Sport News

 With the covers away and the posts going up, we transition from summer sport to winter sport this week. Boys should by now have finalised their decisions and completed registrations, and preparing the equipment you need for the new season. Do your boots still fit? Do you need a mouthguard or shinpads? Does the Marist shirt still fit you? These are questions you should be asking yourself and solving before the return to school next term. From Steve Smith to Billy Slater, Ian Thorpe to Ash Barty, our own John Eales to Tim Cahill, the one set of characteristics they all had in common as athletes is their preparation was meticulous, their attention to detail perfect and their organisation skills exemplary. We cannot all play like these champions but we can take our cues from them by making sure our organisation, preparation and attention to detail is at our highest level, allowing us to all play our sport at our optimal level.

All players must be registered to play. I appreciate this is a relatively new process for us but it is very important. Instructions on registering are on the College app in the relevant sport section.

This week our basketball team are on the Gold Coast attending the Marist Basketball Carnival, a national competition across the Marist family of schools. There are 23 boys teams taking part this year. Good luck to our team, led by head coach Mr James Lidstone and basketball coordinator Mr John Lambourne.

Our rugby teams have completed their prepare to play sessions and had a good hit out at our internal trial day last Saturday, we have had our A football teams training for a number of weeks now and our whole program have started strongly with internal trials, cross country continues to work hard in preparation for the AIC championships next term and our chess teams have had training up and running for a number of weeks now and our senior side had a good tournament recently.

The rugby and football handbooks are available in the College app along with lots of key information about the season ahead. The app is where we publish our key documents, like the handbooks, team lists, training times, changes and cancellations and fixture draws.  

Have a great holiday, relax, recharge, keep fit and come back raring to go for the winter sports.

Football

Derek Lennon - Football Coordinator

Our football trials have started and it is great to see so many keen and talented footballers getting involved in the AIC season. We have a trial round for A-C teams on Saturday 13 April vs St Joseph’s College- Gregory Terrace. Details will be on the College App this week, along with teams for these matches. The teams listed for these matches are a point in time only, and not confirmed A, B and C teams for the season. We will continue working through these in Week 1 and the trial round on April 22 v St Laurence’s College, with a view to teams being finalised by the start of Week 2.

The wet weather this week has played havoc with our selection process. Coaches and coordinators are doing the best they can with missed sessions. If we can publish a full draft list this week we will, but where we need to we will run Week 1 next term as a part of the trial process and then publish team lists for the AIC trial at the end of week 1. Check the College app for details about Week 1 training at the end of the holidays.

I am often asked about selections and how teams end up the way they do. Ultimately coaches can only select on what they see in the trials. As parents, we see our kids week in and week out playing and training, we know how good they are, but in a coaching setting we have a number of hours and a lot of boys to see and grade. It is challenging. We do use club details and previous teams as a guide but they support our views not make them for us.

The Football handbook and calendar are available on the College App for more information about the program.

Football Year Coordinators

Rugby Union

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Easter Rugby Camp – Sunday 14 April

Thanks to the 163 students who have already registered a spot for the Easter Rugby Camp. 

Please keep an eye out for information relating to the Easter Rugby Camp. Last year we had over 300 students from Year 5-12 attend the camp which included skill development, games, fun events, the season launch, giveaways, special guests, and a number of selected matches against Nudgee College.

See the Marist app and Marist socials for the link to register via Humanitix https://events.humanitix.com/2024-marist-rugby-camp

This year we plan to be bigger and better again! 

Marist Rugby Trial Matches and Rosalie Round

It was wonderful to see the College fields on Saturday full of bumblebee jerseys, parents and supporters, caring medics, and rugby coordinators and coaches. To drive along Des Connor Fields and see so many people and so much colour is a joy to see. Rugby union is back!

Thanks to the all the students for their participation on Saturday. It is a complex day navigating approximately 90 students per year level who all want to deliver their best performances. The standard of all the games was incredibly high and the next few weeks of training and trials will ensure everyone has the opportunity to continue improving.

We express our thanks to St John’s College, Nambour, for their participation in the 1st / 2nd XV three-way trial, providing valuable preparation for both teams. Congratulations to our 2nd XV for their consistency throughout both halves, displaying exceptional effort and energy, ultimately outperforming the 1st XV. Their performances were of a high standard and sets a good benchmark for future games.

