Sport News

Mr Derek Lennon

Last Saturday saw Marist play against St Peters Lutheran College and a host of different schools in supplementary matches. St Peters were too strong across the board on Friday night winning the 1st IV and overall 5 to 3. On Saturday the 1st XI won comfortably, 2-nil with the goals coming before half time, overall we won 30, drew 2 and lost 8. In rugby the 1st XV had a good win 33-7, and overall we had 24 wins and 7 losses.

This week we host St Patrick’s College this Saturday with most teams playing at home. Please check the draws carefully as we are playing multiple schools again this week.

We held our inter-house cross country championships recently. My thanks go to Mr Matt Millward and Mr Corey Robinson from the Sports Department for your organisation and running of the day, and the Heads of House for your support of this House event. Well done to all students who competed.

We also have our first AIC lead up meet for cross country this week at Sherwood Arboretum as we run into the AIC cross country championships in a month's time. This event will provide a great opportunity to get competitive racing into the boys who have been working hard for months now in preparation for the season. Thank you to Mr Matt Millward, Mr Marcus Schrader and Mr Thomas Prole for your leadership of the cross country program. We had our annual cross country camp on the weekend, which presented a great opportunity to develop running and team unity in a very successful activity for the boys. Thank you to Mr Schrader and Mr Prole for supervising the boys. A number of boys recently competed at the Queensland titles. Whilst official results have not come out, boys were generally happy with their performance and looking good for the AIC season.

The long weekends and boarders leave that affect the start to the season have finished for the term. We are happy that we now have full weeks dedicated to training and preparing for matches and we have less disruption on game days with players unavailable. These, along with the wet weather have presented real challenges to our coaching staff who work hard to try and get players into the right teams for the season and then build continuity and team cohesion. In such a short season it is challenging to do both- promote players whose form and commitment deserve it, while at the same time developing consistency. Our programs in Term 2 are 41 (football) and 38 (rugby). This involves significant numbers of boys across the breadth of the College. The expectation of the college is that if a boy commits to playing a season of sport that he honours that commitment each and every week throughout the season. Commitment is important, not just to allow us to organise competitive games for all teams, but it is also a life skill that we hope to develop in the boys through sport. If this presents a challenge to families, Richard, Blair and myself are happy to discuss.

Tennis

Mr Andrew Ward - Director of Tennis

Welcome to this week’s edition of MCA Tennis News, where we serve updates with precision and just a hint of spin. From facility upgrades to standout performances, there’s plenty happening on and off the court.

Tennis Centre Upgrade – A Fresh Look Incoming

MCA Tennis is thrilled to announce the next step in upgrading and beautifying our Tennis Centre. Think of it as the glow-up we’ve all been waiting for—less concrete, more character.

Installation is set for Tuesday 21 May, and we’ll be adding colour and identity to the courts with brand new banners on the back fences. These will proudly showcase both Marist and MCA Tennis Club branding—finally making our facility look as elite as our players aim to be.

First X Squad Training

Training Times: Mondays and Wednesdays - 3:30pm to 5:00pm

The First X Squad has now been trimmed to 12 players, with plans to reduce to a final group of 8 to maintain an intensive, high-performance training environment. Congratulations to those who made the current squad—it’s a big step on the pathway to Firsts selection.

The focus remains on consistency, competitiveness, and tactical awareness. We’re looking for players who can rally with purpose, apply pressure, and know exactly when to strike. Keep working hard and earning your place.

Training for all other Open teams will begin as per standard year-level schedules.

Super and Brisbane League Tennis News

Rain continues to interrupt play, with this past week producing yet another washout—although we did manage to complete half a home match before the skies closed in again.

Despite the conditions:

In Division 9, Frankie Hain made quick work of his opponent, putting on a clinic in focus and grit. It was over so quickly we’re considering giving him a second match just to stretch it out.

In Division 3, Tom Revis put in a strong performance. It was neck and neck, but a few untimely errors proved costly. A great effort all the same, and very entertaining tennis.

We remain optimistic that dry courts will return before the players start developing webbed feet.

Upcoming Events

Term 2 Key Dates

Week 6 – AIC Trials for all year levels (dates to be confirmed in next week’s edition.)

