From the Head of Sport

Head of Sport Report

Last weekend saw the end of the winter sport season and congratulations go to all teams who made the finals. It was good to get around the grounds and feel the great atmosphere and hear the support from our BMGS students and parents. 

Coming up are our summer season trials. This year we will be offering ISA Basketball and Touch Football and local tennis training and games. The summer survey was sent to all students on Monday and must be completed by this Friday so that trials can commence. 

Congratulations 

Netball 

Olivia Harris and Jessica Harris were both selected in the ISA Netball team late last term. On Monday 19th August Olivia and Jessica competed at the NSWCIS Netball Championships. Congratulations to both girls on making this level. Further congratulations to Olivia who was selected in the NSWCIS Netball team to compete at the NSW All Schools Championships on the 17th September. Well done! 

Cross Country

Last week Keeden Harrison competed at the National Championships for Cross Country held in Victoria. He placed 4th overall in the U/15 & U/14 combined age group, placing 3rd in Australia with the winner being from New Zealand.

The NSW team in his age group medalled with a silver for the second highest combined results. Keeden’s state relay team then came 2nd getting a silver medal. 

Great results once again for Keeden who continues to excel in this sport. Congratulations!

Basketball

On the 17th and 18th August, Eric Downes’ representative team (the Lithgow Lazers) competed in the Basketball NSW State Cup. The State Cup is held every year between the winners of 4 regional NSW competitions and the top 4 teams from the Sydney Metropolitan competition. The Lithgow Lazers were attending as earlier this year they won the Western Junior League, and did very well, coming first in their pool and qualifying for the grand final. Unfortunately, they lost a very hard fought game against the Sutherland Sharks, during which Eric scored 28 points.

This was the end of a long and successful season for Eric with Lithgow Lazers, and he is very much looking forward to playing again for the BMGS team next term.

Rugby Presentation

Rugby presentation was held as a combined event last Saturday with SACS and Redlands. A number of BMGS players were recognised for their contributions throughout the season.

13’s - Thomas Murdoch – Coaches Award

14’s - Hunter Costigan – Players Player

16’s - Joshua Beitsch – Spirit of Rugby Award

Firsts - Hamish McLeod – Players Player

The Contribution to Rugby Award went to Hamish McLeod in his role as Captain of the SACS/Redlands/BMGS First XV. Well done Hamish and thank you for your many contributions over the past season.

A Dream Team was named at the end of the presentation drawing players from all age groups. Congratulations to the following players who were named in this team:

Thomas Murdoch, Connor Snedden, Arthur Pero-Gorrick, Luke Johnson-Leibbrand.

Congratulations to all players and thank you for the effort that you put into blending with your team mates from SACS and Redlands to make a successful season.

Winter Sport Presentations

Netball

Netball presentation will be held on the 18th September in Cuff Hall. Food from 5:00 pm and presentation from 6:00 pm. Please RSVP via the link sent out by Mrs Wade.

Hockey

Hockey presentation will be held on the 18th September in Cuff Hall. Food from 5:00 pm and presentation from 6:00 pm. Please RSVP via the link sent out by Mrs Wade.

Football

Football presentation will be held on the 16th September in Cuff Hall. Food from 5:00 pm and presentation from 6:00 pm. Mrs Naumann will be sending out a request for numbers shortly. Please note this is the day before the ISA Athletics carnival so does not impact on Year 11 exams. All players are expected to attend.

Summer Sport Trials

Touch Football 

Boys and Girls all ages, Thursday 5th September 3:15 – 4:30

Basketball

13/14 Boys and Year 7/8 Girls – Tuesday 10th September 3:15 – 4:15

All boys turning 16 and above - Tuesday 10th September 4:30 – 6:00

15 Boys and 9/10/11 Girls – Wednesday 11th September 3:15 – 4:15

All players who wish to be placed in a team are required to trial. Please ensure that you bring the required gear to trial.

ISA Athletics Carnival

The ISA Athletics Carnival will be held at SOPAC on the 17th September. The team is on the noticeboard and students have been emailed details. Please RSVP as soon as possible so that entries can be forwarded to ISA.

This is a lay day for the Year 11 exams so all Year 11 students selected are expected to attend. 

If you are an experienced hurdler or triple jumper, please come and see me at my office if you wish to be considered to compete in these events.

Also a reminder to all athletes that if you do not have a yellow BMGS singlet you will be required to hire one from the Uniform shop.

Megan Harris

Head of Sport

Match Reports

BMGS Netball - Saturday 25th August

Inter A's Grand Final Vs St Andrews

There was never a doubt!  

This team moved straight into the Grand final after being minor premiers for this season! This is what commitment to showing up for practise, showing up for each other and hard work looks like.  