It was also great to have Ambrose Treacy College’s 1st XV play our 3rd XV. Given they had already played a trial, they presented a number of different challenges to our 3rd XV and it was nice to see the team respond in a really positive manner. Well done to the 3rd XV for a dominant performance and good win.

My gratitude to the College coaching staff and coordinators for their commitment amid a demanding academic schedule. Week 9 and 10 are full of exams, marking, reporting and teaching. It is extremely busy time before adding in the rugby program on top. All the staff want the students to have a safe and enjoyable experience, and they work hard to deliver this. 

Finally, the reunion of the Marist Rosalie Old Boys and the coming together with the current 1st XV and 2nd XV students was a heart warming testament to the enduring Marist spirit. The Old Boys performed a Rosalie war cry to the students whilst the 1st XV and 2nd XV sang Sub Tuum in response. You can never underestimate how much it means to the Rosalie Old Boys to feel connected to the Marist traditions and spirit. To speak with the large contingent of 1963 Old Boy group post game, they are still recounting schoolboy stories from 60 years ago.

Rugby Union Training – Week 10

Please make sure you see the Marist app for Year level training sessions scheduled in Week 10. Any changes to this schedule will be highlighted on the Marist app.

See the Rugby Union Key Dates Calendar in the Marist app for all games throughout the season, including trial games in Term 1.

Rugby Union Training – Term 2

The Term 2 training schedule will be uploaded during the school holidays. Due to public holidays in Week 2 and 3, the schedule with differ slightly, however it will remain consistent elsewhere.

A massive thank you to the Jeeps Rugby Union club for allowing our Year 10 cohort to train on their grounds. This has created more field space for a better training experience. We have always had an extremely strong connection with Jeeps and we appreciate the opportunity as part of the wider rugby community.

Marist Rugby Union – Social Media 

@marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2023 the College 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.

Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Track and Field - Marist at Little Athletics QLD Championships

The following Marist athletes performed well for their Northside clubs with some good medals and placings including:

1. Lyndon Maynard - 16 Years Long Jump (Silver), 16 Years High Jump (Silver)

2. Connor Campbell - 15 Years 300m Hurdles(Silver), 15 Years 100m Hurdles (Bronze), 15 Years 400m (4th)

3. Perry Croft - 15 Years 1500m (Bronze), Finalist 800m(6th), Finalist 400m(9th)

4. Nathan Wright - 12 Years Javelin (3rd), Finalist Javelin

5. Nate Griffin - 100m (FInalist), 400m(10th), 200m Hurdles (FInalist), 200m(12th)

6. Max King - 100m (Semi Finals)

Congratulations to these athletes for their performances. A number now move onto the National Titles in late April including Connor Campbell who will represent QLD in the 300m hurdles at the Little Athletics National Championships in Adelaide..

Marist Track and Field – Sunday Sessions

This year, Marist College with be looking to win its’ 10th successive AIC Track and Field Championship. To be successful, a lot of planning, commitment and effort goes into the program across the calendar year.

For all students wanting to train, Mr Rob Martin will continue to run his usual Sunday sessions. Please see below details - INCLUDED: Running – sprints and jumps / Throws – early pre-season fitness and cross training, along with throwing.WHEN: Sunday afternoonsWHERE: Hayden OvalTIME: 3:15-4:45pm 

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

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.

Follow us and stay up-to-date with Marist Track and Field on Instagram - @marist_ashgrove_sports

Swimming

Mr James Boyce - Director of Swimming

As we approach the final week of Term 1, I extend my congratulations to all the boys for their dedication throughout Term 4, the Christmas holidays, and Term 1. Your commitment to swimming has been truly commendable.

For those boys who wish to continue their swimming journey into Term 2, I'm delighted to announce that our squad programs will continue to run year-round. This provides an excellent opportunity for our swimmers to build upon the skills and techniques they've developed throughout Terms 1 and 4, fostering continual growth and progress in their swimming abilities. It's worth noting that many boys who persist with swimming during the winter months often showcase remarkable improvements when they return to racing in Term 1.

