Under 12 Blue Coach: John Michie [[email protected]] 9481 8227 Team Manager: Jeff Richardson [[email protected]]
Training: Wednesday 3.45 - 5pm Ramsden Street
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Coach's Match ReportsGrand Final A sustained team effort under tremendous pressure brings the flag home to Brunswick Street! Five months of hard work from all 27 players culminated in a super team performance on Sunday. Everyone was fired up for the game against the talented Doncaster line-up. Again our defence was rock solid. Our backline was stacked with smart and tough players. Tom capped off an outstanding finals series with another inspiring performance. Tom made a massive contribution to our win with his confident display against a much taller opponent. Guy's brilliant marking and courageous attack at the ball was another highlight. I thought him unlucky not to win the best on ground medal. Liam concentrated hard, did lots of team things, and when it counted in the last quarter took a great pack mark that saved the day. Ryan, Chris, Sam, Jack H and Nick completed our premiership back-line. Gus was dangerous at both ends of the ground. He played his best three games for the season during the finals. Gus chipped in with a goal each week during the finals but shone most down the back end. Gus was given the responsibility of doing our kick-ins and he performed this task brilliantly. I can't recall a single poor kick-in. John was another who got better as the season wore on. I respect him enormously for the courage he showed, tirelessly fronting up again and again to jump in the ruck. John was another who played 3 fine finals games. On the wing, Alexander impressed me with his excellent chases and tackles. Our other midfield on ballers were Viv, Billy, Ollie and Alex H. All were good players and had the better of their opponents. Ollie and Alex H also helped out with very important goals. Up forward we were always lively - except in the last quarter, when we basically reverted to 100% defence! Andrew is one of our guns. Not once during the Grand Final were Doncaster able to keep Andrew out of the game. His spectacular high marking has been evident for some time, but his improved kicking skills have made him a more potent player. Two excellent Grand Final goals was evidence of this. PK took 2 strong marks in the 3rd quarter. His reward for concentrating on the game and providing a contest at all times. In the 2nd quarter Jack F sped to a loose ball with ferocious endeavour. On the forward line Louis, Peter, Alec and Michael were always on the move, providing headaches for their bigger opponents. Declan, Georgia, Harry and Jordan kept on presenting, chasing and tackling to create opportunities and keep the ball in. It was such a shame that Tyson was out injured. He played some good football this year and showed what a good team player he was by attending all finals and supporting his mates. Tyson, I know you would have loved to have played in the Grand Final but be assured that your important contribution in the regular season helped us get to the finals. You always gave your best and your unselfish play was exactly how I wanted the team to play. Phew, that's it. One of the best things about footy is what it teaches us about the power of working together and supporting each other. Of course our skills improved during the season, but the development of a strong team spirit is what ultimately got us over the line. All the fans of the team - coaches, officials, family and friends - are so proud of your great achievement. PREMIERS ...WE ARE THIS YEAR! Preliminary Final Roys on the march. The Mighty Lions are excitedly heading to the Grand Final after a super team effort. All 26 players can be proud of their effort. Our defenders worked together and backed each other up and held a previously high scoring teamto just 2 goals. Our forwards were creative and kept presenting. Great stuff. We had no passengers. Captain for the day was Alex H who told me before the game that he had calculated it was his 50th game for the Roys. Alex was an important player for us. He played tight defensively as well as giving us drive at the appropriate times. I was also rapt in the effort of Alec who never took a backward step. Declan was a crucial part of an important attack, Billy and Alexander both did well on the wing, PK and Jordan used their strength up forward. Jack F and Peter chipped in with clever goals. It won't be easy next week. Doncaster have shown that they are a talented team with many good players. We weren't far away last time and I'm confident that with a similar gutsy effort from all 26 players that we have a good chance of success. Try and get to both training sessions if you can.