The team of talented girls have worked all season to grow and hone their skills, focus on positional plays and become a true team on the court.  

Today saw us playing in the Grand final at Netball Centrals Show Court as the highest level game playing at the time.  We had an outstanding turnout of supporters with loud voices and pom poms to ensure they rallied the girls for this important game. Even some giant face posters took to the stands!  

We were a little nervous before the game - warming up and deliberately dropping balls and throwing wild passes to give the other team a false sense of security (kind of).  We had two out due to injury and being away - however we of course have them as cheerleaders in person and from afar.  

As soon as it was time for the game to start, the girls all locked in and their game faces were on. We scored the first 9 points without the other team scoring at all! Wow! Absolutely flawless!  

This continued through the first half with the girls dominating. We had the ability to move players around to ensure we had constant fresh legs in C, and the girls made sure they were really disciplined to ensure minimal unforced errors. So many turnovers and accurate shooting conversions allowed us to finish the first half 21 ahead!  

In the third quarter we hit a milestone of 25 goals ahead of our competition. In order to show the great sportsmanship we have, we implemented the mercy rule and stopped showing the score in the digital scoreboard, as well as played the remainder of the game with one less player on the court.  

We continued our lead. In the final quarter, we were so confident of the win and of the girls versatility, the girls mixed up their playing positions: some played positions they loved, some for a bit of fun. We finished the game smiling, laughing and trying our best. Exactly what sport is all about!  

When the final whistle blew, we became the winners with a score of 47-10! St Andrew’s were wonderful competitors all year and we thanked them for their good game.  

This team consists of 10 wonderful athletes (in no particular order): Graciella, Ruby, Giselle, Rose, Liz, Bella, Maya, Kiah, Zarah and Poppy!  

Huge congratulations  girls on the outstanding win!  Thanks to all parents and friends who helped us on bench this year, as well as all their encouragement and support! 

Firsts Division 1 Semi Final vs Oakhill -  Saturday 17th August 

Today we faced Oakhill in the semi-final match at Netball Central in Olympic Park. We played on Show Court as it was the highest level game of the day at that time. We managed to be in 4th position so we were playing off against 1st place.  

All the girls were really determined to do their best knowing it was going to be a hard match - we had huge belief in ourselves that we could take them!  

In the week leading up to the semi, the team put in extra practise to finesse some skills specifically needed against the individuals in Oakhill. Unfortunately we lost Zara due to a freak injury 2 days before - who then became our loudest cheerleader!  

Even though there were some nerves, the girls took the court looking confident and calm - the traits of the high performance team that they are.  

The first half saw us extremely competitive showing why this team won last year and were elevated into Division 1. Through incredible passing precision, timing of movement, defensive prowess and shooting accuracy, we kept pace almost goal for goal with a very nervous Oakhill showing signs of panic at the end of the half.  

We are so lucky to have a team of 10 who all have amazing talent, which allowed us to utilise rolling substitutions to match up players against specific positions on the court.  

The second half saw some changes in our competitions line up and saw them dig deep. After a couple of successive turnovers, Oakhill managed to run away with the lead - which they held until the final whistle.  

Our game was great - with all the fantastic supporters feeling an incredible sense of pride in these amazing women!  

In the end - we came 4th in Division 1. Out of approximately 100 netball teams in the ISA competition, to come away being the 4th best team is an outstanding achievement!

We will miss our beautiful Year 12s as this was their last school sport game. 

Thank-you for your commitment and leadership and talent: Olivia, Tarana, Kate and our Captain Alanna.  

Our Year 10 and 11s include Zara, Freya, Libby, Jess, Rose and Ruby - all wonderful humans who are also very talented and committed players!  

We have loved watching you all forge wonderful friendships and bonds, and really support one another. The team “handshake” will provide lasting smiles and memories.  

Thanks to all the umpires and parents/friends who were bench officials for us throughout the season, and to the BMGS staff who have always supported us.  

Thanks for the season girls - congratulations! What a team!

BMGS Umpiring

Special shout out to all those who have umpired throughout the netball season this year. Without umpires we simply wouldn’t be able to play this wonderful sport. You allow us to play fairly, and show great leadership.Thank you to Miss Coote, Mrs Wade, Rose, Freya, Poppy, Graciella and our Grammar friend Anna. Special mention and congratulations to Mrs Wade, Rose and Freya for being selected to officiate in the ISA finals series.Thanks again!

Football

A note from the MIC

I just wanted to offer my congratulations to both the 14 Boys and First XI Girls for their tremendous display of quality football during their Grand Final games. Both teams need to be commended, not only for the way they played football, but also the way they handled themselves in the face of defeat. They made me, Mrs Harris and all the parents very proud at the way they conducted themselves both on and off the field. Well done to all involved!

