Brad’s significant passion as a former Waratah and Gordon player will be valuable as the Village Clubs seek to strengthen the linkages with Gordon Senior Rugby. Andrew Hu on has con nued his great support this season in fulfilling mul ple roles at the Club including U10 Age Coordinator whilst balancing two professional careers. Jon Gill recently joined our Commi ee and will provide a significant input into next season’s commi ee and focus moving forward.

David Pozzecco has con nued this season with his reless efforts in looking a er the Club financials in our Treasurer Role. I appreciate his high level of professionalism and significant efforts in developing budgets for all facets of our Club expenditure for both this season and beyond. He has ensured a great financial posi on and structure for future Commi ees.

Mark Rechner’s success in our Grounds Liaison role with Ku‐ring‐gai Council is highlighted by their confidence in le ng us make final decisions on game days associated with the weather. Mark con nues to work hard behind the scenes as we develop a Strategic Infrastructure Plan in associa on with Council. We look forward to further communica on the status of this Strategic Plan during the off season.

David Purkiss has con nued to look a er one of the toughest jobs at the Club in our Gear Steward role, ensuring that all players were looked a er with socks and shorts + ensuring our Jerseys were ready for the rigours of the season. Anton Ferreira has done a superb job with the crea on of the LJRC App for smart phones and his con nued development of our web page throughout the season. He will be sadly missed next season as he enjoys a move to the countryside. Thanks to Margot Reimer for looking a er our Yearbook and all of our Age Group Managers for efforts throughout the year.

Mark (Space) Houston in his role as Club Coach is irreplaceable with his rapport and energy to all our players across our age groups.

Space’s efforts were rewarded by the U11 and U13 Tartans Cup Grand Final victories as well as his role in coaching the Gordon District U13 Representa ve Team to a NSW State Championship victory. Space and his pre‐season training with support from Terry Preston has become an ins tu on for late January Sundays and will be back for our 2015 season.

Congratula ons to all of our players for a highly successful season with special acknowledge of our boys reaching 100, 150 and 200 games for the Club. Special men on to Sam Reimer for reaching the 200 game milestone, a fantas c achievement. This is a highlight of the season and I look forward to presen ng the boys with their jerseys at Presenta on Day. I am also looking forward to publicly acknowledge the parents that have contributed 10 years of service to the Club with awards this Presenta on Day – the Club success is based on this commitment. Finally, congratula ons to all of our players that have gained representa ve success this season and we look forward to their ongoing success in the years ahead.

Special note of thanks to my wife Amber and our children (Lachlan, Zac and Jade) for their support throughout both this season and my me on the Commi ee over the past number of seasons.

I have appreciated the opportunity to work with a significant number of talented individuals that provide the social fabric of our Club and will miss this involvement as I step down at the end of this season. We con nue to seek this ongoing support from our parents and I encourage you to par cipate at our AGM in October 2014 at West Lindfield Recrea on Club and ac vely contribute to the ongoing success of our Club.

We look forward to welcoming you back for the 2015 season, have a safe off‐season. Yours sincerely, Paul Steinwede President, Lindfield Junior Rugby Club

Lindfield Junior Rugby Club would like to thank our GOLD & Silver sponsors for 2014

2014 Silver sponsors

U6Â BUCKSÂ It has been a tremendously rewarding season as the manager of the Lindfield U6 Bucks.

Game one on the Minis Gala day, it was clear we had a lot to work on just grasping the rules of the game and working on our basic skills. As the season progressed the boys and girl of the team developed friendships and their play became more cohesive.

By week 6 we had wrangled ourselves a coach in a fine young fellow by the name of Lachlan Macrae, who brought with him many years of playing experience and abundant pa ence! Coach Lachlan had the team spreading out like "scarecrows" and running up in one line in no me. The boys and girl of the team turned up week in week out, rain or shine. They built upon the skills they had learnt the Friday night before. With each game the teams confidence grew and so did their enjoyment in playing. By seasons end passes were being made and the team was talking to one another on the field. The U6 Bucks had come a long way from that first game.

Many thanks must also go to the parents of the U6 Bucks for their commitment and assistance throughout the season, par cularly Jamion Khan and James Arnold whose help with coaching was invaluable.

Zoe Khan

U6 ELKS Well, what an exci ng year it was for the U6 Elks! It was the first year of rugby for all the boys in the team so at the beginning of the year there was a lot of focus from the coaches on the basics, such as telling the difference between the try line and the sideline and working out which way to run when we had the ball.

A er many gruelling training sessions ‐ learning about scarecrows, staircases, running forward (no forward is THAT way) and something mysterious called “offside” the team was beginning to take shape. So intense were these Friday night sessions that many of the mums felt they needed to hide far away at the clubhouse so that they could avoid watching what their li le boys were going through!

The boys were very quick learners and before you know it they were involved in the heat of compe on, running and tagging their hearts out in many close fought games that seemed to end in a draw (except if you ask the boys who always claimed a victory).

There were many highlights during the season but some of the team favourites include: Snakes a er the game (sorry Nicholas) Man of the match awards Friday night BBQ’s Playing against Sharks and S ngrays Nicholas’s speed, swerve and ability to find the try line Ma y “the missile” dazzling the opposi on with his footwork Cedric’s post try dance celebra ons Peter’s smiling, quiet and friendly nature Levi’s enthusiasm to tag anyone moving Rauri “the rocket” pu ng in the big hits and his focus on the ball Sammy ‘the sausage” running out wide and constantly analysing the opposi on Hugo “weaving”, the man with all the moves Many thanks must go to Sandy Basten for sharing with us his considerable coaching knowledge and his talented use of the referees whistle. Thanks also to the lovely Kellie O’Keeffe who managed the team expertly all year... especially Friday night drinks!

And lastly a big thank you to all the parents who got the boys (and themselves) out of bed and at the field for those 8am games. It’s been lots of fun to be involved with such a great group of boys and see them develop over the season and I look forward to seeing you all next year!

Cheers, Stephen

U6 STAGS The 2014 U6 Stags came together in March as a group of 4 & 5 year old rugby novices who had very li le experience playing team sports. What they lacked in experience they made up for in enthusiasm and this ensured that the Stags went on to have a sensa onal season. The boys trained hard all season where they prac sed the ‘Scarecrow’ alignment, “Passing”, “Shimmy” stepping runs and rushing tag defence. These skills were then applied during game day, where each of the boys showed consistent improvement. Whilst the Stags played each game hard, they played fair, showed teamwork and most importantly tremendous sportsmanship. The challenge for the coach was made so much easier by the excellent organisa onal skills of Team Manager Tracey, as well as generous support from parents. Special thanks to Andrew, Rohan, Greg, Josh and Mark for your help during training and match day.

Charlie Egan – Charlie is a very effec ve ball runner and scored many dazzling tries this season, showing his side step and pace. He also worked hard on his tag defence to help stop many a acking raids. Looks like a future full back given he also possess an amazing kicking game. What a fantas c first year of rugby for this li le man. Well done Charlie!!

Cameron Patole – Cameron showed leadership quali es this season given his prior rugby experience. He con nued to work hard on his foot work and confidence to take on the line improved all year. Cameron is a true team man, always looking to support his mates. A future centre. Awesome season Cam!!

Darby Rayner ‐ Darby con nued to show improvement in now his second year of rugby. A devasta ng runner with ball in hand, always making plenty of yards into opposi on territory. On his day is also a terrific defender, pu ng plenty of pressure on the opposi on with his in your face defence. A future front rower in the making. Go Darby!!

Nicholas Gallagher – Nick’s passion and enjoyment for the game showed every me he took to the field. His hard running and devasta ng side step le many defences confused each me he ran the ball. A true team man, and all round good sport. A future back rower in the making. Well done Nick!!

Saxon McDonnell – Saxon’s confidence to take on the line, and run the ball improved all season. In the 2nd half of the season he reaped the rewards with many dazzling runs, and awesome tries. He always put his body on the line to save a try, a great defender. He was a delight to coach in that he always listened and trained very hard. A very polite young man. Well done Saxon!!

William Roth – Each Friday night Willsy would look me in the eye and pronounce ‘Ralph… I’m ready to go’. Will has a huge passion for the game, and this showed during training and game day. His all round game improved throughout the season, and was rewarded with many tries. What a fantas c first year of rugby for this li le man. Go Willsy!

Jeremy Rath – Jeremy is a hard running outside back with a strong leg driving ac on that baffled many defensive line‐ups. He mastered the shimmy, and this lead to him scoring many dazzling tries. Jeremy always put his body on the line to save a try, a great defender. A delight to coach in that he always listened and trained very hard. A respec ul young man, and all round good sport. Congratula ons Jeremy!!

Aus n Sheriff – Aus n played like he had a head start with some off‐season work in European rugby, with his angled running lines and commitment to a ack.

Will be hard to stop as a fleet footed back. He missed a few weeks with injury (non‐rugby related), but came back hard in the last game of the season. Well played Aus n!!

Mathew Tims – Mathew was our secret weapon, always ducking and weaving with the ball in hand looking for opportuni es to score tries and make yards. A future winger with his lightning speed and agility. Well done Mathew!!

Hugo Mason‐Jones – Hugo started with us slightly later in the season, but hit the ground running. Hugo has decep ve speed, and used this a ribute to score some sensa onal tries. A strong defender could play any posi on in the backline. Well done Hugo!!

A Pleasure to Coach, Ralph

U7 BUCKS Another fantas c season of rugby for the Mighty Lindfield U7 Bucks!

It was great to see all the boys progressing through the season, learning new skills and enjoying themselves so much. In my opinion, our team was equal‐to or be er than all the opponents this year. An excellent combina on of effort/dedica on in defence and great a acking rugby. Well done the Mighty Bucks!

A big thank you to all the parents! Everyone was happy to help whenever asked, even for the mul ple BBQ/Canteen duty requests. Friday prac ces were well a ended by the mums adding to a great team spirit.

Thanks to Pierre ("Coach Devo") for coaching the boys this season ‐ really dedicated to the job and made sure the boys knew what was required. Thanks also to all the assistant coaches (all the dads) for helping out as needed and to David (age group manager) for ensuring we had what we needed and stepping‐up and refereeing as required.

I am looking forward to next season. The boys certainly are as well given their enjoyment of the tackling and rucking/mauling introduced at the last few prac ces!

Finally, a few words from “Coach Devo” on each player: Oscar: 100% commi ed and channelled Gandalf on defence with his “none shall pass” approach, Oscar “The Machine” Biggart was a cornerstone of the team always giving of his best.

Manny: Playing above his age group Manny has stuck out the season and peaked well to end as the Mighty Bucks’ “Most Improved” Player of 2014 – well done Manny!

