Sport News

Last weekend was originally scheduled as an away round against St Edmund’s College (SEC). However, due to the significant rainfall and subsequent ground closures experienced throughout the week, the majority of fixtures were relocated and hosted at home.

I would like to thank our parents and students for their flexibility in accommodating these late changes. In particular, I acknowledge the efforts of Mr Richard Graham, Mr Matt Millward, Mr Blair Whitlock, and Mr Cam Mabey, who worked diligently to coordinate these adjustments on Friday. Their professionalism and organisational expertise are to be commended.

On Friday, our First IV Chess team recorded a convincing victory over SEC. The Intermediates A–C and Junior A–B teams also achieved strong wins. My thanks to Mr Tim Humphry for his leadership of the Chess program.

The First XV fixture, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, was unfortunately washed out.

The First XI responded strongly on Saturday following their catch-up game earlier in the week, securing a well-earned 1–0 victory.

Cross Country

Good luck to our Cross Country team who head out to Curlew Park on Wednesday to represent the College in the AIC Cross Country Championship. Marist has a long and proud history in cross country, winning 15 of the 27 events held to date and defending last year’s Primary and Secondary championship double. We wish the boys all the very best and thank all the staff involved in the program, led by Coordinator Mr Matt Millward.

AIC Expectations

This weekend, designated interchange boxes will be implemented for Des Connor Fields 7 and 8 for use by coaches and players. Please also be reminded that both players and spectators are required to remain behind the red line at all times.

It is disappointing that there is a need for repeated reminders regarding spectator conduct at school sporting events. While I appreciate that competitive environments can evoke strong emotions, it is essential that we maintain appropriate standards of behaviour. We must remain in control of our emotions and not allow them to influence our actions negatively.

Spectators are respectfully reminded that no comments should be directed toward opposition staff, players, or match officials.

This also presents a timely opportunity to reflect on our motto: “Viriliter Age” – Act Courageously. Let us uphold this value through respectful conduct and a commitment to positive sportsmanship at all times.

Student Achievements

Queensland Schools Rugby Union State Championships

On 28-31 May, the following Boys competed in the U18 QLD Schools Rugby Union State Championship for Metropolitan North: Daniel Londema, Matthew Pegg, Will Bagnall, Jed Cole and Tom Collins.

The boys played extremely well in a very competitive environment, with Daniel Londema captaining the team and winning the Life Member Award at the carnival.

A massive congratulations to Daniel Londema and Jed Cole on being selected to represent QLD Schools at the National Championships in July 2026. We look forward to following their progress at the championships.

Baseball

Congratulations to Year 7 students Axel, Ari, and Hamish, who recently met the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, at City Hall and were presented with the Flag of Brisbane ahead of the Australian Little League Baseball Championships in Sydney this week.

The boys will proudly represent Brisbane Metro on the national stage, carrying the city’s flag with them as they compete against the country’s best young players. We wish them every success and look forward to following their Nationals journey.

MCA Swimming Club Meet

The MCA Swimming Club will be hosting a meet this Saturday, which will impact parking availability around Des Connor fields. Please allow extra time for parking and ensure to park legally.

Rugby Union

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Super Saturday | Save The Date

This year’s biggest sporting event is next Saturday, 13 June.

It will be an amazing day of school rugby union, entertainment, celebrations, prizes, giveaways, supporter’s bar.

Marist College vs Padua College in 30+ games of rugby union.
Old Boys Reunion Day.
Boarding Family Fun Day.

...all together creates Super Saturday!

See you all here for a great day.

Marist Ground Staff | Thank you

A sincere thank you to our exceptional grounds staff for their outstanding work throughout what has been one of the wettest Mays in recent memory. Despite challenging conditions and constant rain, their commitment, expertise, and attention to detail have ensured our fields remain in superb condition. The quality of our rugby surfaces is a credit to their tireless efforts behind the scenes. It is no exaggeration to say our fields are among the best in Brisbane. We are incredibly grateful for the pride they take in their work and the role they play in supporting our rugby program each week.