Looking forward to seeing everyone for our presentation evening on Monday 16th September. Dinner will be served from 5pm, and the presentation will start at 6pm. Please make sure you RSVP (check MyBMGS for more details).

From Mrs Sandie Naumann

(MIC Boys and Girls Football)

Round 10 - BMGS 15 Boys were defeated by Oakhill College (0 – 4)

In our last game of the season, we were up against tough opposition in Oakhill who comprehensively beat us at their home ground earlier in the year (noting we only had 10 players for 1 half and then 11 for the 2nd half with no subs all game). At our home ground in front of our friends and family we were up for the challenge. From the kick-off the boys played fantastic football and this took Oakhill by surprise at how well BMGS played together and battled to win loose balls and push to get opportunities in the opposition half. The first 10-15 minutes was a closely fought affair and we only fell behind when a loose ball felt to Oakhill who were able to slot it away for a 1 nil lead. This did not deter the boys as they continued to play the brand of football we have been working on all year. As the 1st half was coming to a close Oakhill took advantage of only their 2nd shot on goal and we went into half time 2 nil down.

At half time I told the boys that no matter the result, I am extremely proud of the way they were playing and the spirit in which they play (even the ref pulled me aside to let me know he was proud of the spirit in which our team play which is a testament to the boys, the school and their families). The 2nd half was the best half of football I have seen the boys play all year. Although Oakhill were able to score another 2 goals to come away with a 4 nil win, this did not detract from the football that was played by BMGS. There were some passages in play where we were creating triangles to open-up space and pass between each other to get the ball down field. It was so good to watch from the sidelines and this bodes well for the boys as they move up into seniors next year.

I don’t feel its worthy of calling out any individuals in this update as I was so proud of every single player and how they played with 110% effort to the final whistle. You should all be very proud of the effort and the spirit the boys played each game in what was a tough season due to promotion following last year’s season. Thank you to all the boys, I thoroughly enjoyed coaching you all this year. Thank you to the families and friend for your support this year and I am looking forward to watching them play in seniors next year.

Semi-Finals Weekend – 17th August 2024

BMGS 13 Boys were defeated by St Patrick’s Strathfield (0 - 9)

Our season ended with a semi-final game vs St Patricks College. We knew it was going to be a tough game as they are clearly the strongest team in the division. Having lost both previous encounters we did our best to fortify our defence and also apply some pressure in attack. Unfortunately, we were out-skilled in both areas and suffered another humbling loss. The boys played bravely though, and held their heads up at the end of the game knowing they had done their best. 13 boys have had a great first season at BMGS. We recognised the lessons learned in defeat knowing we had done well to have made it to the semi-finals. 

Audius Mtawarira Sr (Coach – 13 Boys Football)

BMGS Second XI Boys were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School (0 - 4)

We went to Central Coast and lost our semi against a superior opponent. Despite the result, the lads had a really great day out. We were short players and asked Toby to fill in for us as a fullback. Toby is the 15's keeper, so it was a bit of a change for him. He played very well. Actually, everyone played well. We were just beaten by a stronger team. I am extremely proud of each and every player for the magnificent season they have had. Making the semi-final is great, but improving in skill and application throughout the season is even better. Best thing of all is the boys enjoyed themselves and strengthened lifelong friendships further. Congratulations on a great season legends. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you in white shirts next season.

Tom Daniels (Coach – First and Second XI Boys Football Teams)

BMGS First XI Boys were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School (1 - 10)

The BMGS Firsts XI had made the semi-final after finishing in fourth place. Playing against 1st place Central Coast Grammar School, the boys knew it would be a tough game, but they didn't let that lower their spirits as they stepped onto the pitch. BMGS suffered an early blow from their tall strikers as a crosses were headed in with precision, giving them the lead. The team stayed resilient, but suffered another blow when our captain Connor was tackled quite badly, and had to be taken to hospital. Our now weakened team kept fighting, but ultimately weren't a match for CCGS's strikers, who's goals left us down 6-0 at half time. After a talk from our coach Tom, we were back on the pitch, and managed to take one back as Flynn scored from a long goal kick. This newfound drive wasn't enough to keep us in the game though, and we ended up conceding four more goals as the boys decided to switch around the formation and enjoy their last few minutes of the season, which for the Year 12's would be their last in ISA football. While we as a team faced many challenges throughout the season, I'm incredibly proud of all of the boys achieved this year and thank the Year 12s for their dedication to the team even during their exam period.

