Sport

What an incredible semester it's been for school sport!  With 435 students taking part across six different sports at four different levels, as well as umpiring, participation has never been stronger.  A huge thank you to the staff of Monivae who took the time out of their busy work schedules to assist with getting these teams selected, trained and coach and team managed on the day.

Our hard work and team spirit paid off in style, with the school proudly bringing home GD shields in Athletics, Cricket, Cross Country, Football and Basketball.

Girls Football

Senior Girls

The GD senior girls football team prepared very well for this year’s annual carnival.   Numbers at all training sessions were most encouraging and the girls were eager to learn new skills and the rules of football as well as having fun along the way.  The quality within the squad was bolstered by the fact that a lot of the girls have been playing in regular competitions this season.

Skye Kissel of Year 12 was a dedicated and skillful player within the group. She trained with vigour and enthusiasm on all occasions.  Skye was selected by her peers to be our captain for this carnival and on the day was a handy contributor and an inspirational leader.  She was ably supported by Matilda Mason also of Year 12, who was the team vice-captain.

The team played with great spirit, enthusiasm and demonstrated a proficient skill level during all games.  Their handball skills was a feature, along with some fierce but fair tackles.

We played 3 shortened games against other district schools and were successful in 2 of the 3 matches. Most girls made positive contributions over the 3 games, but we did have some very handy players who deserve special mention.

Matilda Mason was excellent in all games.  Her pace, determination and skill level with either hand or foot was most admirable.  Ruby Cleaver, playing in the ruck or centre half forward, was a valuable contributor, and her strong marking was a feature.  Eloise Millard was a very skillful and determined on-baller who racked up many possessions by being in the right place at the right time!  Camilla Maina was good in deep defence and repelled numerous opposition attacks.

Special thanks to Lucy Brody, Ellie Foley, Mackenzie Barr and Hamish Button who acted in various assistant roles throughout the carnival.

In all, a successful carnival for our senior girl footballers this year and well done to all of you.

Best players: (across all games)

Matilda Mason, Ruby Cleaver, Eloise Millard, Skye Kissel, Mia Hetherington, Camilla Maina

Mr Terry Molan

Coach

Junior Girls

The Monivae girls produced an outstanding performance at the GD Girls Football Carnival, finishing the day undefeated while showcasing skill, teamwork and leadership across all four games.

The draw saw Monivae take on Baimbridge College, Portland Secondary College, a combined Good Shepherd College and Heywood College side, and finally Bayview College.  From the opening bounce the girls played with intensity and confidence, controlling games through strong tackling, clean ball movement and relentless pressure around the contest.

Captains Tatum Bell and Mikela Pohl set the tone early.  Their leadership and work rate helped establish a standard that the rest of the group eagerly followed.  Monivae quickly found its rhythm and built momentum throughout the day.

One of the great aspects of the carnival was the opportunity for players to experience different roles.  After the opening games, I deliberately moved a number of girls away from their usual positions to challenge their understanding of the game and broaden their football knowledge.  The response was exceptional, with players embracing unfamiliar roles and continuing to perform at a high level.

The standout move was shifting Tatum Bell into the forward line.  She responded by kicking six goals and proving a constant headache for opposition defenders.  Her ability to lead, compete and finish her work made her a deserving MVP for the carnival.

Mikela Pohl was influential throughout the day, providing strength around the contest and helping drive the team forward.  Taya Sherlock was another standout performer, consistently impacting games with her effort and football instincts.  Holly Lewis, London Reiersen and Bridget Sherlock also featured prominently among the team's best players.

The girls' desire to improve was evident throughout the day.  During breaks between matches, many could be found practicing skills, discussing tactics and helping each other improve.  That eagerness to learn translated directly onto the field.

Monivae was fortunate enough to have a full squad and several interchange players.  This allowed some of our girls to assist opposition teams when numbers were short.  It was fantastic to see players willingly pull on another jumper, contribute positively and ensure every team could enjoy the full carnival experience.  A special mention goes to Sydney, who even managed to kick a goal while representing the opposition.

