Sport News

Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank the entire Marist College Ashgrove community for the incredibly warm welcome I have received during my first week at the College. I am extremely grateful for the support, kindness, and encouragement shown by staff, students and parents as I settle into my new role. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Mr Richard Graham, Mr Matthew Millward, Mr Blair Whitlock, and Mr Camryn Mabey, who have gone above and beyond in helping me get up to date with the College’s sporting program. Their willingness to support me while continuing to organise their own sports commitments and take on additional responsibilities in my absence has been greatly appreciated. I am very thankful to be joining such a supportive and dedicated community and look forward to contributing to the rich culture and traditions of the College.

Last weekend saw Marist travel to St Patricks College for our sporting fixtures. On Friday night our 1st IV chess team went down. However, we had comprehensive wins from the Intermediate A-Bs and Junior A-C’s. On Saturday the 1st XI football team grinded out a strong win 2-1. The 1st XV was strong in defeating Pats 38-14 and remain on top of the table with St Laurence’s.

This weekend is Old Boys Sport Day where we host St Laurence's College in a huge weekend for us, celebrating the pride, tradition and strong community spirit that makes sport at the College so special.

We are in full swing with our cross country season. With our interhouse championship being a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, our first AIC lead up meet was cancelled last week and with the current rain predicated, this week’s meet now in doubt. However, the cross country team has been training diligently in all the testing conditions which will put them in good stead for the championship. Thank you to all the coaches involved for your flexibility and keeping the boys motivated.

AIC Expectations

This week, we will be trialling the use of red-marked boundary lines on the outer areas of the Des Connor fields. These lines are intended to clearly identify designated player and coach areas, while also indicating where parents and spectators are required to remain when viewing matches.

As we are about halfway through the AIC competition, a timely reminder for players, parents and spectators on the Code of Behaviour.

Code of Behaviour - Players

Fundamental to the AIC, is our belief in inclusion and fellowship. This means that as a player you are welcoming to everyone and treat them with the greatest levels of respect, protecting the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of their gender, ability/disability, sexual orientation, cultural background, or religion.

As a player who will be representing their college and playing under the auspices of AIC, you play an important role in upholding the values of the AIC and the College. Players need to demonstrate the following behaviours regarding their conduct:

Exhibit a high standard of conduct and sportsmanship on and off the field including appropriate language, social media posts, and interaction with officials and opposition players.
Respect your opponents by displaying humility in victory and graciousness in defeat.
Play in the correct age group and commit to and respect the team that you are selected in.
Play hard and competitively, but always fairly and accept the official's decisions.
Cooperate with your coach, teammates, opponents, officials, and spectators.
Do not sledge, abuse, or threaten opponents or officials.
Be punctual to games and have the correct equipment and College attire.
Acknowledge the opposition before and after the game with a handshake and thanks.
Adhere to host school requirements when playing at their venues.
Take pride in representing your College and the AIC.
Do not act in a way that may adversely affect or reflect on, or bring you, your team, College or the AIC, into disrepute or discredit.
Do not use drugs, including pain killers, to improve or maintain performance.

Code of Behaviour - Parents and Spectators

Fundamental to the AIC, is our belief in inclusion and fellowship. This means that as a parent, or a spectator you are welcoming to everyone and treat them with the greatest levels of respect, protecting the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of their gender, ability/disability, sexual orientation, cultural background, or religion.

As a parent/guardian of a student who will be representing their college and playing under the auspices of AIC, you play an important role in upholding the values of the AIC and the College that your son attends.

Parents and spectators need to demonstrate the following behaviours regarding their conduct during any AIC sporting activity:

Be welcoming of other competitors and spectators and always model respectful interactions.

Respect referees and officials' decisions and teach your son to do likewise.
Remember that your son participates in sport for their own enjoyment.
Remember that this is a schoolboy game, and all coaches and match officials are volunteers.
Show appreciation for the coaches and teachers - including the opposing team. Without them, your son could not participate.
Encourage your son to participate, do not force them. Focus on your son's efforts rather than his performance or the result of the game.
Remember that all correspondence around sport should be respectful and appropriate, and directly through your son's College.
Never ridicule or yell at your son and other boys for making a mistake.
Be a positive role model. Remember that boys learn best by example. Appreciate good performance and skilful play by all participants.
AIC events are not an appropriate space/venue for matters involving family disputes. This includes ensuring all parties follow appropriate court orders around visitation and attendance at activities.

The AIC supports all efforts to remove poor behaviour from sporting events. In the event that a parent feels the need to notify the AIC of inappropriate behaviour, they should firstly notify the venue official/College representative at the venue. Following this, any complaint should be then directed to their son's College's Head of Sport or the appropriate member of the College Leadership Team.

