Under 13 Green | Players  |  Fixture  |  Duty Roster

Coach: John Michie [email protected] 9481 8227

Team Manager: Peter King [email protected] 9482 7541

Congratulations to Viv Michie on finishing as a close runner-up (AGAIN!) with an amazing 30 votes in the 2005 YJFL Best & Fairest

DUTY ROSTER Thanks to each and everyone who took on formal and informal roles and tasks over the season. We have a truly great team on and off the field!

2005 SEASON SUMMARY

This season we were promoted to the Green Division after our premiership triumph in 2004.

From our Grand Final team we lost Georgia Hammond who retired and Gus Selaidinakos who took the season off as he was travelling to Europe for most of the season. We welcomed into the team Alex Lawrence and Chris Chiroiu.

The Under 13 Green team had 27 players and consequently every player in the team was rostered off for at least one game. Most weeks we had plenty on the bench and we worked on a formula of all players playing at least 3 quarters of each game. We didn't encounter any side with as many players, yet saw several instances of kids playing just a quarter or worse. In our biggest loss for the year we had 24 players playing 3 quarters each. Our opponents had just one child on the bench, who reportedly was taken home by his parents during the 3rd quarter as he had not yet been given a run. That team won by over 10 goals, but didn't seem like "winners" to me.

I was proud of all the players this season. Our most talented players worked hard to involve all their team-mates. One of the things that pleased me most was that not once all season did I witness any player criticising a team-mate. The boys stuck together, played unselfish football and seemed to understand that their best chance of success was to share the ball.

As coach I got most great pleasure out of seeing the boys improve their skills. The whole group was a year older and is starting to gain some experience, but Jack Hammett, Peter Melilli, Jordan Shallard, Billy Noonan, Ryan Cuell, Sam Barrett and Alexander Ripon are the ones that stood out to me as having made the most improvement.

The competition was challenging, but our team acquitted themselves well. We won six games and suffered several close losses (3 by a kick or less!). For me it has never been just about winning on the scoreboard. I think all the team benefited from a supportive team culture. It was clear to me that the team got along well together and hopefully footy has been a way of expanding friendship groups beyond neighbourhood and school.

I am retiring from the coaching job, but it has been a great honour to work closely with such a terrific group of kids. I hope the team can stick together and I look forward to cheering them on from the sidelines in 2006!

Here is my appraisal of how each player went this year.

ALEC Deasey - Alec's best attribute is his ability to get the ball. Some kids struggle to get near the footy, but this was never a problem for the team's ball magnet. In a couple of games the ball seemed to follow Alec!

ALEX Hehir - Alex is a gutsy player who is creative running forward with the ball. Can be damaging when he finds space, but quite capable of playing a defensive role also.

ALEX Lawrence - Joined us this year and played his first season of footy. Still learning the game, but plays with flair and should develop into a very good player as he gains experience.

ALEXANDER Ripon - Has improved his skills and began to show more confidence with the physical contact aspects of the game. Played several steady games as is, but has potential to become a more influential player.

ANDREW Symon - One of the very best players in the comp, not just our team. Loved his bullocking style. Took some great marks. Everything clicked in the Greythorn game when he kicked 6 goals.

BILLY Noonan - Has worked hard on improving his skills. Is now a safe mark and getting more distance with his kicks. Was prepared to get amongst the packs.

CHRIS Chiroiu - Our other new player. Got started late and then managed to injure himself and missed a lot of the season. Still learning the game, but knew enough to bang through a goal when his chance came!

CHRIS Doherty - One of our most important players. Lots of ability, but his attack at the ball and preparedness to throw himself into packs is extraordinary. Mainly played in the middle, but went forward one week and kicked a lazy three goals.

DECLAN Cole-Flynn - Played up forward and was unlucky not to snag a goal that would have generated the biggest roar of the season.

GUY Florio - Started slowly but finished the year off as our most polished defender. Guy is fantastic at reading the play. Has courage to go with his skills. An excellent mark. My highlight was a goal saving grab right on the goal-line at Ramsden Street

HARRY McKenzie - Missed a lot of footy, but is strong and can stay on his feet. Kept on trying and was a consistent player.

JACK Funnell - Has enormous potential and could develop into one of the very best players in the team. First and last games of the season were his best.

JACK Hammet - Our "Raging Bull". Jack's footy really came along this year. From humble beginnings, he has turned himself into an influential player who can play in a variety of roles.

JOHN Richardson - A courageous big player who is an important player in the team. Possibly best suited to a full forward position, our team needed him elsewhere. Ended up mainly in the ruck and full back positions, but kicked 4 goals in the early games up forward. Always gave 100%.

