SMGS Sports 2025
Recent Old Michaelian Champions
Lily Bell-Tanner (OM 2022)
Lily Bell-Tanner, one of Victoria’s top baseball talents, rose from the junior state team in 2019 to a key role with the Victoria Aces. A powerful hitter and precise outfielder, she has starred in three straight National Championships (2022–24). Lily was also the captain of St Michael’s First Softball Team throughout her schooling life.
Brodie Summers (OM 2011)
A celebrated Old Michaelian, Brodie Summers represented Australia on the grand stage of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Competing in the Men's Moguls, he secured an impressive 13th place finish. Known for his grit and commitment to skiing, Summers has established himself as a significant competitor in the world of winter sports.
Sean Wroe (OM 2003)
Old Michaelian Sean Wroe has had an outstanding career in athletics, excelling particularly in the 400m. Since reaching the finals at the Junior World Championships in 2004, he has earned silver at the World University Games, bronze at the World Championships, and gold at the Commonwealth Games. With national titles and international medals, Wroe has left an enduring legacy in Australian athletics.
Col Pearse (OM 2021)
Col Pearse has become a star in the world of swimming. He debuted at the 2019 World Para Championships, earning a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly. At the Tokyo Paralympics, he took home a bronze, followed by silver and gold at the 2022 World Para Championships and Commonwealth Games, respectively. Recently, Pearse won silver in the 200m Individual Medley at the 2024 Paris Olympics, showcasing his perseverance and elite skills.
Izzy Huntington (OM 2017)
Izzy Huntington made waves early on, being selected in the U18 All Australian Team in 2013 and becoming the Number 1 Draft pick for the AFLW in 2017, playing with the Western Bulldogs. A skilled Australian Rules footballer, Huntington has demonstrated excellence and leadership on the field, solidifying her reputation as a force in women’s football.
Tess Coady (OM 2018)
Tess Coady has represented Australia on the international snowboarding stage, competing in slopestyle and big air events. She made her Olympic debut at just 17 in the 2018 Winter Olympics, though her run was impacted by a difficult injury. Coady’s resilience and passion have marked her as one of Australia's prominent snowboarding talents, with a bright future in the sport.
Winnie Laing (OM 2020)
Winnie Laing was drafted with pick No. 36 to the Carlton Football Club in the 2020 NAB AFL Women’s Draft. She captained the Sandringham Dragons and quickly became known for her talent and determination on the field. Laing’s background in basketball and standout performances have made her a key player for the VFLW Southern Saints.
Riley Bryce (OM 2019)
A rising star in athletics, Riley Bryce showcased his skills at the adidas Invitational 1000m Handicap at the Stawell Gift, competing alongside legendary runner Peter Bol. Riley also won the Herb Hedemann 1600m race in 2019. Bryce has cemented his status as a promising middle-distance runner, demonstrating a bright future in Australian athletics.
Zac Sleeman (OM 2019)
Zac Sleeman’s cricket journey has seen him rise to the national level, having been selected for Cricket Australia’s U/17 Squad and competing in the Under 19 World Cup in South Africa. Sleeman’s talent and drive in the sport continue to highlight his potential as a standout cricketer.
K–12 Sport Overview
Sport is a crucial element of a child’s growth and wellbeing, nurturing health, fitness and team spirit. St Michael’s Sport program not only supports our students in their athletic pursuits and individual development, but also fosters a community based on fairness and camaraderie.
Through a series of individual and team sports, students from Years 5 to 12 can participate and excel in their chosen field. Students are fully supported by St Michael’s Sport staff and coaches to step outside their comfort zone and strive for success – at a school, district, state or national level. St Michael’s is a proud member of the Association of Coeducational Schools (ACS) in Years 7 to 12, and the Coeducational Independent Primary Schools Sports Association (CIPSSA) for Years 5 and 6.
The St Michael’s Sport program is underpinned by our motto: Play with Passion, Compete with Integrity, Strive for Excellence. Our staff and coaches recognise that children and young people pursue sport for different reasons, all of which are encouraged. Within our program, all students
are able to find comfort and challenge in participating, as well as excelling at the highest level. Regardless, we expect our students to be proud of their achievements and representation of St Michael’s in the sporting arena.
This booklet details St Michael’s training and match timetable, the many different sports available, the House sport and interschool carnival schedule, an overview of our staff and coaches, our key partnerships, and promotion of the Geoffrey Ryan Cup and Netball Night Match.
