Eastern Metropolitan Region Cross Country Championships - Thursday 13 June

On Thursday 13 June, 32 Koonung students participated in the Eastern Metropolitan Region Cross Country Carnival event at Yarra Glen Racecourse. The Koonung team overcame cold and muddy conditions to run the 3km and 5km courses in incredible times. The following Koonung Students had outstanding results for their races:

Nate Uecker (Year 12) placed 1st in the 17-20 Boys 5km race.
Izzy Johnstone (Year 9) placed 2nd in the 15 Girls 3km race.
Renos Vassiliades (Year 10) paced 5th in the 16 Boys 5km race.
Grace Sharkie (Year 9) placed 8th in the 15 Girls 3km race.
Neve Murley (Year 8) placed 8th in the 14 Girls 3km race.
Jude Crouch placed (Year 10) placed 11th in the 16 Boys 5km race.
Tyce Ingram (Year 8) placed 14th in the 14 Boys 3km race.
Olivia Barlow (Year 7) placed 15th in the 13 Girls 3km race.

Because of these exceptional results, the Girls 15 age group (Izzy Johnstone, Grace Sharkie, Ellie Dyason and Imogen Pilgrim) placed 2nd overall, and the Boys 16 age group (Renos Vassiliades, Jude Crouch and Elias Tsapkounis) placed 3rd overall. We congratulate all 32 students that raced on the day for representing our College with such outstanding performances.

Miss Brugliera and Ms Marcianti

Senior Soccer

District Showdown: A Day of Grit and Glory for our Senior Soccer Teams

On a day that will be etched in their memories, our Senior Soccer Mixed teams—played their last interschool soccer games—but it was a battle not only from the cold on that first Monday in June, but a day of unforgiving pressure from their opponents at the District Level competition. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of our unsung hero, Andrew Mangonis. Mr. Mangonis selflessly gave up his lunchtimes from the tryouts to multiple practice matches over several weeks. His expert knowledge of play structures was unprecedented, and his dedication to the team was unwavering. While Tottenham has Ange Postecoglou (former ex- Australian coach), we have Mr. Mangonis, whose strategic insights and motivational leadership were instrumental in our journey.

Alongside him, team manager, Ms. Julia Hodson (that’s me) played a pivotal role. Representing the Koonung Premier District League, Ms. Hodson provided unwavering support to our players, and motivation when they needed a lift.

We arrived at Mitcham and from the moment we stepped off the bus and stepped onto the pitch, the cold was relentless. Temperature was 7 degrees, making every movement a test of endurance. As the games progressed, the wind picked up, turning the field into a cauldron of swirling gusts that made ball control a Herculean task. Just when we thought we had the measure of our opponents, the wind would shift, sending the ball veering off course and forcing our players to constantly adapt their strategies.

The day's matches were a testament to the grit and determination of our players. Each game was a hard-fought battle, with our goalkeeper, ‘Max the Wall.’ His excellent shot-stopping ability and quick reflexes earned him the nickname "The Wall." He commanded his box, made crucial saves, and organised the defence with authority.

With our mid fielders, wing, centre mid- fielder, central attacker, showing incredible stamina as they raced up and down the pitch, winning possession and setting up attacks. Our defenders, full back, and full forwards, stood like walls, absorbing pressure, and making crucial tackles that had the spectators cheering and dancing on the side-lines.

Overall Scorers in our 3 games:

Liam M "The Sniper" (Striker- 2 goals)

Liam M was a clinical finisher up front. Known as "The Sniper," he had an uncanny ability to find the back of the net, exemplified by his goal in Game One. His movement off the ball and precise shooting made him a constant threat.

Yuichi "The Speedster" (Wing- one goal)

Yuichi, playing on the wing, dazzled with his pace and dribbling skills. As "The Speedster," he left defenders in the dust and delivered pinpoint crosses into the box, creating numerous scoring opportunities.