JORDAN Shallard - Easily his best season. I was rapt in his improvement. Didn't try and do too much, but as time went on seemed to understand how a committed effort at all contests could greatly benefit the team.

LIAM Alexander - Can still kick goals, but showed he was learning more about the game with a series of solid performances in defence.

LOUIS King - sadly retired from footy mid-season. Decided to focus on rock music, which is also fun!

MICHAEL Velianis - Our smallest player. He has a good grasp of the game and always followed directions. Showed commendable concentration. Made space for his team-mates and now and again danced through packs like Dougie Hawkins!

NICK Molan - Had a fine season and was one of our most consistent players. Nick was given plenty of tough tasks and wasn't beaten all season.

OLIVER Jach - Easily one of our most talented players. Ollie has excellent skills, a strong motor, is prepared to go and get the ball and is a good team player. A massive booming kick, Ollie kicked at least one goal in each of our last 7 games.

PATRICK King - PK played several good games this season. Was given more responsibility and showed that he could compete in the ruck.

PETER Melilli - One of the big improvers. Already the possessor of good skills, as the season progressed Peter went from being a committed toiler to becoming one of our better players. As he gained more confidence he began to influence the games more. One of his best games included an 8 kick quarter wearing Kew Rovers colours!

RYAN Cuell - Played in a variety of roles and, as he's done in each of his 3 years with the Roys, always listened, concentrated and gave a genuine effort. If he can continue the improvement shown in 2005, he can become a very good footballer.

SAM Barrett - Sam has developed into a dashing defender. Always played close to his opponent and showed plenty of savvy under pressure. When given opportunities elsewhere always played with aplomb.

TOM Dyson - a livewire. Perhaps best suited to an attacking half forward role, his speed and hard tackling meant he was regularly asked to run with our best opponents. Always tried hard and played several good games.

TYSON Austin - For most of his time with Fitzroy, Tyson has played as full forward. This season spent a lot of time in the midfield where his strength and ability had an impact most weeks. Had a good season on the field, but his effort in making an excellent speech at the Team Reporting night was possibly his most impressive performance in 2005.

VIV Michie - courage, good skills and high level of fitness made him an important player in our team. Viv was a leader on the field and always worked hard for team success.

Final Round Versus Ivanhoe

The mighty Lions had shown plenty of promising signs last week in a good performance against one of the ladder leaders and I was rapt to see we continued that fine even effort across all lines on the field. We stormed out of the blocks and took our chances near goal to establish a good lead at the first break and then kept up our intensity and pressure at the ball to record a fantastic win.

Thanks to the dedicated crew that created the fine run-thorough banner. Our team always does things with style and I was pleased to see that it was genuine crepe paper banner made the traditional way. No cheap computer graphics for our team! The banner was largely in honour of Nick who returned from a break to play a fine 50th game for the team. Accompanying him through the banner were Ollie, who was selected to captain the team in the last game of the year and Declan who has signalled his intention to hang up his boots.

We had no passengers at all this week and every single player showed that they were prepared to work hard for their team-mates

Naturally a few players stood out. Jack F was an attacking player all day and as instructed used his pace to run at every opportunity. Our other Jack, our Raging Bull, was relentless in his efforts to be first for the ball. His improvement in this part of the game is very pleasing for me. He was one of the dominant players on the ground. Harry was another who impressed me with his willingness to put his body in and also his clever use of the ball on several occasions.  Chris D played another excellent game in the middle. 

A big highlight for me was the desperate work of all our defenders. I was very impressed by John’s game. He didn’t get a lot of possessions, but he concentrates on set tasks and did not get beaten once in one on one contests. Guy seemingly had no opponent for most of the day. Guy’s reading of the play is outstanding and he held back countless attacks. Sam played his best game for a while and also showed what a creative player he can be when later in the game he was moved into the midfield. I also thought it was one of Ryan’s best games.

Ollie’s 4 quarter effort was excellent. Our opponents had no one to match Ollie’s winning combination of athleticism and endeavour. In my opinion, Ollie was clearly the best player on the ground.

Ivanhoe didn’t throw in the towel and played some good football as well, but it was our day and we deserved the win. Not since our memorable premiership win last year can I recall our great club song being sung with such gusto. Well done team.

Over the next week or so I’ll prepare a summary of the 2005 season. That should be posted on this site soon.

Round 15 V. Bulleen-Tempelstowe

A very solid level of commitment across the team, combined with constant concentration to keep errors to a minimum gave us a real chance to win against one of the leading teams in our grade.