Marist Rugby Union | Round 5 vs St Edmund’s College

Thank you to everyone for their patience, agility and support over the weekend. With another extremely wet week, there were plenty of changes and some cancellations, however 95% of our teams still managed to play 50 minutes of rugby.

With the clouds clearing, sunny skies greeted our bumblebees to a wonderful day of rugby. Games against St Edmund’s College, Iona College, St Laurence’s College, and Villanova College importantly allowed the teams to play Round 5 of AIC.

Congratulations to the Opens cohort. Whilst the 1st XV game was cancelled due to lightning mid-week, the 2nd XV to the 9th XV went through the round unbeaten. Given the supplementary draw is often pitting our 8ths and 9ths against opposition 5ths and 6ths teams, this is a wonderful achievement.

In the aggregate competition, the 1st XV through to the 4th XV remain undefeated. This weekend is an important round for all teams vying for a premiership.

The Year 10 teams continued the strong momentum with another week of impressive performances. The 10A and 10B teams playing against SEC, whilst the 10C team played against Iona. In a messy game, the 10A’s were disciplined enough to maintain their shape and intent, and eventually ran out winners 36-7. The 10B’s produced a dominant performance with some strong individual performances winning 73-5. The 10C’s also maintained their excellent record this season with a convincing 84-0 win. Well done to all the coaches and teams for their consistency.

Despite some disruption with fields closed due to weather, the Year 9 cohort made sure everyone still got a game in. A big thank you to the 9C–E teams for coming together at short notice to ensure all students played. This is a great reflection of what our rugby program stands for. The 9A and 9B teams continue their strong form with two wins over SEC. Well done and thank you to all the Year 9 coordinator, coaches and students for another fantastic week and positive weekend.

The Year 8 cohort had a tough day. Congrats to SEC who were too strong in the 8A’s match defeating our team 22-10. The 8B’s carried the torch for the year level with a strong 36-5 win. It is fantastic to see the team play with confidence, and the Marist catch pass skills and the contact skills becoming more consistent each week. The 8C’s came back down to earth with a loss to Villanova 44-15. The empire has fallen, and Mr Millward and the team will be working hard to get back on track for the remaining two fixtures. Whilst it has been a tough season for the Year 8 teams, there has been good improvement and they will finish the season well if they remain connected and focused.

The 7A and 7B teams had another excellent weekend. The 7A’s delivered a skilful and consistent performance which proved too strong for SEC, eventually running out winners 50-0. The Marist 7B’s were too strong and disciplined for SEC 7B’s running out winners 86-0. Harry Gerharty scored another big haul following last week’s 30 points. This week he scored 29! The mighty 7C’s ran into a hot Iona 7D team. After powering through the season with consistency, the team was overpowered by a bigger Iona team. Congrats to Iona on their win and well done to the Year 7 coaches. They have created a positive and supportive environment and are seeing continual improvements.

Thanks to our terrific coordinators and committed coaching staff for once again preparing the boys so well. Congratulations to all the students for their impressive displays over the weekend!

Marist vs Villanova College | AIC Round 6

Round 6 of the AIC Rugby Union season is home to Villanova College.

This will be another fantastic day of rugby with Marist hosting almost all teams. The weather looks very rugby friendly which will be a welcome change. Please keep an eye out for the draw and read carefully.

Team lists for Round 6 will be released on Friday morning.

Best of luck to all teams for another great weekend of rugby.

Marist Rugby Union Year Level Coordinators – please contact your year level coordinator for all non-selection matters such as lateness, unavailability and timings.

Year Level Coordinator

Opens - Mr Peter Gaiter - gaiterp@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 10 - Mr Michael Abbott - abbottm@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 9 - Mrs Liz Walsh - walshe@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 8 - Mrs Sharon Davidson - davidsons@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 7 - Mr Damien Nelson - nelsond@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 6 - Mr John Lambourne - lambournej@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 5 - Ms Ella Graham - grahame@marash.qld.edu.au

Marist Rugby Union | Wet Weather Plan

Rugby Union training will rarely be called off due to bad weather. If rain is forecast, students are asked to place their school bags and formal hats under cover.

