33 minute read
TEAM REPORTS— JUNIORS
Angus from U14D eyes the ball
Picture by Wendy Adams
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U12A
Congratulations to the U12A boys for a fantastic 1st season of competition football. The boys finished runners up (7wins, 3draws 2defeats, +10 goal difference) in what was a very tough competition. The boys should be extremely proud of their achievement considering they played the whole season with only 1 substitute and the fact that the team does not have a regular goalkeeper. Overall, there was considerable improvement across all players and positions. The boys quickly adapted to playing on the larger field and realised the importance of maintaining possession, ball movement and interchange passing. I was particularly proud to see them develop their understanding of formation, positioning and how to create and use space. It was also great to see the boys demonstrate a willingness to dig deep in close games and stand firm against physical teams to secure wins/ draws. Congratulations also go to Brandon, Byron, and George P for being awarded the Players’ Player, Coaches and Most Improved awards respectively. To our main defenders Nathan, George C, Justen and Nicholas you deserve particular praise for your performances this year. Over 12 rounds, you only conceded 12 goals (7 of which coming in just two games) and kept 6 clean sheets. This is a marvelous achievement considering other teams have the additional advantage of regular goalkeepers. You also deserve praise for listening, understanding and persevering with learning to play out from the back. To our midfielders Harrison, Gabriel, Zane and Byron you consistently dominated opposing teams through
Back Row L to R: Kiri Pizel (Manager), Harrison Plakias, Gabriel Bova, George Carageorge, Zane Jackson, Christian Simos, Chris Plakias (Coach) , Alexander Cardamis (Assistant Coach) Front Row L to R: Brandon Betancur, George Psirakis, Justen Banks, Luka Acevedo, Byron Whitbread, Nathan Bevan, Nicholas Pizel
your combination of tough tackling, energy and attacking creativity. You all showed a strong commitment to maintaining possession, ball control and delivering great service to our attackers. To our attackers Luka, Brandon, Christian and George P you should be very pleased with your efforts. We finished with the second highest goals scored and you consistently created many goal scoring opportunities particularly from wide positions. On many occasions our wing play from both sides was simply fantastic. To our wonderful families and extended families, thank you for continuing to show your support for the boys particularly given the challenging conditions. Thank you again to our manager Kiri Pizel for her assistance and also thanks to our assistant coach Alexander Cardamis who joined us this year. On a final note, all things considered the U12A’s should be immensely proud of their achievements both individually and collectively. I look forward to building on this years success in 2021.
Chris Plakias Coach
Pictures by Helen Plakias
Congratulations to the U12C for a successful year in their first year of competitive football. The majority of the team have been together for a couple of years now and they have all shown growth and improvement in our loved sport. The boys should be very proud with what they achieved this year with the number of players we had available. The team’s performance this year was brilliant, only losing one game and finishing second by only three points and having only conceded 10 goals in the season. The boys attitude to training and the games really stepped up this year and the inclusion of Zach and Vuk to our team only bolstered the overall strength of our team. I want to also thank Dean our manager who always assisted and supported the team when he could, considering that Andrew was on the mend after a season ending injury. We really look forward to having Andrew back next year. As the coach, it is so rewarding to see your team develop and enjoy their football and this was evident in the way the boys played this year and produced some quality football all season round. I’ll run through each of the players and try to summarise their strengths. I’ll start with Raymond. what can we say? ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ ,really improved this year and found his feet as one of our strikers and used his towering height as an advantage. Luka our goal-scorer who could turn the defence inside out with one of his silky turns and his upbeat attitude rubbed off on all of his teammates. Alex our ever consistent performer and didnBack Row L to R: Dean Theouli (Manager), Vuk Stojanovic, Lucas Camelo De Olivera, ’t know how to give up improved with his skills and even netted a couple away. George C, finally realised that his pace his his number one Raymond Gao, Alex Fleming, Nick Bouziotis (Coach) asset and used it to his advantage by tearing up the line Front Row L to R: Zachary Bartholomew, Liam Triantafyllou, Chris Bouziotis, George Skouras, George Contantinidis each and every game. George S got promoted to centre midfield and never looked back. More like the brains of our team with his vision and passing shining each and every game. Lucas, a leader at school and in the team, led the team in attack and defence and put in 100% in every game. Liam was one of the reasons why we didn’t concede many goals this year, I don’t recall a striker getting around him to finish this year. Zach joined us this year and we were lucky to have him. His effort and talent was on show each and every week. Vuk joined us this year and finished off the team. He added a caring nature but a willingness to win which lifted our team. And finally Chris , yes my son, doesn’t want any credit but is a leader on the field and was a column in defence playing each and every week with no fuss. Finally I would like to thank the following players from the U11Cs and 12Es as without them we couldn’t have achieved what we did: Marcus, Adam, Noah, Issac, Lucas, Aniken, Kalan and Jordan. You were all members of our squad and we want to thank your coaches and parents for allowing you to assist us this year. We are looking forward to next year and hope that we can stick together to give the 13’s a real crack!
