Sport News

Congratulations to all teams who competed in our Round 2 fixtures against St Edmund’s College, it was a hugely successful weekend with 1st chess, football and rugby all having good wins. Across the board things were very similar; however, it will be a different challenge this weekend as we prepare for our matches against Villanova College. The AIC rugby and football season is a special time where our boys really seem to enjoy the time spent with their mates outdoors playing sport. The College community gains great satisfaction seeing students wearing their uniforms with pride, chanting the College war cry, forming ‘run-on’ tunnels for each other and representing our school with distinction both on and off the paddock. This all aids in the development of a positive school culture which has a flow-on effect throughout the entire College. 

As was mentioned in last week’s newsletter and has been a consistent message conveyed by our Head of College, it is extremely important to act with humility at all times, that’s what helps make us Marist. We are fortunate to have talented athletes supported by some great coaches, and we will often be in positions where we can win games convincingly. We lose all credibility and respect from opposition schools, staff and parents if we cannot win with dignity and be humble in our victories. Cheering or jeering opposition errors is not representative of the character we pride ourselves on at Marist College Ashgrove. We ask that high standards of sportsmanship are displayed at all times regardless of the score.

It is a very difficult task of our coordinators to find enough referees/ linesmen to cover the large number of matches hosted each week, it is an expectation that all players are respectful towards officials whether playing or supporting. Dissent or misconduct towards officials will not be tolerated. On that subject, thanks to David Miles and Jamie Morgan who spend countless hours chasing up referees each week for fixtures – it is a massive task when we are catering for such a large rugby and football program. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of several staff members who have worked tirelessly to prepare teams and/or coordinate programs over the past two months for this season of sport.

• Primary Sport – Mr John Lambourne
• Chess – Mr Daniel Bull and Mr Tim Humphrey
• Rugby – Mr David Miles (coordinator) - 1st XV coaches Mr Brendan Kiernan and Mr Jon Fitzgerald
• Football – Mr Jamie Morgan - 1st XI coaches Mr Andrew King and Mr Corey Lucas
• Cross-country – Mr Brendan Furdek with support from Head Coach, Mr Shane Ward

Sport Canteens

Our canteens rely on the support of parents to assist our P&F in providing this service to you. The McMahon Oval canteen is very busy on a Saturday and for those of you lucky enough to play Rugby Union on Hayden and McMahon there is a certain amount of responsibility involved in your support of the canteens. 

Key Notable jobs in canteen involve:

• Setting up Area
• Prep and Cooking
• Service
• Pack down and Clean up

Help in these areas only requires one hour before the game that your son plays in, and will never overlap with your son’s game time, any help within these areas would be greatly appreciated. 

Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/DCZLUpi

Tennis

Head of Tennis Andrew Ward

MCA Tennis Welcomes our new Assistant coach to the College and the MCA AIC and coaching programs. 

Mr Josh Barber is our successful applicant who joins us from UQ TENNIS coaching there for the past three years. Josh also has an impeccable playing history consistently ranked in the top five Queensland during his junior days. I know I’m personally excited to work with Josh as our centre grows.

MCA would like to announce that we are now taking enrolments for group coaching as well as private coaching.

Days offered at this stage for group coaching will be Monday, Wednesday, Thursday to start with and as classes fill we will put on more classes as the need arises.

Private lessons are on every day and we will try our best to find you a time that suits. 

I hope that the boys will take this opportunity to welcome Josh when they come to the courts for morning or afternoon AIC trials.

Lastly a quick message for all Seniors. We need some more players and if there are any young men who would like to play this coming season please contact me on the details below.

Also, a reminder for boys to come to their respective year trials even if hopeful of making the open teams.

Have a great week and see you on the courts. 

Results and Match Reports

Rugby Union

Football

Rugby Union - Mr David Miles

Two rounds down and five to go!

It is hard to believe that this Saturday there are only four weeks and five games left in the 2021 rugby season! We have had a strong start to the season but the real test now begins over the next two weeks with rounds against Villanova, Padua and our big rivals in rugby – Iona College. Now is the time for our standards to improve and to increase our focus on the job ahead.

Feedback

An integral part of our rugby program is the provision of feedback from coaches to players. With two rounds complete it is very important that all players are seeking feedback. This could be as simple as some verbal cues for games, a discussion with your coach about where to improve and how you can do that or written feedback. Please chat with your coach this week and see what things you can put in place to become a better player.

Commitment to MCA rugby

As we get into the tough stage of the season it is when we usually face issues with students struggling for motivation, experiencing fatigue (physically and mentally) and struggling to balance commitments. When signing on for a sport at MCA you are making a commitment to the team you are selected in, your College and also to the AIC sporting association who design draws to accommodate our many teams. This is not a commitment that can be withdrawn once the season begins. There is not long to go in the season and we ask everyone to maintain their commitment to their teammates by turning up to all training sessions and all matches. We need you all there!

We also ask that all students and families make a big effort to maintain communication with all staff involved in their son’s team – both age group coordinators and coaches. I have listed the age group coordinators below again for you to contact if you may miss training sessions.

** Training is a compulsory part of preparing for your rugby games. Any appointments or other clashes should be organised outside of your training commitments. Please make direct contact with your coach or age coordinator (listed below) if you cannot attend for any reason. Do NOT send messages via other students **

Age Group Coordinators

• Mr Tim Sedgwick - Open Coordinator
• Mr David Miles - Year 10 Coordinator
• Mr David Meehan - Year 9 Coordinator
• Mr Peter McIntosh - Year 8 Coordinator
• Mr Damien Nelson - Year 7 Coordinator

Football - Mr Jamie Morgan

Following a disappointing start to the season (by our own standards), this week we returned to winning ways with a successful Round 2 vs St Edmunds College. The College was able to secure the matchday with wins across the board with the exception of two games (draw and a loss). With mixed results from other schools, this round ensures we keep our hopes of returning the Aggregate Shield to Ashgrove at season end. With five rounds to go, it is vital that we continue to work hard to ensure we are representing the College to the best of our collective ability. This effort starts on the training pitch and serves as a reminder to all students who have committed to the program, to continue to listen and learn in training and make sure you communicate with your coaches of any absences.