We played the highly rated Bulleen Templestowe outfit on a glorious sunny afternoon in Richmond. We spoke a lot before the game about how everyone in the team is needs to be making a contribution if we are to give ourselves a chance in the game. As part of that contribution was the challenge, all players were challenged to lay at least 4 tackles. Everyone seemed pretty fired up before the game and we got away to a great start. We led for quite a while in the game and still had a chance to win the game well into the last quarter. I was very pleased with the effort of all Lions players. We congratulate the Bullants on their win and wish them well for the finals.

I thought Jordan was an excellent contributor today. I could see Jordan working hard to get to marking contests and he really threw himself into the battle. A couple of times he picked the ball up in hot situations and booted clearing kicks. One of his best games.

Ollie worked tirelessly in the ruck. Not only did he contest most of the rucking duels he pushed forward at every opportunity and was clearly one of the best players on the ground. Another to do well was Viv. Viv was on the receiving end of some very solid tackles. He showed courage to pick himself up and get on with the game.

I was very pleased with all our defenders. Sam was back in form and worked hard to be first to the ball. Guy, Alex H & Jack F, as directed, gave us some run off the half back line. John worked manfully against the tall Bullant forwards. I thought it was Alex L’s best game for a while. He didn’t get a lot of kicks, but again put himself in the packs and laid a couple of important tackles. A few others played at least part of the game in defence. I was happy with everyone there. We were able to stay close in the game because we didn’t give any easy goals away. What a difference that makes! Well done defenders.

Similarly up forward we mostly took our chances when they came. Liam (two), Andrew and Ollie got our goals, and a few others went close. I was very happy that we didn’t miss any sitters this week.

Summing up we worked hard in defence and made our opponents work for their goals and up forward we tried to get in front and take our chances when they came. In the midfield I thought we more than broke even. That adds up to a much improved performance on the previous week. The Bullants were a little too good and deserved their win. We’re due for some luck. I reckon a similar performance next week will give us a great chance of getting a win in the last game.

Round 14

Roys go down to Camberwell in a thriller

The Lions got away to a good start and looked well placed to notch a win, but the Camberwell Sharks dug deep and kept pressing. Their persistence paid off when they kicked two last quarter goals to snatch the win. I was impressed by their never say die approach and our team congratulates the Sharks on their deserved victory.

Captain for the day was Ollie. He rucked all day and more than broke even against a talented Camberwell big man. Ollie was lively all day and worked hard to provide a target. I was very impressed with his work in the packs and for the fifth game in a row he topped of his game with a good goal.

I thought Alexander put in a great effort. Several times he showed courage in his approach to the ball and he picked up several possessions. Similarly Peter set a great example for the whole team. He always worked hard to get first to the ball, which is so important. The improvement in this aspect of his game has contributed to his great recent form. I'm rapt in his effort.

Another highlight for me was the fantastic chase by Tom. He set off at least 10 metres behind the speedy Sharks rover, but quickly nabbed him and laid a perfect tackle. He was rewarded with the free.

Alex H played his best game for the season. He danced through several packs and always sought to use the ball well. Jack H kicked a super goal with a clever kick over his shoulder. Chris C was another good contributor. I'm sure he can become a good player as he gains more experience.

It was very close at the end and I know we were all disappointed not to get the win. One area we need to get better at is making the most of our opportunities. I know that no one deliberately misses but we have missed several straightforward chances in almost every game this season.

Remember - practicing your skills is the only way to improve.

As always I was proud of the way we played the game. The on and off field behaviour of our team has been exemplary all season. This has been important to me since the very beginning and the team has never let me down in this regard. Well done guys.

We've been up and down this season, but it is clear to me that when the whole team works hard we can compete with any team in our grade. Let's make a special effort to give four disciplined quarters next week.

Round 13

Solid effort at Box Hill.

We trooped out to play the St Francis Xavier Whitehorse Colts on another great day for footy. The first thing I noticed was the dinky visitors changeroom. It was like we were separately housed in our own little shed. I thought it was great!

We got away to a slow start, and things looked a little grim at half time, but our team is gaining in maturity and I was confident that we could fight our way back into the game. A super 3rd quarter playing against the wind and up a steep hill (!) left us within striking distance at the last change. An exciting last quarter ended with the Colts running out winners by a couple of goals. Throughout the game I thought both teams displayed good sportsmanship and we congratulate the Colts on their victory.

I think the catalyst for our improved fortunes in the second half was the work of Ollie in the ruck. What a super athlete he is. Ollie’s excellent work in the ruck set up many scoring opportunities. The immediate beneficiaries of a lot of that ruck work were Chris D and Viv. Both these capable players worked hard in the middle gluepit and were among the best players on the ground.

Up forward Andrew worked hard and was always dangerous. Andrew is a good team player and was never frightened of going into defence to lend a hand there as well.