U12C
Nick Bouziotis Coach
U12E Despite the well-known disruption to the start of the 2020 soccer season, the boys of the Under12Es took it all in their stride! It was an unusual start to training given the requirement to ‘socially distance’ when all the boys wanted to do was get right down to it and practice their tackling skills and game play, but we managed to stick to the rules and prepare the boys for their first foray on the ‘big’ field and teach them all the rules that come with it e.g. offside. They were in great hands with coach Andrew Crane at the helm –even I learned a lot sitting on the sidelines at every training session and game. It makes such a difference when the kids have a supportive and knowledgeable coach. Right up until the third to last game, the U12Es were the only undefeated team in the competition and their first loss was a closely fought 1-0 against their league champions. The boys ended the season second on the ladder having lost only one game. Each week the boys played their best and always cracked a smile and joke or two on and off the field. I hope the boys manage to stay together as a team next year as they gelled so well. We were also fortunate that a few of the boys were able to play 2 games most weeks assisting the U12Cs who were down players most weeks. Playing with a higher graded team certainly helped the skills of those players jump leaps and bounds. Back Row L to R: Kim Kemp (Manager), Adam Kemp, Billy Katsinas, A brief mention about all the players: Kalan Comb, Connor Masters, Marcus Hall, Andrew Crane (Caoch) Adam: The ‘Captain’ of the defenders. Had a great season playing with gusto each week. Fortunate enough to Front Row L to R: Zackary Crane, Blake Peterson, Jordan Saba, Kynan Griggs, Lucas Smith, Isaac Law, Absent : Theodore Karavias play a few games for the U12Cs mostly in mid and striker positions which he thoroughly enjoyed. Billy: Playing striker and mid field positions early on with his big boot and great throws he was unlucky not to have scored more goals. Later in the season he covered for Adam in defence too. Blake: A great asset to the team across the park as he would cover when others grew weary - very handy and quick on his feet – always where he needed to be. Connor: A great Goal keeper putting his body on the line a few times. Also very handy in mid field where his big boot was a great asset and extremely enthusiastic up front. Isaac: Our passionate ever ready man - especially quick on his feet as he approaches the goals to score. Unwilling to be substituted until finishing his hat-trick. Another asset to the club playing a few games for the U12Cs. Jordan: Consistently superior ball skills he provided a lot of spark in the mid field and up front. Loves his football and it shows. Kalan: Spent most of the year up front, with progressive effectiveness. Had his best match of the season in our top of the table thriller – lifting when it mattered. Unlucky not to finish up with more goals. Kynan: Showed increasing maturity and confidence in defence as the season progressed. Timing and power lifted as well. Lovely to watch players making their positions their own. Lucas: Always seemed to be in the right place at the right time each week and did not stop running! Was great to see him back on the field after having the previous year off. Marcus: Played his heart out each and every game both in goals and throughout the mid field. Marcus played a few games for the U12Cs and his goal keeping skills improved markedly over the season. Theodore: From the first week he was our ever dependable left back who owned his position week in and out. Especially valuable during those stressful times with the ball close to goals. Lovely watching his occasional exploratory runs up the sidelines finishing with a pass to the forwards. Zackary: A great team member playing passionately and with enthusiasm in his defensive mid field – filling the hole. A big thanks to coach Andrew, who I hope is available to coach again next year as the improvement in each of the boys was obvious to see. A big thanks also to the fantastic parents who made sure the boys were on time for training and games and were always enthusiastically cheering the boys on from the sidelines. I hope to see you all in and around the soccer fields in 2021!