For those girls who do not currently play football outside of school, I would strongly encourage them to explore opportunities within their local communities.  The talent, courage and enthusiasm displayed throughout the day showed that there are plenty of future footballers in this group.

Best players:

MVP:  Tatum Bell

2nd:  Mikela Pohl

3rd:  Taya Sherlock

4th:  Holly Lewis

5th:  London Reiersen

6th:  Bridget Sherlock

Special note:  Annika Pohl, thank you for being an awesome runner

Goal kickers:

Tatum Bell – 6

Millie McShane – 2

Mikela Pohl – 2

Daphne Brinkmann – 1

Rosy Treliving – 1

Bridget Sherlock – 1

Taya Sherlock – 1

Imogen Penny – 1

Sydney Smith – 1 (while representing the opposition)

The spread of goal kickers reflected a team that shared the football and created opportunities for one another.  With contributions coming from across the ground, Monivae's attacking strength was one of the major reasons behind its undefeated carnival.

The results were impressive, but the most pleasing aspect was the way the girls approached the day.  They competed hard, embraced new challenges, supported one another and represented Monivae with distinction.  It was a fantastic performance and one the entire group should be proud of.

Mr Richard Brown

Coach

Boys Football

Year 9/10 Boys

On Wednesday,  22 May the Monivae boys Year 9/10 football team competed in the Glenelg Division football competition.  Disappointingly, there were only four teams entered meaning we were to play only three games.

Our first game was against Good Shepherd College.  Both teams played well, but the Monivae team was much bigger and ran out winners by a good margin.

Goals went to Oscar Elliot, Heston Hedley, Connor Kearney and Paddy Impey getting two each and Charles Prentice, Harry Blohm, Oscar Templeton and George Nichols one each.   Best players were Paddy Impey, Heston Headley, George Oscar Elliot and Chad Logan.

Game two was against a much bigger and stronger combination of Portland Secondary and Heywood Secondary Schools.  After trailing by four points at half time, our boys dug deep and played a very good second half to win by 16 points.

Cooper Kearney kicked 3 goals and Nason Lovett-Murray, Paddy Impey and Charles Prentice kicked one each.  Best players in this game were Charles Prentice, Cooper Kearney, Nason Lovett-Murray, Conor Knight, Harry Bourke and Harry Blohm.

The last game was looked upon as a final because we played Bayview College who were also undefeated for the day.  The winner of this match was going to be overall winner.

It was this game that we probably played our best football.  Injuries through the day meant that we were two good players short and left with only 19 players.

A tight first half saw Monivae 3 points up, one straight goal to 3 points.  With a slight breeze in the second half we pulled away and won by 22 points.  This was a great effort as Bayview had a strong team but our consistency all over the field got us home.

Charles Prentice kicked two goals, and Cooper Kearney and Lachie Gordon kicked one each. Better players were George Nichols, Lyncoln Bergmark, Lachie Gordon, Archie Templeton, and Eddie Steele.

Well done boys, you did very well.

Mr Leo McMahon

Coach

Year 7/8 Boys

Monivae Blue team took on Monivae Maroon in game one.  Blue won that match and the game was a close contest until Blue had the wind in the second half. 

The day was overcast and cold but this didn't hinder the students effort and excitement on the day. 

Blue went on to win the day with 5 wins while Maroon finished a gallant 2nd with 4 wins. 

Keep an eye out in the following years as there are a few great footballers coming up in these year levels.

Mr Adrian Rhook

Coach

GD Year 9/10 Basketball

Our Year 9/10 basketballers had a very successful day at HILAC for the GD Intermediate Basketball competition.  The strong girl team  was undefeated for the day, cementing their spot in the Greater Western Region Competition in Mid August.  The boys played exceptionally well all day and had one loss.  Thank you to Dylan Nedziwe, Zara Bergmark, Ayla Khwali and Regan Hilsdon for umpiring.

Ms Sarah Byron

Sports Coordinator