Sean: Nugge y and determined, Sean bamboozled many a defence with his all‐round skills and ball handling capabili es. A shoo‐in for scrumhalf or fly half when the me comes.

Nic: Between Nic’s “show‐and‐go” and line speed on defence he contributed hugely to the Team’s success week in and week out – a great season all round!

Travis: A new player to The Beau ful Game, Travis showed a clean set of heels on many occasions and became an integral team member in no me at all – he’ll only get be er and be er in 2015.

Max: A convert from a lessor code, Max wrong‐footed many a team with his deadly step and pace off the mark. Looking forward to having him (and hopefully his twin, Jesse) back in 2015.

Jack: Always ge ng involved (and capping the season off with a magnificent try) Jack fi ed in well with the Bucks and was a pleasure to have in the team.

Tom: The quietly consistent Bucks Player who always gave of his best and supported his team mates. Some great individual tries and excellent defence demonstrated a well‐rounded game.

Samuel: The long‐range try specialist who improved as the season wore on and never gave up on defence. A commi ed player, Samuel learnt to support his team mates well and be a great team member.

Cheers, Doug Hayward, Manager

U7 STAGS Our mighty team consisted of a bunch of boys with mixed ability and past experience which enabled an environment for all boys to learn and improve. The most import and pleasing thing was that by year end all boys without excep on had improved and were keen to a end and have fun with their new mates.

One of the highlights of the season was a half me restart kick off from Finn which was chased down by a flying Will to score against Lane cove. Very entertaining.

One of the teams strengths was defence and quite o en the boys were able to frustrate the opposi on by denying them a try for long periods of me.

Harry improved greatly during the season and his overall fitness greatly improved.

Rory developed his swerving side stepping runs and was difficult to stop.

A cus also improved greatly and became a handy defender.

Smith learned the rules and then slumped mid‐season a er an overseas holiday, but ended the season on a high showing good signs for the future.

Finn enjoyed running strongly with the ball and antagonising the opposi on with his relentless defence.

Will was the teams try scoring machine whom o en scored 5 tries a game and oddly all in the same corner.

Ted enjoyed playing with his friends and successful developed a try scoring technique where once he was passed the ball he quickly placed the ball at the feet of the opposi on before he could be tagged.

Aus n was a solid in a ack and defence all session. His trade mark was his strong straight ball running.

Hamish showed much flair and promise during the season and was missed at the end of the season a er a non‐rugby related injury.

It’s been a please to coach and manage your boys ‐ Bring on the tackle in 2015!

U7 ELKS The U7 Elks came together as a bunch of kids who liked playing rugby at the start of the season, and leave as rugby players. Throughout the year the team have developed their skills and moulded into a great team. Each week every player applied themselves in training and enjoyed themselves in the game. The coaches (Kendall and Aaron) were lucky enough to have the organisa onal skills of team managers Paul and Nicole Harrold behind them, who helped behind the scene so that the season ran smoothly. Kendall was a great help and the team benefited from having his wise head around. Thank you to the parents who were always in good spirits, helpful and for giving your kids the greatest gi of all… the gi of becoming a rugby player!

Toby Cuddy ‐ Toby’s ability to step off both feet at pace was second to none, and le a lot of defences bamboozled, which lead to a number of long range runaway tries this season. Toby was one of the leaders in the defensive line, always pulling the Elks up in defence.

Joshua Harrold ‐ Josh is a hard running hard tagging machine. He was always in the thick of the ac on contribu ng to the team in both a ack and defence. Josh was a keen defender, born from his days as a leaguey. Tackle cannot come quick enough for Josh.

Tristan Navaratnam ‐ Every week Tristan played out of his age, weight and height division (and out of his skin), but he never backed down and was not afraid to do the hard work in the defence. Tristan showed plenty of pace when he put the ball under his arm, and scored some great tries spli ng the defence in two.

Ruby Perkins ‐ Ruby’s pace, skill and applica on was electric. Ruby saved countless opposi on tries over the course of the season with her commi ed defence and was always our go to person in a ght game. Ruby had a great season and outpaced the opposi on.

William Powell ‐ Will always brought a high tempo game and his enthusiasm was infec ous for the rest of the team. Will always gave his all in every match; he was flat out in defence and flat out in a ack. Will always walked off the field with a massive smile on his face and dirty jersey.

William Pu ‐ Will was a new addi on to the Elks this year. Will was a great runner of the ball, with a savage turn of pace. “Tall Will’’ as he was known to his team mates, grew in stature as a rugby player throughout the year, and always put his all into every game.

Archer Rayner ‐ Archer has developed into a straight hard running, hard hi ng player, who is always eager to help his team mates out in both a ack and defence. Archer’s fearless running towards the end of the season was a highlight and he’ll be ready for tackle next season.

Mathew Yee ‐ Ma showed con nued improvement throughout his first year of rugby. Ma ’s crowning glory come in the form of two individual tries against Hornsby in the corner. Ma has always been eager to impress on the training paddock and in the game. Ma always came off the paddock with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

Well done Elks on a great season… bring on tackle. It has been a pleasure to coach you all (Kendall and Aaron)

U8 TARTANS What a season, the U8 Tartans started as a team without much experience, and as a brand new team, with a pair of part me coaches. Luckily we had had a strong manager to lead us along the road to being a great li le team.

In no par cular order the Tartans comprised of Joaquin the side stepping light footed back who was unfortunately missing for some of the year due to other interna onal rugby commitments. Connor, the li le boy with the big heart, who latched on to players double his size and always manned up when needed. Simon, our fast runner who o en mowed down run away opposi on to make try saving tackles. Xander, with his he y clean out and the work ethic of a ca le dog, Jasper, who also made his tough presence known at the breakdown, backed up by some amazing runs. Rish, was our smiling assassin, especially when Dad was handing out dollar coins. Jamie, our other interna onal import with his dashing break away tries and ever enthusias c will. Lachlan, was another great back with his side stepping, fast running and good hands. William with his big tackles and amazing speed that saw him as our highest try scorer for the season. Gabe who sadly had to miss a few games due to a nasty injury, was back just in me to help end the season on a high note with his slippery side steps and speedy runs.

Lucas, the work horse who completed the most tackles for the season, his tough character and work ethic was no ced by all.

By the end of the season, the U8 Tartans were a truly great team, who had learned to play as exactly that… a TEAM. A big thank you to Aiden Heke who stepped in as Coach to help at short no ce. Also thank you to Allison McMar n our Manager and the parents for volunteering for BBQ / Canteen and other club du es and for providing lots of support and cheering on the Boys even in the heavy rain at Balmoral!

Tartans, you should all be very proud of the team you have become over the past few months, you boys have made your parents, the coaches and manager, and your club very proud.

Well done boys on a great season. Hope to see you all again next year! Cheers, Rob Madden and Angus Gordon ‐ Coaches

U8 HIGHLANDERS The U8 Highlanders started the season with a few addi ons to last year's team who rounded out the skill set of the team perfectly, especially in bolstering the forward pack. The boys revelled in the tackling and charging through and past the opposi on. An exci ng feature of their play was to pass the ball and some of the team tries they scored were brilliant. There were many highlights such as the Gordon District Gala Day, the curtain raiser before Lindfield Seniors and the inaugural Line of Origin. The Team….

Flynn Clatworthy would make Ritchie McCaw proud with his great work at the breakdown and his heavy defence. Flynn was a tough customer to bring to the ground and managed many offloads to advance the team.

Tom Ellis improved out of sight this year ‐ he was fearless in a ack and defence alike and was always ready to sprint down the sideline to score some memorable tries. He also developed some top Hooper‐esque skills.

Rory Hall was reless in defence throughout the season and ranged far and wide, always endeavouring to be the last line of defence and never missing that important tackle! He also scored some classic tries and created lots of opportuni es for his teammates with handy passes.

Sam Hannaford made many memorable runs including a sensa onal double dummy that led to a try and had the defence searching for their GPS posi oning.

Charlie Harrison was everywhere this season ‐ he was the master of the fend and sniffed out many tries. He loved making many important tackles for the team and his engine ran all game.

Tom Harrison was a late addi on to the team a er a s nt in Melbourne. A er ge ng amongst the rucks & mauls he was always looking to make the good pass. We look forward to a massive season for Tom next year.

Max Hemsworth was elusive all season. Max had a knack for finding the ball and scoring some great tries in the corner (with his trade mark slide). Max made some determined tackles as the season progressed.

Kale Kardonsky was a welcome addi on to the team this year a er we poached him from Sea le USA. From the outset, he made some huge tackles and was a handful in his many surging runs up the middle of the field. Kale was a great team player and he topped the passing stats for the year.

Will Rowe showed excellent accelera on and evasion all year and a dogged determina on with ball in hand. He zigged and zagged to the try line many mes and was always looking to make a spectacular try‐saving tackles.

Henry Thomas saved his best form for the back end of the season. There were some notable tries and even more importantly, some big tackles on players of much bigger stature. His passing technique was poetry.

James Trent discovered his strength, speed and determina on during the year and he was always keen to burst through the first line of the defence. His mauling and tackling was all power and he o en found himself in the middle of the forward drives.

Thanks to the coaching panel of Simon Clatworthy, Mike Ellis, Guy Hannaford and Andrew Harrison. A huge thanks to the team manager, Catriona Harrison and to Nick Kardonsky for the professional ac on shots. See you all next year.

U8 STAGS The 2014 rugby season for U8 Stags kicked off with an almost mission impossible task for Coach Space Houston and Assistant Coach Ma Andronicus. Not only was the team new to tackle, but the boys seemed to think the Lions were the best team in the world.

Fast forward a few weeks, and possibly a few quiet words to God from the coaches and the good Catholic boys on the team, and the U8 Stags had gone from Stagnant to Studly. Phrases like “strip”, “do the prawn” and “pop it” became part of the team vocabulary.

We began to see Joe “Bulldog” A.K.A “Unit” Andronicus show who the muscle in the team was. Luke Brady, in his first year of rugby, established himself as the ul mate all‐rounder, and Hunter Ngata and Igna us Houston vied it out for the weekly Clean‐ out award.

Oliver “Gunnsie” Gunns and Isaac “half‐ me orange Scoffer” Sheriff became the speed demons of the team, with Ma Hunt perfec ng the palm off and becoming unstoppable up the wing.

Vincent “Vinnie” Hargreaves and Johnny Malek were quick to show their rugby prowess early, with their on‐field skills se ng a golden example for the rest of their team. Off the field, Vinnie also began to establish himself as a bit of a ladies man, with some quality comments throwing Space’s legendary half‐ me talks into momentary disarray.