Tyren Montebruno
Director of Sport
tmontebruno@stmichaels.vic.edu.au +61 3 8530 3241
Sport Structure
The St Michael’s Sport Program is based on the premise that sport is central to our students’ wellbeing and individual development. Through the range of sport options, students can develop their skills and talents, compete at the highest level in their chosen sport, take part in House-based sport events or simply participate in physical activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Sport Training (Mornings)
St Michael’s students have the opportunity to advance their skills and teamwork in their chosen sport through dedicated training sessions. Each sport has an assigned morning slot from 7.15am to 8.30am, either on campus or at a partner venue. These additional training sessions are held during term time, and attendance is expected for students participating in Summer or Winter A teams, or the 1st teams. Holding these sessions in the morning allows students to continue pursuing their passions and commitments in community sports or other activities.
House Sport
Years 3 to 12 students will compete in three major Inter-house carnivals each year; Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. Years 5 to 12 students also compete in our annual House Aerobics competition and each term our Year 5 and 6 students will compete in a range of House Sporting Shields.
Health and Fitness
A non-competitive pillar to the sport program, Health and Fitness focusses on personal wellbeing, allowing our students to focus on themselves in a safe and fun environment. Health and Fitness offers students the opportunity to join our athletic development program, participate in recreational swimming or utilise our weights room under the guidance of a qualified staff member.
ACS and CIPSSA Weekly Sport
St Michael’s is a key member of the Association of Coeducational Schools (ACS) and Coeducational Independent Primary Schools Sports Association (CIPSSA), with inter-school sport being a compulsory aspect of the SMGS sport structure. Students in Years 5 to 11 participate in the summer season (Terms 1 and 4) and winter season (Terms 2 and 3), while those in Year 12 have the option of playing in one or both sporting seasons. Students participate in weekly timetabled sporting matches and training on Tuesday for Year 7, Wednesday for Years 10 to 12, Thursday for Years 8 to 9 and Friday for Years 5 to 6.
ACS and SYDSA Carnival Sport
Based off results from our House carnivals and trial days St Michael’s will select students in Years 4 to 12 to represent the School at the three major carnivals: Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country. Students are able to train for specific disciplines across the seasons. Our carnival sports run throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3 with students having the opportunity to train on multiple days in the lead up to each representative carnival.
High Performance Basketball and Volleyball
At St Michael’s, our High Performing Basketball and Volleyball programs provide a premier environment for student-athletes to excel. With extended training sessions, athletes enhance their skills, participate in film analysis, and engage in focused match day preparation, all designed to sharpen their performance. Our programs will provide students the opportunity to excel at ACS and external tournaments, offering valuable competitive experience. A strong emphasis on recovery ensures that athletes stay in peak condition throughout the season, supporting both their immediate performance and long-term development.
ACS and CIPSSA Sports on offer
Training and Match Timetable
Our sport training and home games take place at worldclass facilities, most of which are at our doorstep: the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and the Albert Park precinct of Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park Indoor Sports Centre, Ross Gregory Football Oval and Tennis World Albert Reserve. St Michael’s also uses one of Victoria’s premier hockey facilities, the Footscray Hockey Club.
Match and training times
Years 5 to 6
Training/Match on Friday
Years 7 Match/Training on Tuesday
Years 8 to 9
Years 10 to 12
Match/Training on Thursday
Match/Training on Wednesday
Years 5 to 6: Two gala days per term 9am–3pm, Training 1:15pm–3:15pm.
Years 7 to 12: Training 1:45pm to 3:30pm. Matches 12.45pm to 5:00pm. All times include travel time.
Boys
Geoffrey Ryan Cup
The annual 1st XVIII Football Match is played between St Michael’s Grammar School and Westbourne Grammar School. In 2013, the annual fixture was named in honour of Mr Geoffrey Ryan, former Deputy Headmaster and Head of Senior School at St Michael’s Grammar School (1983–1989), and former Principal of Westbourne Grammar School (1990–2010). The players are presented
with their guernseys in a pre-match function, and then play in front of a crowd of their family, friends, fellow students and special guests.
In 2021, the Girls 1st XVIII joined the Boys side in playing for the Geoffrey Ryan Cup for the very first time, and both St Michael's teams were victorious.
1st VII Netball Night Match
The inaugural match was played in 2015 between St Michael’s Grammar School and Westbourne Grammar School. This special event is a celebration of St Michael’s and Westbourne’s fierce but respected rivalry, and is also a great opportunity for the 1st VII Netball team to showcase their talent and compete in the company of parents, friends, staff and students.
