Sport News

Last weekend saw our last official AIC events for 2024 with the Esports, Touch and Water Polo gala days. Marist was well represented across the three events. The weekend was a true representation of the best things about the AIC competition where boys got to represent their college in their chosen sport, participate with their mates and have a positive, enjoyable time doing so. Across the weekend, there were lots of happy boys showing off their talents and doing so with a smile on their faces.

On Saturday morning, our Esports teams enjoyed competing at capture the flag in Minecraft. Our A team reached the semi-finals but went down to Padua, who lost to winners Villanova in the final. Thank you to Mr Greg Egan for coordinating and coaching our Esports teams. Thank you to Villanova College for organizing such an impressive event, which is sure to grow over the coming years. Our teams were highly competitive with much practice having gone in to prepare.

Our primary school with three teams and boarding house with two teams represented us at the AIC Touch Day at Runcorn. In very hot conditions, the boys acquitted themselves very well. Thank you to Mr Lambourne and Mr Whitlock for organizing the teams for the event.

On Sunday, Marist hosted the AIC Water Polo competition. There were three divisions, Year 7, Years 8/9 and Opens. Our Year 7s and Years 8/9 enjoyed their first water polo experience for the College early in the morning, with the teams competitive without much luck in their matches. Our premier team showed their strength and talent as a team with a comprehensive win in the Open division, defeating Iona 11-4 to claim the trophy again.

Thank you to our Water Polo coordinator Mr Ryan Apps and Mr Apps and Ms Ryan for coaching our teams.

Welcome To Marist Sport

We started our introduction to Marist Sport sessions last Monday for our new (2025) Year 7 students. These sessions are for both new students to the college and for primary boys transitioning to secondary internally. It is not too late to sign up for our final two sessions on Monday 28 October and Monday 11 November. It was great to have support from Volleyball Queensland, Queensland Cricket and AFL Queensland to make these sessions a success alongside our coordinators. Go to: https://forms.office.com/r/nJ6XFXCsic to register for the last two sessions if you have not done so already.

Term 1 Sports

Our first teams are kicking off 2025 with trials and training commencing in volleyball, cricket and AFL along with our entire swimming program. Our whole program opportunities in each of the team sports have started or will be starting very soon as we look to get some pre-season practice and provisional team selection sorted. 

The new College app is the best place for information about our sports programs. Over the coming days and weeks, you will see trials and training information, season calendars, selection policies and handbooks for each of the sports. These documents will provide you with the key information you need to understand the commitment, the expectations and where and when you can get involved and need to be and will start to appear as they are required. The contact details for the Term 1 sports coordinators are:

AFL                        Mr Corey Robinson         robinsonco@marash.qld.edu.au

Volleyball             Mr Patrick Denkes            denkesp@marash.qld.edu.au

Cricket                  Mr Andrew Catton           cattona@marash.qld.edu.au  

Swimming           Ms Jade Ritchie                 swim@marash.qld.edu.au 

Registrations

All players must be registered to play. You will not see any information in the activity without being registered. There will be no exceptions to this rule in 2025, including 1st-team players. There will now be a consistent registration period for each sport throughout the year.

Term 1 Uniforms

This is a reminder that the old College uniforms were all retired officially at the start of 2023 and should no longer be worn at all. All players need to be in the current uniforms as listed below. Please be careful if purchasing secondhand uniforms that the item is the current uniform. The information below is also available in each sport’s handbook available on the College app soon.

As discussed last week, it is the expectation that all boys will train in the Marist blue training shirt and shorts for all sessions from Term 1 unless directed otherwise specifically by their coach.

We try to provide opportunities for boys in all sports, but due to the nature of the competition and the sport, this is not always possible and some boys will miss out on some sports. In Term 1, this includes AFL and volleyball. Therefore, please do not purchase items in these two sports until teams have been finalised in those sports and a position on an AIC competition team has been confirmed, as there are no refunds available from the uniform shop if the item has been worn. Cricket is unlimited, so if a boy registers to play, we will have a team for him and find games for him to play.

AFL

Volleyball

Cricket

First Teams

It has been the College's position for a number of years now not to favour or privilege any one team, sport or activity over another in terms of uniform. Therefore, all players must purchase their playing uniform, including first teams. In 2023 we commenced a policy where if a player qualifies, he is presented with a commemorative item for that sport, such as the jersey or similar depending on the nature of the activity. Players are required to purchase their training shirt (marigold) and shorts and socks once the squad has been finalised. The training shirts are available from the uniform shop once advised by the coach or coordinator of the activity, and the shorts and socks will be invoiced before the end of the competition term.

This policy is available in the sport-specific handbooks. The marigold shirt is consistent across all sports and only needs to be purchased once as it will fit with all sports at first team level.

Student Achievements

Adrian Garbellini - Orienteering

Adrian competed at the Australian Orienteering Championships (AOC) from Thursday 28 September to Friday 6 October. The AOC, held in the challenging, complex granite area of the Armidale region of NSW and at school campuses in Armidale, involved students competing in seven events over nine days against the best orienteers in Australia and New Zealand. The events included the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships (3 events) as well as the Australian Sprint, Middle and Long-Distance Championships and Australian Relay Championships. Adrian was announced in the Australian Honours team.

• Australian Schools Sprint Championships: 9th
• Australian Schools Long Distance Championships: 6th
• Australian Schools Relay Championships: mp
• Australian Long Distance Championships: 29th
• Australian Middle Distance Championships: 29th
• Australian Sprint Championships: 23rd
• Australian Relay Championships: 3rd

Rugby Festival

A large contingent of our boys participated in the Pacific Youth Rugby Championship on the weekend. 

