Newtown Swans Junior Australian Football Club Inc.

Dear U14s Parents and Players

I hope you are all looking forward to a good run and kick this Sunday at Kellyville!!

Please ensure that you leave plenty of time to get there - about 1 hour.

Please arrive at 9:45 am for the 10:30 start. Please bring mouthguards!!

The location is Bruce Purser Reserve - a new FABULOUS multimillion dollar factility built by the AFL.
Turn right off Old Windsor Rd at Commercial Rd - at the (in)famous Mean Fiddler Hotel (on the Corner - don't go in!!).

See you there! Bring your woolies!!

I am leaving to get to the Under 16s game straight after at Maroubra at 1:30 and can drive boys who want to play up with the U16s. Please let me know asap. They need 5 to play up.

Cheers

Helen

This is just a quick reminder that it is the final Friday night training session at Mahoney tomorrow night. We have seen a good turnout from many of the squad so make sure that you are in attendance with runners & a full water bottle. We will be getting the balls out so it’s time to start working on the skills again.
Thursday night training commences on the 4th March at ADO. The session runs from 6.00pm to 7.30 & Tuesday training will begin closer to the season start.
In addition to Thursday nights we will be training at Mahoney Oval on Sunday mornings for 4 weeks beginning on Sunday 7th March. We will endeavour to organise a trial match for Sunday 28th March so it is expected that all players will make themselves available.
We will also be organising a kick to kick session for the parents so it’s time to pull the boots out for the seniors.

Finally, the Swans are coming to ADO with players in attendance on Wednesday 10th March.
So here are the key dates so far:
Friday 26th February                Final Friday night session at Mahoney Park
                                                6.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Thursday 4th March                  Thursday training for U16s commences at ADO
                                                6.00 pm to 7.30 pm
Sunday 7th March                     Sport a Month & training for U16s at Mahoney Park
                                                9.30 am to 11.00 am
Wednesday 10th March            Swans visit & registration at ADO
                                                5.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Sunday 18th April                     Round One

Note that the draw has yet to be completed so at this stage I cannot provide any further information about match venues or opposition.

Helen Moore

Dear U14s

Cheer cheer that we can all sleep in this Sunday 28th March - the scratch match will be on against Drummoyne and you don't have to be there until 10:15 am!

This will be a great way to test ourselves as a team and get over first game nerves without worrying about the outcome!!

It is really important that the whole team is there - if cricket finals and other committments will allow this. Please let me know if you can't come.

It will be at Mahoney Oval, Marrickville. Players should arrive at 10.15 for 11.00 kick-off. We need to be off the field at 12.00 so any delays will cut into actual match time.

Remember to bring mouthguards and water as well as our uniform shorts and socks and of course football boots (not sneakers).

Welcome to Hamish, a new recruit to the under 14s - a mate of Oskar WS from Newtown. Please pass this on to Hamish, as I do not have his email address yet.

See you at practice 6pm this Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

Helen

2009

The Under 14s -The Senior side of the Newtown Swans

ATTENTION ALL UNDER 14s PLAYERS

Your Grand Final Bus has been organised. Details below

A Hawkesford “Luxury Coach” is scheduled to leave Euston Rd, Alexandria
(next to the entrance to ADO) at 10:00AM. This Sunday 30th August.
It can probably leave a bit (say 10 or 15 mins) later and still get to Macquarie Uni by 11 AM comfortably.

The bus has 48 seats…. so accounting for 26 players there will be plenty of spare seats for parents etc.

Other parents can follow in their cars so we all arrive on time together.

Thank you to Simon for organising this.

Any problems please call Brendan on 0407 899 189

The 2009 Minor Premiers are through to the 2009 Grand Final

Bring ALL your fiends and family to the big game this week
U14 Div 2
Pennant Hills V Newtown
12.00 pm
Top Oval, North
(Entrance to Uni Ovals via the Corner of Talavera & Culloden Rds).

WE NEED YOU - bring all your Red + White plus drums, bells, whistles and hooters.

After a convincing win over a good football team in Kellyville, the Under 14s Team are through to next week's Grand Final.

Movie1

Movie2

Well done to ALL players. You played the most amazing football all year. You are a great bunch of guys. Be proud of what you have achieved. You have created history today and the whole Club salutes you. (more reports soon)
Brendo - your Assistant Coach

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More news from Chris
Hi all,
For the second time this season the U14s have dug deep against Kellyville & come out on top, convincingly this time with a 64-33 win in an elimination final to boot. A Grand Final berth is a fantastic reward for the season but of course there is still one match left.