Kim Kemp Manager
W12A PREMIERS , JUNIOR AND OVERALL CLUB CHAMPIONS
Well, where to start….this year was certainly like no other. Initially in early February we were presented with the situation of likely not having enough players to field a team in W12s. A few players had moved on from last year and we were considering recruiting girls from other Sylvania teams who could potentially join our exceptional side of female players. We were very lucky to welcome Santina to the side during the grading process. Tables turned after grading weeks and we welcomed Imogen and Zara who complimented our final 13. Both girls are marvelous assets to the team. Then of course COVID struck two weeks into our pre-season training. What a disruptor! Two months delay to season start with social distancing rules at training and limited numbers of players per week which required a training roster just to get the season to a start, all placed an ever greater challenge. Eventually come July we are all back on the field for Round 1. Limited training as a newly formed team and approaching the large competition field did not phase this amazing team at all. Round after round they remained undefeated up until their first loss to Lilli Pilli 1 on Round 7. It was a wake up call, the girls Back Row L to R: Lisa Bacon (Manager), Zara Loveday, Evie Charles, Makayla Vakauta, Nikita Byrnes, were not on their game that day and suddenly Stephanie Whetters, Lacey Galas, Fernando Waechter (Coach) realized they needed to step it up a notch if Front Row L to R: Sienna Cummings, Kenedee Goodwin, Bronte Snoxall, Remy Harmer, Santina Gella, Gabriela Waechter, Imogen Brander there was going to be any hope of securing a
Minor Premiership for their first year of competition. The following few rounds saw them come away with some super score lines of 8-0 and 7-1 against the opposition. Closing in towards the end of the season, it was apparent on the leader board that we were neck and neck with Engadine Eagles however we had a slight advantage on Goal Difference. It would all come down to the final round of the season where we were drawn to play Engadine Eagles in a decider match for the Minor Premiership. We could afford a draw, Engadine needed the win. We are very proud in the way the girls took the field, all hands on deck, totally focused on the task at hand. We happened to be down to 10 players this day, borrowed Bella Spink from W11A who was a force in our defence line, and had no subs with crazy wind gusts just to top it off. With all odds against us from the beginning, the girls were on fire and there was no stopping them to receive their first Minor Premiership for their first year of competition. A special mention to the goal scorer who secured the win for the team,
Gabriela Waechter.
Congratulations to all of the girls. We couldn’t be prouder of all that you have achieved in 2020.Sienna Cummings (16) – An important mid-fielder who is not afraid to come up against the opposition when it matters.Sienna has learnt to work closely with our strikers for an optimum result. Picture by Jason McGregor Stephanie Whetters (6) – Found her calling this year on the wing and winning some amazing tackles. Steph has worked hard this year in learning to drive the ball up field and placing the ball where it matters for the strikers. Lacey Galas (10) – Our most valuable defender on the team, she was awarded with Most Improved for 2020. Lacey’s determination is a true asset to her success on the field and she leads the team from the back. Congratulations Lacey! Evie Charles (12) – Evie proved this year that she is a total all-rounder. Traditionally our full back, she opted to try out the forwards and also put her hand up as part time Goalie. She was awarded Coaches Award for 2020 as her focus and dedication to the game is second to none. Kenedee Goodwin (11) – Kenedee has improved immensely this year and her confidence in front of goals is developing. She is very quick to attack and then finds the gap to ultimately work closely with her striking partner up front. Some great goal set ups from Kenedee this year. Remy Harmer (17) – Remy has been an integral part of our mid field team this year. She has learnt to work closely with the striking team and has been instrumental is setting up some key goals for our strikers as well as scoring some amazing goals herself. Makayla Vakautu (21) – Makayla’s development this year has been amazing to watch. She is an all-rounder, assisting in the defence line, running up the mid as well as spending some time on the wing. Some beautiful tackles against the opposition and great goal setting techniques has been her strength this year. Nikita Byrnes (18) – Nikita has been with the team since day one. She is a true achiever in the back line. Loves her traditional left back position and acts as a wall for our goalies. It has been very pleasing to see our defence team grow and evolve. Well done Nikita. Santina Gella (27) – Santina has had a wonderful season. She was a seasoned big field player after joining us from the W12s of 2019. Her persistence in the mid-field is impeccable. Picture by Helen Plakias She is our quiet achiever who has the ‘never give up’ attitude. Super effort in our decider match where her courage was enormous. Bronte Snoxall (24) – Bronte has developed her soccer this year to become one of our striking team. Working closely with her striking partners, she has scored some amazing goals. Riddled with foot issues towards the end of season we wish you a quick recovery ready to come back for next year. Gabriela Waechter (14) – Gabi’s season was a slow start after an injury to her finger forced her off the field for the first few rounds. Once given the all clear, she took up her favourite mid-field position. Her outstanding kick allowed her to take corners for the team and score.