Not to be deterred, Space and Ma renewed their coaching vigour with the help of Terry Preston and returned the boys’ focus back on the game. Friday nights saw the Stags hone their clean‐out, popping and stripping skills un l the team was running like a well‐oiled lawn mower; carving up turf le , right and centre. On the sidelines, Ma ensured the lads refuelled and rested by implemen ng a subbing regime in what could only be described as Swiss precision.

The end result? By season end, along with the Waratahs, the boys had rarely lost a match. But this achievement is a mere stud‐ mark in ANZ Stadium compared to what the Stag coaches and players ul mately achieved; a true sense of team. Plays and partnerships like Ma Hunt and Bulldog’s length of field try in an away game against Mosman in the pouring rain; super sup‐ port in a ack and defence, such as shown by tackling and rucking machine Patrick “Paddy” Ward; and great sportsmanship by Charlie Gill and Harrison Bunis ensured that no lad was le alone in defeat or glory.

Special men on to the all the Stag Mums for providing a seemingly endless supply of oranges, jelly snakes and clean jerseys so the boys could look and play and their very best.

U8 BUCKS The mighty Bucks. Tall, showy, smiling, young, dazzling, blossoming, quick, talka ve, cheeky, happy, drama c, cheekier, eager, tough, muddy and brave. A group of boys who became a team, what a team..…consis ng; Alec (the tall mber). Took some stopping once he got the ball and started powering over half way. Look forward to seeing him in the second row and inflic ng pain on the opposi on for many years. Keep those hands up Alec.

Ben (the showman). Gave his all, threw his body all over the pitch, and wowed the crowd with some first class try finishes and celebra ons. A versa le, skilful player who can do well in years to come.

Cooper (the smiler). Roared on from the sideline, and delivered on the pitch. A no nonsense tackler, fast feet, nimble and a real turn of speed. Just like a Wallaby(?)…I mean… an AB! An asset to the team in defence and a ack.

Darcy (the kid). Regularly pounced on unsuspec ng opposi on players and defended bravely all season long. Hard to stop when moving forward, just kept on going. A vital member of the team, ge ng through lots of hard work in games. Great team effort.

Josh (the ripper). Weaved his way down the line and to the try line all through the season. Usually found in amongst the opposi on, and popping out with the ball. Good season and more to come from this li le jewel.

Lachie (the leaner). A er a tenta ve start, really blossomed and developed skills and an eye for the game. Mid field runs that were stopped early season became try scoring runs by the end. Had fun, and next season could develop as a forward or as a back.

Lachlan (the other one). Never let the team down and kept developing his skills through the season. Scored a memorable four tries in one training game, and we expect big things next year. Keep playing Lachlan.

Simon (the talker). Came from soccer, but is a true rugby boy now. By late in the season his clean out work in training and games was awesome. Scored a great try at Mosman and could develop into a useful, powerful forward or centre?

Stuart (the quiet one). Always offering ideas to Coach and assistance at training or on game day, but won his ba les when on the field. A terrier for the ball, tough, strong and skilful. Well done Stuart.

Tom (the chief). Small in size but not in heart. Good hands with the ball, cheeky, talka ve, and a comba ve player. All quali es to ensure he nails down the #2 shirt in future years! Thanks Tom. Will (the assassin). Silent but deadly. Hunted the opposi on down, and hauled them to the ground. Always reliable, got through a load of work and never complained. Great season (all whilst under Mum’s watchful Manager eye).

Best of luck next season boys. See you on the pitch, Coach Mark.

U8 ELKS The life of a coach is a lonely one. You think all week about how can I make our boys play be er? Having three of us does ease the pain but then you s ll have three people tearing their hair out. A er a while you go to sleep with chants of “Tackle” “Drive Over” “Run Forward” “Pass It” "Banana" running through your head. However you are not alone. Talk to any other coach and they have the same mantra and suddenly a great weight is li ed as you realise all the boys are just as lively irrespec ve of which club they play for. Three old boys struggle to keep up with ten 7 year olds!!

But what a great season we had, not only on the field but also as part of the Lindfield Rugby Club community. Kids, parents and grandparents have all been involved in the mighty U8 Elks and it is so enjoyable that we have had so many supporters at the games during the year. Under 8’s is a year of growth as they start having to actually play properly and to see the boys develop is why we all keep coming back.

Highlights included watching George ge ng stuck in, Brothers Basten trying to kill each other and the opposi on, Chris L turning into a rugby demon, Jakobi’s big grin, Ollie W's indigna on if someone doesn’t follow the rules, Tom Q always calling for the ball, Good Will going hun ng, Charlie's bustling runs and Campbell's ferocious tackling.

A great year and thanks to all of you, especially the boys. See you in 2015.

Jim, Ant and Rob.

U9 BUCKS 2014 is the end of an era for the U9 Bucks. For three years the Bucks have enjoyed the highs, learned from the lows and have formed a strong team bond. The couple of new recruits slo ed in easily. The parents too have bonded extremely well on Friday nights and at our social events!

Under the tough coaching regime of ‘Mick’n’Mat’ the Bucks performed some bone crunching tackles, length of the field tries and solid defence which made their games exci ng (and nail bi ng!) to watch. Amidst the roar of ‘go hard go hard go HARD’ and from Mick and ‘drive over drive over drive OVER’ from Mat, the Bucks went from strength to strength.

Chris an: the happiest rugby player going around and an integral part of the team. He was always smiling became a quality tackler by year end.

Archie: new to rugby and built to succeed, he was involved from day one. He would have played many more games if only he could stop ge ng injured!

LachlanO: part of our tall mber in "the row". Had a flu er with the round ball game but we think his heart is at Tryon! Did a lot of the hard yards that all good second rowers do.

Sam: the second of our tall mber in ‘the row’. Inspira onal captain’s speeches and ‘ ps’ for drills at training were always welcomed. He made huge efforts in the tackling department.

Charlie: apparently he never gets angry at home but we saw it come out on the pitch! Plenty of fire in the belly when it was needed. A great team man and valued member of the forward pack.

Ted "the sniper": despite his size Ted always took on the big blokes around the ruck (they o en came off second best!) gaining huge yards for the team.

LachlanN: a top tackler and always ge ng the backline organised ‐ the ul mate compe tor from start to finish. He made some good friends at Mosman during the season!

Ollie: probably the leading try scorer this year, Ollie pulled us out of a few hairy situa ons with his storming runs and gutsy performances.

Benedict: a pocket rocket who played anywhere and everywhere from wing to hooker. Took on kids twice his size and o en came out on top!

Benny: his ability to read the play is second to none, saved a thousand tries this season and scored quite a few as well!

Adam: had an awesome start but it was disappoin ngly cut short by a broken collar bone. He s ll came along to support his teammates!

Josh: started the season like a fire cracker with two storming performances. Plays much be er when he is angry! He also made some good friends from Mosman.

What a way to finish at our final game. Playing the strongest team in the compe on and cheered on by the other U9 teams, the Bucks stood tall, played their hearts out and went down narrowly. It was the highlight of our me coaching to see such spirit and mateship.

Mick Nelson, Mat Morahan & Jude Morahan

U9 ELKS The season started ominously with the 'U9 Elkies' going down to the Shoresy Boys in their first dust up. Our boys weren't going to take a bea n' like that lying down and things started to heat up for the season.

With Rowan 'The Fury' Ferreira leading the pack and Liam 'Kneecaps' West staring down any pre y boy back line, the fellas started to get a bit of mongrel in them. The first win came up within a couple of games, and word got out there were some new boys in town.

Hamish 'Fingers' Ferguson loved to pilfer the pill in the ght stuff, with 'Whippet' Will Soloman providing air cover and weaving runs amongst the fireworks. Harry 'The Hammer' Pu threw his body on the line game a er game, with James 'The Truth' Truda running at the line, spinning and grinning.

'Growler' Luke Findlay loved the argy bargy stuff with the big boys suppor ng Lukas 'The Dominator' Dale who made big hits and the even bigger hit ups. James 'Marlon' Brandon scared any forward silly enough to get close to him with his fierce hits and fiercer game face.

Ollie 'Davey Jones' loved to bury any backs fast enough to avoid Kneecaps, with Dan 'The Enforcer' Bragg hammering any midfield wannabes. The boys got clean ball and fast feet from Noah 'Hands' Heke to set Cameron 'the Dancer' Reiter off down the track through a field of missed tackles.

Here's looking at you kids! 'contribu ons by Coaches Heke and West aka K2 and Wes e and Manager 'Debutant' Debs'

U9 STAGS What a difference a year makes....

Off the back of a very successful 2013, the stags welcomed some new faces to the team and expanded the coaching team to include Caine Hemsworth, James Rusbourne, Peter Hutchison, and Craig Horlin. A very big thank you to all the coaches who a ended the pre‐season training and provided valuable support for gala days, training and the matches. The team would also like to thank our manager, Alex Malcolm, for once again managing the team and keeping us all updated.

What can we say about our new team members? Jack had an amazing first season and through a lot of dedica on was one of our most improved players for the season. Adisu quickly realised the value of strength and a straight line to break through any defence....leading to tries which any seasoned forward would be very proud of. And Cameron gave us more depth showing abil‐ ity to muscle up with the forwards, or run and turn with the the backs.

The season started with a Gala Day against Norths and Wahroonga and the boys, off the back of an unbeaten 2013, approached the matches with the same sense of confidence they finished in 2013. A couple of very close and hard fought games against Norths and Wahroonga and suddenly the team (parents and coach included) realised that things had changed. The boys re‐ sponded.

From the front ‐ Luke showed intensity and commitment in training and, through this hard work, was one of our most improved players for the season. Leo con nued to deliver those try saving tackles when it really ma ered and was always there in support for his team. Hamish was our man for mauls ‐ making 20 metres against Norths before releasing the ball to our backs to score a try. Thomas was our man to breakdown an a ack and was always the first to his feet to make the next tackle. William complet‐ ed our forward pack and showed great improvement through the season in his passing and tackling.

As for our backs ‐ Max Halliday had another great try scoring season and amazing work rate – with a memorable offload to Jack against Hornsby. One of our most improved backs for the season was without doubt Alex Hutchison. Alex’s ability to shake off a tackle was unrivalled. Archie led from the front ‐ showing experience beyond his years to read the game and guide the team.

Thomas showed great improvement through the season ‐ a fantas c level of commitment in training and great sportsmanship.

Where there was a maul or a ruck, you would always find Angus ‐ one of the most effec ve at turnovers.

Overall, it was another fun and very rewarding season. Our last game against Norths, the same team we had only just managed a close win against at the start of the season, was our best of the season. Well done boys ‐ you finished the season on a real high with memorable performances from all of you!! I'm confident we'll see more great rugby from our U10's in 2015. Go the mighty mighty Stags!!