Captain for the day was Jack H. I call Jack our Raging Bull. I have enjoyed seeing his improvement over the last few years. Jack’s attack at the ball was first-rate and he has turned himself into an important player in our team. Jack held a nice mark on the goal line and with an ounce of luck might have kicked his first goal for the Roys.

Someone who doesn’t have to worry about that is Chris C. Our most inexperienced player pounced upon a loose footy and calmly slotted his first major for the Lions. Well done Chris.

Billy was another who stood out. Like Jack his skills have improved considerably. He now takes a reliable chest mark and his kicking has also improved. Another thing I like about Billy is how he is prepared to take a chance to be first to the ball. That takes courage.

Jack F was moved all around the ground and did well in all positions. He approached the ball with confidence and sent some booming kicks downfield. Jack is very speedy and I was rapt to see him back himself a couple of times and run down the field. We want to see more of that Jack.

Summing up I honestly thought it was one of our best efforts for the entire season so far. We got good contributions from all players and that makes a power of difference. We can be proud of our effort against one of the top teams in our division. We keep that up and we have a great chance of singing our grand song a couple of times before the year is out. Well done team.

Round 12

Citizens Park Hoodoo Continues!

After reading forecasts of showers it was great to see clear blue skies
over Citizens Park on Sunday. Unfortunately the Roys went down after
good battle with an enthusiastic opponent. St Damians played a fine brand
of footy. I thought they worked together well as a team, were first to
the ball more often than us, and deserved their victory. Congratulations
to St Damians.

We welcomed back Liam and Andrew after overseas holidays. It was great
to have them back. Andrew worked very hard. I'm sure all our
supporters will long remember Andrew's audacious series of kicks off the
ground where he moved the ball from the half back line to the half forward
line, past a succession of opponents, before eventually gathering the ball
and banging the ball to our goalsquare. Liam also did well before he
had to leave the field after an accidental heavy knock.

Peter played well in a variety of positions. Peter is one of our smallest
players, but I noticed that he wasn't standing back. He worked very hard
to get to contests. As usual Peter's skills were outstanding and he
finished off his good work with a classy goal snapped over his shoulder.
Great team game Peter.

Tyson was our captain for the day and I could tell he was trying especially
hard. At 3/4 time I asked Tyson to try and hold up the big St.Damians
players in the centre square. He did this very well and easily met my
challenge of 4 tackles for the last quarter.

Our defence was under a lot of pressure and I was very pleased with John's
game. I thought John played well early in the ruck, but he really took
his game up a notch in the backline. He concentrated on his task,
communicated well with his fellow defenders and held a bunch of strong
marks in the last line of defence (where the pressure's strongest).

I liked Harry's game as well. I especially liked the way he confidently
gathered bouncing balls and banged the ball out of defence. Tom was
creative and took some nice marks. Jack H is a much improved player and did
some tough work on a very strong opponent. Viv helped out his teammates
with some excellent passes.

It was an exciting game of footy, but we were not quite good enough to win.
Let's aim for 4 solid quarters of committed footy next week.

Round 11

A difficult morning in Warrandyte.

My first visit to the quaint Warrandyte Reserve. This ground has a lot
of character. I loved the little elevated grandstand and the steep
roller-coaster race down to ground level. The changerooms were downright
chilly!

The Roys battled hard, but we were no match for the Warrandyte outfit. I
felt that Warrandyte was comfortably the best team we have played so far
this year and I was most impressed with their teamwork and hard running
style. I expect them to do well should they force their way into the top 4.

As always there were some impressive efforts from our team. PK was
captain for the day and in a significant challenge for him was asked to
play in the ruck for a quarter. He broke even in the hitouts and worked
hard to chase his opponent around the ground. It was very encouraging to
see PK make a lead and hold a strong contested overhead mark - his best
mark in 3 years of footy. Well done PK.

I thought Alex H played a good game. He was lively around the packs and
his disposal was excellent. Chris D as usual lead from the front. His
attack at the ball was outstanding and in one passage of play he laid 4
consecutive tackles. Nick played well again and we will miss him over the
next 4 weeks. Enjoy your holiday Nick.

Guy continued his great form. His marking is remarkable for someone of
his stature and every week he seems to take a couple of classics. I was
impressed by some of Tom's solid defensive efforts. A couple of Tom's
desperate chases were inspiring. Ollie worked hard against huge odds and
I thought that John played an excellent game as well.

All in all it was a tough day for footy. The ground was muddy, the ball
was waterlogged and our opponents were relentless. Thinking back, I was
guilty of being negative during some of the breaks. I want to apologise
for that. It can't be much fun getting slammed on the footy field and
then having to endure a grouchy old coach. I respect the effort made by
every one of our 27 players. I'm proud of the way you stick together and
support each other. The break comes at a good time for all of us!