Second Semi Final So close for Fighting Lions. The mighty Lions put in one of their best performances in the 2nd Semi-Final. We lost a nail-biter, but I was very proud of your effort. Every one of our defenders played well. Our half backs were great. Tom was extremely disciplined on a bigger opponent. He concentrated on defending and always went in hard, but fair. At the same time Tom contributed a lot of drive from half-back. In the full back line Guy, Ryan, Sam and the 2 Jacks shared duty. All were picked to play there because they are prepared to concentrate and play defensively. I was rapt in each of them. Our 8 defenders combined to hold a top team to just 3 goals. A terrific effort. Gus played one of his best games. He was asked to look after the kick-ins and he did this very well. He also got down the other end and kicked a good goal. Up forward I was very pleased with how all the players followed instructions to keep moving and trying to get on their own. Well done. Georgia's first goal was a classic. She took a good mark , played on and attempted to BOUNCE (what!!!) the ball in the mud. She re-gathered the ball and under pressure snapped a fantastic goal. Andrew was another who did well up forward. Poor Andrew appeared to have 2 opponents during the last quarter! Our midfielders kept working hard all day. One highlight was a super courageous mark that Viv took where he ran with the flight of the ball and held a tough high mark. Ollie and John were strong and smart with how they shared ruck duties. Our message for the day was "First To the Ball" and we got better at this as the game wore on. Billy, Jordan, Zander, Peter, Alec and Jack H all took hard knocks, but picked themselves up and got on with the game. This takes real guts. We spoke about being first to the ball at all the breaks and I noticed almost everyone making more effort in this regard. That was inspiring and it's why I'm confident that we will get another chance against the Doncaster Cats. Don't get too disheartened. Of course it's disappointing to lose a footy game, but it was clearly one of our better efforts and in many ways was a return to form. Like our song says we never stopped trying and we were so very close to getting the win that we all wanted. Doncaster were worthy winners on the day, but I thought the Roys played a terrific game. Keep your chins up. Round 16 We were all excited to be playing Greythorn at the historic Brunswick St ground. This ground is evidence of our club's connection with the AFL Fitzroy team. Something that our club is justifiably very proud of. Sadly the condition of the turf was very poor and the game was a tough slog from beginning to end. It took a while for both teams to become accustomed to the mud and slush. Our first quarter with a reasonable wind ended with a nil all draw! Actually I think we kicked one behind. We got rolling in the next quarter with 2 strong goals from Tyson. From here on both teams showed a lot of courage to come back at different times. In the end we fell just 6 points short, but we never stopped trying. Ollie played a super game, and was one of only a few who seemed untroubled by the conditions. I was impressed with his team work and how he sought to involve his team-mates at every opportunity. Andrew was another who at times looked like he might drag us over the line. He must have been working on his kicking because was kicked 2 very long goals. Great stuff. When conditions are muddy it makes sense to kick it as far as you can. Jack H played an excellent game and is really starting to impress with his fearless approach to the ball. This is something we are looking for from all our team, but it takes time. Jack is a much improved player. Alec was part of a frantic last quarter attack and I was rapt when he held a good chest mark and got his kick away quickly. Keep it up Alec. Tom was another who revelled in the conditions. In the end we have to accept that we were beaten by a better team on the day. Good luck to Greythorn. Hopefully we are ready to perform in the finals. We can be certain that the games will be tough. Let's concentrate on being first to the ball and working as a team. Remember, that regardless of whether we win or lose, there is honour in knowing that we have tried our hardest. Let's make sure that we work hard at training and give ourselves the best chance of success in the finals. Round 15 ROYS SECURE DOUBLE CHANCE The Mighty Roys are now guaranteed of finishing in the top 2. This means that we will play at least 2 finals. It was a great day for footy, with a big blue sky and only a gentle breeze. Before the game we spoke about how we wanted to have more movement in the forward line. This worked really well. PK was rewarded with certainly the best game that I have seen him play. Michael was able to get on his own and was always lively. Tyson used his strength for a good goal. Guy gave us a target in the forward line and I was very happy with his game. He kicked a nice goal, but had