The details are as follows:

Sydney Harbour Grand Final Day, Sunday August 30, 2009
Macquarie University

U14 Div 2
Pennant Hills V Newtown
12.00 pm
Top Oval, North
(Entrance to Uni Ovals via the Corner of Talavera & Culloden Rds).

Further details regarding transport will be passed on during the week however I don’t expect that there will be any player who would want to miss this match so mark it on the calendar now!

Training will be on Tuesday & Thursday at the usual time but with extra intensity: we know what to expect from Penno & will be better prepared for them this week.

A reminder to the umpires in the team that the City Umpire’s night is on Tuesday (AFL Office from 6.00 to 7.30 pm) so you can leave training early if you want. There is no umpire training tomorrow night.

Congratulations on your win; enjoy the week.

Cheer, cheer
Chris Venville
Football manager
NJAFC

Sam Lonergan Stewart wins Fairest + best...from Home Page...

Last night at the Sydney Harbour presentation night in Ryde, Sam won the U14 Div 2
Association Best & Fairest with a whopping 34 votes, and received a big cheer from
all those present when his name and vote total was read out.
The second place getter received 16.

Congratulations SAM from ALL the Under 14s team

A total of 10 Newtown players polled votes which is more than any other club. That shows you are all contributing - well done.

posted 25th Aug 2009

The 2009 Under 14s Division 2 Minor Premiers

Hello team
We are very proud to announce that 3 players from the Newtown U/14 list have been selected as the Train-on squad for the Pigeons.

Congratulations to:

    Sam Lonergan Stewart - U/14
    Orson Heidrich - U/13
    Vivek Sanju - U/13
Kuiam Anu - formally of Newtown also made the list (U13) representing Northern Districts as did John Haggerty (U14) representing Wests

The Pigeons are chosen from the Reps players at the recent carnival by the AFL(NSW/ACT) Talented Player Program. The Pigeons represent the Central and Southern zones of Sydney and down towards the Illawarra. 33 players are chosen initially in the squad which will be reduced to 22 players for the upcoming State Zone Trials.

The trials will be held from October 11 to 14 at Albury Sports Ground, Albury.
Further information regarding the program can be found at the address below including the full list of players
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3445-0-0-0&sID=53001&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=9547652&sectionID=53001

I was involved as Assistant Coach to David Foote from Maroubra in preparing the Reps players. We are very pleased to see 11 of the 33 came from the Sydney City area. It shows that Footy is alive and well in the City region

regards
Trevor Hall

and more amazing news..

Nik Dale has been selected for the U13s Emerging Blues NSW cricket side -- well done, Nik, what an all-rounder.
That's the good news. However, the training is on Sunday , which rules him out to play for the Newtown U 14s for the rest of the season.
Nik wishes us the best of luck for the remaining games. Right back at ya, Nik, and thanks for you sterling efforts for the Swans this season
Cheer, cheer
TV

12th July 2009
Newtown v Glebe at Alan Davidson Oval

Young Bloods Overawe Limping Greyhounds.

For a game played in mud soaked grass today’s was a delightful for its numerous goals and scarce behinds. Newtown dominated the centre clearances; pumping the pill quickly forward and apart from a few glitches the forwards locked the ball into the scoring zone. Newtown defenders repelled most Glebe attacks before the ball got over the centre line.

To be fair Glebe (last seasons grand-finalists) have had a tough year; losing players to other activities and with the split nature of the seasons draw not always being in able to “play up” from younger grades. Although many Glebe players gave a good account of themselves Newtown were too strong across the park and dominated most contests.

Newtown did play for each other today – doing the team thing like shepherding, passing to a mate in space and TALKING. Great to hear the “you’re hot”, “you’re in space” or “I’ve got him covered” being called loud and clear. Today’s ONLY disappointment was in the third quarter when the Swan defenders got into a huddle for a chat, leaving their Glebe opponents unattended to score. Remember your job as part of the team until the game is over. Work to win the ball, pick it up, boot or handball it to and for your team.