Isaac "The Flash" (Striker- one goal)

Isaac's speed and agility on the ball were electrifying. Dubbed "The Flash," he left defenders trailing in his wake with his lightning-quick dribbles and sharp changes of direction. His fancy footwork made him a nightmare for opposing defences to handle.

Honourable mentions to:

Lucas "The Maestro" (Centre Midfield)

Lucas, the centre midfielder, orchestrated the play with his vision and passing. Nicknamed "The Maestro," he controlled the tempo of the game, linked defence, and attack seamlessly

Lukas S "The Phantom" (Striker)

Lukas S, another striker, was elusive and unpredictable. Nicknamed "The Phantom," he had a knack for popping up in the right place at the right time, often scoring crucial goals from seemingly nowhere.

Felix "The Playmaker" (Central Attacker)

Felix, playing as a central attacking midfielder, was the creative spark of the team. Known as "The Playmaker," he had exceptional vision, could unlock defences with his passes, and scored from long range when given space.

Eugene "The General" (Central Back Midfield)

Eugene, in the central back midfield position, was the defensive anchor. Dubbed "The General," he broke up opposition attacks, protected the backline, and distributed the ball efficiently to start counterattacks.

Luca B "The Rock" (Defence)

Luca B was a solid and dependable defender. Known as "The Rock," he was unmovable in the backline, making crucial tackles, clearances, and providing leadership to the defence.

Raph "The Sentinel" (Defence)

Raph, another key defender, was vigilant and steadfast. Nicknamed "The Sentinel," he read the game well, intercepted passes, and neutralized attacking threats with his positioning and timing.

Elijah "The Hawk" (Wing)

Elijah, playing on the wing, was sharp-eyed and swift. Called "The Hawk," he was always looking to exploit spaces, deliver dangerous crosses, and track back to assist in defence when needed.

Luca A "The Engine" (Midfield)

Luca A, in midfield, was tireless and versatile. Known as "The Engine," he covered every blade of grass, contributing both defensively and offensively, linking play, and supporting his teammates in every phase of the game.

Peter S "The Dynamo" (Full Back)

Peter S's fancy footwork was as dynamic as it was dazzling. Known as "The Dynamo," he surged down the flank with lightning speed, leaving opponents in awe of his rapid dribbling and precise crosses. His agility and skill made him a potent threat in attack.

The Climactic Finale

As the day wore on, the drama reached its peak with the final match between Box Hill High and Blackburn High. Our fate hung in the balance—Blackburn High needed to win, for us to advance to region. The tension was palpable, with every pass, every tackle, and every shot carrying the weight of our hopes.

The game was a masterclass in high-stakes soccer. Both teams displayed tactical brilliance and individual flair. As the clock ticked down, Blackburn High fought valiantly, but Box Hill High School proved too strong. When the final whistle blew, Box Hill High had secured the victory, devastating our hopes of advancing. It was a heart-wrenching moment for our teams and coaches alike, the culmination of a day filled with so much effort and emotion.

Despite the outcome, Andrew and I had immense pride in our Seniors' achievements on this day.

Meet the Fearless Eleven: Senior Girls Soccer Team

Our Senior Girls Soccer team is not just a group of players; they are a powerhouse of talent, each bringing their unique flair and passion to the pitch. From defensive stalwarts to offensive maestros, these girls have earned their stripes with their electrifying performances. Here’s a look at our standout stars and their fun, fitting soccer monikers:

Elissa "The Guardian" - Right Back Elissa is the rock of our defence,

Romy "The Wall" – Center back In the heart of the defence, Romy stands tall and impenetrable.

Elka "The Fortress" - Left Back On the left side, Elka is as formidable as they come.

Leah "The Pocket Rocket" - Right Wing Lightning-fast and full of energy, Leah, aptly nicknamed "The Pocket Rocket,"

Kate "The Maestro" - Center Midfield Kate orchestrates our play with the finesse of a true maestro.

