Although we are just reaching the mid point of Term 2, it has been another outstanding and jam packed season of interschool sport at Warrandyte High School, with students representing the school with pride, determination and exceptional sportsmanship across a range of competitions. From volleyball and badminton to netball, AFL and soccer, students consistently demonstrated the school values of respect, integrity, strength and excellence both on and off the sporting field.

Year 7 Volleyball – A Fantastic First Interschool Experience

Late Term 1 the Year 7 Volleyball Competition marked an exciting milestone as many students participated in their very first interschool sporting event for Warrandyte High School. Following the recent success of the senior volleyball teams, students were eager to continue the momentum and embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm and energy.

With four teams competing across the day, students displayed impressive teamwork, resilience and willingness to improve. The Boys A team competed strongly against quality opposition and demonstrated great determination throughout the tournament. The Girls A team enjoyed an outstanding run through the early rounds, remaining undefeated before narrowly missing a grand final berth in a hard-fought three set semi-final. The team responded brilliantly to secure third place overall.

The Boys and Girls B teams also enjoyed success throughout the day, continually improving in confidence, communication and skill with every match played.

The event was further enhanced by the outstanding contribution of our students who officiated and supported the competition. Across seven courts, fourteen student officials received exceptional feedback from competition schools for their professionalism, organisation and communication skills. Special congratulations to the Year 11 VET Recreation students — Adam, Tate, Sarah, Charlotte W, Sierra, Hazel, Sienna, Alannah, Montie and Siahna — who undertook officiating responsibilities as part of their course. Additional thanks also goes to Mia, Charlotte D, Lila and Josh for volunteering their time to assist throughout the day.

A special acknowledgement must also go to student leaders Greta, Ally, Charlotte, Chloe and Layla, who supported the Year 7 students by coaching teams, organising scoring and encouraging players throughout the competition. Their leadership and positive example played a significant role in the success of the day.

School Sports Victoria Sporting Blue Honour for Jack Brennan

Warrandyte High School is incredibly proud to congratulate Jack Brennan on receiving the prestigious Sporting Blue Award from School Sport Victoria for Hockey.

The Sporting Blue Award is one of the highest honours available to school-aged athletes in Victoria and recognises exceptional sporting achievement, leadership and commitment at the highest level of competition.

Jack has enjoyed an outstanding couple of years in hockey, helping Victoria claim gold at the 2025 National Championships while finishing as the tournament’s leading goal scorer. His performances earned him selection in Australia’s inaugural Under-16 Hockey Team, an incredible achievement and reflection of his dedication and talent.

In addition to his representative success, Jack competes in Victoria’s Premier League and is a member of the Hockey Club Melbourne Futures Squad. Within both the school and local sporting community, Jack is highly respected for his leadership and willingness to contribute as a captain, coach, umpire and mentor to younger students.

It was a privilege to attend the formal Sporting Blue Awards Ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground alongside Jack and his family, where he was formally recognised for his excellence in hockey among Victoria’s most talented young athletes.

Jack is an outstanding role model for the Warrandyte High School community and we congratulate him on this remarkable achievement

Senior Interschool Badminton

Twelve senior students recently represented Warrandyte High School at the Senior Interschool Badminton Competition, competing against larger schools and highly experienced opposition.

Throughout the day, students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and resilience, constantly supporting and encouraging one another in every match. Their efforts resulted in many highly competitive rallies and several impressive performances across the tournament. One of the highlights of the day came courtesy of Billy, who produced an incredible between-the-legs shot that quickly became a memorable moment for the team.

At the conclusion of the competition, Warrandyte students once again demonstrated exemplary character by remaining behind to help ensure the venue was left clean and organised.

For several Year 12 students, this competition marked their final opportunity to represent Warrandyte High School in interschool sport. We thank them for their dedication, leadership and contribution to school sport throughout their time at Warrandyte.

Intermediate Netball and Soccer

On Thursday 7 May, students braved freezing temperatures and torrential rain to represent Warrandyte High School at the Division Intermediate Netball and Soccer Competitions. Despite the difficult conditions, students demonstrated exceptional resilience, determination and teamwork throughout the day.

At the soccer competition, students endured challenging weather conditions while competing with great spirit and determination. After narrowly losing their opening match 3–2, the team responded strongly in their second game, applying relentless pressure and showing excellent teamwork to secure an exciting 4–3 victory.

Goal scorers across the day included Adam, Brodie, Damon and Logan with one goal each, while Montie finished with two goals. All students involved should be congratulated for the resilience and positivity they displayed throughout the competition.

At the netball courts, the Year 10 girls entered the competition determined to defend their Division Championship title from 2024. Despite games being shortened and delayed due to the weather, the team performed exceptionally well throughout the pool stages, winning all matches convincingly through excellent teamwork, strong attacking play and disciplined defence.

The girls progressed through to the grand final where they faced strong opposition. Although narrowly defeated, finishing runners-up was an outstanding achievement, particularly given the team played six matches without any substitutions in extremely difficult conditions.

Congratulations to all students involved across both sports. The determination, teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship displayed throughout the day reflected the Warrandyte High School values in an outstanding manner. A sincere thank you also goes to the staff who attended and supported students throughout the challenging conditions.

Senior Boys Netball & Senior Girls AFL

It was a highly successful and memorable day for Warrandyte High School’s Senior Boys Netball and Senior Girls AFL teams at the recent interschool sporting competition.

In the Senior Boys Netball, students from Years 10 to 12 combined to form two competitive teams, both of which represented the school with exceptional teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout the day.

The Year 10 and 11 team delivered a series of strong performances, advancing through to the semi-finals before narrowly missing a place in the decider. The Year 12 team went one step further, claiming victory in a thrilling grand final, winning by just one point in an exciting finish. This outstanding result sees the Year 12 team progress to the Eastern Regional Finals. All players should be extremely proud of their efforts and the manner in which they represented the school.

The Senior Girls AFL team also produced an excellent performance under challenging conditions. With a reduced bench and several players managing soreness and fatigue from weekend football commitments, the team of 15 students from Years 9 to 12 demonstrated resilience and strong cohesion throughout the day.

The girls opened their campaign with a convincing 33-15 victory before narrowly falling to Templestowe College in a closely contested match. As a result, progression to the final depended on other pool results, which ultimately went in Warrandyte’s favour, securing their place in the grand final against an undefeated Heathmont team.

Following a motivating address from Ms McNulty and Ms Parsons, the team entered the final with strong intent and quickly rose to the challenge. The match was highly competitive, with Warrandyte displaying excellent clearance work, strong tackling, disciplined defence and well-structured attacking play. At halftime, the game remained evenly poised. Despite a determined second-half effort, the lack of rotations due to a limited bench impacted the team’s ability to maintain intensity, with Heathmont eventually securing a 10-point victory. Nevertheless, the performance was an outstanding achievement under difficult circumstances, and the team can be extremely proud of their effort and competitiveness against high-quality opposition.

This event also marked the final interschool sporting day for the Year 12 students involved. It was a fitting conclusion to their long-standing representation of Warrandyte High School, consistently demonstrating the school’s values through their commitment, leadership and sportsmanship.

Warrandyte High School congratulates all students involved on their outstanding participation and contribution to another busy period of interschool sport.

WHS: Thank you for Reading another edition of the WHS iNewsletter!