several other opportunities and was always dangerous. Around the ground our best player was Alex H. His lack of hesitation in going for the ball was inspiring and his evasive skills once he got it were dazzling. A big highlight was the strong overhead mark that Declan took. I was rapt that you followed it up with a nice kick to the top of the goal square. It was your best game so far Declan. In the end we had a comfortable win. We have one more game before the finals. It's time to knuckle down and make certain we do the team things. Play in your position, back each other up, pick up an opponent when we don't have the ball, talk to each other. We can improve in all these areas and if we do, we will be hard to toss in the finals! Round 14 Another tough and exciting game on the muddy Ivanhoe ground. This game was excellent preparation for the finals games that we have coming up soon. I was happy with our performance and felt that our 2nd half was excellent. In the end Ivanhoe got full reward for their only 2 trips into the forward line in the last quarter. Good luck to them. The lesson learnt here is the need to take our opportunities when they come. Our defence was great all day. I was rapt in Ryan's game. Ryan always concentrates and gives a solid effort each time he approaches the ball. John also did some great things in the last line of defence. One terrific tackle saved what looked like a certain goal. Super stuff. We have settled on a half-back line and Tom, Nick and Chris kept up their good form. All three have become very consistent and they represent a great strength of our team. Billy was captain for the day and he battled hard all day. Billy's improvement from last year is obvious and is a credit to him. He looks like he has been practicing his skills, which is obviously the only way to get better. Andrew has become a real standout player not just in our team, but in the entire comp. His ability to take contested marks is first rate and his bullocking runs into the forward line are inspirational. Andrew's fitness has improved greatly. Viv and Alex H showed what tough players they are when they got up and running again after very hard knocks. Some of Viv's passes were fantastic. Alex's clever play was another highlight. He kicked a nice goal too. Another goal came from some Pele-like mid air magic by Gus. I have to mention Louis who again showed his ability to hang on to a strong chest mark. He then calmly judged the tricky wind to score the only goal from a set shot all day. Well done Louis. Ivanhoe deserved their win in a low scoring game, but we can take a lot from the game as well. There's a good chance that we will see Ivanhoe again this year. They are an excellent team, but so are we. I'm confident we can go well.
Finally I want to congratulate you all for the great behaviour at the end
of the game. Of course you were disappointed, but you handled the loss with dignity. Round 13 LIONS FIRE UP! The mighty Lions move to the top of the ladder with a super team effort from everyone.
The day started with our opponents explaining that they only had 16 players
and needing 2 Fitzroy warriors to field a team. It was Ryan's 50th game and he completely obliterated the banner!
Doncaster are an excellent team and we spoke before the game about the need
to get off to a good start. Our intensity in the middle was terrific. Chris and Alex H set a great example to their team-mates with their
startling attack at the ball. John, Ollie and Nick all took turns in the
ruck and I was impressed with the courage that each of them showed.
At 3/4 time we were down and we spoke about the need to keep working on the basics. Keep your head over the ball, don't stand back, back each other up and share the ball.
There were several frantic moments in the last quarter where our defence
was under a lot of pressure. This was good experience for us as the
finals games are likely to be tough. A couple of times I thought we were
in real trouble, but the quick thinking and courage of Tom saved us. I
was rapt in your game Tom. Viv's composure in the last quarter was super
and he helped give confidence to all the team. Others who stood out in
the tough last quarter were Billy who held on to a strong tackle and Jack Hwho stood under a high ball and held a mark in heavy traffic. The umpy
called "play on" because the ball hadn't travelled far enough, but the main
thing was that you held your position and held the mark even though you
knew you might be crunched. It was a close game against worthy opponents. A great win and I was proud of you all!
Round 12 DEFENCE DEFENCE DEFENCE!!!
The mighty Roys enjoyed a hard fought win at Doncaster Heights. The main reason we won was the fantastic effort of our defenders. We have settled on a half back line of Tom, Nick and Chris. Behind them we swapped many players on the full back line. I liked the concentration shown there. Gus in particular really stood out with a couple of good quarters in a back pocket. He saved at least 2 goals.