U9 HIGHLANDERS The U9 Highlanders (aka the Steamrollers) had another great season together. The core of the team tracing its roots back to the U6’s.

Throughout the 2014 season the team improved week to week. Each player accepted responsibility for his role and trusted his teammates to do the same. They played as a team and most importantly, had a great me doing it together.

The standard of rugby that the boys played together was high. Each player reveled in their respec ve job, with the boys being able to step up and match some good teams. Their commitment to one another was evident in how they defended, controlled possession and a acked from kickoff un l the final whistle blew. It also showed in their results, going through the season undefeated, scoring over 225 tries and conceding just 18.

Each weekend, the forwards rolled up their sleeves and accepted the challenge from their opposing pack, with the talented and determine backline running the ball from all parts of the field.

The level of sportsmanship shown at their young age was pleasing to see. A memorable occasion was when the boys played a strong Hornsby side. Hornsby was down a player and the Steamrollers decided they should provide Hornsby with one of our own. Each Steamroller who played for the opposi on took their job just as seriously as they did when playing for their own team. At the end of the game the boys from Lindfield and Hornsby joined arms, huddled together, with Hornsby asking our boys to join them whilst they sang the Hornsby team song.

The mighty forward pack consisted of Kosei Omura, Mitchell Allen‐Paterson, Charlie Rathborne, James O'Meara, Will Stanley and Will Carlaw.

The dazzling backline was made up of Samuel Payne, Alister Yaffa, Oliver Pozzecco, Nick Su on, Sam Terry, Tom Wa s, and Will Hayes.

Whilst there are some very good individual players in this group of boys, it was good to see the team itself being far greater than the sum of its parts.

Our thanks to all the parents for their help, encouragement and enthusiasm, which we received throughout the season.

Jono Terry & Hugh Stanley

U10 HIGHLANDERS The mighty Under 10 Highlanders had a fun year and they improved each week. Under 10’s is a big step for the boys, there is pushing in scrums, contested line outs and a much bigger field for the backs to a ack and defend. We had roughly a 50% win loss record and lost in the plate grand final to a very big and commi ed Blacktown ou it. Our best games were against Chatswood and St Ives where we had great wins. The boys learnt the hard way that if you don’t make tackles you will struggle to win the big games.

From the early season father and son camp the boys grew in their roles as either “piggies” or “princesses”, which was very pleasing. By the end of season there was some running rugby. What really impressed us was the way the team fought really hard in each game and never gave up and this will hold them in good stead in future years. We were both really proud of the effort from all. On to the team: Zac “Power” Steinwede showed great late season form and was outstanding against St Ives.

Zac Lucas, made many great runs and was a consistent performer.

Tasman “Wonder Boy”, scored some great tries and was our best finisher.

Charlie “the animal” Alyes had a great season playing both in the backs and forwards, hew never let the team regardless where he played.

Henry “Raging Bull” Basten, punished the opposi on with powerful clean outs, rampaging running and powerful scrummaging . Congratula ons to Henry of being selected in the Gordon Rep team.

Tom “The Tank” Powell, was outstanding with bustling running, big clean outs and powerful scrummaging.

Gussy “the mungo” Pa erson, had a thumping season at half back and wing in both a ach and defence. He played hard and with great determina on each game.

Archie “The Arrow” Jackson, shot through the defence line with power running. He had number of great runs off the line outs and took the ball up hard from penal es.

Josh”Hughsy”, developed well over the season, with great work in ght, he always contributed..

Ashan“Hard Man” Barr, a powerful forward who loved running with ball and was effec ve in ght. His big clean outs and tackling were a highlight.

Josh “Flash” Hassell, moved out of the forwards and found a new life in the centres. He was excellent in both a ach and defence (Josh you were right all along).

James Whi ng, lead the backs well at number 10. His passing and distribu on skills were very good and he also kicked for goals.

Tommy “O”, had pace to burn on the wing and contributed all season.

Noah “Sure Thing” Holt, has a solid season and played well in every game. He was Mr Reliable and big game in the GF. James “Rocking” Roberts, played very well in the centres all season. He made some great breaks and was solid in defence.

Finally we would like to thank all the Highlander supporters and there were many. Firstly the beau ful Lucy Basten, who combined Age Co‐ ordina ng and Under 6 & 8’s with managing the team. Charlie Powell, Damo and Sheila O”Meara and David Whi ng for all their help on the side‐ line, we could not have done it without you. It was also great to see such vocal support on the side lines, the boys appreciate it.

Congratula ons to the best and fairest player Henry Basten Best Forward and Gus Pa erson Best Back. Goodo and Basto

U10 STAGS U10 Stags ‐ Undefeated Minor Premiers…..We started off with 18 out of 18 saying they were backs; 8 hal acks and 5 5/8ths. We ended with a forward pack who hunted together and a sleek backline culmina ng with wing speedsters. Nobody beat the Stags in the regular season.

All 18 of you should be very proud of yourselves, and remember this for the remarkable 5 months that it has been.

Daniel D ran like the wind, and as importantly, tackled the house down. Not sure whether you scored more tries or saved more, but either way it's worth 5 points.

Tom came from never having played rugby before, to scoring length of the field tries, and kicking match‐saving goals, like the a er the bell effort to save the New‐ port game.

Alex C never slowed down, and was always looking for the loose ball and a chance to make a dar ng run in the centres.

Jesse tackled like a machine in the centres and scored a memorable hat trick against Chatswood.

Liam was rock solid in defence, speedy in a ack, and led the way in cleaning out and outstanding work around the tackle and ruck.

Riley played all year like a kiwi. It hurts to admit it, but that is the highest praise you can give a rugby player.

We can't split Nick L and Hugo as our one‐two hal ack combina on. A er whi ling down the original 8 self‐confessed hal acks, these guys gave terrific service to the backline, doggedly guarded the blindside, and judged the me for dar ng runs from the back of the ruck with perfec on.

Archie was our star number 8. He tackled with real purpose, ran with strength and speed and led the forwards around the paddock.

Our aussie rules convert Nicholas K "got it" straight away, and whilst he only played 3 games, he rapidly became our leading defender, with high quality "ruck rover" hits under the ribs.

Rowan "Tackle Monster" tackled everything that moved. Including his coach at training, the other kids at training, and most importantly, the opposi on forwards who never quite expected that sweet‐looking angel to completely annihilate them.

Adam is a key team member, and single‐handedly preserved the Stags' unbeaten record with a spectacular try‐saving cover‐defensive tackle against Wahroonga.

Unfortunately for all of us, the same tackle broke Adam's shoulder, but we look forward to seeing "The Axe" back next year.

James has become a top rate second rower, who runs it up hard and does the hard stuff in ght all game long.

Super u lity George played pre y well every posi on on the field at some stage of the year. He put in an unforge able man of the match performance against Hills, which he a ributed to having smoked salmon for breakfast (be er than pep des).

Leading our awesome front row (a er ditching the wing posi on) was Daniel B, who provided muscle in the front row and helped the Stags secure ght head ball.

Daniel also stole line out a er line out, at the front.

Alex H was our hooker extraordinaire, holding our scrum together and playing a leading role in the hard stuff in the rucks and mauls.

Noah mastered the arcane witchcra of front row play, consistently suckering the opposi on into pulling back in the scrums only to find that the li le guy on the right hand side had withdrawn forward mo on. Result: Penalty to the Stags.

Billy used his size and strength to great effect, with many smashing runs leading to tries and many opposi on ball runners experiencing regret.

Guys, you made all of us proud. I hope you look back on this with fondness.

You have given coach some great dining out stories, probably the favourite is: Coach: "You musn't cri cise each other. It's a team game. I remember when I was 10, and I dropped the ball with the line open ‐ do you know what my captain came over and said to me?". [Uncomfortable pause]. Daniel B: "You suck?".

Go Stags!

U10 BUCKS

It is has been a great thrill to be involved with the Under 10 Bucks this season. As part of the team management, the highlight for us was watching how a team sport such as rugby can galvanise a group of boys (some of whom had not played rugby before or with each other), give them some basics and see them improve over the season – all of which the Bucks accomplished.

Our boys had a lot to be proud of this season. We had some great wins (many of which were see‐sawing affairs), we scored some great tries and importantly the boys became familiar with the concept of running rugby. This was demonstrated in our three best games of the season against Balmain, Drummoyne and the Semi Final against Wahroonga – rugby you would pay to watch ‐ fast, furious and flamboyant.

Our forward pack learnt the value of opera ng as a unit both around the ruck and maul and the set pieces. As the season progressed, they provided a terrific pla orm for the backline. There were many mes when the opposi on forwards were bigger but our boys were never in midated and always looked to score an advantage over their larger opponents be that with a ght head scrum win or at the clean out.

Our backs showed great skill with ball in hand and in defence. There was always great enthusiasm to run the ball and fortunately we had plenty of pace out wide, which the team used to great effect. There was a single minded focus to pass the ball and look for support and as the backs increasingly interacted, this element of play quickly improved to result in some great tries from all over the park.

The season culminated in the Bucks progressing to the Plate Grand Final. The game was played with passion and enthusiasm and whilst the result didn’t go our way, it was an achievement in itself to be part of it.

Finally, I would like to thank the Bucks’ coach, Brant James. Brant has a great way of making the complex simple ensuring the boys focussed on the basic things each game. He encouraged each and every player and always made an effort to give every boy an individual posi ve to take away from each match. And of course, it could not be done without the enthusiasm and support of the parents ‐ all of whom played a role in making the season a success and more importantly fun. The team management were grateful for all their assistance in the various roles that it takes to get the boys on the field from assistant coaches, touch judges, ground marshalls, jersey washers, right down to the finer things in rugby like oranges and snakes ‐ thank you all sincerely. What a fabulous 2014 season on which to look back!

Jeremy Be s Manager Under 10 Bucks

U10 TARTANS 2014 was a great learning experience for the 10 Tartans. For the majority of the team it was their first year of graded rugby and playing in the 10A compe on, which was a great experience for all involved.

The team won the Plate and played a sensa onal final game. All of the players improved their defence, a ack and set piece play during the season, and most of all the team showed great spirit, never giving up.

Cam Johns was always opportunis c with the quick taps and gaining valuable ground, in addi on to winning a number of ghtheads against bigger packs. The hard‐hi ng William Gunns gained valuable yards up the centre of the field, and in addi on to his brilliant defence was the cornerstone of the scrum. Isaac Bissell used his size and strength to knock the opposi on back in defence and put in some big runs off the side of the ruck.