Lisa Bacon Fernando Waechter Manager Coach
Amidst the drama and disruption of 2020, the boys had another great year developing as a team. Club grading saw the introduction of Greg (return to SHFC) and Benji (promoted from B’s) provide a great injection of skilled talent to our line-up. However, reduced age group numbers resulted in a starting squad of only thirteen, and no full time goalkeeper. This resulted in Saxon wearing the gloves for half of the games played, and nearly all others obliging for at least half of a game each. Contrary to initial protest most weeks, everyone displayed great capability in the goalkeeping role, with Saxon widely regarded as the competition-wide standout. Our reduced team numbers made injury management more difficult, but provided for stability in field positions and player awareness. Greater confidence in our off-the-ball support offered some really dynamic concepts to our game. The left side of Matt, Ben, (Saxon when on the field,) and Blake leveraging off Dan in the middle for continued entertaining soccer, bordering on shenanigans. Combination plays between Dylan, Riley, Ted & Taurus started to consistently open doors down the right hand side. Increased overlapping runs up the sideline by Matt & Benji from the outside backs, later started to expand into both diagonal and lateral plays from both flanks. Control of the game then allowed Callum and Josh to push forward from rear command into key pivotal distribution roles in attack, typically resulting in 10 active players inside the attacking half (and Saxon often in the centre circle with the goalie gloves on!). Only just beaten by Blake for the Golden Boot, Greg played an excellent first season with us at “false-9”, delivering a heap of goal-assists to those beside and behind him. Taurus matched Greg for goal count, illustrating our strength across the front line. The depth of goal scoring was such, that 10 of the 13 players scored goals throughout the season, including
U13A
Back Row L to R: Stephen Webster (Coach), Dylan Topper, Benjamin Moussa, Kelly Manna (Manager) Middle Row L to R: Greg Kotsalidis, Callum Hayes, Taurua Traino,
Matthew Trainor , Joshua De Luca, Front Row L to R: Riley Crompton, Ted Dowling, Ben Basile, Saxon Curtis Webster, Blake Fleming, Daniel Hughes
Ted’s hat-trick in the demolition of his old club Gymea; and repeated free-kick goals throughout the season by Blake from 25 metres out, or more. More importantly, was our unsung ability to scramble in defence, having the best back line in the competition and the immediate support of the midfielders and forwards on hand. (“All up together - all back together” philosophy in practice). The only teams we couldn’t beat this season were our longtime rivals Lilli Pilli and Marton (2019 State Cup grand finalists), but the boys gave both teams a genuine scare this season, displaying a real performance improvement as against their competition, and re-stamping Sylvania’s claim as worthy contenders into the future. Along with team stability, we need to build speed, consistency, and game concentration for 60 minutes. Achieving this will render this team seriously competitive against any team, anywhere. Socially, the boys grew enormously this season, with the “social core” expanding greatly in both number and commitment. Hopefully, this is the progression of a “team for life”. Development of maturity and leadership from Dylan, Taurus and Saxon on & off the field was brilliant to both witness and be assisted with as coach. Quiet counsel from the likes of Matt, Dan and Josh was also critical in balancing the whole-of-group dynamic and game strategy. Standouts for the year (-amongst a group of equals-) were Ben (“players’ player”) no doubt for his untiring commitment, physical presence and dominance with the ball; Taurus (“most improved”) for his incredible commitment & discipline to striving for the best at everything he does; and Saxon (“Coaches player”) for sacrificial goalkeeping duty (-which he quietly loves!-) and beginning to assume a true leadership role within the team dynamic, whilst carrying the significant handicap of father as coach. Thanks go to the active and liberal support of the Club (-which doesn’t happen everywhere), and to the team parents. Special thanks to Matt Hughes for back-up coaching and team counsel support; but greatest thanks to team manager Kelly Manna for the extraordinary level of commitment and counsel provided to me & the team, for these kids.