Coach Hall's comments after the game echo the team ethos. He said; “you are all playing for each other. If you score a goal then I want to see you run to the team mate who passes you the ball and thank HIM”. That pretty much sums it up for Newtown – train ti improve your skill, play for each other, remember your role and your responsibility and each member of this team will have a great time on the field. For sure, maybe win.

Today’s was an emphatic win. Newtown can reach higher, but expect a better opponent to take them there. However with a great team effort all can be overcome!

Goodonya TEAM!

Newtown 18. 4. 120 Dftd Glebe 1. 1. 7

Hi all,
With an eye on the weather and the continued closure of Alan Davidson Oval we have made the decision to cancel Thursday’s U14 training session. However we do have our forthcoming matches against Pennant Hills coming up so with this weekend off we are expecting a strong turnout to both sessions next week: Tuesday & Thursday, 5.30 pm sharp.
Some of the Sydney Uni U18 players will also be involved & there will be an opportunity to overlap & for our players to do some training with the Uni players as we build for the next challenge. Commiserations to Milan who broke his hand in the match against Maroubra & will be out for 6 weeks: there is a big gap to fill there & the next two matches could prove to be our most challenging yet.

While it is a bit early to speculate the dates for the finals have been announced. They are as follows:

•    August 16th       Semi Finals
•    August 23rd       Preliminary Finals
•    August 30         Grand Final

Mark these dates in your calendars now & please let us know well in advance of any unavailability for any of these dates.

Good luck to Sam, the two Toms, Matty, Orson & Vivek who are playing with their respective Sydney City rep sides this weekend.

Enjoy the weekend & we’ll see you all on Tuesday.

Cheer cheer
Chris Venville

Swan’s Dive in Thriller
Sun 14th June Alan Davidson Oval
Forget the scoreboard. Sunday’s thrilling loss to a top flight Pennant Hills outfit sets a new standard of play. A joy to watch and a challenge for players to attain. If the ball had bounced the other way a few times the final score could have too. The clear winner only became apparent in the final quarter.

Newtown can (and must) improve to get over Pennant Hills but get over them they can. Most of the improvement is easy stuff - making your opponent contest possession at every opportunity, passing into team structures that will work the ball down-field, and precision with kicking and marking. Two hands on and hold it.

Many of Pennant Hills goals came from a possession turnover in Newtown’s forward zone. That means the ball is being won in the centre and lost in attack. When Newtown’s forward’s played as a team, presenting targets, helping each other hold the mark and settling play when awarded a free Newtown scored. When the opposite happened - competing with each other for the pill and setting ball to boot in a rush we lost control. A ball in possession is a ball controlled and gives the on-ballers time reach the forward zone and bolster the passing options. Lock possession down. Together. Teamwork.

Courage in the contest is an area a few Young Blood’s should self assess and anyone can do it - even those new to the game. Ask yourself “Did I go hard for the ball or hope my opponent would pick it up so I could tackle him?” The ball is always better in your hands. Footy is a physical contact game so learn how to take, give and enjoy the legal bump! If your head is over the ball you are 90% sure of a free, and if you have your hands on it you are 100% sure of being able to do something positive with it. Newtown U14’s is a great team, full of mates who are raring to come to your aid, receive your pass and build on your courageous hard work. As they did on Sunday and will do again every time a teammate shows he wants to win the ball.

Like Victor, who had his best game of footy ever, running hard to win the footy, bursting through “Penno” and kicking beautifully long to a team-mate in space. Likewise Tom, forever courageously winning the footy but wondering where his teammate was for the pass. Orson, Sam, Matt, Vivek and others all rose to the excellent play and demonstrated leadership which will forge a new level of expectation whenever the ball is bounced and Newtown are on the field.

Hugo had a great game and defended stoutly with his able colleagues Asher, Harry and Zac who deserve great praise for their courage and determination. They never gave up in the face of skilful opponents, always doing their best. What more CAN you do? Mistakes are always made but learn to forgive yourself INSTANTLY if you blunder and play on to take your next chance and make that one a success. Lift eyes to the game. When it is played at this level it is fun - enjoy it, you came to play so play hard; winning is the cherry not the cake. Watch ball and play the game.

Take nothing away from today’s deserved victor; Pennant Hills teamwork, in attack especially, was well drilled. Up-field from the contest players were shaking off their Newtown opponent and getting into position ready to receive an expected pass from one of their on-ball colleagues should they win possession of the pill. In defence their better players raced to be at the breakdown or put a legal shepherd onto a Newtown attacker. Often in the form of a very solid bump. Like Newtown they had their standout players but it was the average guys who really put in a big effort. That was the difference today.