Ned Ritchens was always a solid tackler and scored a number of tries sidestepping through the forward play. Ned was never afraid to tackle low and contest for the ball. Hugo Foster was consistently cleaning out the opposi on in the rucks and keeping the maul and scrum moving forward. A cus Heaven was always spo ng gaps in the defence close to the ruck to make further vital yards into opposi on territory.

Our number 8 Travis Cox was consistently one of the best defenders in the team always going low and driving the opposi on ball runner back‐ wards.

Joe Hu on was always involved in spoiling the opposi on ball and a devasta ng tackler, along with the added skill of playing scrum half.

James Bathgate, the cheeky scrum half who darted in behind gaps in the defence to pick up tries as well as consistent tackling around the an‐ kles.

Bailey Perkins, captain of our team who had a great season direc ng the traffic in the backline and making numerous breaks through the de‐ fence, in addi on to his sensa onal goal kicking. Peter Spring, a straight, hard running inside centre, and as the season progressed he in‐ creased his line breaks and never took a backward step in defence. James ‘Farro’ Farrington joined the Tartans on a permanent basis from the Highlanders early in the season. Farro’s hard hi ng runs and line breaks at outside centre proved invaluable.

Eddie Timpson, the quiet achiever at outside centre, he was always ready for a big run with pace at crucial points in the game. Max Har‐ greaves, had another blistering season on the wing, being the highest try scorer as well as making numerous try‐saving tackles in cover de‐ fence. Ruby Nicholas, our green headgear wearing speed demon, had great season out wide with a large number big runs down the wing and great cover defence tackles.

Special men on and thanks to our back up players Henry Basten, Archie Jackson and Tom Powell who stepped up giving 100% adding alot of grunt to our forward pack.

Thanks to Head Coach Mark Johns with his great tac cs and knowledge of the game has given our players great skills for future years. Preston Foster for assis ng Mark with the forwards and fitness. Jo Perkins as manager put in countless hours organising the games behind the scene, and massive thanks Hu o for help during the season. We were blessed with the best support team of parents who helped week in, week out.

U11 HIGHLANDERS The Highlanders had an enjoyable though tough season this year, finishing 6th on the ladder. With a roster of 14 players there was some mes a shortage of reserves, but the boys stood up well and embraced the challenge. Playing in the B compe on was also a challenge, usually up against A grade teams, but again the Highlander spirit came to the fore and the boys never stopped trying.

The forward pack really improved over the season, with Angus Ferguson (Best Forward) leading by example, showing great courage and tenacity. Macka Thompson, Aidan Galloway and Gregor Robb in the ght five did the hard yards in both defense and a ack, while the front rowers (Patrick Comesky, Will Stormon) worked hard on the ball and provided plenty of grunt up front. Tobey Finegan at No. 8 blended in well to link up the forwards and backs.

At No. 9 Flynn Thompse had a great season, providing good service from the ruck and plenty of sniping runs to keep the opposi on guessing. Harrison Clubb ran strongly from No. 10 and kicked well. The mid field of Jake Buchanan, Tom Chapman and Ben Heazlewood straightened the a ack, defended resolutely and gave great support to the forwards. Jason McCoy (Best Back) had an outstanding season, his strong running rewarded by several tries, while Will Bowden’s speed and cover defence saved many tries.

A number of Buck’s players helped the Highlanders this year, so thanks to Zac Hall, Nathan Garner, Taine Greenwood, Will Granger and Gabe Carmody for playing with us.

The season finished with a Plate Grand Final appearance, and although we didn’t win the boys showed tremendous spirit and gave a great account of themselves. Thanks to all the boys and their parents for another exci ng year of Lindfield Junior Rugby.

Go the Mighty Highlanders.

Coaches: Ged Finegan, Steve Thompse Manager: Michael Stormon

U11 STAGS The Stags were a combina on of old and new … and large – 5 front‐rowers and a squad of 17. 17 players was quite challenging to manage when all were available, but those numbers ended up being quite useful as we managed more broken arms and injuries than any other team I have been involved in (mothers – none of these actually happened at rugby). When we were at full strength, we performed amazingly well – the 32‐31 loss to Easts was the high point. It is probably strange to say a loss is a high point, but we dominated this game against the best team in the comp and we only lost due to an interes ng interpreta on from the man in the middle. Due to some unfortunate results, we finished up qualifying for the plate and we were good enough to come away with a 28‐14 Plate victory which capped off a good season. The key to the final was to play as a team and that is exactly what they did – strong over the ball and then off to the backs to use the space.

The 2014 Stags were: Forwards: Leo Maher – an in mida ng runner and strong at the breakdowns; James Powell – our hooker and strongest forward who was constantly bel ng it up tap a er tap and breakdown a er breakdown; Harry Woog – post his broken arm, he played really well and loves running the ball, including scoring two tries on the day he had a female fan in the crowd; Max Aurisch – solid scrummager who worked hard around the park; Chris an Ohtaras – really came out of his shell in the second half and was very strong at the breakdown and desperate for the ball; Aidan Taylor – had a great second half and really improved his skills including learning how to pilfer the ball at the breakdown; Sam Giffin – there was nothing finer than seeing Sam breakaway from a ruck pumping those high knees; Kian Wessells – spent the first half of the season as hal ack and then moved to the forwards in the second half … excelled at the pick and drive; George Daley – he could teach his teammates a lot about textbook tackling ‐ just plain tough.

Backs: Felix Harding – moved to hal ack and really found his spot, his enthusiasm was contagious; Ed Ryan – first season of rugby and the smallest guy out there, but never afraid to get involved, great season Ed; Lachlan Quigley – developed a lot over the season, highlighted by some of his work in support at the breakdown in the final ‐ amazing … plus he kicked a lot of goals; Joshua O’Keeffe – if we needed someone to straighten us up or make the one on one tackle, it was Josh – well done; Michael Ryan – first season of rugby and scored a lot of tries, he really developed over the year with his straight running; Stuart Downie – first season of rugby and our flyer, put him in space and he was away – well done Stuart; Harrison Walsh – did a great job once he returned from his broken arm, copybook tackle and fed his backs well; Thiran N – struggled to overcome injuries throughout the year, but when he did play, he was tough and strong and made some great covering tackles.

Thanks to our coach Stephen O’Keeffe who did a great job in teaching the boys this year. Thanks also to Richard Powell for his work with the forwards and to Kendall, Jim and Andrew for all their help at training. Bring on 2015!

U11 BUCKS 2014 Minor premiers! The U11 Bucks con nued on from last year’s impressive season with the core of the team from the U10 Bucks staying together. A few new selec ons bolstered the team along with a couple of posi onal changes had us looking solid from the start. By the me the compe on had started the Bucks looked like a well drilled team right across the paddock.

The Bucks finished the compe on in top spot with 34 points, just one point ahead of St Patricks Juniors. The match of the round was between the top two teams and ended with St Pats narrowly bea ng Lindfield by 19‐15, the difference being two conversions. We would be seeing these guys again when it got to finals!

All the other games were decisive victories to the Bucks and on many occasions were able to keep their opponents scoreless.

For the season the Bucks scored 310 points and conceded only 62, the best defensive record of all the teams in the compe on by a long way.

The boys showed resilience and character throughout the compe on and displayed great sportsmanship and comradery. We trained hard and played hard. The Team: Gabe Carmody (prop) – Mr. Reliable, always in the thick of it and gave 100%. Scored 2 tries Oscar Allen (hooker) – just got be er and be er each game. Managed to get lots of ghtheads. Scored 8 tries Tobey Rowe (prop) – likes the hard yards up the middle, strong over the ball and driving. Scored 2 tries Taine Greenwood (2nd Row) – strong clean out at the breakdown and plenty of running with the ball. Scored 6 tries Nathan Garner (2nd Row) – always looking for an opportunity to take the ball up and chalked off some good yards. Scored 5 tries Ben Payne (#8) – never stopped, tackled boys twice his size all day and directed the front row. Scored 2 tries Ned Waddington (#8) – played as a loose forward and ran like a back. The team kicker with 27 conversions and scored 12 tries Lewis Hartley (half back) – a great pass to both sides, always busy and some dar ng runs. Scored 6 tries Zac Hall (5/8) – captain of the team. Great running and distribu ng the ball. Back up kicker with 7 conversions and 3 tries Henry Pozzecco (centre) – strong running up with ball in hand and a good step. Scored 3 tries Jay Tunnicliffe (centre/wing) – elusive runner on a ack and never shied away from the hard work. Scored 2 tries Tobey Heke (centre/wing) – the best tackler in the team and also good on a ach out wide. Took some big hits. Scored 3 tries Carlton Hogan (wing) – a decep ve runner with ball in hand made the tackles. Scored 5 tries Will Granger (wing) – scoring machine! Scored one of the best tries running down the sideline with only millimetres to spare.

Scored 19 tries The team could not have enjoyed such a wonderful season without our superb manager Tash Rowe and the coaching team of Mark Greenwood, Mark Tunnicliffe and Jack Garner.

U11 TARTANS A er a successful 2013 season, the Tartans returned en masse for the 2014 season with one thing on their minds…..revenge. They fell at the last hurdle to Seaforth last year, and were determined to change things this year. ith Bondy and Space at the helm, the boys were in good hands. We had lost 2 players in the off season, but picked up some fresh faces also….thank you New Zealand.

The engine was again filled by Hamish, Henry and Xavier. They were not always the biggest in stature against other front rowers, but their hearts were always bigger…and they always dominated their opposi on. They have formed a great combina on, and caused havoc all over the field.

The mountains behind them, Max, Blake and Alec were back, and bashed the opposi on week in, week out. They all tackled hard, ran hard, and were strong at the breakdown. Loved the tough stuff.

At the back of the pack, Ethan was dominant. 1st to the breakdown, stealing the ball, ending an opposi on movement…he was everywhere. Will make a great 7 next year.

We had 2 hal acks, Will and Harry, both of whom hit in tackles like forwards, and created space for the boys outside them. Both had vision, and were willing to take the opposi on on.

Outside them was Dom, a gi ed athlete with a lot of courage. He would turn up to games having won 4 athle cs events, and then cut the other team to ribbons with his incisive running…and also a very strong tackler.

The centre’s, Archie and Vlad, were both very strong runners, and rarely missed a tackle. They set up those outside them, and made sure the team went forward. Archie also nailed 10 from 10 at one stage….nice work!!

The flying wingers…Connor and Jack. Between them they scored about 100 tries this year, but also stopped about 50 through their fantas c de‐ fensive work. Both lightning quick, and once in the clear, it was me to put down your glasses. No team could want be er finishers outside them.

To Lynda, our super manager, a very big thank you. Did so much work to make sure things ran smoothly for the boys, & the parents. You’re gold!!

To Bondy and Space, the boys are eternally grateful to both of you for helping them be be er rugby players. Both great players in your own right, thank you very much for your me in coaching these boys to be the best that they can be.