Evelyn "The Dynamo" - Right Wing Evelyn brings relentless energy and creativity to the right wing. "The Dynamo" is always on the move.

Bec "The Playmaker" - Forward/Center Attacking Midfield (C.A.M) Bec is our creative force in the attacking third.

Immy "The Catalyst" - Forward/Center Attacking Midfield (C.A.M) Immy is a game-changer with her quick thinking and explosive play.

Samaya "The Finisher" - Striker Samaya has a lethal touch in front of goal, making her "The Finisher."

Sienna "The Guardian Angel" - Goalkeeper Sienna is our last line of defence and a true "Guardian Angel" between the posts.

A Day of Highs and Lows

Game one was a trial by fire for our Senior Girls Soccer team, a lesson in finding our rhythm and understanding the play structures we needed to succeed. The ball spent most of the match deep in our half, and despite numerous missed opportunities, the opposition managed to score a fluke goal, leaving us to regroup and refocus. In the second game, it was game on. Sienna, restless and eager in the goal square, was moved to striker, a decision that paid off brilliantly as she scored twice. Samaya, true to her nickname "The Finisher," added another two goals to our tally. Elka, ever the dependable "Fortress," capped off the scoring spree with a goal of her own, sealing a magnificent 5-0 victory. As we headed into the final game, hopes were high, but despite our spirited performance, we were outplayed. It was a day of triumphs and lessons, showcasing the heart and potential of our team.

The Badminton Brave Warriors (Intermediate)

On Thursday 23 May, 31 students competed at District level Badminton, in a clash of titans that had shuttlecocks flying faster than gossip in a small town. Our very own badminton teams proved their mettle against some tough formidable competition. It was a showdown of games that left spectators on the edge of their seats, with gasps and cheers (mainly mine) echoing through the chilly cold building at the Blackburn Badminton Centre.

From the first serves, it was evident there wasn’t going to be any ordinary matches played. The tension was palpable in our A, B and C team as our ‘Badminton Brave Warriors’ faced off against the seasoned players from East Doncaster. But did they flinch? Not a chance.

Led by our A Team Natalie, Xin Lynn, Lucky, CiCi and Saoirse, their lightning-fast reflexes and killer smashes left the opposition scrambling, as if they were trying to catch a mosquito in a hurricane.

Mr. Chan gave our team some strategies and advise to aim at returning the shuttlecock to their opponent’s backhand, which gave us an edge in each game.

But let’s not forget the unsung heroes of the B and C Teams doubles, and all the double teams. With executed flawless teamwork, leaving their opponents befuddled and bewildered. Their synchronicity was so seamless, it was like they were communicating telepathically.

Below are quotes of the day, that this writer captured within earshot.

Shreya Nair- My tactic today will be to deliberately drop shots in the warmup, and then go out hard in the real game.

Sarah Khan- It was fun, and I didn’t expect everyone (other schools) to be so nice.

Queena Kim- I made a new friend from EDSC and now we’ll be called B.B (Badminton Besties)

Emme Chu- I won one of my singles, and I just act humble and be nice. That’s my strategy.

Miah Lad- Emme and Miah won one of their doubles. The competition was fierce. I just laughed and enjoyed myself with my badminton bestie (Emme).

Michael Harding- I don’t know…. I’ll get back to you.

Anderson Ha- I played doubles and won.

Aaron – I pretended to be bad in the warmup, and be bad during my real games- LOL

Alessio de Luise- You just need to have fun at these events. I loved hanging out with my friends.

Lachlan Cartledge- The talent was very good, and this is only at District level. I had fun hanging out with my friends.

And that's a wrap! Another thrilling badminton competition, where the only thing higher than the shuttlecock was our Koonung teams’ spirits.

Julia Hodson

Drama Teacher (and sports writer!)

TERM 2 INTERSCHOOL SPORT WRAP UP

Well done to all teams and students that went out on Interschool Sport to represent in Term 2! Below is a summary of the sports (with special mentions to students who represented our school values) as well as photos of their competitions.