Parents dropping students at Des Connor Fields are asked to use the canteen end, where the gear shed and canteen balcony provide shelter.

Thank you for your support.

Marist Rugby Union – Social Media

@marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2025 the College consistently delivered some wonderful rugby memories through our social media pages. From the smallest bumblebees in Year 5 through to the biggest bumblebees in Year 12, all of it was captured in wonderful colour.

To stay connected with Marist rugby and with all the program’s achievements, please follow our Instagram page @marist_ashgrove_rugby.

Football

Mr Blair Whitlock - Football Coordinator

Round 5 vs St Edmunds College

On Saturday we played against St Edmunds College who have a smaller Football program which leads to many of our teams playing at different venues right across Brisbane. We played 12 matches against St Edmunds College as well as several matches against St Laurence’s College, Padua College, Iona College, St Patricks College, Ambrose Treacy College as well as a couple of internal matches on the Flats.

The wet weather caused several cancellations in the away draw but we still had a full home draw on the Flats which is a testament to the quality of fields we are fortunate to have onsite here at Marist. Overall it was a mixed day of results with 12 wins, 4 draws & 6 losses with 87 goals scored and 33 conceded on the day.

Well done to the following teams who remain undefeated heading into round six against Villanova College: 5C, 5A, 6B, 6C, 7D, 9C, 9A, 10C & 6th XI.

Week 7 Training Schedule

Student Achievement – Joshua Pola

Congratulations to Year 9 student and 1st XI Football player, Joshua Pola, who represented the Met North U15 Football team at the Queensland State Championships. The team had a strong tournament reaching the Grand Final before eventually going down on penalties to finish in 2nd place. Well done Josh.

Wet Weather and Cancellations

Any training cancellations due to wet weather will be communicated through the Parent Orbit App by 6:00am for morning trainings and 2:30pm for afternoon trainings. We have such a short Football season and training will only be cancelled if absolutely necessary.

Year Level Coordinators

Year 5 – Mr Blair Whitlock (whitlockb@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 6 - Ms Sharon Davidson (davidsons@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 7 – Mr Damian Volker (volkerd@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 8 – Ms Maddie Henry (spannm@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 9 – Mr Marcus Schrader (schraderm@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 10 – Mr AJ Gray (graya@marash.qld.edu.au)

Opens – Ms Kathryn Badini (badinik@marash.qld.edu.au)

Rugby League

Mr Cam Mabey - Rugby League Coordinator

AIC Rugby League Sign Up Sign-on for Rugby League 2026 is now available via the "Extra-Curricular Sign-On" tile within Parent Orbit / Student café.

All Players must be signed up to trial.

Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Inter-House Track and Field Carnival | Week 9

TWO WEEKS TO GO!!.. The Inter-House Track and Field Carnival is the largest school sporting event in 2026.

We are now in Week 7 of Term 2, and the Inter-House Track and Field Carnival is fast approaching in Week 9.

Pre-events will be held from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 June, with the main carnival taking place on Friday 19 June. It promises to be an incredible day full of colour, fun, and competition. With a combination of championship events and novelty activities, there is something for every student to enjoy and take part in.

For students nominated in championship events, Mr Rob Martin is running his usual Sunday afternoon training sessions. These are a great opportunity to prepare and perform at your best early in the season.

Back to back champions in 2024 and 2025, Ignatius House, will be looking for a three-peat this year, and with every point counting, all students are encouraged to get involved and give their best.

Marist Track and Field | Sunday Sessions

For those students wanting to get a head start or start the season strongly, Mr Rob Martin will continue to run his usual Sunday sessions. The Sunday sessions are an excellent introduction. We have some exceptional coaches leading these sessions, and creating an environment of learning and enjoyment. Some benefits include -1. Improvement in technique and speed.2. Technical development for throws.3. Improved repeat speed / conditioning.

WHEN: Sunday afternoons

WHERE: Hayden Oval

TIME: 3:15-4:45pm

DRESS: Marist sport shirt, Marist sports shorts, white or blue socks.