House Sport
House Swimming
Term 1 Years 7 to 12
Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC)
Term 4 Prep to Year 2 St Michael’s Pool
Years 3 to 6 Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC)
House Athletics
Term 1 Years 7 to 12 Lakeside Stadium
Term 3 Prep to Year 2 Frances Newson Oval
Years 3 to 6
House Aerobics
Term 3 Years 7 to 12
Duncan McKinnon Reserve
Performing Arts Centre, St George's
Term 4 Years 5 and 6 Wilma Hannah Hall
House Cross Country
Term 1 Years 3 to 6 Alma Park
Key Coaches
Our sports teams are coached by St Michael’s teaching staff and external coaches, all of whom are highly credentialed specialists and embody participation, pride and excellence. Our external coaches are sourced through the Melbourne Institute of Sport.
Jackson Bennett
Head of Performance and Athletic Development
Jackson has competed at National level Athletics for 10 years at the senior level with numerous National medals, club and state records. Jackson has a Bachelor of Exercise Science and post graduate degree in Business Strategy. He has competed at the State and National level in Athletics winning multiple medals with many club and state records. In 2022 he was the semi finalist at the Stall Gift. During his time competing at the top level, he was the State Champion for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m Relay. He has represented Australia at World Championships and Oceania Championships in the 100m and the 4x100m Relay. Jackson comes with a wealth of experience having previously worked with the Greater Western Sydney Giants as well as experience in personal training and Strength and Conditioning.
Jo Hockley
Head of Netball
Jo Hockley is a passionate netball player and coach who has played netball since she was 8 in SA, Pt Lincoln. She played for SABRES, the SA state team, and the u20 Australian squad. She started coaching when her daughter joined a rep team and has coached for 11 years. She is an Advanced Level coach who has coached VIC state u15s, VNL Championships teams, Peninsula Waves and Southern Saints, winning a premiership with one of them. She has also worked with Suncorp team Collingwood, Head coach at Sandringham and district association and head coach at Lauriston Girls' School. Jo’s philosophy is to have fun, love the game and work hard. She thinks that how you train is how you play, and motivates her players to be committed, disciplined and enthusiastic. She creates a positive and supportive environment where players can grow and achieve their goals.
Courtney Jacklin
Head of Hockey
Courtney Jacklin joined St Michael’s coaching staff in 2020. Courtney has a Level 2 Hockey Coaching Certificate and has over 10 years’ experience coaching hockey across several independent schools and clubs. Courtney has also coached Juniors at representative and State level and in 2019, Courtney coached a Victorian State Indoor Hockey team to a bronze medal at the National Championships.
Melissa Kuys
Head of Girls Football
Melissa Kuys has played football since Auskick. Her experiences in playing VFLW and AFLW with Collingwood for three seasons from 2016 to 2019 and St Kilda FC in 2020 has helped Melissa develop a strong passion for coaching. Melissa is the current Captain for Port Melbourne Borough VFLW, Coaching Director of Port Colts Football Club and holds her Level 2 AFL coaches accreditation.
Ricardo Buttini
Head of Volleyball
Ricardo has many years' experience coaching volleyball in Brazil and Australia. Aside from coaching the St Michael’s 1st Girls and Boys teams, Ricardo is also involved in coaching Victoria State teams, Club State Teams and at other independent school across Melbourne. Ricardo has been awarded Coach of the Year in Premier Division for his Club State Team. He also holds a Volleyball Australia Level 3 Coach license. For Ricardo, sport is more than a game or a result. He believes sport teaches values such as companionship and respect, and is important to physical and mental health.
Justin Micallef
Head of Soccer
Current A-League Women’s Assistant Coach at Western United and the Technical Director for South Melbourne FC Women.
His playing career included professional stints in Malta and Spain before moving to Melbourne, where he played for Heidelberg United and Melbourne Knights.
Now retired from playing, Justin is focused on coaching and passionate about developing players.
Tali Friede
Head of Softball
Tali Friede has more than a decade of experience coaching Softball and is particularly passionate about involvement at school level. She has worked with a variety of age groups, ranging from Juniors to Seniors. Having played softball since the age of 12, Tali puts a high priority on improving through learning a love for the game. She enjoys fostering a positive and supportive team culture. This is Tali’s third year at St Michael’s and already she has coached three softball teams to premierships.
Nick Mellington
Head of Boys Football
Nicholas Mellington, current Physical Education staff member leads the Boys Football Program. He has played over 100 games at the VFL level and was captain of his TAC cup side Murray Bushrangers and Vice-captain of both Williamstown and Coburg Football Club. Throughout his playing years Nicholas has been coached and mentored by Collingwood senior coach, Craig McRae and Andrew McQualter, coach of the West Coast Eagles.