Thursday 19 & Friday 20 June – Marist Open Doubles & Primary Doubles Championships

Time: 3:30 – 7:30 PM

Open and Primary competitions will run concurrently. A sausage sizzle will be provided for players—because doubles should come with double the fun.

Mid-Year Holiday Camp

Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 July

8:00 – 11:00 AM

Three mornings of focused training to keep players sharp over the break. No holiday rust allowed.

Term 3 Key Dates

Monday 14 July – AIC Training Begins (pupil-free day)

Monday 11 & Tuesday 12 August – Marist Open & Primary Singles Championships

Time: 3:30 – 7:30 PM

Both events run side by side with another famous sausage sizzle for energy and morale.

Tuesday 16 September – AIC Break-Up Party

Time: 3:30 – 6:00 PM1

Celebrating the season with food, fun, and possibly a few friendly rematches.

September Holiday Camp

Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 September

8:00 – 11:00 AM

An ideal way to maintain form heading into Term 4—expect plenty of hitting, match play, and laughs.

Term 4 Key Dates

Tuesday 7 October – Coaching resumes (pupil-free day)

Sunday 23 November – Parent-Son Tournament & Christmas Break-Up

Time: 2:00 – 6:00 PM | BBQ at 5:00 PM

A relaxed and competitive afternoon of tennis and celebration to wrap up the year.

Christmas & New Year Holiday Camps

All camps run from 8:00 – 11:00 AM:

Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 December
Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 December
Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 January
Monday 19 – Wednesday 21 January

Perfect for players who want to stay match-fit and avoid a slow start to the new year.

Looking Ahead – Term 1, 2026

Monday 2 February – Term 1 coaching begins

The countdown is already on—new year, new term, same commitment to excellence.

Let’s continue to set the standard in effort, sportsmanship, and skill.

On and off the court, MCA Tennis is building something special.

Football

Football Coordinator – Blair Whitlock

Round 2 vs St Peters Lutheran College

Round 2 saw the Years 9-12 teams head over to Indooroopilly while the Years 5-8 were at home against St Peters Lutheran College. It was great to see many teams building on their round one performances and combinations coming together all over the field as the boys continue to gel with their team mates and coaching staff.

It was a successful day on the whole and a special mention must go to the opens team who achieved an impressive clean sweep with 7 wins from 7 games against a mixture of St Peters, Padua and St Laurence’s opposition. It’s fantastic to see so many boys playing football with pride right from Year 5 through to 12 and we look forward to seeing them finish their senior year on a high.

Football – Training Schedules

The Football training schedule will be posted weekly on the Orbit App for all parents to see. Now that the majority of public holidays / student free days have occurred there will be very little movement in training days (if any) for the vast majority of Football teams. If you are unable to make your training or game, please let your year level coordinator know so they can advise the coaching staff:

Year 5 Coordinator – Mr Michael Jones (jonesmi@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 6 Coordinator – Mrs Rachelle Garton (gartonr@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 7 Coordinator – Mr Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh (kolkenbeckruhg@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 8 Coordinator – Mrs Maddie Henry (spannm@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 9 Coordinator – Mr Marcus Schrader (schraderm@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 10 Coordinator – Mr AJ Gray (graya@marash.qld.edu.au)

Opens Coordinator – Ms Kathryn Badini (badinik@marash.qld.edu.au)

Football Training | Wet Weather Plan

Football training will rarely be called off due to bad weather. If rain is forecast, students are asked to place their school bags and formal hats under cover.

Parents dropping students at Des Connor Fields are asked to use the canteen end, where the gear shed and canteen balcony provide shelter. The shed on Cameron Oval provides shelter for teams training there.

Social Media

The marketing and photography team do an amazing job of capturing the boys games where possible each weekend. Please head over to the Marist College Sport Instagram page to see photos from the weekends matches as well as our Team and Coaches of the Week! @marist_ashgrove_sports.

Rugby Union

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Super Saturday | Save The Date

This year’s biggest sporting event is nearly here - Saturday 31 May!

It will be an amazing day of school rugby union, entertainment, celebrations, prizes, giveaways, supporter’s bar.

Marist College vs St Edmund’s College in 30+ games of rugby union.
Old Boys Reunion Day.
Boarding Family Fun Day.