Round 10 at Home to Kew Rovers

Lions fight back and win a thriller.
 
Our team enjoyed an excellent win in our first game for 2005 on our home oval. Kew Rovers got away to a super start kicking 3 goals and holding us scoreless in the 1st quarter. It would have been easy to drop our heads, but our team kept on persisting. We fought our way back into the contest and eventually took and held the lead in the last quarter. Well done team. 
 
The strength of our team spirit was especially tested this week.

Kew Rovers informed us before the game that they were short of players and would require assistance from us to field a full team. This is the hardest job to deal with as a junior footy coach. In the end PK, Alex L, Ryan, Billy & Peter all played a couple of quarters for Rovers.   I want to thank them for the mature way they handled that duty. As asked, each of them had a genuine go and a couple of them were comfortably among the best players for Rovers. I think Peter had about 8 kicks in the last quarter! It was good to have them all back in the fold for the singing of the song!  
 
I thought Guy Florio was our most outstanding player this week. His understanding of the game, positioning and creative flair were great. In addition some of his marking was spectacular. One mark on the goal line saved a certain goal.  
 
Alexander R played a fine game also in defence. It was great to see him attacking the ball with confidence. I especially liked his tackling efforts. Another who did well in defence was John who took a couple of important marks in the last quarter. 
 
Tyson was an important player for us this week. Playing mainly at half forward he gave us a genuine target. His work at ground level was excellent.  
 
Chris D was good up forward, always providing a genuine contest, fighting to keep the ball in our forward-line and he capped his work off with 3 nice goals. Speaking of goals, Ryan slotted a ripper from about 40 metres out. His first goal in 3 seasons with the Roys.   
 
Kew Rovers had some excellent players in the ruck and midfield and I was very happy with the workrate of Ollie, Viv and Nick who gave us lots of drive all through the game.      
 
I thought the team had trained well on Thursday, so I was very pleased to see that effort carry over into a solid performance against Kew Rovers. Keep working at practicing your skills. Try and find someone to have a regular kick with after school. You'll be surprised how much difference that makes.  

Round 9 Versus Bundoora

Tough afternoon for Royboys.

Sadly we were the recipient of a hiding from a strong Bundoora line-up.
Not since the dark days of 2003 has our team lost a game by such a big
margin, but I was happy with the way we fought out the game. Bundoora won
the game largely through some powerful midfield players and some clever
work up forward. There can be no doubt that Bundoora deserved their
victory and we congratulate them.

There were some excellent performances from Roys players.

Ollie made a fantastic return to the team and was one of the dominant
players on the ground. Ollie's marking was solid and he repeatedly
demonstrated his fine pace and booming kicking skills. Others to return
this week were Andrew who was always dangerous and Ryan who worked hard. I
love the effort that Ryan puts in every week.

Jordan continues to impress and he is turning himself into an important
member of the team. Jordan performed well in a variety of roles and while
his skills require work, he was able to make a good contribution through
keen attack at the ball and his improved ability to reach more contests.

I thought Alexander played his best game for a while and it was good to see
him get more involved in the game.

Michael played further up the ground than usual but showed the
concentration and energy that we have come to expect from him.

I thought John performed well in defence in the 2nd half and I liked some
of Sam's work back there also. Up forward I thought that Tom and Jack F
were lively.

Big losses aren't much fun, but remember there is no great shame in losing.
The important thing is to learn from the experience and work to improve
next time. We all get a week off this week. Let's enjoy the rest and
come back ready to show our best in the last 7 games.

Round 8 versus Richmond

We were finally at home after six weeks touring the eastern suburbs. I thought we battled well, but unfortunately we went down to Richmond after a high quality game.  
 
We started slowly and were a fair way down at 3/4 time. To the boys credit they fought the game out and for a brief moment looked like they might even snatch an upset victory. In the end Richmond steadied and I thought they deserved their win. Congratulations to the Tigers. 
 
Having 24 players this week meant that every player spent a quarter on the bench. Our team has developed strong, supportive ties and I think it is great how well the boys respond to this sharing of the load.   
 
While its true that I was happy with the team as a whole, as usual there were a some noteworthy efforts. 
 
Jordan and Jack H each had a quarter in the ruck and I was very happy with the way they went about it. Jordan keeping his head over the ball and Jack H giving his usual spirited effort. Well done guys. It's great that you can step up and take on such important jobs for the team.  
 
Up forward I was extra pleased with Louis centring the ball to the top of the goalsquare when he had a chance to have an unlikely ping from the boundary line. Exactly the right thing to do. A goal resulted from Louis' great team play.  
 