Picture by Jason McGregor
Stephen Webster Coach
Lets not forget coach Steve. Many thanks and much appreciation goes to Steve for the years, dedication and commitment that he has put into this team. The kids and the parents commend him for the time that he volunteers to a team that we all know he loves. Even when times can be challenging with the boys growth and development, Steve still goes above and beyond to work with each and every kid in the team to develop their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses. His devotion and undeniable passion is second to none and we look forward to many more years together with this team.
Kelly Manna Manager
U13B The U13B team embraced the principle that no individual is more important than the team and we built a culture around this. Each player worked to improve his skills for the benefit of the team. Each player did his job so that others could do theirs. And each player’s talents were used in positions that would best help the team. This is a team that I am proud to support and belong to. The broader leadership team (i.e. the parents) helped to build this fantastic team with undying support and optimism! And didn’t we all live for Saturday football to see what our boys could achieve. Some of our highlights included the 5-1 thumping we inflicted on Como Jannali. And remember the time we leveled the score against the top team from a fantastic corner using skills learnt and practiced at training 2 weeks earlier…so proud! We even celebrated the 2-2 draw against North Sutherland like it was a victory because North Sutherland beat us 9-1 in the first round before we had a chance to become the exceptional team that we were destined to be. Our final game was a 1-1 draw against Lilli Pilli, which again was in stark contrast to the 4-1 loss we suffered against them in the second round. We improved more than any other team in this division. Our rocky start to the season meant that the Back Row L to R: Nikita Stratikopoulos, Fotis Tzelvelis, Riley Phillips, results table did not reflect our talent, so going Tom Humphreys, Christian Lenertz, Kristen McParland (Manager) Matilda McParland (Coach) into matches we were often underestimated, and Front Row L to R: Kenan Huseyin, Ian Liang, Nathan Hunter, William Luhur, Henry Daniel, Winton McParland, Samuel Andrade Absent: Isaac Lin as the season went on it was fun to watch some of the top teams, mouths agape, scrambling to change players and tactics in the first quarter against us. By the end of the season all opponents knew that they had to bring their A game to our games. Samuel Andrade: Sam scored a remarkable hat-trick this season and would rarely let us down if given a chance in front of the goal. He was already a good player at the start of the season, but so often good players simply continue to rely on their natural talent and never progress. This was not the case for Sam, he worked hard this season, listened to advice and his game went from being great to exceptional! A well-deserved “Most Improved Award”. Riley Phillips: A fantastic player with many talents who is also liked by his team-mates. Riley set an example by being committed to every game and by being extremely competitive. He would do anything to stop an attacker getting face to face with our goalkeeper. No surprises that Riley was voted “Players’ Player” by his team-mates. Nathan Hunter: Nathan is an effective footballer who is able to play anywhere he is needed. Nathan’s spectacular talent in goals was always on display, but he is also versatile and willing to go anywhere he is needed. Nathan received the “Coaches Award” because he is a valuable member of the team and he epitomised the core value of the team in that he always put the team before himself and that is something that should be rewarded. Henry Daniel: Henry is the x-factor in the team. Henry is strong and fast and is an unstoppable force breaking through the defensive line. Henry’s enthusiasm and energy during games and training lifted the whole team. Henry had an instant impact on the success of the team when he joined mid-season. Tom Humphreys: Tom is great under pressure and can cross the ball with pin-point accuracy. It is not easy to continuously switch between defensive and offensive roles throughout a game, but Tom did a first-class job providing support for the forwards and then switching to a defensive
mindset with great tackling skills and an ability to shut down attacks. Kenan Huseyin: You have to have belief in yourself to be an effective striker and Kenan has that in spades. This confidence is a quality that can’t be taught. The team worked hard to create the opportunities up front and Kenan was able to capitalise on many of these opportunities. It is always a joy to watch a player with expert ball control and confidence. Christian Lenertz: Christian naturally fell into the role of team captain. He is one of the smartest players on the field. Christian always made good decisions for the team. He is valuable in goals but also proved his worth up front and showed that he has some untapped talent as a midfielder. Ian Liang: Ian showed a lot of commitment to the team. He once travelled from his school soccer game, changed into his uniform on the side-line to run on for the final 5 minutes. Ian clearly loves the game and this team. Ian showed improvement in his game which was particularly evident