Adam Sicinski
Head of Basketball
Adam Sicinski has been coaching representative basketball for more than 15 years. He has coached several Victorian Championship teams and was Assistant Coach to the Waverley Falcons NBL1 Women's team during the 2019-20 season. After 12 years at Waverley, Adam has moved to the Westgate Imperials for the 2021-22 VJBL season. Adam has coached at St Michael’s for the past 12 years, including both girls and boys teams from Year 3 through to senior level.
Alexandra Fegan
1st Team Coach Netball
Alexandra Fegan has played netball since she was a child, before retiring in 2004. She is a former Victorian Netball League player (formerly State League Championship Division). As an under-21s Australian representative, Alexandra played goal shooter. She was one of 15 players to receive a full-time scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in 1993. Alexandra is also the Director of our Early Learning Centre and a Kindergarten educator.
Aquatics
St Michael’s Grammar School Aquatics is the swimming club established for St Michael’s students and the wider community. The club caters for swimmers in Year 5 and above with a focus on preparing students for competitions (competitive stream) or maintaining fitness throughout the year (fitness stream).
Students have access to a wide range of facilities as part of the club, including:
• Indoor heated 6 lane swimming pool
• Adjustable starting blocks for race practice
• Weights room
• Indoor basketball court
• Study space for use after school or before training
Pool sessions are run on-site from Monday to Friday before school and in the evenings. To compliment these, there are two training sessions in the weights room. During these sessions swimmers start with basic body weight exercises (learning to control their body and the correct movements), before progressing onto using resistance bands and then weights.
All sessions are designed, implemented, and overseen by Head Coach, Mr Hamish Meachem and his team of assistant coaches.
Sailing Team
The St Michael’s Sailing Team is part of the Years 6 to 12 Co-curricular sport program that operates during Terms 1 and 4. The program enables students to increase their skill level in sailing with a particular emphasis on team racing, and to select and train teams to represent the School in organised team-racing regattas.
Training is held after school on Thursdays from 3.30pm – 6.00pm and competition is on Saturdays from 8:30am – 12.00pm. Students are not required to attend all sessions.
The team participates in numerous Australian sailing events. Team racing is different from other sailing competitions – a team of three boats (two sailors per boat) compete against another team in a 5–10 minute race, with multiple races taking place in any given event. Previous sailing experience is not required to join the team, and beginners can compete in selected regattas.
We do, however, rely on parents/guardians and supporters to assist with transport as the program runs outside and alongside the regular St Michael’s sport program.
Snowsports Team
St Michael’s Grammar School proudly participates in the annual Victorian Snowsports Interschool Competition held at Mt Buller.
Our team ethos is all about participation and fun. At the same time, we encourage students to represent St Michael’s to the best of their ability with pride and great sportsmanship.
All students from Prep to Year 12 who have some level of skiing or snowboarding ability are encouraged to join. In recent years the St Michael’s team has included over 50 students from across the School, competing in more than 100 events, with a number of students qualifying to compete at Nationals. Several Old Michaelians have progressed to international Snowsports success, such as mogul skier Brodie Summers (OM 2011) and snowboarder Tess Coady (OM 2018).
The Snowsports team is co-ordinated by the Experiential Learning Department with the assistance of our Snowsports families.
Interschool Carnivals
Years 4 to 6 students are selected to compete in the South Yarra District Sports Association’s (SYDSA) Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country carnivals. Years 7 to 12 students are selected to compete as part of the Association of Coeducational Schools (ACS) competition in Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country. All Years 4 to 12 students have the opportunity to progress to state level.
Swimming
Term 1
SYDSA Swimming Years 4–6
ACS Swimming Years 7–12
Cross Country
Term 2
SYDSA Cross Country Years 4–6
Term 3 ACS Cross Country Years 7–12
Athletics
Term 2
ACS Athletics Years 7–12
Term 3 SYDSA Athletics Years 4–6
Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC)
Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC)
Fawkner Park
Bundoora Park
Lakeside Stadium
Box Hill Athletics Track
Partnership with Port Melbourne Football Club
In 2020, St Michael’s Grammar School was pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Port Melbourne Football Club. The relationship formalises a collaboration between two organisations who share a deep commitment to their values and engaging with the local community. The partnership provides St Michael’s students with development opportunities with Port Melbourne players and coaches. Among other deliverables, Port Melbourne
will also provide opportunities for St Michael’s students to attend training sessions and other unique meet-and-greet experiences.
Fondly known as ‘The Borough’, Port Melbourne FC was established in 1874, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Australia, who have enjoyed a long history of success. We are looking forward to strengthening the partnership in the years to come.
St Michael’s Grammar School
25 Chapel Street, St Kilda
VIC 3182 Australia
Telephone: +61 3 8530 3200
community@stmichaels.vic.edu.au www.stmichaels.vic.edu.au
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