Declan was involved in several attacks and I was happy with his game. Michael played very well also. He kicked a goal, which is always fun, but I was equally impressed with a couple of spillages he caused by contesting against a bigger opponent. A goal resulted directly from him jumping in a marking contest and spoiling his opponents attempt to mark. This is important as it shows that even if a player doesn't get a kick all day (and Michael had several) they can still make a big contribution to the team by providing a contest at all times.   
 
Billy has definitely improved this year and he played one of his better games. Liam provided a forward target. Tyson did well in a variety of positions and it was good to see Chris C back after a long injury spell.  
 
I also want to mention Guy's game. I thought it was comfortably his best game for the year.  Guy has a great ability to read the play and was often in position to take telling marks. One particular effort stood out for me. A very high kick floated in the breeze, but Guy ran back bravely and held the mark. It is great to see Guy playing with such confidence.
 
We weren't quite good enough on the day, but several players showed improvement and similar efforts in coming weeks should see us back on the winners list shortly.   
 

Round 7 at Doncaster

ROYS KEEP FAITH AND PREVAIL AGAINST THE TOP TEAM.

We journeyed to Schramms Reserve to play our traditional rivals, Doncaster.
Four of our last 10 games have been against the strong Doncaster Cats
outfit. They always give a good contest and they gave us a big hiding
only 4 weeks ago. We were naturally keen to give a better performance this
time.

It looked like we might be in for a tough afternoon when Doncaster kicked a
couple of goals in the first few minutes. To the boys credit they kept
persisting and managed to get the lead in the last quarter and held on to
win a close contest. Both teams played some creative footy and it was a
very exciting game.

Ryan did well in a variety of positions. Always attentive and committed,
the improvement in Ryan's skills is obvious. I was most impressed with an
overhead mark that he held.

Declan held a nice mark in front of goals. What a shame the umpire judged
that it hadn't travelled far enough. Still the important thing is that you got
to the front position and you were there to give a contest. Keep doing that
each week and you'll be having a set shot at goal before too long.

Sam continued his good form and is developing into a leader in our defence.
Sam is succeeding because he concentrates well, and attacks the ball at all
times. In one passage of play under enormous pressure from three
Doncaster forwards he single-handedly moved the ball away from goals with a
series of frantic tap ons.

I thought Jack F played his best game since the season opener. He was
always lively and played with a lot of energy. Well done Jack. Your
challenge now is to play well consistently.

Tom and Alex H really started running through the lines in the last quarter
and this quick movement into the forward line made it very difficult for our
opponents. Andrew had injured his leg, but gamely agreed to play out of
the goalsquare. He showed his class with 2 last quarter goals. Harry and
PK made important contributions at different times Loved the sheperding
effort in the last quarter PK. Alexander held a strong mark and showed
impressive desperation. We were also lucky to get such good games from
Chris, Viv, Ollie and Nick who combined to give us a lot of drive from the
centre square. We'd really struggled in this area last time, but more than
broke even this time. Well done guys.

Summing up, it was probably our best win for the season. We finally get a
home game next week. Although playing Richmond behind the Richmond Town
Hall possibly won't seem like home!

Round 6 - Versus StMary's

We all trooped out to picturesque Greensborough and were greeted with
another beautiful sunny afternoon. I think we're all going to get a big
shock when the hail and drizzle inevitably arrives!

I was very pleased that we once again got off to a good start. Our motto
for the day was to 'Get To The Contests' and we largely delivered on that
promise. Well done team.

St Marys are a talented team and at different times strung together some
excellent team work. Certainly we were challenged, but the Mighty Roys
held their ground and I thought deserved the win.

Sam was rock-solid at full back. He shows a lot of footy nous and held a
high mark that showed he has plenty of ability.

In the second half, Alex L was given the challenge of going into the midfield. Alex stuck at this task and made an important contribution to our win.

Peter was an attacking defender. I was most impressed with his attack at
the ball, as he truly sought to be first to the ball on all occasions.
This is what we want from all the team. Peter finished off his good work
with neat disposal.

Nick continued his great form and played well in a variety of positions.
Alex H played his best game for the season. He was back to his lively and
clever best. Liam up forward kept concentrating and was able to post 4
goals in the last quarter. A rare occurrence in any level of football.

The quirky YJFL draw means we travel to Doncaster next week. Our 6th away game in the first 7 weeks and our 2nd game against the strong Doncaster
outfit in a month. They were too good for us last time, so this is a big
challenge, but one I'm sure we can meet.

Round 5 - Mother's Day at Ivanhoe

What a glorious morning for footy.

We went down by just 3 points in a high standard game at Ivanhoe. In a
very exciting last quarter we came from behind twice to snatch the lead,
but in the end we just got pipped.

I was proud of the effort put in by all players.

Billy played a fantastic game. He showed courage to take some solid marks
and impressed by always moving the ball as quickly as possible. One of
your best games, Billy.