when playing midfield in our final clash against Lilli Pilli where he sent a lofted through ball to the forwards creating a goal-scoring opportunity! Isaac Lin: Everything seemed to come together for Isaac this season. Ball control, reading the game and defending really improved over the season. Isaac is an experienced player who honed his skills to find a way to play forward with defense-splitting through balls. William Luhur: Bill plays left back because of his outstanding speed and fitness. Attacking players couldn’t outrun him. He was responsible for saving numerous attacking plays and could be relied on to send the ball back up the line with skill and precision. Winton McParland: Winton is a classic number 10 –the creator, the assistant and the scorer! He can read the game and is exceptional a creating plays for the forwards. He has leadership qualities because he is willing to shoulder the responsibility of a penalty kick, puts the team before himself and is willing to help others shine for the benefit of the team. Nikos Stratikopoulos: Nikos is the all-round star of the team. Nikos is famous for putting his body on the line risking injury every game. When his coach tried to pull him off after a hard ball to the guts or worse he would simply get to his feet and give the thumbs up to show that he was good to fight on. Nikos is the bravest member of the team. Fotis Tzelvelis: Fotis is an intimidating figure in defence. Fotis understood his job and executed it week in and week out. Sometimes he would act as a sweeper being the last line in our defence. He showed a lot of natural talent in this position. Fotis is a respected and valuable member of the team. Thanks to Matilda McParland who gave up time out of her very busy schedule playing representative football for the Sutherland Shire Football Association. She brought a wealth of knowledge to the team having been coached by some of the best herself. Her calm, thoughtful and competitive approach had spectacular results. Being able to stand beside her at games and training has been a highlight of my parenting career. We had a fantastic season. Cheers, to the beautiful game!
Picture by Wendy Adams
Kristen McParland Manager
W13A What an extraordinary year we have all had thank goodness we had soccer. Thank you to all the girls for their enthusiasm, perseverance and energetic spirit. You should all be very proud of yourselves and what you have achieved this season. You have given us some awesome football games to watch and enjoy. Your spirit as a team is undeniable. The girls have definitely grown individually and as a team, they are a lot stronger, faster and fitter this year. Their ball skills and passing have improved immensely. They worked hard as a team and achieved some great results. Well done girls. We are all very proud of you. Thank you to all the mums and dads who took the time to run the girls around the Shire to their games and training. We welcomed two new players to the team this year Stephanie and Kathleen. Kathleen is a little pocket rocket and scored a few goals for the team. Stephanie is not scared to get her body behind the ball. Our team has gone from strength to strength. Our formidable defenders Jess, Mya, Jules and Mia were strong every game, proving difficult to get through. They provided great support for Maddy our champion goal keeper. Maddy displayed some of her great soccer skills on the field this year also. Our mighty mid fielders Sophie, Mikky, Vic and Kathleen ran their ‘guts out’ game after game, their fitness and skills continued to improve throughout the year. Our fabulous forwards Alexis, Stephanie, Zoe, Charlize and Sami all scored goals this year and continued to improve week after week. It was a champion effort all round this year. Well done girls.The girls grew not only in their skills this year but also in their knowledge of the game allowing them to play brilliant football and demonstrate great team work. A huge thank you to Dave our coach and Kylie our manager who helped us train and kept us organised all year. Thanks for a great year of football.
Dave Crisp Kylie Masters Coach Manager Back Row L to R: Stephanie Pantazis, Jessica Shearer, Mya Moutevelis, David Crisp (Coach) Middle Row L to R: Kylie Masters (Manager), Charlize Moukaddem, Victoria Wright, Juliet Riley, Alexis Masters, Zoe Bliss, Front Row L to R: Mia Crisp, Samantha Harmer, Mademine David, Kathleen McParland, Mikayla Dobosz, Sophie Chew
This season we had many girls return to play again for the trees and some new players join the team. With 16 players it was a big squad. The team was dedicated to training and would play against the boys U12A team frequently, while the speed of the boys showed, each week the girls improved their team work. This training helped the girls in our competition games. When the girls ran with the ball, passed wide and moved forward together they were impressive and great to watch. There were two teams in our draw that were very strong and we challenged them both, by getting a draw against each and even close to taking the wins. When we played the other teams, our girls often dominated and on review our main issue (like most teams) was a struggle to frequently find the back of the net.We ended the year in the top four on the competition table and if it was a normal season, our girls would be playing finals football where anything could happen.
