Clontarf Academy

It has been another busy fortnight for the Clontarf boys as we get past the halfway mark of a short term. Last week we commenced our King of the Table table tennis tournament being held at lunchtime on Thursdays. 

Last year's winner Brandon Triangolo was in good form in round one, keen to defend his title. Along with Greg Bush, Year 7 student Will James was in scintillating form early in his round one win. We have a few teacher wildcard entries where the bragging rights are on the line. These activities are a great way for our boys to build relationships with school staff in the comfortable setting of the Clontarf room. Strong relationships between teachers and students get the best results and we are keen to foster this whenever possible.

Last week we also took a group of Years 7-9 boys on camp to Dunkeld with boys from the Warrnambool, Mildura and Swan Hill Academies. The main activity on the camp was the Victorian Junior Clontarf Basketball Carnival held at Ararat. 

The St Pat's Academy entered two teams with both teams finishing on top of their table. St Pat's 1, captained by Greg Bush faced a strong Mildura outfit in the preliminary final and came out on top. Brandon Triangolo was a beast on the boards and skipper Greg Bush kept the score board ticking over with a dominant display of shooting. The pool B semi was a physical contest with St Pat's 2 proving too classy for a determined Swan Hill outfit. 

When the game was on the line the cream rose to the top with captain Marc Tedcastle controlling the floor and young gun River Sisic providing the scoring power. With the grand final being between the two St Pat's sides, the boys stepped it up providing a great show for those watching. It was a close encounter with some great battles between the boys. In the end, St Pat's 2 came out on top proving too classy with ball in hand. 

Marc Tedcastle was named St Patrick’s Academy MVP, showing immense leadership, his ability to bring the other boys into the game proved the difference. Tom Dubos received the Clontarf Spirit Award for his attitude on and off the court. Tom goes out of his way to make everyone feel involved in our activities and the way he got around not just the St Pat's boys, but the boys from other academies was outstanding.

Back at the Dunkeld camp, it was great seeing how the boys from all of the academies mixed. There was lots of table tennis, footy and yarning around the fire. These experiences are a big part of our program, and these camps provide a great chance for the boys to build lasting friendships with the other academies.