PK became an important player as the game wore on. He also held onto a
couple of marks, and I was very pleased to see him gather a couple of loose
balls as well.

Jack H played only his second game for 2005 and again displayed his
courageous attack at the footy. That's great to see Jack.

Declan played his best game for the year. He got a quick kick out of a
pack and a couple of handpasses as well. Good stuff.

Alex H looked like he was coming back into form and it was a big loss to
the team when he had to retire with an injury in the 2nd Quarter. We all hope
you're fit again next week.

Our defence was again solid. Sam has been a fixture at full-back this
season. I like the way he concentrates and works hard. He's an
excellent defender with good marking and kicking skills.

The exciting last quarter brought out some brilliant performances. It was
a super team effort. Of course it was disappointing to not get the 4
points, but understand: we played well and we went close to knocking
off the top team. Congratulations to Ivanhoe. They played some classy
football also.

I thought our team played very well. A similar performance next week
will give us a great chance against St Mary's.

Round 4 versus St.Damian's

The Mighty Roys got back on the winning list with one of our best
performances against St Damians.

We spoke before the game about trying to play a more direct style of footy
and I was very pleased that the team worked so hard to follow instructions.
The quick movement made it so much tougher for our opponents.

For the first time in 2005, we got off to a quick start and built up a lead
which we were able to hold until the end. I liked the way St Damians
kept on persisting right till the end. I reckon we can learn something
from that next time the Royboys are a long way down at 1/2 time.

Ollie played a fine game, marking confidently and kicking three goals in
the first quarter! Another who impressed was Alex L, who enjoyed the
freedom of a run on the ball. Alex has only played 4 games of footy, but
he has plenty of courage. He can become an excellent player as his skills
develop.

I thought it was Jordan's best game since I have been involved with the
team. He concentrated well, worked hard and attacked the ball. Keep it
up Jordan. Tom played another good game. A high mark in the goalsquare
was a highlight, but I was equally impressed with his hard chasing and
tackling.

Guy was a prominent player who gave us lots of drive. Peter got plenty of
the ball and always used it well. Alex H was busy. Declan was involved
in a couple of good passages of play . Ryan impressed me with his work in
the packs. He was always prepared to put his head over the ball and moved
the ball quickly when he got it.

It might sound like I'm going to mention everyone this week. It certainly
was an excellent team effort..........so I better say I was also happy with
the games played by Billy, Alec, Viv, Harry, Nick, PK, Andrew, Liam, Jack F
(great shepherd, Jack), Tyson, John, Sam and Alexander!

Well done team.

Round 3 versus Doncaster

A late change meant that our 'home' game was moved at the last minute to
Doncaster at a later time. I want to thank Jeff for making all the
frantic phone calls, which ensured that all, but one, of our team found the
new venue at the new time. Sadly Declan did not get the message, which
was a shame as we could have used his height.

Our traditional rivals Doncaster were raring to go and keen to avenge their
defeat by the mighty Roys in last year's Grand Final. I thought we
stood up to them well and I couldn't fault our endeavour. I was very
pleased with the effort shown by all players because we talk about this
every week. Unfortunately, while certainly trying hard, we did make a lot
of silly errors. I believe we kicked into the mark on at least 5
occasions! The good thing is that we can certainly improve in this
regard. It wasn't one of our better days, but Doncaster played an
impressive brand of team footy and certainly deserved their victory.
Congratulations to them.

We welcomed a new player, Chris Chiroiu, into our team. Chris C played
a fine first up game for the Lions.

It was Jack Hammet's first game for the year and he made an immediate
impact. I was rapt in the desperation he showed in the backline. A
particular highlight was his courageous attack on the ball. Just a super
performance Jack!

Nick played a terrific game. His marking was safe and I thought he used
the ball well, which was great to see. I hope the game gives you
confidence, Nick, because you have all the skills required to be a dominant
player in our grade.

Ollie gave us a lot of drive around the packs. He has unusual athleticism
for such a tall player and it is tough for our opponents to stop him when
he is running so freely. Ollie kicked a nice goal too.

I was very impressed by Michael's game. Michael is the smallest player in
our team, but is benefiting from good concentration. I've read many times
about how even top AFL players can struggle to get into the game when
playing as a small forward. I like how Michael keeps working even when the
ball is down the other end. He stays alert, so is ready to go when the
opportunities come. He kicked a nice goal and was very close to holding
another mark in the goalsquare. Similarly I was happy with PK's improved
effort. I thought he got to a lot more contests.

Others to play well include Peter, who got a lot of the ball, Ryan who was
tough in the packs, the ball magnet Alec and Tom who held some fine marks.