Marist Track and Field | Sign On

Parents - please find the Extra-Curricular tile on Parent Orbit to find information regarding sign on. Students who wish to be involved in the Track and Field program, you are able to sign up via the student café. Once your son/s have signed up all parents or caregivers MUST approve the signup and edit or update any medical details.

This assists the College in organising the appropriate number of coaching staff and to deliver the necessary resources, and ensures all relevant information is forwarded to you via communication channels.

Marist Track and Field | Camp (SAVE THE DATE)

Following our success at the 2025 AIC Primary and Secondary Championship and win at the National Schools Challenge (Intermediate Division), the Track and Field program continues to provide excellent opportunities for students to be involved in a high-quality program.

The Track and Field Camp is a vital component of the team’s preparation for the AIC Championship. Over 2½ days, students will receive high-level coaching and mentoring from an exceptional team of specialists including National and Olympic-level coaches across various track and field disciplines.

Attendance at the camp is by invitation only and invitations will be sent to selected students in late August. Selection is based on a range of factors, including performance, attitude, attendance and team composition.

This camp provides an outstanding opportunity for students to refine their skills, build team camaraderie, and gain valuable insights from elite-level coaches as we prepare to defend both our AIC Secondary and AIC Primary Championship trophies.

Camp Information

Dates: Thursday 17 – Saturday 19 September 2026

Venues: Sleeman Sports Complex (Accommodation) / UQ Track and Field (Training and Performance)

Marist Track and Field – Social Media

@marist_ashgrove_sports

Marist College has continued to showcase incredible moments in Track and Field again this year, from Year 5 victories to exceptional feats by our Year 12 students, all vividly captured on our social media pages.

Basketball

Mr Matt Millward – Basketball Coordinator

Welcome to the new season of AIC Basketball at Marist Ashgrove College. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make the 2026 Basketball season enjoyable and beneficial for all participants. There is already a significant amount of interest in the season with a large number already registered!

Sign On

2026 Basketball Season Sign On is now available on Parent Orbit and Student Cafe.

All students interested in playing Basketball in 2026 are encouraged to Sign-On ASAP, so you do not miss any information surrounding the season ahead.

Thank you to those who have already done so.

Key Documents

The 2026 Handbook, selection policy and key dates calendar can be accessed via Parent Orbit, here you will be able to find key information regarding the upcoming season!

2026 Basketball Trials

CBSQ Sophomore Trials

Selection of the CBSQ Sophomore (Y7/8) squad will be based on the Year 7 & 8 A Squad trials that are taking place in week 5 and 6, with a squad being selected to train for and play in the CBSQ Sophomore Wildcard tournament in Brisbane on 16 & 17 June. Selections will be confirmed this week and notified via Parent orbit/emails.

Cohort Trials

Trials for remaining players will commence in week 8, and will run until the conclusion of the term, a schedule for this period is posted below.

Primary Basketball

Trials for primary school basketball will commence in week 8, and will run until the conclusion of the term, a schedule for this period is posted below.

AFL

Mr Cam Mabey - AFL Coordinator

Congratulations to year 6 students Jack Wurf, Leo Mylne and Alex Dunbar for their selection in the Met-North AFL Years 10-12. Last week they were presented their jerseys by Brisbane Lions player, Dayne Zorko.

These boys will travel to Cairns for the state carnival this Thursday. We wish them all the best.

Volleyball

Mr Blair Whitlock - Volleyball Coordinator

Volleyball QLD Intermediate Schools Cup

Over the weekend we had a team of year 9 Volleyballers compete at the VQ Intermediate Schools Cup down on the Gold Coast against teams from all over QLD. The team was entered in the Year 9 Division 1 category and played 7 matches over the weekend securing a 9th place finish amidst a strong field. Well done to all the players – George Holland, Billy Croft, Zach Canniffe, Matthew Dillane, Isaac Ruffini, Tyler Baines, Ben Nolan, Will Cannon and Ethan Wu for their efforts over the weekend and a big thank you to their coaches, Mr Adam Knight and Mr Sam Noble for leading the boys.