Student Achievements

Luca Bordingon - Over the holidays he competed in the Oceanic Road Championships at Mt Crosby and held his own, coming 10th. Luca will also be competing at the 2026 Canberra Junior Road Championships (May) and then at the State Road Championships (July) in Mackay. Congratulations to Luca and wish you all the best at these upcoming tournaments.

The following students competed at the 2026 Mountain Biking Racing Brisbane Schools Competition last week which was held at Mt Cotton.

Zach Lympaney – Yr 9/10
Tom Novak – Yr 9/10
Eli Phillips – Yr 9/10
Tom Price – Yr 9/10
Luca Pozzebon – Yr 7/8
Hugh Sweeney – Yr 7/8
Fraser Sweeney – Yr 7/8

Congratulations to all the boys who competed and special shout out to Eli who finished 29th and Luca in 2nd.

Dusty Miller - Recently competed at the 2026 Queensland State Gymnastic Championship, where he came first place on parallel bars, floor, high bar, and pommel, as well as 2nd All-Around, 4th on rings, and 5th on vault. Dusty has been chosen for the Queensland State Team for the fourth year in a row and he will compete at the Australian Championships in the first week of July in Sydney. These outstanding results highlight Dusty’s consistency, versatility, and continued improvement across all apparatus and we wish him every success at the upcoming National Championships.

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 13 June!

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

Marist College vs Padua 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 | Round 3 vs St Pat’s College

Thank you to everyone for their support last weekend. After a week of wet weather, Round 3 of the AIC Rugby season brought with it sunshine and dryer fields.

The 1st XV continued their undefeated run in a physical and at times, scrappy match, that also featured some extraordinary high-quality skills, effort on effort, and exceptional tries. In other aggregate games, the 2nd XV, 3rd XV and 4th XV also maintained their unbeaten records with strong displays of physical attacking rugby and excellent teamwork. Congratulations to all of our Opens teams powering through the day undefeated. It is important to highlight that the 5ths defeated SLC 5ths, the 6ths defeated Iona’s 5ths, the 7ths defeated SLC 6ths, the 8ths defeated Padua 5ths and the 9ths defeated Iona 6ths. The attendance of the Year 11 and 12 students from the 1st XV through to the 9th XV, and the manner in which they are playing their rugby, is a testament to the effort being put in across training and game day.

Our Year 10 teams also continued their strong form with another commanding set of performances. Our 10A side defeated SPC 15-5 in a game that was competitive throughout, whilst our 10B’s proved too strong for the SPC 10B team winning 64-0. In other fixtures, the 10C’s were too strong for Villanova winning 43-17 and 10D’s demonstrated the depth of talent across the Year level winning 29-10 against SLC. The Year 10 teams continue to work hard and challenge for places, and they 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.

Congratulations to the Year 9 cohort who again delivered strong performances across the day. The 9A’s were to0 strong for SPC winning 36-0, the 9B’s defeated SPC 9B’s 52-12, and the 9C’s completed a clean sweep against the SPC Year 9 teams winning 48-10. The mighty 9D’s were too strong for Iona 9C’s winning 42-12, whilst and the 9E’s just went down in a competitive fixture against the SLC 9C’s 26-32.

The Year 8 age group again ran into some strong opposition. The 8A’s went down to a well prepared SPC 8A team 47-17, however the 8B’s played well in a good contest to run out winners 26-7. The 8C had a hard fought 24-all-draw away at Lindum to the Iona 8C’s and 8D team was well beaten by the Iona 8D side. With a few injuries and illness still across the Year level, we hope to see some of the reinforcements returning to bolster to year level over the remaining four rounds. Again, my simple message is to stay connected and work hard for each other each week.

Following an improved performance last week, the 7A team didn’t quite have the same physicality and mindset this week, however they fought hard to remain in the contest before going down 24-17. The 7B team were proved too strong and held their nerve in a very close encounter winning 24-22, whilst the mighty 7C’s win over SPC 44-12 was a nice way to round out the year level.

The primary school continue to play some excellent running rugby and display the Marist catch pass and connection early on in their season. Congratulations to the eight teams that played on the weekend and to the seven teams who managed to finish in front.

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

Marist vs St Laurence’s College | AIC Round 4

Round 4 of the AIC Rugby Union season is home to St Laurence’s College.

The day also marks our annual Old Boys Sports Day, where we welcome back the 1st XV teams of 1956, 1966, 1976, and 1986 from both Marist College Ashgrove and Marist College Rosalie. It is particularly special to have members of the 1956 1st XV join us. Their presence is a great reminder of the long-standing tradition and community that surrounds our rugby program.