To Chris, Dugald and Greg, thanks for running the line, running the water, and basically doing all the running. The other parent’s knees thank you.

BREAKING NEWS…….MISSION ACCOMPLISED!!!!.The boys won the Premiership. They beat Seaforth 12‐5 in a very hard fought, and bruising de‐ fensive ba le. Congratula ons to the boys and the coaches.

U12 HIGHLANDERS The Highlanders got off to a great start in early 2014 with the return of 12 of the 2013 U11 Highlanders, complemented by the inclusion of a number of strong transfers from other teams in the age group and benefi ng from the con nua on of the magic of the James/Lloyd coaching combina on. Midway through the season, with Coach Lloyd going walkabout for an extended period, the Highlanders enjoyed the return of Coach John Sco who, with the same Joeys pedigree, seamlessly assumed control of the backline, though not the sprint training.

A er a first round bye, the boys met a strong Chatswood team, which had improved considerably from 2013. It was clear to the Highlanders a er that game that they had their work cut out for them. The season saw some very strong games with an early win in round 3 in a hard fought game against Narrabeen, which unfortunately wasn’t to be repeated un l round 12 where, in a tough game against Mosman, the boys turned the tables in the final moments of the game and snatched the win.

That night the mood of the Mosman coaches and parents was fros er than the icy winds at Rawson Park.

While not always evident from the match results, the Highlanders games were o en close for much of the 50 minutes, with strong and commi ed defence and aggressive work at the breakdown the hallmarks of the boys’ game and coaches’ instruc ons. The backline, with room to move, was great to watch. The Highlanders’ self‐confidence as a team grew throughout the season and games such as Sylvania (round 8), Easts Wallaroos (round 11) and Hillview (round 13), demonstrated to the boys that they were very compe ve against the top of the table teams, winning halves and holding them out for much of the games.

The Highlanders (and friends) enjoyed an interna onal game in 2014, invited by Wahroonga to play against its guests, the touring Sanda team from Japan. The games against Sanda and a composite Sanda/Wahroonga team were played in great spirit and, to the joy of honorary coach Andronicus, resulted in an improvement to the Highlanders’ win/loss ra o for the season.

Throughout the season, the boys drew great support from clubmen (generally from the Bucks and Tartans), who filled the Highlanders ranks when needed. Many of the Highlanders had the chance to play in some of the other teams in the age group and were grateful for the opportunity.

Finally, on behalf of the boys, thank you to coaches James, Lloyd, Sco (together with Andronicus and Gallagher for their cameo, but effec ve, coaching roles) and the wonderful Highlanders’ parents whose camaraderie and willing par cipa on made the season such a wonderful success at every level.

U12 BUCKS I write this just having watched the mighty Bucks team compete in the semi final against Oatley and realising that this, their last game actually encompassed all the hall marks of their season. A team grouped from players across the Highlanders, Bucks and Stags were pi ed against an equally formidable opposi on resul ng in a game of ght and tough rugby with matching displays of determina on and on field encouragement that have been characteris c throughout the year.

2014 saw the boys stepping up to a full 15 man team and the dynamics of having breakaways. There was plenty of training around effec ve scrum composi on, correct , hard tackling, breakdown techniques, line outs and most importantly the use of TEAM work. Like all teams, the Bucks had their fair share of wins, losses, good games and sloppy games and amongst it all managed to make it through to the cup semi finals yet again. Not a bad effort from a team that has been plagued by illness and injury requiring weekly recruits from our fellow team mates at the Highlanders and Stags (to whom we are eternally grateful). Each of the boys have shown great individual improvements across the season whilst simultaneously strengthening the bonds of friendship – one of the great by‐products of the code.

The talented back line made up of....

Jackson Burton (Ac on) – Adventurous on the field….Dan Nicholas (Broken Wing) – Ducked and dived but didn’t see his brother coming….Luca Burne (Zip Zip) – Fast and interchangeable. Probably has a toy built in his honour….Gary Mullins (one step le of Centre) ‐ Here one minute over the line the next….Eddie Bell (One Direc on) – Full steam ahead...Rana Alva (The Wall) – Kept the Hordes out….Ethan Rheinberger (The Machine) – Well‐oiled and slick….Dan Stovold (Gladiator) –Unleashed hell ….Angus Whiteing – (Road Runner) – Kept one step ahead (see below)….Marcus Shaw (Wild Coyote) – Plenty of tricks up his sleeve Our formidable forwards were led by....

Harry O’Connor – (the Magician) – Appears out of no where….James Riordan – (Ca le Dog) – Round them up and over the top….Tim Thackray – (The Hammer) – The ul mate piece of equipment….Nick Robson ‐ (The Cleaner) – Nothing gets le behind….Nic Middleton ‐ (The Hulk) – Beware, don’t get him angry!....Ed Lenehan ‐ (Jarrod Hayne) – All the skills….Lachie Donaldson ‐ (The Mechanic) – Makes everything work….Will Hofman – (Terminator) – No one walks away….Ryan Jenkins – (Demoli on Man) – Destroys everything in his path.

I would like to thank my co manager Mandy for her much needed assistance and applaud our various helpers throughout the season from the touch judges and ground marshals, to the parents and grandparents who managed to ferry the boys to and from the training and match days.

Finally, a special men on to our ever commi ed coaches, Middo, Thackers and Pete who both went out of their way again to devote a not inconsiderable amount of me and effort into training and guiding the boys. They have provided them with a solid founda on for the next season.

U12 TARTANS The 2014 season should be considered a breakthrough year for this playing group. Although a record of 4W‐1D‐7L does not appear overly impressive, we must recognise the high standard of compe on we face each week in A grade. In previous years we had struggled against the likes of Harbord, Manly and Wahroonga. This year has proven that we really closed the gap on these teams. Had it not been for such an unfortunate run of illness, injury and unavailability, we would have won some of these games and perhaps enjoyed a wave of confidence to carry us through the season. The boys and girls of the U12 Tartans have proven that they can do it ‐ next year we will do it!

In 2014 we welcomed some new players to the squad. Liam Tai and Henry Daunt added some much needed size and strength to the front row.

Michael Eid gave us some height and took control of the lineout. Ethan Burgess made an impressive return to top form a er a nasty injury in 2013.

Alec Bathgate added great versa lity to the backline as our u lity player. Campbell Johnson made the newly created posi on of fullback his own, and Oskar McCook stepped up to the Tartans in only his second year of rugby.

Our exis ng group included Rory Egan the missile, Max Holmes the speedster, Tom Johnston the rock, Grant Tucker the cleanout King, Andrew Spring the tackling machine, fancy feet Ben Dowling, and Junior Stals the scavenger. Billy McGuirk showed that he can play anywhere in the pack, while Harry Nielsen & Luke Harrison made the difficult transi on from the backline to prove themselves as valuable forwards, and Tom Sco developed very nicely into the vital No10 role. Special men on must go to Charlize Grace who will be sorely missed next year. She has shown great skill and courage in a sport that she clearly loves. We wish her all the best for her future in Rugby.

Congratula ons must go to Michael, Grant, Rory, Harry, and Justus for being selected in the Gordon U12 Rep team. Well done to Ben and Luke for the honour of being appointed Captain and Vice Captain of this team. We also saw Oskar and Max selected in the U11 Rep team, and TJ in the U12 Warringah Rep team. Having the opportunity to play at the State Championships is a valuable experience. Well done.

Special commenda on also to Michael and Grant for represen ng their areas in the school state championships, and in par cular to Michael for captaining the winning Mackillop team and being chosen in the NSW U12 team. There is no higher reward for U12 players.

Many thanks to all the parents and extended families, not only for your sideline support, but also for washing jerseys, cu ng up oranges, doing BBQ duty, or officia ng as a linesman or ground marshall. The team simply cannot func on without this valuable help.

Recogni on must also go to Justus Snr and Duncan for your reless efforts behind the scenes. You both took on a very me consuming yet rewarding task this season and did a terrific job. The three personali es complimented each other and formed a great team. I would also like to praise Junior and Mikey for outstanding leadership. You are universally respected by the en re Tartan family and should both be very proud of yourselves.

Coaching this team was an absolute pleasure. Being a good rugby player is not just about skill but also about a tude. The U12 Tartans are a superb bunch of boys and girls on their way to becoming outstanding adults. They showed great respect, enthusiasm, and commitment. They listened, learnt, prac ced, and applied new skills. This led to improvement in ability both as individuals and as a team. I certainly enjoyed being a part of their development and hope to see them all again next year.

(And a special thank you to coach Harro for his reless efforts throughout the season. The me, effort, knowledge, emails, texts and sleepless nights that he dedicated to the team throughout the season were astounding, and greatly appreciated by the Tartans. DB) Brad Harrison

U12 STAGS What a season this one proved to be. The start of the season le us unsure as to whether or not we would have 3 or 4 teams… 4 it was so off we went through the trials. The team seemed to gel well and it became evident early on that we were going to have some genuine pace throughout our back line.

Our forward pack was well drilled and held its own in most games, up front Josh Heasman, Ed Hosken and Jeremy Cartwright served us well in scrums as well as the breakdown. Many an opposi on player trying the pick and go found themselves running into a brick wall. Second row was shared between Tommy North, Tom Hart and Ronan Comeskey; these boys proved to be our engine room with some very strong running. Loose forwards were Daniel Morrissey, Ewan Drummond, Mark Castrisos and Charlie Rigby; these players proved themselves at the breakdown and par cularly in broken play, always on the hunt.

Our trusty and ever willing half back Declan O’Donovan, combined very well with Jackson Heap at fly half. This was a new posi on for Jackson this year and he excelled showing very good vision and op ons. Declan’s smaller stature proved no impediment to tacking some of the large forwards coming at him. Goes to show it’s not the size of the boy in the tackle, but the size of the tackle in the boy.

Our outside backs were electric – Huck Warneford was solid at inside centre, passing when required but also straightening and running hard as and when required. Max played mostly at outside centre and provided great service to the wingers. Ryan Marsh is an example to all the boys in his effort and ability; he provided enthusiasm and a great dedica on to the team. Our wingers of Seb Smith, Lachlan Smith and Flynn Winckel set the team alight with unbelievable pace and skill and a great determina on. Flynn’s ability to step was a sight to behold, Lachlan’s speed and aggression was simply freakish and it seems hard to believe that it was Sebas an’s first year in rugby.

Lastly to our trusty captain at full back Hamish Quigley, always the first at training, ever the strategist and all round team player.

His conversion kicking along with Jackson was incredible. A coach could not ask for a be er Captain.