In the ruck, Ollie and John both impressed with their clever hitouts. Up forward Andrew kicked 2 clever goals, while Guy snared one after some very unselfish work from Tyson. I also liked Billy's game and feel he is showing real improvement. It was great to see the way he moved in front of his opponent to take a chest mark. I've noticed PK following the play more carefully and he got some reward for his efforts when he was in the right place to take a mark after a quick kick from a scamble. Keep it up PK. We have now cemented our place in the finals, but have a challenging series of games approaching. We can approach these games with confidence as we have shown that we can play some terrific footy. One last thing. Please remember that it is very important to me that our team behaves appropriately whether we win or lose. We achieve this almost always and it is something that you can all be proud of. Round 10 Round 9 at Beverly Hills No movie stars were spotted at Beverley Hills yesterday, but the mighty Roys shone brightly! It was very pleasing to see the effort that everyone made to follow instructions and I thought we displayed excellent teamwork for the whole game. It was great to see Tyson take a mark and dish off a slick handball to Ollie running past. The quick short pass from Peter that hit Tyson on the chest was another highlight. It was good to see Declan battling hard for the ball. With a little luck he might have jagged a goal. Ryan provided a lot of drive from the wing and centre. I was impressed by the way he sought to involve himself in the game, but always took care to check where his opponent was. Jack F was another who showed that he is becoming a very good player as he gains more experience. Jack's pace is a great asset to our team. Louis, Alexander, Sam and Billy were good link players and seem to be improving with each game. Keep up the good work. There were a few standout performances. Chris has a well deserved reputation for relentless attack at the ball. Chris' endeavour is infectious and yesterday was one of his very best games. He was virtually unstoppable and played a major part in our victory. John was fantastic all day. He played in different parts of the ground and dominated wherever he was. His attack at the ball was terrific and his marking very strong. John made a special effort to move the ball quickly and this set up several scoring chances for the Roys. I think it was no coincidence that John put in his best training session for the year on Saturday before the game. Remember, the next month is a bit disjointed so I want to encourage all of you to try and attend training. Ring Jeff or myself if you are confused about locations. A combination of byes, rosters, and school holidays mean that some of our team will not play a game for over a month. Try and find some time to practice your skills. A regular casual 30 minute kick in the park will help you enormously. Yesterday we had winners all over the ground and it was certainly one of our best performances. Round 8 versus Hawthorn at Citizen's Park I was happy with our hard fought win. Liam had a shaky start, but got better as the game went on. He was responsible for a couple of crucial marks in the last quarter. Liam, I was very impressed with the way you knuckled down and kept trying. Tyson was our captain for the day and got us on our way with some strong work in the goalsquare. Jordan enjoyed a run in the forward line and I liked the way he always gave 2nd and 3rd efforts in the packs. A couple of times he was rewarded for his efforts and got the clearing kick. Peter's skills were first rate as usual. I especially liked the way he sought to bring his team-mates into the game with creative handball. I also liked the way that Louis didn't try and hold onto the ball for too long. Sam was another who impressed. He took an important overhead mark at one stage. We were put under pressure at different times. It was great that we didn't panic and we kept playing our own style of footy. Gus, Guy, Tom and Oliver kept driving the ball forward. I liked John's game as well. You did a lot of the hard work around the ground. Alex H kicked 3 clever goals in 10 minutes, but also impressed when he had a stint in the back pocket. In the end it was one of our newer players who took a strong chest mark, went back, calmly ignored the six Hawthorn players jumping up and down on the mark and coolly slotted home the sealer. Well done Harry! I want to make mention of the improved behaviour on the bench. Most weeks we have 5 or 6 kids sitting on the bench. It helps everyone if you use this time to rest, watch the game and cheer on your mates. For the first time this season, this mainly happened. Let's keep this up. Well done team Round 7 - A hard fought win at Greythorn
This game was a real challenge for the Lions. The Greythorn ground is
unusually small and conditions were tough with a strong breeze blowing to
one end. Also the team was depleted by several withdrawals and for the
first time, we asked a rostered off player back into the line-up. You
did well Alexander! The Lions got away to a strong start against the breeze. Alec had an amazing number of early possessions with the ball seemingly following him around! It was great to see him so involved. We peppered the goals and went to the break with the lead - an excellent performance. In the 2nd Quarter we made good use of the breeze. Ollie kicked a long bomb that sailed through from a long way out and PK snapped a clever goal after some good contesting from Georgia In the 3rd quarter I was especially happy with the way that our defenders were careful to guard the goal-line. The guys in the last line - Jordan , Ryan and Jack H - were solid all day. There can be a lot of pressure in defence and I really like the way you all concentrate. I've also noticed you working together a bit more, which is terrific. Ryan's kickouts were excellent. In the last quarter things got very tight. Greythorn fought back strongly and we were only a few points ahead about 1/2 way through. I think everyone noticed the increased pressure. Tom kept driving the ball forward - those quick kicks are great!- Nick kept leaping in the ruck - I don't think you missed a hit-out - and Viv kept going in and getting the ball. Everyone did their best and we ended up with a deserved win. Round 6 against Macleod at Ramsden Street A big win for the mighty Roys, but it is important to note that our opponents were severely undermanned.