Andrew, Chris and Viv continued their impressive form.

It wasn't our day, but I think we should stay positive. As I said
earlier, our effort was fine and sometimes that's the hardest thing to
learn. Our skills will improve with practice. Remember team, four
strong quarters next week.

Round 2 versus Greythorn

We returned to windy Greythorn and clashed with an opponent who had defeated us last time we met. I thought this was a high quality match with lots of good performances from players of both teams.

At 1/2 time we were a couple of goals down and about to take our turn of playing into the wind. I got the feeling that most of our supporters were hoping we could contain Greythorn and try and come back with a big finish at the end. How wrong can you be! The Mighty Lions immediately grasped control of the match and contrary to expectations dominated the 3rd quarter. We slammed on 4 goals into the breeze and managed to go into the last break with a handy lead, which we maintained until the end.

Billy, Sam and Alec played their first games for 2005, after being rostered off in Round 1. I was impressed with each of them. Sam is a clever and quick defender - just what we need. Alec knows how to find the ball and keeps having a go and Billy is shaping up as one of our big improvers this year.

I was most impressed by Tyson's game. He had an immediate impact when he went into the middle and this was one of the reasons for our remarkable 2nd half effort. Nick, Ollie, John and Andrew all had a quarter in the ruck and as the game wore on they kept jumping high and winning most of the hitouts.

At quarter time I was critical of the concentration level of a few of our players who were getting cold in our forward line and one of the things that pleased me most was how well these players tried to improve. I've already mentioned Nick's great work in the ruck and elsewhere. Jordan showed improved commitment and urgency when he moved to the contest and forcefully punched the ball away. Jordan, you saved a goal for the team there. PK showed what he is capable of when he raced in and applied a perfect shepherd, clearing a path for a running team-mate.

I liked Guy's game - his marking skills are amongst the best in the team. Guy is an important player in our team as he has shown he can play well in any position on the field. Alex H had a slow start, but was one of our best players in the 2nd half. Well done Alex. Chris and Viv continue to show leadership in the packs. Neither took a backward step all day.

I can't finish without making reference to the terrific game played by Andrew. He was rarely beaten all day and capped of his work with six fine goals. That Andrew should kick so well in the windy conditions shows how much he has worked on his kicking. There's no mystery to how to improve your skills - it's all about practice. If you want to improve, try and take training seriously and see if you can find someone to have a kick with you after school. I reckon you'll be surprised by how much that helps.

In summary, we had some standout individual performers, but the win was achieved from a great team effort, especially after quarter-time. Next week we meet Doncaster, with whom we've had some great contests. Let's aim for 4 strong quarters!

Round 1 versus Ivanhoe

It's great to be starting a new season.

We enjoyed great success in 2004 and will need to work hard to replicate
that in a higher division. From last years premiership line-up we have
lost Gus and Georgia. It was super to see Georgia there to support her
team. We welcome Alex Lawrence into our team. Alex played a fine
first-up game and showed he will be a good contributor for us.

The game was played in difficult conditions against a skilful opposition.
I thought it took us a while to settle down, but we improved a great deal
as the game wore on. After being goal-less in the first half it was
important that we got going in the 3rd quarter with a strong wind. Our
first goal resulted from swift movement into the forward line. John
received a free kick in the centre. His long kick was marked by Viv who
quickly bombed it forward where Andrew held a high mark and kicked truly.
A little later Michael swooped on a crumb and raced in for a great goal.

The last quarter was a struggle as we tried to hang onto our 7 point lead.
We defended gamely and it looked like we were going to pinch the win. In
the end Ivanhoe just got there and we were a little unlucky to go down by a
single point. Congratulations to Ivanhoe. I was impressed by their
solid teamwork. We were most competitive and I'm confident that if we
maintain the intensity we showed in the second half we will trouble many
opponents.

Jack Funnell played his very best game for Fitzroy and I was rapt in his
effort. Keep it up Jack. You can be one of the very best players in our
team. Another who impressed was Harry. Again, I reckon it was his
best game for the mighty Lions. Liam stood out with his strong marking,
especially in the last quarter when things were frantic in the back-line.
Ollie, John and Andrew were gutsy in the packs. They all gave 100%
against some very big opponents. I thought Viv showed courage in
continuing to get to tough contests even after injuring his hand. Some of
Viv's passes were excellent. Tyson was another who impressed, especially
his bullocking work in the forward line. Chris is always strong and hard
at it and this year it looks like his ball skills are reaching similar
heights. I'm rapt in how his kicking has improved.

To sum up. It was disappointing to lose, but encouraging to see that we
should be competitive at the higher level. Keep working as a team and
thinking about how we can improve. We'll all be better for the run and
I'm sure a win is not too far away.

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