Boys from Year 8 included - Stanley Grellman, Ethan Londema, Harry McAuliffe, Jack Kennedy, Lachlan Cook, Ryan Sleader, Harry Barden and Alan Baker. The U14s ended up in 6th position at the end of the tournament. 

Boys from Years 10 and 11 included in the U16 - Daniel Londema, Sam Head, Will Bagnall, Tom Collins, Theo Knight, James Johnston, Benji Blaszczyk, Ewan Wood, Jono Kirk, Josh Coote, Archie Searle, Hew Howell and Tyler Chan. The U16s made it to the Grand Final defeating Qld Fiji, Qld Tonga, All Nations and a draw against the Qld Barbarians who they ended up meeting in the Grand Final and going on to win 22-12.

Boys from Year 11 who played in the U18s included - Oliver Condon, Matthew Lyons, Wylie Gordon, James Chapman, Kevin Fitialo Jnr and Hamish McAlonan. The U18s ended up in 7th position at the end of the tournament. 

Marist also had three representatives in the All Nations U16s team which included - Couper Liddicoat, Liam Rice and Oliver Liddicoat. The All Nations team ended up in 3rd position at the end of the tournament.

Tennis

Mrs Jade Ritchie - Tennis Coordinator

Welcome to Week 4.

The Continental Clinic 

Join us for our first-ever specific practice clinic. 

Is your child having trouble with their Serving, Volleys, and smashes?

Or maybe they're ready to take the next level within the context of the Continental grip.

Either way, this clinic is for you! 

Pricing

Existing members $20.00

Non-Members $25.00

When: Monday 11 November - 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

This clinic is open to MCA AND non-MCA students.

Swimming

Mr James Boyce - Director of Swimming

We're almost halfway through the term, and it's fantastic to see so many boys showing dedication in the early stages of the swimming season. It's clear that the energy and commitment are already building, setting the tone for a successful year ahead.

Last Thursday, we held a team meeting to outline our goals and set standards for the season. One key focus was our first prep meet of the year, scheduled for Friday 8 November. This meet is crucial for any boys aiming to post times for the 2025 AIC Swimming team. The prep meet will also serve as a motivator for the holiday period, where training will pick up significantly.

Our guiding principle this year is simple: every swimmer should focus on personal improvement, which will, in turn, elevate the team as a whole. It’s all about consistency, a positive attitude, and a willingness to get better each time we’re in the pool.

Swimming is a sport that rewards dedication, and we need to embrace the water to progress. This season is split into three key phases:

1. Term 4: Developing aerobic fitness and refining techniques.
2. December and January Holidays: Building speed and endurance, with gym sessions added for strength.
3. Term 1: Polishing performance for competition readiness.

Let’s keep pushing ourselves, striving for excellence in every lap, and laying the foundation for an outstanding year ahead.

Please see this week’s timetable if you have any questions, please feel free to email swim@marash.qld.edu.au.

Marist Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Sunday Sessions

For all students wanting to continue with their Track and Field training, Mr Rob Martin will continue to run his usual Sunday sessions. Please see below details - 

WHEN: Sunday afternoons

WHERE: Hayden Oval

TIME: 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.

Marist Rugby Union

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Scrum Ready Program - Years 5-10

It was wonderful to see so many young front-row forwards at the Scrum Ready Program last week. We see this as one of our most important rugby programs and we are extremely grateful for the support of both the students and the parents. Any students who plays in the front row are invited to the Scrum Ready Program. The sessions are run by Mr Doug Perrers and Mr James Trebbin. The aim of the training sessions is to educate students on key strengthening exercises, correct technique and the ability to maintain a safe, strong and stable body position. 

WHEN: Wednesday 16 October – Wednesday 13 November

TIME: 3:30pm-4:45pm

WHERE: Des Connor Park, Field 5

DRESS: MCA sports shirt, Marist sports shorts, blue / white / or Marist rugby socks.

OTHER GEAR: Rugby boots and a drink bottle The five weeks will consist of:

1. Core and body strengthening exercises
2. Solo with no opposition – on knees
3. Solo with no opposition – on feet
4. Solo against a machine / tackle bag
5. 1 v 1 / 3 v 3 body shape. 

Students should complete the program with knowledge that will allow them to continue their own training across the remainder of Term 4 and into the school holidays.

Term 4 – Preseason Training

We are in the third week of our optional five-week preseason rugby union training block for current Years 9-11 students. It's an excellent opportunity for students to improve their skills and conditioning both on the field and in the gym. 

The overarching training block objectives are to:

1. Provide education and guidance on quality training methods
2. Develop skills to enhance technique and decision-making under pressure
3. Increase Strength and Conditioning benchmarks for performance

Thank you to all the students who are attending the early morning sessions and are pushing themselves this term. We have had excellent numbers across the year levels and they have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. Their willingness to compete and connect with their fellow training members from all of the year levels and their desire to improve have been fantastic to see.

Field sessions will be led by Mr Richard Graham, Mr Chris Daykin, Mr Charlie Taylor, Mr  Paddy Conn and Mr James Trebbin. Athletic development is overseen by Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Mr Adam Earnshaw.

NOTE - For those students trialling and preparing for Term 1 sports, Friday morning is the only session available to attend.

Marist Rugby Union – Social Media - @marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2024, the College continues to deliver 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 is 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.