Intermediate Boys AFL - Wednesday 15th May

Fantastic work to our Intermediate Boys AFL team! After a close loss round 1 (15 points KSC to 35 points Blackburn), the boys managed to kick a total of 188 points against East Doncaster SC (0 points), Box Hill HS (6 points) and the Blackburn B team (1 point).

Shout outs to Jadon Fang who took on a coaching role throughout the competition, and to Archer Barkley, Archie Popplewell and Jude Crouch who were best on ground. Great work everyone! - Mr Tozer.

Year 7 Girls and Junior Boys Netball - Wednesday 15th May

Both the Year 7 Girls and Junior Boys (Year 7 and 8) teams played well throughout the day. Well done to all teams! – Mr Dunn and Mrs Asvestas

Intermediate Soccer - Thursday 23rd May

Boys A Team

Expectations were high amongst the players in the A squad before their first match against Box Hill HS. Plenty of possession and slick passing was unfortunately not converted into goals. Two counter attacks by the opposition saw us lose 2-0 at the final whistle.

Knowing that only a win in the next game against arch rivals East Doncaster SC would give us any chance of progressing into the next stage, the boys came out firing. An expertly taken free kick from outside the box by captain Renos V proved the difference and secured us a 1-0 victory.

Playing our third match in a row, we had to defeat Blackburn HS in our final game to have any real hope of winning the competition. We had a dominant first half display where brothers Christos K and Yianni K ran the show with tenacious tackles and silky skills. Impressive interplay between Andersen K, Hayato M and Bailey A regularly carving up the opponent’s defence. However, we just could not convert our chances. A thunderous shot by Renos V cannoning off the cross bar the closest we got to scoring. With the players tiring, they gave it their all but we ended up losing 1-0.

There were many dejected faces at the end of the match but we tried our best. We may have not won the competition but we were arguably the most technical and cohesive side on the day. We just couldn’t score the all-important goals!

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was proud of the efforts of all the players who gave their all in a respectful and sportsmanlike manner. - Mr Mangonis (Boys’ A Team Coach)

Boys B Team

Unfortunately, the boys couldn’t come home with a win today, The scores for our 3 games were 1-3, 0-2, 1-2. Aside from the end results, the boys went well showing great improvement throughout the day. We had success moving the ball through our midfield with Vinh Phan leading the charge, just couldn't convert on our opportunities. Our two goal scorers were Jude C and Matthew E. Special mention to Archie P who made some great saves in goal. All up it was a fun day and a pleasure to coach the boys. - Lloyd Thomas (ex-Koonung student)

Girls Team

In today's soccer competition, the girls from Koonung Secondary College displayed an impressive blend of determination and exceptional soccer skills. In the opening match against Box Hill B team, the Koonung girls scored 5 goals to secure a convincing 5-0 victory. Despite facing a challenging schedule of three consecutive matches in the afternoon, the girls fearlessly take the challenge and supported each other, defeating Box Hill A team 3-0, and holding the previously unbeaten East Doncaster to a hard-fought 0-0 draw. Against our final opponents, Blackburn, we consistently posed threats and struck the post, but unfortunately, only managed a draw, narrowly missing out on advancing to the next round by a margin of 2 points. Nonetheless, the Matilda-like spirit exhibited by our girls warrants commendation. - Sen Li

Year 8 Boys AFL - Tuesday 28 May

The Year 8 boys walked down to Elgar Park on Tuesday morning for Interschool AFL. Despite only having 16 players, Koonung flew out of the blocks with a quick 3 goals against Box Hill, and then showed great teamwork and resilience to hang on when challenged to win by 4 points. Next up was the tough task of Blackburn, who put the pressure on early with 10 unanswered goals. Credit to all the boys who kept their heads up and tried their best to stem the flow, and ultimately finished with 2 goals. The Kooning boys bounced back immediately though against East Doncaster, finishing with a 39-4 win. Special mention to Tyce Ingram, James Rogers, Ethan Vogdanos & Matthew Sheehan who all displayed great skill and leadership in all games.

