Sports & OES
CSEN AFL Tournament
In week two, a selected group of Year 8 and 9 students competed in the Christian Schools Events Network 2026 AFL 9’s tournament.
The girls' team started well but struggled to adapt to the different rules from the usual SIS competition. By the end of the second game, the girls really started to understand the rule changes and played some excellent football. They eventually made it to the bronze medal match where they defeated Northside Christian College easily, a team that had beaten them in the first game. Congratulations to all the girls on winning the bronze medal!
The boys came out firing from the first game. They defeated all teams by five goals or more on their way to playing in a semi-final. In the semi-final, they easily accounted for Chairo Christian School. In the grand final, they played against Northside Christian College, however, after a slow start, the boys managed to win by four goals. Congratulations to all the boys on winning the gold medal!
Mr Zwiersen and Mr Reid
Year 8 OES excursion to Enchanted Adventure
On Wednesday 12th August, our Year 8 OES students embarked on an excursion to Enchanted Adventure! The students embraced every challenge with enthusiasm and teamwork, tackling the high-ropes Grand Tree Surfing course with bravery and navigating through the complex hedge mazes and brain-teasing giant puzzles. It was a wonderful day of active learning, team building, and enjoying God's creation together.
SIS Intermediate Boys Touch Rugby: Speed, Skill, Slippery Slopes & Teamwork!
The Year 9/10 SIS Boys’ Intermediate Touch Rugby team has been having a great time hitting the field this season, and the boys are picking up the game really quickly!
One of the most encouraging things to see has been the boys beginning to understand how to use their speed and agility, both with and without the ball. They are starting to recognise when to straighten the attack, when to move the ball, when to create space and, importantly, when to get themselves into space to receive it.
Our first game against Cornish was a fantastic start, with the boys running out 5–2 winners. There was some excellent team passing to create space, followed by some individual flair and footwork to finish off the opportunities. It was a great example of the boys beginning to understand that when the ball moves quickly, the defence has to move with it!
Then came our second game against Crest, where we unfortunately went down 8–5. However, there was one small issue... FOOTBALL BOOTS! Only a few boys had brought their boots, which meant that some of the team spent the game sliding around the field like they were auditioning for the Steven Bradbury School of Olympic Ice Skating! For anyone who remembers the 2002 Winter Olympics, you know exactly what happened next. A little slipping, a little sliding, a few unexpected changes of direction and plenty of entertainment! Unfortunately, this time there was no gold medal at the end of it.
Thankfully, the boys learnt their lesson. In our third game against St John’s, we were faced with another challenge, a very wet and slippery field.
This time, however, the boys had come prepared with their footy boots! What a difference it made. With the extra grip, the boys were able to show much more of their speed, agility and flair. They linked up well, changed direction quickly, moved the ball around the field and began to use the space much more effectively. It was great to see the boys starting to play with confidence and trust each other to create opportunities rather than trying to do everything themselves.
One of our biggest learning points throughout the season has been the importance of being on the move when receiving the ball. Standing still makes it much easier for defenders to shut you down. Moving onto the ball, changing direction and attacking space makes life much harder for the opposition.
The other major focus has been defending as a team, not as individuals. And the boys have made some really good progress in this area. They are beginning to understand that defending isn't just about making a touch on the player in front of you. It's about communicating, moving together, covering space and, most importantly, protecting our try line as a team. The boys have done a fantastic job of guarding their line and working together to stop the opposition from finding gaps.
A special mention also needs to go to Louis Ellam, who has done a great job of recognising key strategies during games and communicating them effectively to help the team make better decisions. Louis has shown a really good understanding of when to swing the ball one way, draw the defence across, and then quickly swing it back the other way when an opportunity or gap opens up. It has been great to see him not only identify these opportunities himself, but communicate them to his teammates so the whole team can benefit.
I have also been really impressed with the way Louis, Goch, and Griffin have embraced the “build others up” attitude and the importance of owning your mistakes rather than blaming someone else. It has been fantastic to hear the boys respond when someone makes a mistake by getting around them, rather than focusing on what went wrong.
Instead of dwelling on a missed pass or dropped ball, they are encouraging each other with a simple message, "let's go again!” Even better, there have been moments where players have owned their own mistake and recognised that their poor pass or decision may have contributed to a teammate's mistake. That is a genuine team-first mentality, and it is one of the most encouraging aspects of this group.
The boys are improving every game, and it has been great to see their confidence, understanding and teamwork develop. Now, if we can just remember the footy boots, keep moving, defend together and continue playing with a bit of flair… Who knows what this team might be capable of!
Mr Klan
SIS Girls Junior Girls Indoor Cricket: Three Games. Three Wins. One Big Goal!
What a start to the 2026 SIS Junior Girls’ Indoor Cricket season!
Our Year 7/8 Girls’ Indoor Cricket team has come out firing, winning all three of their games so far and putting themselves in a fantastic position heading into the final round!
The girls kicked things off with a hard-fought win over John Paul College, 138-114, before producing an impressive performance against Balcombe Grammar, winning 165-98. Most recently, they took on Woodleigh in a much closer contest, eventually coming away with a 105-93 victory.
Three games. Three wins. Three very different challenges.
One of the best things to watch has been the way the girls have continued to improve with every game. Their running between the wickets has been excellent, their fielding has produced some incredible catches off the netting, and behind the stumps, Reese Caneva has been absolutely outstanding! In our game against Woodleigh, Reese pulled off a remarkable eight stumpings in a single game. Eight!
And then there is Bella Uulf, our batting smash artist! Bella has grown in confidence with every game, becoming increasingly comfortable finding the gaps and placing the ball around the field. And when she decides to let one fly, watch out! Her occasional boundary smashed straight down the ground has been enough to ignite cheers, applause and plenty of excitement from the girls on the sidelines!
Chloe Hoffman has also been leading the team brilliantly, helping keep the girls focused, organised and locked in throughout each game. Meanwhile, Emilia Stancy and Chantelle Karto have taken on the unofficial roles of team cheerleaders and positive-vibes specialists, constantly encouraging their teammates and celebrating the good stuff!
And that's what has made this team so enjoyable to coach.
With every round, the girls' batting, bowling and fielding continue to improve, but so does the quality of the opposition. The games are getting tougher, the pressure is increasing, and the girls are responding by becoming more passionate, competitive and determined to win. Because winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is!
The girls have been an absolute pleasure to coach. They compete hard, encourage each other, have plenty of fun and, most importantly, genuinely want to see each other succeed.
Now, there is just one game standing between them and a very exciting opportunity...
Next Game: Crest: Tuesday, 18 August. A win against Crest would see the girls finish on top of the ladder and become the 2026 SIS Junior Girls’ Indoor Cricket Champions! One more game. One more challenge. Let's finish the job, girls!
Mr Klan