...all together creates Super Saturday!

See you all here for a great day.

Marist Rugby Union | Sign On

Please go to Parent Orbit and see information regarding sign on. All students who wish to play Term 2 sports are asked to sign up via the Student Café. Once your son/s have signed up all parents or caregivers MUST approve the signup via Parent Lounge and edit or update any medical details.

This assists the College in organising the appropriate number of coaching staff and to deliver the necessary resources.

NOTE – If your son isn’t registered, you will NOT receive any information via the Parent Orbit regarding the rugby union program, including schedules and relevant information.

Rugby Union Training | Wet Weather Plan

Rugby Union training will rarely be called off due to bad weather. If rain is forecast, students are asked to place their school bags and formal hats under cover.

Parents dropping students at Des Connor Fields are asked to use the canteen end, where the gear shed and canteen balcony provide shelter.

Thank you for your support.

Marist Rugby Union | Training – Term 2

Please ensure you regularly check the Parent Orbit for Year Level training schedules throughout Term 2.

In addition, the Rugby Union Key Dates Calendar and the AIC Draw are available in the Parent Orbit, providing full details of all games across the season.

We would also like to thank the GPS Rugby Union Club for once again generously allowing our Year 10 cohort to train on their fields this term. The additional field space has significantly enhanced the training experience for our students. We are grateful for our strong connection with GPS and the opportunity to be part of the wider rugby community.

We look forward to an exciting season ahead!

Marist Rugby Union | Round 2 vs St Peter’s College

Thank you to everyone for their support last weekend. Round 2 of the AIC Rugby season brought with it cloudy skies, gusty winds, and persistent rain but none of that could dampen the quality of rugby on display across all the year levels.

To ensure all 36 of our Marist teams had a meaningful game this weekend, in addition to our scheduled fixtures against St Peter’s College, we partnered with seven other schools to create a full round of rugby, ensuring every student had the opportunity to take the field. A huge thank you must go to Mr Matt Millward in our Sports Department and supporting schools for making this possible.

Despite the challenging weather, it was an impressive day of rugby. Across the College, our players continue to showcase excellent skill through our Marist catch pass and running rugby, and a determination to compete for everything.

The Opens cohort has now gone through the first two rounds undefeated — an outstanding achievement and a credit to the effort of our Year 11 and 12 students.

In muddy conditions at Indooroopilly, aside from a 14 minute, four try burst of excellent rugby, the 1st XV match didn’t quite live up to the heights of the previous week. Fortunately, the foundation of compete and effort on effort helped the side claim a strong 33-7 victory against an improving SPLC side. The 2nd XV were too strong for the ATC 1st XV playing some fantastic physical attacking running out winners 70-0, whilst the 3rd XV were similarly too big and too skilled for the SPLC 2nd XV.

It was wonderful to see all three teams packing contested scrums. Contested scrums are an integral part of rugby and we owe thanks to the work our “Scrum Club” coaches and students have put in across the past three years. Thank you to all coaches and players across the three schools for working together to ensure this was delivered in a safe, sensible and competitive manner.

Our Year 10 teams also continued their strong form with another commanding set of performances. One of the highlights of the day came from a unique fixture — our 10C team taking on our 9A team. It was a fast-paced, competitive game that displayed impressive Marist catch-pass skills and demonstrated the depth of talent across the program. More importantly, it fostered a strong sense of connection between year levels, reflecting the culture we aim to build at Marist through rugby.

Congratulations to the Year 8 and Year 9 cohorts who also finished undefeated. Both year levels are developing some fantastic skills under pressure and learning to compete for 50 minutes. Whilst there are a number of areas each group are continuing to work hard on, it is nice to see a lot of their training transfer to performance.

After a tough Round 1 vs Iona, the Year 7 teams bounced back with improved cohesion and a determination to play well at home. Well done to both the coaches and the students for delivering some excellent performances in Round 2.

While the scoreboard reflects plenty of positives results for Marist, what was again noticeable was our approach. We were competitive and physical, however we also played in the right spirit.

A huge thank you to all of our coordinators, coaches, students, and referees, and congratulations on another great weekend of rugby union.