Even as we bid farewell to Term 1, there's no shortage of exciting swimming events on the horizon. This week, we proudly cheer on the following boys as they represent Met North at the Queensland School States. Join me in wishing them the best of luck in their endeavours:

Thomas Bedggood, Nate Christison, Isaac Farrelly, Tomas Fitzpatrick, Oliver Leigh, Noah Magoffin, Sam Mapledoram, Luca Martinuzzi, Josh Mason, Archer Mellifont, Ryan Mullin, Nick Osborn,Lachie Vink, Ross Murie, Jimmy Ryan, Daniel Sadimenko

In the second week of the holidays, our focus turns to the MCA Swimming Club, with 23 of our swimmers poised to compete in one of the most significant age group events of the year, the Australian Age National Championships. We send our best wishes to each of them as they prepare for their respective events:

Chelsea Adams, Hayden Barnes, Noah Coco, Emily Draper, Isaac Farrelly, Molly Flood, James Leigh, Oliver Leigh, Noah Magoffin, Sam Mapledoram, Nick Marco, Luca Martinuzzi, Josh Mason, Phelix Meehan, Archer Mellifont, Alex Pedroni, Max Russo, Makenzie Sharpe, Bailey Skinner, Jackson Skinner, Lachie Vink, Abby Wild, Ed Wild

For updates on results and upcoming swimming events, remember to follow our Facebook page, MCA Swim Club.

Should you have any questions or queries regarding Term 2, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at swim@marash.qld.edu.au.

Here is tennis news for the last time this term.

Tennis

Mr Andrew Ward - Director of Tennis

We have been greeted with the start of our new court makeover with constant rain which has obviously delayed the start. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the weather will play nice and allow these works to be completed.

First X trials for open AIC teams have been up and running with a decent turnout so far. We have one last session for this term on Wednesday from 6:00pm - 7.30pm so if you are considering wanting to train for free in Term 2, I would love to see you there trialling and hopefully joining our team for this year.

Training days for this squad in Term 2 have been changed to a Monday and a Wednesday to avoid clashes with Term 2 sports.

Term 2 Bookings

Our Term 2 coaching program is now live, and we are taking bookings. Like every term times will book quickly for straight after and just before school so please get in fast to secure a time that best suits. I have put extra coaches on to help give our customers more freedom with bookings of private lessons.

All bookings can be made through Jade our Swim/tennis coordinator at: MCATennis@marash.qld.edu.au

AIC Trials

Term 2 will be a busy term with a reminder that all year levels will commence trials once week in Week 6 of Term 2.

We will ramp this up to twice a week in Week 9 and 10 once coaching commitments finish at the end of Week 8.

The Monday we will miss in Week 1 will be held on the Monday in Week 9 which will be the last day of coaching for paid squads in Term 2. Also, group lessons will finish this day for Term 2.

Of course, if there are make-up private lessons for Term 2 we will be able to deliver these in this two week period.

We will also be looking to have an AIC camp over the June Holiday break for those interested. More on that soon.

Our First trial for our top teams will be in Week 2 or 3 against Ambrose Treacy College (ATC). This will be played after school on the afternoon of either the Monday or Wednesday. Date to be confirmed.

Brisbane and Super League news

We have some teams doing well and some teams who are still finding their way. Remember these are matches to get our boys used to the competition weekly and students should never forget that you are there to have fun. For those teams who are struggling a little just go out and hit the ball without thinking about the score or result and you will play the best you ever have. Play for fun and relax and hit your shots without the fear of losing and you will see a remarkable difference in your match results. Let the hitting do the worrying for you so to speak.

Thank you to all the teams so far and we have a break now with the return of these leagues I believe on the 20th of April.

Holiday Clinics

Unfortunately, we are not holding any clinics these holidays due to the resurfacing of the courts. Sorry for any inconvenience caused but we will be up and running again in June break for Holiday clinics.

Mark Your Tennis Calendars!

Week 6 Term 2 beginning 20th May

All year level trials will commence for AIC. Year 5-opens.

Friday 7th June

Last week of fixtures for Term 2 and our Head fixtures prize winner announced. Prize = Head 12 racquet bag + 2 Head racquets + 2 tins AO Balls + 6 grips.

Valued at well over $500 for the winner.

Friday 14th June

Primary singles tournament 3:30pm start

Monday 17th

June Primary singles finals 3:30pm start

June Holidays

AIC Tennis Camp (dates to be confirmed)

Saturday 13th July

First trial v St Edmund’s College

Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th August

Open doubles tournaments    3:30pm start

Primary doubles tournament   3:30pm start

Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th September.

The Marist Open Singles Championships 3:30pm start

Wednesday 11th September

AIC break up party 3:30pm-6:30pm