This level of footy is well within Newtown Young Bloods grasp. The opportunity comes to go one better next week - against the same rival! Get excited.

Newtown 4.7-31 def. by Pennant Hills 7.8-50
Rod Monk
Ps Trevor says: Victor did well considering he may well have a broken finger!
Milan was missed in the back line as well as another fast and strong body would have helped.

The under 14s team after their sixth straight win for the season

The 13s team has now merged with you [see Home Page for more]. Please make it a priority to welcome these players into your side. Pass on your knowledge and make sure to include everyone in the 2009 season

Let's have a great 2009....more news to come soon

Look here for 2009 Fixtures, Ladder and Results - click on Fixtures/Results in the top right hand corner - choose Under14s Div2

To all Under 14s players.... Please check the Google Calendar regularly as it will be updated with all the important dates for 2009.

Under 14s Web Galleries 2009

1. Newtown Vs St Ives 29th March

31st May, Alan Davidson Oval Newtown v Maroubra 14’s

Solid Team Play in Mud

On a field reminiscent of mud filed sponge Newtown’s under fourteen Young Blood’s stood shoulder to shoulder denying a spirited Maroubra Saint’s any sniff of victory in an entertaining and (considering the wet, slippery
conditions) skillful spectacle. Vivek, Orson and Jacob in the ruck were courage personified, feeding the oily pill out to an ever-hungry arc of colleagues in Matt, Sam and Tom who often stayed back from the maul and
provided hands capable of taking a pass or picking up the crumbs. A tough first quarter tussle had proved scoreless. At every chance in the second the “Angels” pushed the pill forward and led by 1 goal at the main break to the “Saints” 3 (rushed) behinds.

Newtown defenders were totally accountable – sticking with their opponent
and making every ball a contest, denying and defying Maroubra a score.
Hugo and Victor intelligently led their colleagues, reading the play,
taking a few timely marks and ably contesting the loose ball. It was good
to see James regaining his feel for the game and pouncing on opportunities
as they came.

The third quarter was empathetically Newtown’s and the ball never got into
Maroubra’s forward zone. Following a game turning mark by Max it was Milan
who stood tall and with a marvelous mark 15m from goal and kicked truly,
opening a two scoring shot lead that felt very comfortable in the
difficult wet conditions. Chester had been closely tagged, the extra
attention freeing a few Newtown players to run into space and kick truly.
The team had found absolute dedication to winning the hard ball. After a
quiet first quarter Finean found form and can hold his head high, Jacob K
ran hard and Oscar won a few sprints for the ball. Asher marked, won the
hard grounded ball and pumped it into attack.

Newtown can improve; all players need to follow their handball or kick to
a teammate, providing him with support in the form of a shepherd or
passing option. If you have your hands on the ball or your head over it
you will be rewarded nine times out of ten so focus attack onto the ball.
Newtown’s opponent was beaten to the ball and tackled hard when carrying
it. Good footy boys!

The fourth quarter was an even affair, Newtown kicked one to none
continuing to rub salt into a flagging Maroubra. The Young Bloods gathered
in numbers at every breakdown and today’s victory is a real credit to the
WHOLE TEAM, coaches, runner and manager. Right now every member of this
squad can hold their head aloft and feel pride in deservedly leading a
competition at its halfway point.

Pennant Hills, possibly running second on ladder after today; two weeks away!
Newtown 4. 6. 30 defeated Maroubra 0. 4. 4

Match report 17th May 2009 ADO Newtown Vs Kellyville

On a beautiful windless winters day Newtown' Under fourteens accounted for a "never give up" Kellyville Magpies. Newtown's win was opened witha three goal to none first quarter and it simply kept growing. Try as they might the Magpies could only manage the occassional goal, typically through gritty team play that found unmarked team-mates in better position upfield. Newtowns centre structure worked really well with the four in the middle working well off each other and pumping the ball outto a mate in better psition by hand or foot. The forward line was well structured and when Kellyville tagged Newtown's fullforward out of the game another young man in red and white stood forward to take the mark or contest the hard ball and goal.