We were reasonably consistent all season with a few losses that on reflec on we felt we could have won, none the less we found ourselves finishing top of the plate play off. The boys were very keen to finish this off. The semi‐final was an extremely ght contest and we managed to win through to the grand final against Forest. The GF was an extremely ght game, with the final siren sounding Forest were in front and we were awarded a final penalty, one last chance and the boys rallied and Lachlan Smith ran around two thirds of the Forest team then right over the top of the remaining third to crash over in the corner. It exemplified that a champion team will win close games and that we did. What a privilege to have coached along with Rob Warneford these fine young men.

U13 HIGHLANDERS A wonderful year for the 13 Highlanders.

Robbed of the minor premiership by the last round wash‐out, the boys regrouped and played with true spirit to beat a very physical Dural side and make the Grand Final.

The Grand Final didn't quite go our way, however coaches Guy and Aaron were very happy with the determina on and com‐ mitment the boys showed against a Burraneer team with 8 representa ve players. The point to note here is that our team was in a compe on full of A teams and the boys not only survived‐ they excelled making the grand final and finishing second.

Special thanks to our coaches Guy Thompson and Aaron Chris e. Guy and Aaron have coached this team for 2 years and it has been a pleasure to see the boys mature and grow under their guidance. Special thanks also to our parent group who supported our boys in the spirit of the game and were very willing to lend a hand when needed.

It was especially pleasing to see the 13s work together as an age cohort through‐out the season, suppor ng each other at training and on game day and ul mately delivering all 3 teams into the Grand Final ‐ with 2 premierships!

Many thanks to our Age Group Co‐ordinator Phil Paterson who I know spent many hours in the background ensuring that our teams took to the field.

Hope to see as many boys as possible returning next year for this fine club as we are all convinced the boys can take it to the next level.

Simon Brady Manager

U13 TARTANS As defending premiers from 2013, we expected a demanding year, with other teams determined to knock us off our perch. But all the surviving boys from last year were commi ed to going back to back.

We welcomed several new, highly talented, boys into the team, and it was clear from the outset that the founda ons were there to achieve our stated goal.

Stage one was achieved with the Tartans taking out the minor premiership, losing only one match along the way. Stage two was achieved with a win against the talented Easts Wallaroos team in the major semi‐final. We had made it into another grand final and the chance to play on Concord Oval.

Our powerhouse forward pack was the cornerstone of our success. There is no be er front‐row in the comp than ours, with Sam Birkin, Nathan Davis and Lee Tanoi all using their robust frames to smash through opposi on forwards. We gained great thrust from our locks in Lachlan Saar, Ben Ringrose and Jordan Cameron, all of whom worked with great intensity and determina on. On the sides, Angus Houston, Billy Pollard, Oscar Cheal and Tom Paterson worked relessly, and grassed opposi on runners with copybook tackles. At the back of the scrum, Tom Gratwicke was his usual professional self and con nued an amazing try scoring count. Finn Spalding did an outstanding job covering all forwards posi on, and as the season progressed, we saw some great intensity in Finn’s charges at the line.

In the backs, Darcy Fitzgerald served our backline with accurate and strong passes, and he never let an opposing half get the be er of him.

Nick Chan was our regular fly half, and he controlled our backs with composure and asser ve communica on. Our centres, Sam Rechner and Kyle Galloway, were outstanding, forming an impregnable defensive line, and making huge metres with their thrust and speed. Some of Kyle’s tries simply needed to be seen to be believed. Boy, can he motor. On the wings, Harrison Layton , Archie Woodhill and Kaeo Weekes brought significantly different skills to the role, but all three were solid in defence and in diffusing kicks. Fullback was Oli Griffiths, and despite his rela ve size compared to the monsters he encounters, his defence was outstanding. He excelled, too, in crea ng countera acking opportuni es for us. Last but not least, Ben Pollack took on the back’s u lity role for the season. Ben filled in in all backline posi ons, and it was great to have someone with his experience and skill to do so.

Stage three was grand final day – a replay of our semi‐final against Easts Wallaroos! And I am happy to say, stage three was a success, with a 22 to 5 win. We did it again!

Thanks to all the boys for being a great team to coach. Thanks Kate for your outstanding management. Thanks Tarmo for you guidance and direc on. See you next year as we aim for three.

Award for best forward – Lee Tanoi. Award for best back – Kyle Galloway Space and Michael

U13 BUCKS A Year on the Edge A slow start to the season with a draw, win & 2 losses in the first 4 rounds put the Bucks on the precipice for the remainder of the season. Any losses over the remaining 6 rounds would have put the boys out of conten on for a finals berth.

A er some intensive training sessions the boys rallied, found their rhythm, discipline and cohesion just in me to make a run at the finals, and what a run it turned out to be. They came home like a runaway freight train winning 5 on the trot before it all came down to the final round against Newport. Win that game, and the boys guaranteed their place in the finals, lose and there was every chance 5th would be the final posi on on the ladder. In what was an epic ba le, the Bucks came away with the chocolates and cemented 3rd posi on on the ladder.

It was now all about finals footy Could the team win 9 in a row to take home the trophy? Coaches Himmelhoch and Kee had them primed and ready to go. The freight train con nued to pick up pace. Cleaning up a gallant Narrabeen team 27–12 in the first final, then shocking Mosman to be 27–0 up at half me in the second semi before running out comfortable 27 – 12 victors to gain a Grand Final berth. The boys were certainly peaking at the right me of the year.

The Bucks saved their best effort of the season for last. In what was a complete team performance, the boys played with equal amounts of flair, aggression and determina on to dominate Newport for the majority of the game. Running away with a resounding 29–0 win to seal the premiership. What a win, what a season.

Well done to all involved, the parent group pitched in all season and were fantas c. The players improved throughout the season and played with spirit and camaraderie every me they ran out onto the park.

Special thanks to Peter Himmelhoch and Andrew Kee. Relentless posi ve energy, encouragement and care developed the boys’ rugby significantly. More importantly, they helped the boys truly understand and value the magic of team, sportsmanship and respect.

U14 TARTANS Congratula ons to all involved with the Tartans this year with what was as a most enjoyable season. We had some highs and lows on the paddock, but at all mes maintained a great level of team moral and mateship. We suffered a couple of tough losses in the middle part of the season, due numerous injuries, but managed to regroup and finish the season well, qualifying for the semi finals. This is no mean feat in the A comp containing the best teams in Sydney! Unfortunately, we went down in the minor semi in a high scoring affair against Hunters Hill, but there was no shame in what was arguably our best game of the season.

We welcomed some new and old faces back to the Tartans in 2014, with Josh Officer, Josh Bowd, Ben Turner, Alex Di Sano, Nick Van Beek, Pat Lonie and Anthony Su on being selected in the side. All of these boys were welcomed immediately both as mates and teammates and should be congratulated for the way they 'stepped up' and played this year.

We had seven boys selected in rep sides this year, and I am sure we could have had more had they chosen to trial.

Congratula ons to Nathaniel Panozzo, Luke Reimer, Julian Heaven, Luke Thackray, Tom Cameron and Jake Wa s who played for Gordon while Sam Johnston headed over the bridge to play for Easts. Nathaniel, Luke R and Tom were then selected to represent Sydney U14's who played against Country. Congratula ons to all of these boys and I wish them all further success in years to come.

In any club, it is an honour to be recognised for milestones reached, this year we saw the following boys receive jerseys for their great service to Lindfield, 150 club games ‐ Luke Reimer, Josh Farr‐Jones and Ben Fawce . 100 club games ‐ Harry Barkl, Josh Bowd, Mitch Cannell, Julian Heaven and Luke Thackray. All boys should be very proud of these achievments!!

To the other boys, Nelson Roberts, Ed Glendinning, Charlie Wallace and Josh Gu entag, thanks for your fantas c efforts during the season.

I would like to thank co‐coach Paul 'S nky' Reimer, we have been playing or coaching together at Lindfield since we were U7's.

I am sure the boys got sick of our dinasour stories of 'how things were in the old days' !! Sorry lads, it's just how we roll! Thanks also to our trainer, Phil Wa s, who organised some great games of touch at training and always had the boys organised on game days. To Nick Gu entag, our manager and Bre Cameron, our age coordinator, thanks as always for your organising of rosters and impecable admin skills!! Thanks to all of the parents, who shared the load of jersey washing, bringing oranges, assistant refereeing, canteen and ground marshalling du es, clubs don't survive without all this valuable help.

It has been fantas c to watch these boys develop into a wonderful team, but more importantly a great bunch of friends and responsible young men. Thanks for the opportunity to coach the boys, we have enjoyed every part of the year. Good luck to those who may not be back next season, and to the others, we look forward to seeing everyone in 2015! Cheers, Pickles

U14 LINDFIELD/KWP This year marked the first joint venture between Lindfield and Gordon Junior Village Club, Killara West Pymble.

Why a JV? With a ri on to other sports and external factors, rugby at this age group suffers to field players as we may have done in the juniors in the past. There is certainly an amount of synergy between Lindfield and KWP – whether it be through school or Golden Oldies or even a few who have played subbies rugby in the too distant past.

Both Clubs were determined to field a side or two who were not A Grade players but would be compe ve and made up of young men who wanted to PLAY RUGBY ‐ week in week out, not le on the sidelines and not playing under their Club colours or worse s ll playing for someone else. The JV plays in registered Club socks and swaps jerseys.

We started with about one and a half sides and as luck would have it, a lot of boys signed on in the last week and the joint venture team was le with 32 players. We had two choices: 15 in the run on team and 17 on the bench, or 2 teams with 1 reserve each. We chose the la er ‐ forming an U14D and U14E team.

Finally and cri cally, to be compe ve we would need the coopera on of all the players and family and friends.

Sounding like a Hollywood cliche the highs were high and the lows were low but that is what happens when you have such a diverse mix of players. It proves that ul mately you need to play as a team and everyone needs to be on their game to reach your true poten al as we had rep players playing alongside first year players. One week would not drop a ball and be as precise as a professional team; next week we would not be able to hold the ball for more than 1 phase of play.

The D Team throughout produced solid structured performances, the forwards dominated the scrums and the clean outs and stuck to the game plan while the backs went to ground without throwing the speculators and ran the ball.

For the E Team it was an interes ng year. We had boys who played their first game, made their first tackle, joined their first ruck and scored their first try. Sure there were more than a few rugby lessons dished out on the field ‐ no ma er the score the boys kept trying.

Proudly the coaches can see each player in the squad develop composure, improve their skills and enjoy playing rugby.

A huge thank you to the boys who backed up weekly for the E's and the D's, as there were many mes throughout the season where the D team fielded 14 or 15 players of which 3 or 4 were rushing from the E game and vice versa.