Mikaela, Chelsea, Felicity, Bronte, Eilise
and Eliana were our midfield maestros and would move the ball around well, provide attacking plays and help our defenders. Kyra, Zara, Sam, Eva and Tayla were our super defenders and did well keeping the ball away from our team’s goal, getting up to half way, thus winning many offsides for us all year Millie, Mia and Amy were our super strikers, looking to create chances and score goals.Steph did an amazing job as GK and when she played on the field was always tenacious.Tully (in her first ever year of soccer) was so impressive. listening, learning and certainly a good GK in the making.Special thanks to all our parents, grandparents and families who supported the girls throughout the season getting them to training and games. We are so very proud of every player and how much they have improved over the season. Well done to our award winners: Felicity - Coaches Award, Kyra, - most improved and Eliana - players player.
W13C
Back Row L to R: Bronte Philips, Elianan Katsos, Tayla Buttaro-Curtis, Elise Southall, Tully Rayner, Middle Row L to R: George Mihailou (Coach), Kyra Mihailou, Millie Murphy, Chelsea Barker, Zara Kypriotis, Samantha Homola, Michael Barker (Manager), Front Row L to R: Eva Homola, Felicity Rezitis, Mikaela Malikourtis, Amy Novello, Mia Parker, Stephanie Kirgan Back Row L to R: Brenton Kemp (Manager), Max Fry, Jasper Ellis, Fernando Waechter (Caoch)
Middle Row L to R: Oliver Waechter, Jared Lamb, Gabriel Gitman, Matthew Ratcliffe, Rhys Henriksen, Front Row L to R: Peter Gitman, Taj Buchanan, Alenander Lemos, Elias Koroneos, Lucas Ward, Scott Kemp
Pictures by Amanda Barker
George Mihailou Michael Barker Coach Manager
U14B
It was a pretty tough year for the U14Bs right from the start. Along with all the COVID related dramas we had no coach and injured players to contend with. Bushy gave the boys a bit of a foundation, and then we were lucky that Fernando stepped up (not an easy task as he was already coaching another team). The team changed by around 50% from last year (Oliver back, Alexander & Mathew up from U14D, and Peter, Gabriel and Jasper new to the Club). It was difficult getting a settled line up with Taj, Jasper and Scott missing big chunks of the season. Regardless, we were competitive in most games, and our best soccer was great to watch. Some comments about the boys: Alexander – grew in confidence as the year went on, mainly midfield and helping in defence Elias – very reliable defender, another really consistent year down back Gabriel– our keeper (from Georges River), great first year, some amazing penalty saves Jared – revelation as a striker, used his pace to set up and score a few goals throughout the year Jasper – late start to the season but very organised in defence when he got onto the field. Lucas – energetic in midfield and set up a lot of scoring opportunities. Mathew – great attack on the ball (our only yellow card all year!) and ran hard in the midfield.
Pictures by Wendy Adams
Max – enjoyed the freedom of playing up the field, very strong in defence. Oliver – slotted straight back in to the team and showed his experience in defence Peter – formed a good striking pair with Jared, never stopped running and scored a few goals. Rhys – spent a lot of time in the midfield, and helped link up from defence. Scott – missed a few games due to injury, was effective in defence when he was up and running. Taj – gave the team a huge boost when he came back from injury, very creative and skillful in the midfield. Despite our lowish ladder position we were never easy to beat, sometimes small lapses in concentration cost us. It is no coincidence that in the weeks that we trained well and warmed up properly - we played well. Hoping that everyone is back next year – with a more appropriate grading, and better luck with injuries, we could look forward to a successful year. Thanks again to Fernando for passing on his knowledge and passion to the team, hopefully the boys took some of it on board. Looking forward to Season 2021.
Fernando Waechter Brenton Kemp Coach Manager
U14D Boys the season has finished, and you can all hold your heads up for your constant commitment and team skills learning. Picture by Wendy Adams Well done to our Defensive Module for consistency. Joshua R with many excellent saves in goal with Jacob P a great job managing the defensive unit and stopping many attacks. Matthew A, Mohammed A and Timothy J were our additional stopping power. Thomas B and Max P our midfield attacking module scored and caused much chaos upon the teams that we played supported by Harrison B and Steven V. Our upfront attacking group Angus C, Christopher V, Ronan D worked really hard and improved every week. Keep up the off season skills development training ( not to many Macca’s meals guys ) for next season.
Sidney Piggott Coach
Pictures by Jason McGregor