Newtown did occasionally "go wandering" seemingly forgetting coaches Trevor and Jack's direction to pick up an opponent, remember his number and take care of him at any contest. This led to a few loose opposition players and is an aspect of the game Newtown must address if they are to go all the way. The young Bloods have to back up their disposals with some hard running after a kick down-field. Too many times a player would kick to a team-mate and stop thinking his job was done when the team-mate downfield with the pill was surrounded by opponents, under the pump and in need of help. Run, kick and run on. Support each other.

So there are things this team can do; polish a few individual skills and keep playing for each other. Oh, and remember to congratulate each other - after five games you ARE on top of the ladder and deserve it. Feel good about it and keep enjoying each others company and the game; the season can and will get better.

Newtown 10. 8 . 68
Kellyville 3. 5. 23

Round 5 10th May 2009 Newtown Vs Maroubra

Under 14s roar to the top of the ladder....

In a convincing win and awesome display of 'honest footy' the Under 14s comprehensively put away Maroubra at Heffron Oval on Sunday..

MATCH REPORT- ROUND 5
This was the first time this season we were playing one of our old adversaries (Maroubra), after four games against teams based on the north side of the harbour.
It was expected to be a good gauge of how far we have advanced as a team since last year. And by the end of the game it was very clear that the amalgamation with the 13s side and the addition of some new recruits to the red and white, as well as the continued improvement in the core group from last year has meant we have come a long way from the team that lost to Maroubra in the first semi final last year.

Right from the first ball up, our attack on the ball was first rate, our tackling was hard but fair, and our run and carry with the ball meant that the opposition was often left floundering. It was a comprehensive performance, even topping the outstanding performance against Riverview in Round 3.
We kicked the first two goals of the game, before Maroubra scored late in the first quarter. After quarter time, only five more goals were kicked in the game, and we kicked them all as the opposition became increasing frustrated and our superior skills won out.
Games against Maroubra have often been fairly testy games in recent times, and a number of our players were targeted physically. Our boys of course took this in their stride, and to their immense credit remained focused on the ball and the task of winning. The eventual lopsided score line (7.3.45 to 1.7.13) was a testament to that.

All the usual suspects in our team played well, but for the writer the highlight of the game was the on field performances of Jacob C and Milan, who both played easily their best games of the season to date. It was good to see them back to their best, it was overall the team effort which won the game though.The challenge now for the team is not to get ahead of ourselves, take one game at a time, and seek continued improvement.

After five rounds we are outright top of the ladder, which is a great achievement so far, but we need to be there at the end of the season and there is still a great deal of work to do.

Match report 10.9.09 Heffron Park Newtown Vs Maroubra

Angels Shut Gates on Saints

In what was a great team effort by a committed group of players Newtown showed Maroubra Saints the way to play team footy today. Newtown's young bloods showed they are men prepared to share the pill and back each other through the tough times. As the confidence of all the boys grows through this inclusive leadership the whole team's performances will improve exponentially.

Maroubra fell flat and seemed reliant on tactics aimed at isolating and punishing the Newtown players. This cost them as the Red and Whites have plenty of talent prepared to step into the breech. Sadly Maroubra lost a brave player to a suspected broken wrist in the second quarter, depleting their stocks however the Newtown victory was emphatic, especially considering both teams were playing for top of the ladder positions.

Congratulations Newtown U14's and a big Goodonya to Paul Murphy who most adequately filled the shoes of coaches Trevor and Jack, inspiring his players through "no nonsense straight from the hip" talks and wonderful field positioning. Brendan Read was brilliant as runner and warmed the boys up to a perfect sizzle in time for what proved to be a big and entertaining game.

Newtown 7. 3. 45
Maroubra 1. 7. 13

Congratulations to our Under 13s and Under 14s Representative Players for 2009. They are:

U13s
Orson Heidrich
Vivek Sainju

U14s
Sam Lonergan-Stewart
Matt Byers
Tom Connolly
Thomas Killingly

Commiserations to the U13s and U14s guys who missed the cut. Our Rep nominations trained for 8 weeks from 6 February. As well as the above successful players, Newtown nominated Nik Dale, Adam Lane, Leo Kiefel, Oscar Read & Peter Boyd for the U13s and Asher Vaughn, Mack Etherington, Jacob Coughlin, Chester Travers, Milan Monk & Victor Petrovic from the U14s.