Marist Rugby Referees | Debutants

Following our Referee Ready Program in Term 1, three students made their refereeing debut on the weekend.

Congratulations to Ezzie Day (Year 7 – Mt St Michael’s), Connor O’Rourke (Year 9) and Henry Walker (Year 9) for joining our outstanding refereeing community. All three did a wonderful job and received plenty of positive feedback for their manner, approach and performance.

In the coming weeks we hope to provide further opportunities to our new referee recruits. Please continue to make them feel welcomed and supported.

Marist vs St Pat’s | AIC Round 3

Round 3 of the AIC Rugby Union season is a home game for Marist against St Pat’s College, Shornecliffe.

At the time of writing this article, 33/36 teams are playing at their games at Marist. Given the weather forecast, we ask all families to carefully check Parent Orbit and College emails for the most up-to-date information regarding this weekend’s schedule as the week unfolds.

Team lists for Round 3 will be released on Friday morning.

Best of luck to all teams for another great weekend of rugby.

Marist Rugby Union | Student Expectations

DRESS CODE

Training

Appropriate Marist College clothing and footwear
Mouthguard and headgear (student’s choice)

Travel

Students travelling to games on the school bus or private transport are to wear their Marist College Ashgrove rugby uniform
Thongs / Birkenstock are not to be worn to games or whilst at the venue

Game

Wear the correct Marist College rugby uniform
Boots, mouthguard and headgear (student’s choice)
The Marist rugby uniform when you take the field is : JERSEY TUCKED IN and SOCKS PULLED UP!

ATTENDANCE

Training starts at 6.45am for morning sessions and 3.30pm for afternoon sessions.
On time, in the right gear, ready to train!
Be punctual! Arrive at least 45 minutes prior to games unless your coach says otherwise.
Please DO NOT organise appointments during training times.
It is YOUR responsibility to notify your coach / Year level coordinator in advance if unable to attend a training session.

ATTITUDE and STANDARDS

The game is to be enjoyed – go out and have fun with your teammates.
Be a good teammate – encourage and support your team.
Never argue with the referee's decision. Let your captain or coach ask any necessary questions.
Shake hands with your opponents at the completion of the match. This is to occur before any war cry or team celebrations.
After your war cry, form a tunnel and cheer the next Marist team onto the playing field (DO NOT touch players running through the tunnel).
ALL players are strongly encouraged to sit on ‘the bench’ for following game in their age group.
All players are strongly encouraged to stay behind and support the 1st XV.

Marist Rugby Union | Year Level Coordinators

Please contact your year level coordinator for all non-selection matters such as lateness, unavailability and timings.

Opens Mr Peter Gaiter - gaiterp@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 10 Mr Michael Abbott - abbottm@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 9 Mrs Liz Walsh - walshe@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 8 Mrs Sharon Davidson - davidsons@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 7 Mr Damien Nelson - nelsond@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 6 Mrs Sam Marsh - lolis@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 5 Ms Ella Graham - grahame@marash.qld.edu.au

Marist Rugby Union | Social Media

@marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2024 the College delivered 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 was 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.

Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Marist Track and Field | Sign On

Please go to Parent Orbit and see information regarding sign on. All students who wish to be involved in the Track and Field program are asked to sign up via the student café. Once your son/s have signed up all parents or caregivers MUST approve the signup via Parent Lounge and edit or update any medical details.

This assists the College in organising the appropriate number of coaching staff and to deliver the necessary resources.

NOTE – If your son isn’t registered, you will NOT receive any information via the Parent Orbit regarding the Track and Field program, including schedules and relevant information.

Sunday Sessions | Track and Field Training

This year, Marist College will be aiming to win its 11th successive Secondary AIC Track and Field Championship and its 5th successive Primary AIC Track and Field Championship. Achieving this success requires planning, commitment, and effort across the entire year.

At this early stage, the training focus is on Sprints, Hurdles, Throws, and Jump Plyometrics.

For all students wishing to train, Mr Rob Martin will continue running his Sunday training sessions. Please see the details below:

INCLUDED: Running – sprints and jumps / Throws – early pre-season fitness and cross training, along with throwing.

WHEN: Sunday afternoons

WHERE: Hayden Oval

TIME: 3:15pm-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.