In fact 4 Roys played for McLeod! I felt that we tried to stick to our plan of moving the ball quickly into the forward line and having 10 different goalkickers in a scoreline of 11.12 was a super achievement that showed how well you shared the ball and mostly avoided playing selfish footy.
I thought that Ryan played some good football. It was great to see him back in form. Guy wasn't beaten once. Again, our captain for the day, Jordan, really knuckled down and worked at setting a good example for the rest of the team. It was also terrific to see Declan get a couple of kicks and handpasses. It was your best game so far Declan. Others to impress were Jack F who really got into it and gave us a lot of drive and Peter whose skills are easily amongst the best in the team. Almost everyone had a turn in the forward line and the series of pack marks taken up there were a big highlight. Ollie, Andrew, Nick, Georgia, John andViv took some great grabs.
Well done team. ----------- Round 5 against Ivanhoe at Citizen's Park Super effort from the mighty Lions. I think we got those goals by concentrating on moving the ball as quickly as possible. This made it so much harder for the Ivanhoe defenders. Lets try and make quick movement into attack a trademark of our team! I was rapt in Tom's game. I thought the Nick gave us a lot of drive in the ruck. You've got a great leap Nick. I was also impressed by Jesse's 2nd and 3rd efforts in the packs. It was remarkable how many times the ball ended up in his hands. You have a lot of ability, Jesse. Another couple of players who caught my eye were Liam and Harry who at times were under a lot of pressure in the last line of defence. Both these players impressed by making sure they didn't let bouncing balls get behind them. Alexander is still learning about the game, but his improvement is obvious. Keep working at it Zander, as I think you could be an excellent player. Try and practice your kicking and handballing as much as you can. I can't finish without mentioning PK's performance. Two goals was a great result. The first from an excellent mark and the next from some quick work in a goal square scramble. I think your goals caused the biggest cheers of the day! Well done team. ------------------- Round 4 against Doncaster I was proud of our effort at Doncaster. Last year we were unable to
score even one goal while this time we were very competitive and with
a little luck might have even snatched a win. I can't help noticing how much so many of the team have improved from last year. Jack H is playing good football and has become a solid defender. Georgia is positively killing them up forward - that was a super goal! Alex H and Guy are improving their consistency - both are talented players, and neither has played a poor game this year. Jordan is concentrating more. Doncaster got 2 goals in the first couple of minutes and I was concerned that we might be looking at a big loss against a stronger team. I was extremely impressed with how we fought our way back into the game. After the poor start we matched it goal for goalwith Doncaster and played some good football. As usual there were a few performances that stood out. Ollie played a great game, rucking for 4 quarters. Louis showed genuine courage when he stood under high kicks, kept his eyes on the ball and held 3 strong chest marks. Viv continued his good form and Chris as usual revelled in the packs. My highlight for the day, however, was after Louis missed a pretty easy
shot at goal in the last quarter. He looked pretty disappointed and I
noticed Andrew move towards him and give him a consoling pat on the back.
It doesn't sound like much, but I was rapt. I am already very happy with
how you all try and work together. Knowing that your team-mates will back
you up no matter what helps you all become better players and gives the
team the best chance of success. Coach's Report, three rounds
into the season.... After a loss and a draw in 2003, the mighty Lions finally
beat Doncaster Heights.
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