A BIG thank you to the parents who came to support the boys week in week out – the coaching staff wear their emo ons on their sleeves when it comes to our boys playing rugby and we appreciate you all do to! Special men on to Todd Smart, Ross Kirbyshire and Geoff Hancock for officia ng the sidelines.

And finally from us we look forward to next year. Hoo Haa, Sean, Mark, Jason and Sco .

U15 HIGHLANDERS

Another great season, where a great team from 2013 carried on into 2014 with the same camaraderie and team spirit as they had in the prior year. While we won the premiership last year, we came up short this year, falling at the semi final to miss the chance to play in the Grand Final. The weather played a part and Newport were the be er team in the wet, (although why is it their players always look different in the finals !). We clearly prefer dry tracks to get that front foot ball for our big backs.

The 2014 team saw the majority of our 2013 boys return. We added a few boys from Epping and gained a couple of new boys, but the same team spirit and enjoyment of the game from the prior year con nued.

We had a slower start to the season ge ng our rhythm, however, towards the last 4 to5 rounds, we started to get our game together and put some big scores on a few of the teams. It was somewhat surprising that a er the Roseville St Ives game (Lindfield 67 – 17), their manager accused us of using A grade players, because there was no way we could have played that much be er from the early rounds. We were the same team, just a different a tude on the day. We also enjoyed some good wins over the 2 stronger teams, Forest and Newport and between the 3 of us, we were the benchmark in the compe on.

For the team, we had a great bunch of forwards, with a number of players improving substan ally over the season. Led by our fantas c full of energy Captain, Louis Wright, we were at many mes a strong pack with some good ball carrying capability. Well done to each of Tom Moore, Myles Elston, Jason Park, Luke Strachan, Braydon Learmouth, Mat Williams, James Penfold, Louie Wright, Angus Davidson, Kyle Macleod, Alec Johnson and Cooper Gibbs.

Our backs played really well throughput the season, with combina on of Finn Purkiss, Lachlan May, Armin Kasler, George Gardiner, Tim Payne, Lachlan Stuart, James Davis, Rob Hanson, Richard Copnall, Tim Doyle and Josh Chan all making a significant contribu on in numerous combina ons. Despite differing levels of skills and experience, the backline moved ahead of itself from the 2013 team, as the boys gained confidence in their ball carrying and running capability.

A big thank you to Dave Gardiner, Nick ODonohue and James Stuart for assis ng in coaching, our fantas c team manager in Linda Davidson and support as usual when required from Brooke Stuart. A big thank you also to great bunch of parents in the Highlanders team overall, whom shared the passion and spirit of the Highlanders through the season.

Thanks also to U15 age coordinator Geoff Sullivan and Tartans coach Bernie Rorke for their assistance and support during the season. To all the boys of the U15 Highlanders, I look forward to bringing you back together next year, to build on the 2014 season and go for another Grand Final berth. You were a great group to coach, you loved your Rugby and you had true team spirit.

See you in 2015.

U15 TARTANS

The Under 15 A grade compe on was extremely tough and the standard of rugby was high. We just missed the finals, however it was a very rewarding season with some great highlights.

The most notable was our victory over Hunters Hill, undefeated champions for the past few years. The boys played with passion, confidence and teamwork and showed that, on our day, we could beat any team in the compe on. Late in the season, we also scored an outstanding victory over second‐placed Clovelly despite being able to field only 14 players.

We started with a squad of 23, but a er just two weeks we had lost two of our Gordon representa ves (Nick O’Donohue and Simon Tooth) for the season. The inspira onal Charlie Rorke required knee surgery halfway through the comp and various injuries ruled out a handful of other boys for the last third of the season. We were therefore lucky to have even one reserve for the last five games of the year.

The joys of Under 15 management were epitomised by our game against KWP when only 13 boys could take the field for the kick off, with one wai ng on the street for his dad to bring his forgo en mouthguard and one helping his lost dad find the ground. We had a full team a er 15 minutes, but one boy was sin‐binned soon a erwards and another had to leave the field a er suffering a head knock. Despite playing with 13 or 14 for the en re game, we secured a courageous draw.

Against this background, the six boys who played every game must be applauded for their commitment and team spirit. They were Hunta Campbell, Luke Mahoney, Seb Nichols, Hugh Roberts, Jack Sharp and Ben Sullivan. Ben Sullivan racked up 150 games for Lindfield this season and Jack Sharp and Pat Guihot reached the 100 game milestone. Rhys Hope played every game for the first two thirds of the season before injury struck him down while Tom Fenwicke and Nick Gell also had an injury‐riddled year.

Congratula ons to the nine boys who were rewarded with representa ve honours. Jayden Burgess, Frank Cutler, Michael Fenn, Saul McCredie, Malu Nona, Jaxon Pe ersen, Callum Quinn, Hugh Roberts and Charlie Rorke were all selected to play for Gordon.

Michael Fenn’s outstanding performances resulted in him being selected for Sydney and NSW. Hunta Campbell, Joe Hansen, Luke Mahoney, Will Massey and Sachin Wanta all joined Lindfield this year a er their previous club teams “folded”. The way these new boys were welcomed warmly into the team highlighted a wonderful aspect of junior club rugby.

Our last game of the season was against compe on heavyweights Hunters Hill. They were at full strength with seven reserves.

We had only 13 starters and borrowed two players to field a team. The game was played in great spirit and our boys refused to finish the game early despite a ballooning scoreline. In the second half, our props lived their dream of playing in the centres, unveiling their closet chip and chase skills. The result was irrelevant, the boys were just loving their rugby. It was a great way to end the season.

U16 TARTANS The U16s is an age group other priori es take over from rugby, so it was fantas c the boys rallied to ensure a team was formed.

A great group of young men, only one season off being lifelong friends, in the transi on to junior to senior rugby.

Tyler Baltussen, an outstanding player, the polite larrikin & gentleman of the team…...Nathan Bhomer, a talented "Jack of all trades" winning line outs in the forwards and scoring tries with the backs…...Nick Brown, like all hookers, a leader on the field with plenty of staying power. The only player s ll going from the U7s!.............Harry Cannel, our captain who lead from the front!

His representa ve selec on is testament to his ability…………..Nathan Davis, new to rugby but a no nonsense centre who played with physicality and clarity…………...Jake Hind, an upfront player, respected by his team mates and protec ve of his mates....every team needs a Jake !!...................The Hrdina twins, Nick and Vin, new to the club and most welcome as an outstanding go forward players………………..Jack James, only our players knew "Big Jack" looked scarier than his personality would allow, but he reveled in the opportunity when called to the front!!!..............Harry Lane, another new player to our club, his strong up front style of play inspired many players to follow him "up the middle"……………..Hamish Liney, an outstanding improver this season, making an impact whenever he was on field…………..Josh Marsh, an exci ng player whose tally of points for tries scored is only be ered by the points he saved as the last line of defense..…………...Richard Maynard, new to the club but whose talent stood out, fast around the field and strong in the tackle………..Ma y McElroy, his fearless engagement is reminder of what correct technique over size can achieve………….Oliver Meagher, distance meant Ollie couldn’t make every game, but when available he certainly made an impact!.........................Hugo Owens an enthusias c player who loved the front row and whose strength kept the team driving forward. ……………….Ben Pa ield, our enforcer and debater who brought good humour to training but focus and drive on the field………….Ma Sears, had an elaborate new back line move at every training session!.....but he can run and is one of the team’s great finishers…………….Oliver Sims was our most valuable recruiter! Great to see him back as a key hard man in the forwards!...............Mike Singin, our most improved player this year. Not blessed with great size yet his ability grew with the season……………..Nick Steere, new to the club (even if his father isn’t), soon earned respect with commi ed running, solid tackling and courage under the high ball………….Spencer Wagner’s commitment o en saw him carry injury either on or off the field. Tough, a great player and a good bloke………….Tom Wilks, a point scoring machine !!!.....Directed the backs and every shot at goal was a forgone conclusion of success.

This season is likely to see the end of Kurt & my Junior coaching career, I have made lifelong friends in the parents, co‐coaches & I’m proud to say players.

I look forward to merely running the line for the Lindfield Junior Opens next year, where I will again get to see you all again.

Good Luck to the players, Best Regards, Kurt & Junior

LINDFIELD U17/OPENS We welcomed a few new faces to the team this year in Will, Gazzards, Wardy, Ben, Logan and Jack, and the 17’s and 18’s came together to form a tight‐knit group that had a lot of fun at training and put their bodies on the line for each other in games.

We had a harder draw than most, having to play all the top teams twice, which really improved the standard of rugby the Opens were playing towards the end of the season, and unfortunately with a washout in the last round, we didn’t get to play our local rivals. We finished the season around the middle of the table, with 5 wins, equal to Hornsby, Oatley and Blue Mountains, however, we had forfeited twice in the season due to HSC and representative commitments, so our table points were slightly lower than them.

We had some tight games this season, which meant our for and against ratio was one of the better ones in the lower half of the comp.

Oatley, Beecroft (2nd round) and Newport (1st round) games come to mind as close, tightly‐fought games where the boys really dug deep for each other and either won or only lost by a couple of points.

Highlights of the season were:

       

Couple of Spectacular tries against Blue Mountains with Geordie and Brandon working like they’ve played together for years.



Playing the English touring sides, and toughing it out in the dust to win against Sir John Hampden Grammar on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Tryon, to hear the visitors complain in their perfect accents “Sir, I have dirt in my gum‐guard…....”

Our first half against Wests, where we worked out a way to beat players much bigger than us.

Awesome defense against Newport up at Porter’s Oval, which is one of the most hostile clubs to visit.

Bone‐crunching defence from McElroy, Brent and Harper Perfection in the lineouts from Kaz, Smitty and Simon Hard‐hitting runs up the centres by Gaz, Brandon and Tapa The huge on‐field improvement we saw from Adam G, Aidan and Jack 13 of our players being selected to represent Gordon at the State Champs in June, with 6 named in the Sydney U17s trial squad, and both Brandon and Sam going onto be selected in the NSWU17s team, who play in October.

 NO Red cards The players voted for B&F, and it was tight competition between Brandon, Tim, Sam, Geordie and Josh McElroy, so congratulations to all those players on their great seasons.

This year, we also have a number of boys receiving recognition for the games played for Lindfield. 100 games to James and Brent, 150 games to Mike and Jarrad and 200 games to Sam. Well done boys!

Congratulations to all players on a great season for Lindfield this year. Good luck in Colts for the older ones, and we hope to see you the rest of you back next year.

Alex, Rory and Margot

Lindfield Junior Rugby Club would like to thank our Age Group sponsors for 2014

Lindfield Junior Rugby Club would like to thank our Age Group sponsors for 2014

Man of the Match sponsor for 2014