MATCH REPORT ROUND 3 - Newtown Vs Riverview

The vagaries of the organization of junior AFL footy organization were evident as we found ourselves travelling to Lane Cove to play new Div 2 team Riverview instead of the expected home game against Mosman.

Anyway, it is what it is, and we are a battle hardened unit these days with many players who have a lot of junior footy experience, so a venue and opponent change means very little. The Riverview oval, perched on a hill is always very prone to the wind, and it can make for a messygame as kicks go off target in the wind. However, our superior skills and fitness and a first to the ball mentality meant that we took an early lead in the first quarter.

The second quarter was as complete a performance as our team has probably ever put together in a 15minute period. Led by a brilliant display of footy by Sam as he dominated the centre clearances and then found targets in the forward line, we piled on the goals and effectively iced the game.

The forwardsfound space, held onto their marks, attacked the ball relentlessly when it was on the ground and kickedtruly. Shellshocked, Riverview never really recovered from our second quarter onslaught and despite having a number of good players, were out of the game.

In the second half we continued to build our lead with many players contributing to the eventual 12.7.79 to 2.3.15 win, a thumping 64 point margin. Chester’s kicking for goal from set shots in the difficult conditions was a highlight.

The evenness and toughness of our team this year across all lines up the ground has meant that opposition teams have struggled to score against us so far this year. But having said that we still need to guard against complacency.

MATCH REPORT Round 2 : Newtown vs Kellyville, Bruce Purser Reserve, Rouse Hill 5-Apr-09

Tennis great Ivan Lendl once said “winning ugly is better than losing pretty”, and so it was as we overcame Kellyville in what everyone agreed was a pretty scappy game (6.13.49 to 6.10.46).
Kellyville started strongly kicking the first two goals after long wind assisted bombs into their forward line. After that we had the bulk of the play in our forward half of the ground but failed to capitalize on the scoreboard.
The second quarter was another of missed opportunities, a lack of talk and cohesion in the forward line meaning we only kicked 1.6 despite having the aid of the breeze.
The third quarter had us mostly in control of the ball and the level of our attack on the ball increased as players realized that this game was going to be a dogfight. With our skill levels down this was the only way we could keep our noses in front of the Kellyville unit, who had a number of players that were good kicks and mark.
The last quarter was very tense, as again we failed to capitalize on having the wind behind us. And if it wasn’t for a snapped goal by Harry with only two minutes to go, we would have faced the long drive back from Rouse Hill with a loss after being (only marginally) the best team on the day.
An unfortunate note to the win was that one of the Kellyville players suffered a fractured or broken leg in the last quarter. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
Best players on the day were Tom Killingly, new player Matt Byers, Sam, Greg and Asher
Summing up, we go into the Easter holiday break 2 and 0 for the season, and you can’t do any better than that.
It seems really obvious that the early start to training this season and having so many players try out for reps has really helped our good start to
the season.
On that subject, congratulations to Matt, the two Toms and Sam for making the Sydney City U14 rep team.

Firstly congratulations on your win against St Ives on Sunday: it was a good team effort with plenty of commitment for the full 60 minutes of play. We had good run out of the back line however we need to improve our field kicking & find targets: against more skilled sides we will be found out. We’ll put some focus on the kicking & short passing at training this week.

This Sunday (5th April) the wagon train heads out to Bruce Purser Reserve, cnr Commercial & Withers Rd, Rouse Hill. The start time is 1.20 pm so once again, please leave plenty of time for travel & be at the ground no later than 12.30 pm.

For more information on the draw (as it currently stands) go to http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=4015&pID=1 & click on the links next to Sydney Harbour U14 Division 2. Note that there may be some changes made from rounds 4 to 16 so once the draw is complete it will be sent out to everyone.

The good news is that Round 3 we’re back at ADO (Sunday 26th April).