At the time of writing this article, 30/34 teams are playing their games here at the College. This creates a fantastic atmosphere and continues to build on the strong connection throughout the program.

Whilst we anticipate the extreme wet weather will create some problems for training this week, the back end of the week looks bright and sunny!

Team lists for Round 4 will be released on Friday morning.

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

Marist Rugby Union Year Level Coordinators – please contact your year level coordinator for all non-selection matters such as lateness, unavailability and timings.

Year Level Coordinator

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 - Mr John Lambourne - lambournej@marash.qld.edu.au

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

Marist Rugby Union | 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 – Social Media

@marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2025 the College consistently 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.

Football

Mr Blair Whitlock - Football Coordinator

It’s been a busy few weeks on the Football front as we are already at the halfway point of the 2026 AIC season. It’s been great to see such strong training attendance, commitment and effort from Year 5 right through to the Opens. Keep up the good work boys!

Round 3 vs St Patricks College

Round 3 saw the majority of our teams head out to Shorncliffe for matches against St Patricks College. After a week of rain, we were fortunate to be able to play 38 out of 38 matches as 560 Football players took the field representing the Blue and Gold. It was a positive on the whole with many teams continuing to improve week on week and the overall program coming away with 25 wins from the 38 games played.

Week 5 Training Schedule

Wet Weather and Cancellations

Any training cancellations due to wet weather will be communicated through the Parent Orbit App by 6:00AM for morning trainings and 2:30PM for afternoon trainings. We have such a short Football season and training will only be cancelled if absolutely necessary.

Year Level Coordinators

Year 5 – Mr Blair Whitlock (whitlockb@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 6 - Ms Sharon Davidson (davidsons@marash.qld.edu.au)

Year 7 – Mr Damian Volker (volkerd@marash.qld.edu.au)

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

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

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

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

Team Photos – Saturday 23 May

The some teams will have their photo taken before their Round 4 match on Saturday 23 March. The remaining teams will have their photo before their Round 7 match on Saturday 13 June. An official schedule will be posted on Orbit later in the week. Please check the schedule closely for your time.

Tennis

Mrs Jade Ritchie - Tennis Administrator

I hope you're all having a lovely Term 2 so far, I know this weather lately hasn't been the best for our tennis program so hopefully this rain stops soon. Below is some information regarding the term and AIC tennis.

Make-Up Lessons

Make-up sessions for missed lessons can be scheduled during Week 10.

These are available now to book on the Tennis Biz portal.

Open Trials

Week 2 to 6, Wednesday 3:30pm to 5:30pm, with coach Liam.

Jnr Trials

Week 6 - 8, Fridays 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Teams will be announced by of Head of Tennis.

AIC Tennis Term 3

Is now available for sign up via Parent Orbit.

Open Gym (Years 7–12)

For students in Year 7 and above at Marist, we encourage all tennis players to attend the Open Gym sessions to help improve their strength and conditioning.

Fridays 7:15am to 8:00am.

The turn out we've had for gym as been incredible and I'm really proud of all our players for signing up to get stronger and fitter for AIC. I know coach Earnshaw is really enjoying getting to know our tennis players and helping them achieve our AIC goals.

If you have any questions please contact me at mcatennis@marash.qld.edu.au

or on 07 3011 1272.

Rugby League

Mr Cam Mabey - Rugby League Coordinator

AIC Rugby League Sign Up

Sign-on for Rugby League 2026 is now available via the "Extra-Curricular Sign-On" tile within Parent Orbit / Student café.

Sign up will close at the end of week 7 this Term (5 June) - Trials will begin in week 9. All Players must be signed up to trial.

All Boys who have successfully signed up should have received a copy of the Rugby League Handbook and season outline via Email.

Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Track & Field | District Pathway Update and Pre-Season Preparation

In 2026, a change has been made to the representative pathway. Based on current information, Marist will now fall within a regional structure that requires athletes to nominate and compete at West Districts in order to progress to the Met North Regional Trials, and then onto the Queensland Secondary School Sport Track and Field Championships.

This introduces an additional qualification meet, similar to the district layer many experienced during primary school. The West Districts meet is scheduled for early August, with nominations expected to close around 23 July.

As a result, Marist team selections will occur much earlier in Term 3. In previous years, selections were finalised several weeks into the term, allowing for multiple trial opportunities. This year, there may only be limited opportunities to trial, potentially just a time trial and the College Athletics Carnival, before nominations are submitted.