Well done to all involved and for a terrific day of footy! - Mr Ewart and Mr Kofoed

Year 8 Girls Netball - Tuesday 28 May

Girls C Team

With three incredibly tough matches, our Girls C team did well to improve dramatically throughout the day to score some fantastic goals! Lilla, Alyssa, Rachel, Odette, Yume, Sheron and Tiana demonstrated great resilience and sportspersonship in all of their matches, I am so proud of your efforts and look forward to seeing you compete next year. Amazing effort to all! - Miss Murray

Girls B Team

Well done to our Girls B team for a successful day of netball! Shout out to Sienna and Layla shooting goals in GS and GA, Remy and Catherine stopping the other teams in GK and GD, Varsha running around with great passes in C, and Ruth and Ashifa intercepting in WD and WA. All demonstrated excellent skills and collaboration throughout their matches, amazing work everyone! - Miss Murray

Girls A Team

Well done to our Girls Netball A team for a fantastic day! You showed great sportspersonship and fabulous skills out on the court. Great work to Nevie, Fotini, Molly, Neve, Stella, Sophie, Isabella, Gemma and Lucy! - Miss Allender

Senior Table Tennis - Monday 3 June

Well done to all who competed in Senior Table Tennis this term! Our Mixed A team came 2nd overall, Boys B and Boys C teams 1st overall in their competition. Shout out to Alice Pang, Benjamin Au, Kenny Mao, Jake Qian, Zachery Wijaya and Joshua Tan in the Mixed A team who demonstrated excellence through tremendous skills, particularly in their powerful serves, quick footwork, and accurate shots from the various spots around the table. - Miss Brugliera

Senior Basketball - Monday 3 June

Boys A had a great day, with moral victories throughout. A big win against Blackburn was one of the highlights of the day. Shoutout to all the boys who played; Michael, Rob, Toby, Blake, Ivan, Tom and Amrik, who went all out for 4 games with multiple back to back games. - Mr Dunn

Fantastic work to our Boys B team who smashed through three tough games to come through with a couple of wins! Lucas, Aryan and Gabe had some great three pointers, with Jack, Hugo, Tim and Flynn demonstrating excellence through solid defence and inside shooting. Can’t wait to see how you go next week when you are top age! - Miss Murray

Well done to our girls Senior Basketball A team who competed with lots of resilience on the day. Only having five players, the girls worked hard in all of their games (with four back to back), to come away with three wins on the day. Shout out to Chloe and Lia’s fantastic defence, Emma and Abby’s excellent drives and layups down the court, and Swathi’s unstoppable outside shooting. Very proud of your efforts everyone! - Miss Murray

Junior Girls AFLW - Thursday 6 June

The junior girls headed out to Koonung Reserve on Thursday for Interschool AFL. Up first was Box Hill, with the girls finding themselves in a tight battle with goals hard to come by. They showed tremendous bravery and teamwork to hang on in the last quarter with some desperate goal line clearances in the last minute to come out with a thrilling draw! Next up was the classy Blackburn, with the girls fighting until the final siren, ultimately going down by 45 points. To finish the day the girls were locked in a close contest with East Doncaster, again showing tremendous team spirit, playing two down, unfortunately going down 32-20. Well done in particular to Noa Barkley who had a fantastic first game, Fotini Konstantinou who was a tackling machine, Abi Hahn who was a rock down back, and Neve Murley for terrific leadership all day.

Congratulations to all girls for their efforts and a great day of footy! - Mr Ewart

Well done to all students who represented Koonung this term and we look forward to seeing more teams in action in Term 2!

Claire Murray

Interschool Sport and Carnival Coordinator

Koonung Secondary College

claire.murray@education.vic.gov.au

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