See you on Thursday.
CHRIS VENVILLE

Match report # 1a
Newtown v St Ives Acron Oval, St Ives Sunday 29-Mar-09 Round 1
The new era for the Newtown Swans got off to a healthy start at the place where it matters most (the paddock)with a comfortable 10.13.73 to 2.3.15 win yesterday.
As with the practice game against Drummoyne a couple weeks ago it was a team effort with many players contributing solid performances. New player Tom Connolly and Sam stood out for the way they dominated the centre and moved the ball quickly into the forward line with penetrating and accurate kicking. For the most part the forward line was productive with Chester’s kicking and Finian’s marking being high points. Greg Walford’s attack on the ball and speed around the packs created a number of opportunities for scoring.
With such a lopsided score line it was not surprising that the backs had a quiet day with most of the play being in our forward half of the ground. To their credit, most of the backs held their positions and weren’t sucked up the ground trying to be a part of the action. Holding your position is crucial to the team’s long term prospects for winning.
The only downside to the performance against St Ives was the usual culprit, “bombing”, and the occasional lackof structure in the forward line.
Round 2 is against Kellyville and I understand Milan and new player Matty Byers will line up.
Because Easts are not fielding an U14s team and Wests are Division 1, only three of the eight teams we are playing this year will be familiar to us. And while the effort against St Ives was commendable, it’s best to not to take anything for granted about the new teams we are playing. It’s highly likely that at some stage we’ll be up against some reps and Pigeons/Starz players in these teams. That’s why a ferocious attack on the ball and heavy tackling, especially early in the game is always important, as it can set the tone for the rest of the game.
We should always remember that the season is really only 16 hours long (16 games times 60 minutes of playing time each game), so there is no point leaving anything in the shed or on the training track.
anon

Match report # 1b
Newtown v St Ives Acron Oval, St Ives Sunday 29-Mar-09 Round 1

The Swans U14s played their season opener in the unfamiliar environment of Acron Oval, St Ives but relished the happily familiar result – a comprehensive victory over St Ives Saints.

The other familiar aspect in the match was the raft of younger Swans playing up a grade, though this time they were part of the run-on side more so than impact players off the bench. The merged 13s and 14s showed plenty of cohesion … they played not like 13 ∏-year-olds, it was more like 27-year-olds, such was the spirit and maturity they displayed.

Acting coach Brendan told the players before the ball went up that they all had a rating of 7 out of 10 for the match – and they all had to assess for themselves at the final hooter whether that 7 was justified or exceeded. The vocal contingent of supporters and officials definitely reckoned it was exceeded and the players in word and deed agreed.

The score line was lopsided – 10.13 73 to 2.3 ?? 15 – but the game went largely the Swans’ way thanks to the team’s tenacity. Any Saints ball was hard-won and their goals were the result of rare lapses in defending. If not for the cross wind at the open, southern end of the pitch, the red-and-whites could have piled on a few more majors. It was a novelty for the southerners when play was delayed as umpires searched for the ball in the gully after a six-pointer.

The winning team applauded their opponents at the final whistle and fell into the huddle almost exhausted. Yet early season training had definitely given them an overall conditioning advantage.
Sam and Vivek ran like the Energizer bunnies, Thomas made numerous incisive runs, Chester maintained his scoring prowess and the Walford brothers (Greg 2 goals, Victor 1) read the play skillfully.

Asher defended stoutly and moved the ball convincingly forward. Jacob kept on his feet and tackled like a terrier. Finnian pulled marks out of fresh air – the no.10 jumper must have made him 10 feet tall.

Harry, Victor, Tom, Orson and Daniel covered untold ground contesting and advancing the Sherrin. Mack repeatedly put the brakes on the Saints’ momentum. Zac, Jacob, James, Bruno, Leo and Adam showed their mettle as impact players.

Cheers
TV

UNDER 14s latest news

Hi all,

My apologies for the lateness of this email however I finally have the time & venue for our first match. There has been some delays in preparation of the draw & ground availability.

Our first match this year will be against St Ives at Acron Oval, Acron Road, St Ives. The scheduled start time is 12.50 pm so please ensure that you are at the ground no later than 12.15 pm to collect your jumpers & warm up.

As mentioned during our discussion last week we will be training on Thursday afternoons from this week, 26th March & we will start at 5.30 pm sharp so make sure you are at ADO ready to train. We will also be supplying shorts & socks for those that need new ones so this is an important session to be at.

So key dates are:

Thursday 26th March 5.30 pm

Commencement of Thursday training

Sunday 29th March 12.15 pm

Round 1, St Ives v Newtown, Acron Oval, St Ives.

See you all on Thursday

Rgds

Chris Venville

Well done to all the players who played against Drummoyne on Sundays pre-season game. We had a win and their were many great passages of play. This weeks game is on at Sunday 29th March 12.50 pm
Round 1, St Ives v Newtown, Acron Oval, St Ives.click here for a map
Be there at 12.15 Sharp