What this means for athletes:

Preparation will need to begin earlier. Students are encouraged to bring their training forward to ensure they are ready to perform at selection events, giving themselves the best chance to progress through Districts, Regionals, and ultimately the State Championships.

It is important to note that the Queensland Athletics pathway (leading to National All Schools) remains unchanged, with direct nomination still available.

Sunday Training Sessions continue to run each week (any changes will be communicated via the newsletter). These sessions provide an excellent opportunity to build fitness, develop speed, and prepare for the season ahead. Staff will be available to support athletes with training advice and planning.

We strongly encourage all squad members, along with any students interested in improving their running, including those involved in Cross Country, to attend. With the beginning of the school track season approaching quickly, now is the ideal time to begin preparation.

Marist Track and Field | Sunday Sessions

For those students wanting to get a head start or start the season strongly, Mr Rob Martin will continue to run his usual Sunday sessions. The Sunday sessions are an excellent introduction. We have some exceptional coaches leading these sessions, and creating an environment of learning and enjoyment. Some benefits include:

1. Improvement in technique and speed.

2. Technical development for throws.

3. Improved repeat speed / conditioning.

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 | Sign On

Parents - please find the Extra-Curricular tile on Parent Orbit to find information regarding sign on. Students who wish to be involved in the Track and Field program, you are able to sign up via the student café. Once your son/s have signed up all parents or caregivers MUST approve the signup 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, and ensures all relevant information is forwarded to you via communication channels.

Marist Track and Field | Camp (SAVE THE DATE)

Following our success at the 2025 AIC Primary and Secondary Championship and win at the National Schools Challenge (Intermediate Division), the Track and Field program continues to provide excellent opportunities for students to be involved in a high-quality program.

The Track and Field Camp is a vital component of the team’s preparation for the AIC Championship. Over 2½ days, students will receive high-level coaching and mentoring from an exceptional team of specialists including National and Olympic-level coaches across various track and field disciplines.

Attendance at the camp is by invitation only and invitations will be sent to selected students in late August. Selection is based on a range of factors, including performance, attitude, attendance and team composition.

This camp provides an outstanding opportunity for students to refine their skills, build team camaraderie, and gain valuable insights from elite-level coaches as we prepare to defend both our AIC Secondary and AIC Primary Championship trophies.

Camp Information

Dates: Thursday 17 – Saturday 19 September 2026

Venues: Sleeman Sports Complex (Accommodation) / UQ Track and Field (Training and Performance)

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.

Basketball

Mr Matt Millward - Basketball Coordinator

Welcome to the new season of AIC Basketball at Marist Ashgrove College. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make the 2026 Basketball season enjoyable and beneficial for all participants. There is already a significant amount of interest in the season with a large number already registered!

Sign On

2026 Basketball Season Sign On is now available on Parent Orbit and Student Cafe.

All students interested in playing Basketball in 2026 are encouraged to Sign-On ASAP, so you do not miss any information surrounding the season ahead.

Thank you to those who have already done so.

Key Documents

The 2026 Handbook, selection policy and key dates calendar can be accessed via Parent Orbit, here you will be able to find key information regarding the upcoming season!

2026 Basketball Trials

A Squad Trials

Trials for A squads (years 7-11) commenced this week and will run for two weeks. The A Squad trial schedule is attached below. Boys who wish to be involved with this trail process must

Have played in an A or B team in the previous AIC season.
Be new to the school or the sport
If not either of these, contact Mr Millward to register your interest!

Remaining team trials will commence in week 8, term 2. Further information regarding all trials will be circulated in the coming weeks.

CBSQ Sophomore Trials

Selection of the CBSQ Sophomore (Y7/8) squad will be based on the Year 7 & 8 A Squad trials that are taking place in week 5 and 6, with a squad being selected to train for and play in the CBSQ Sophomore Wildcard tournament in Brisbane on 16 & 17 June.

Cohort Trials

Trials for remaining players will commence in week 8, and will run until the conclusion of the term, more info to come soon.

Primary Basketball

Trials for primary school basketball will commence in week 8, and will run until the conclusion of the term, more info to come soon.

AFL

Mr Cam Mabey - AFL Coordinator

Last week five Marist College Ashgrove AFL players represented the Met-North 13/14 Boys at the Australian Football State Championships in Annandale, Townsville.

Tom Cross (Year 9), Declan Mulqueen (Year 9), Will Jackson (Year 7), Lucas Crowley (Year 8), Harry Stevens (Year 8)

The team had 3 wins and 2 losses across the week, finishing in 5th out of 11th place in the championship. All Marist Boys picked up plenty of game time and had solid performances throughout the competition.