Callum Knussen (Co-Captain Boys Football)

Grand Final Weekend – 24th August 2024

BMGS 14 Boys were defeated by Oakhill College (0 – 1)

This week was our Grand Final match against Oakhill, and our final game of the season. We were playing down at Valentine Sports Park in hot and windy conditions at midday, not ideal, but c'est la vie. The game kicked off. Right from the start we pushed at Oakhills defence, not letting them out of their half in the opening 5 minutes. After our opening attack our pressure dropped off slightly and Oakhill were able to grow into the game. From that point on it was wave upon wave of Oakhill offence. 

We were defending well but just couldn’t retain the ball. One of the Oakhill attackers nudged our player off the ball. Our defence was unprepared for play to continue, expecting a foul and they played the ball to their winger, who took an excellent touch round Lorence and slotted the ball into the net. 1-0 down but still with plenty of the game to play. We ended the half well, having more of the ball and creating some good situations in attack.  After half time the boys seemed much more energised. There was a determination to get back into the game. 

We dominated the second half. Oakhill struggled to get out and we created so many good chances with Paddy, Oli, Javier and Tom up front. Angus and Eligh were brick walls at the back, putting their bodies on the line to defend the goal. Emil had stepped into defence and was doing a brilliant job along with Emmerson at fullbacks.  Jenson and Max were holding down the midfield so well.  On the day it just didn’t go our way. The final whistle blew, we lost 1-0. Any other day and we would’ve come away with a result. 

We can choose to blame many things for not winning, we can sit and rue missed opportunities and stew over what we could’ve done differently. But the result is the result and it can’t be changed. Instead I encourage the boys to reflect on the amazing season they have been a part of and played. They worked so hard and so consistently in every game this year. They should hold their heads up high for the journey they’ve been on. I am so proud of the effort they made in the final and throughout the whole season. 

Will Groenewegen U14s Coach

BMGS First XI Girls were defeated by Oxley College (penalties 1 – 3)

The whole team was very excited for the grand final, with it being majority of the team's first experience playing in one. It was a great experience, playing on the top quality field, and getting to run out onto the field out of the tunnel like the pros. We were playing Oxley, who we had beaten 3-1 in our first game, but lost 3-1 the next time we played them. They were a great team, and we were going to need to play the best game of our season to beat them. The game started well, with our team maintaining a strong presence in their half.  We had changed our formation slightly from previous games, and it seemed to help our attack, with Ash and Sophie making good runs up the wing, and Ellie pressing hard in the centre. Our backline were able to keep out the strong Oxley runs, with Emily and Tara holding the backline together. We went into half time 0-0, happy with the game so far.

We started the second game with slightly fresher legs. We were now going into the wind, which made high balls difficult to control. Marley and Eddie were having great games at left and right back, chasing down the Oxley attacks and winning us back the ball. We were unlucky to concede first, with a wild shot getting picked up in the wind and going over the keepers head. There was a renewed intensity as we knew that we had to equalise. Leila and Aleesha were doing a great job in centre mid, doing so much running to stop Oxley getting through, and then getting the ball back up the field towards our goal. Sophia and Lilah were also playing well, with Lilah providing opportunities in the box, and Sophia holding her space well on the wing, and setting up some nice passes. Everyone was pretty tired at this point, with the game being pretty physical, and the heat wasn't helping. We were nearing the end of the game, but the team wasn't giving up. An amazing corner from Ash that curled nicely towards the goal found Amelie's head, and we equalised!!! The goal lifted everyone's spirits as we were now drawing 1-1. There wasn't much time remaining, and when the full-time whistle blew, it was still 1-1. After a quick pep talk, we took to the field again for extra time. Both teams were very tired, and at the end of extra time, the scores where still 1-1. Penalty shootouts unfortunately did not go our way, with the score being 3-1. Shoutout to our amazing keeper Babette for doing everything that she could in the situation. 

We would just like to thank Sam, our coach for the season, and Mrs Naumann for all that she does behind the scenes as MIC. Thanks also to Mrs Harris for all the organising that she does. Thanks to our amazing team, who gave everything in the final. To the year 12s, Emily,  Lily and Sophia, we hope you enjoyed your last game for the school, thank you for everything that you have given over the last 6 years, the team will miss you guys! Thanks also to Lily, who even though she couldn't play in the final due to a broken arm, came and supported the team, providing amazing support on the sidelines. Thanks to everyone who came and watched as well, it was amazing to receive the support that we did. Although it wasn't the result that we wanted, it was still one of the best games that we played all season, and Aleesha and I are greatful for our amazing team, and look forward to watching what you guys achieve in the years to come!

Amelie Hugo and Aleesha Naumann (Co-Captains Girls Football)