Term 2 Interschool Sport wrap up

TERM 3 INTERSCHOOL SPORT WRAP UP

Well done to all teams and students that went out on Interschool Sport to represent Koonung at the end of Term 2 and so far in Term 3! Below is a summary of the sports (with special mentions to students who represented our school values) as well as photos of their competitions.

Year 8 Badminton - Thursday 20 June

We’re thrilled to report that our Year 8 badminton was a fantastic day! The matches were filled with thrilling rallies and impressive smashes. The teamwork and encouragement among players were truly inspiring. It was fantastic to see everyone supporting each other and celebrating every point scored. Congratulations to All Participants! - Mr Tuffnell and Mrs Carnie

Year 8 Soccer - Thursday 20 June

In a thrilling display of skill and teamwork, Koonung Secondary College Boys A team emerged victorious in this year’s Year 8 Soccer Competition in the Whitehorse Region, showcasing an impressive blend of talent, strategy, and sportsmanship. Congratulations to all students who participated on the day (girls and boys’ teams) for their hard work and determination. We look forward to seeing more great things from you in the future! - Mr Hodkinson and Mr Anderson

Year 7 Badminton - Tuesday 25 June

Our wonderful Year 7s recently represented the college at the Inter-School Badminton Competition, which was a resounding success, with all students showcasing their impressive talents and sportsmanship. Tashi and Phyllis were particularly outstanding, demonstrating exceptional skill and finesse on the court. Special recognition goes to Jasper for his exemplary leadership and organisation of his team and the scorers throughout the event. Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication. Well done to everyone for their fantastic performances and contributions! - Miss Voss and Mr Dickman

Year 7 Soccer - Tuesday 25th June

Well done to our Year 7 Boys and Girls soccer teams who showcased their burgeoning skills and teamwork on the field. The competition saw enthusiastic participation from all players, each demonstrating remarkable energy and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come away with the win, but we will be ready for next year! - Mr Hodkinson and Mr Moore

State Cross Country - Thursday 18th July

Congratulations to our Cross Country super stars that competed in the Victorian State Cross Country at the start of Term 3. At the muddy Yarra Glen Racecourse, our students managed to come away with some incredible places and times!

Neve Murley - 73rd place in 15:59 mins (3km)
Izzy Johnstone - 9th place in 14:37 mins (3km)
Grace Sharkie - 31st place in 15:32 mins (3km)
Renos Vassiliades - 36th place in 19:56 mins (5km)
Jude Crouch - 59th place in 21:12 mins (5km)

Well done for your performances, we are proud to have you competing at such a high level for the college! - Miss Murray

All Schools Cross Country - Saturday 20th July

A massive shout out to our very own Nate Uecker who represented Koonung at the All Schools Cross Country event presented by Athletics Victoria. Nate placed 16th in a time of 28:11mins over 8km competing against students from government and independent schools around Victoria. We are incredibly proud of your performance Nate and can’t wait to see you compete in the Whitehorse Division Athletics Carnival this term. - Miss Murray

Senior Girls EMR Soccer - Friday 18th July

The Senior Girls Soccer- “You all (absolutely) deserved to be here today. We are so proud of you all!”- Andrew Mangonis

Our journey to Senior Region Soccer (Friday July 19th) continued on one of the coldest and frostiest Winter mornings Melbourne has seen in nearly 50 years. I might be slightly exaggerating, but it certainly felt that way. Andrew Mangonis, our awesome coach, and I met the girls, who were bundled up against the chill but ready to give their all.

On the bus ride to Northcote, the girls played "Eye of the Tiger" (even Andrew and I sang along with the girls), while pumping our arms in the air like we were all at an ACDC concert in the mosh pit. The song pumped through their blood in their veins in an adrenaline rush electrifying us all.

When we arrived, we claimed a space as our own, navigating through the warren-like corridors of the club rooms. I got lost every time we left the room or had to make our way back. Luckily, Mr Mangonis found me. As other teams arrived, they were all eyeballing each other like boxers sizing up their opponents before a big fight. The convenor explained the rules and asked everyone to play fairly, reminding us to remember to have fun too.

Just to re-cap our team

Elissa "The Guardian"
Romy "The Wall"
Elka "The Fortress"
Leah "The Pocket Rocket" -
Kate "The Maestro"
Evelyn "The Dynamo"
Bec "The Playmaker"
Immy "The Catalyst"
Samaya "The Finisher”

Strap yourselves in. Here we go…….

Game one was a trial by fire for our Senior Girls Soccer team. We did come out on fire, with our play structures concise and sharp, even though we hadn't had a practice game since District. The ball spent most of the match deep in our half, and despite numerous missed opportunities, the opposition managed to score a freakishly flukey goal. It was ours to win; they didn't deserve the victory. Mr. Mangonis regrouped the girls in the club rooms and gave them a pep talk.

In the locker room, Coach Mango delivered words every coach knows well when the team is down. "Keep your heads up," he began. "We controlled the game and created chances; now, it's about finishing them. Stay focused and play our game. Forget the scoreline—it's about how we respond. Show them our true potential. This is our game to take back."

Adding to our roster of talent were Grace Sharkie and Gypsy Shoar, two incredibly talented AFL footy players from Year 9 who took on the seniors with remarkable prowess. Grace, known for her formidable speed and shepherding skills on the footy field, initially applied the same tactics on the soccer pitch. Her opponents looked surprised and confused as she skilfully blocked their paths. We had to remind Grace, "No shepherding Grace, you'll get a red card!" With a thumbs up and a quick adjustment, Grace stuck to her opponent like a shadow, ensuring they had no room to manoeuvre around her. Gypsy Shoar was relentless on the pitch too, sticking to her opponent like a dog on a bone, never giving them a moment's peace either.

In our second game, despite our best efforts, it ended in a draw, with countless missed opportunities at goals. Every player applied pressure and executed their roles with precision and dedication. The defence was hard, intercepting and blocking effectively, while the midfielders worked tirelessly to gain control of the game and set up attacking plays. Up front, our strikers created numerous chances, but we just couldn’t score.

The Third game- Our most thrilling encounter was against Wellington (the best team at Region. The one’s to beat) had breezed through their first two games and were parading around like roosters, exuding arrogance. We came out like Richmond in the 2017 Grand Final, wearing down our opponents with relentless pressure. We scored quickly, blindsiding them with our intensity, as they missed several set shots, revealing that we were in their heads now. ‘We’re in their psyche now girls, look their worried.’ By halftime, Wellington was playing the blame game, and we knew we had the upper hand.

After halftime, Wellington quickly scored and over-celebrated, attempting to rattle our nerves. But we remained focused, and in the dying 20 seconds, we scored the decider goal. The eruption of excitement that followed was like a volcanic explosion, pure and uncontainable, as coaches and players celebrated with knee slides and arms raised high, as if it hadn't rained in decades, and we hugged each other like we were never going to see each other again. I mean, this game was special. We just beat the champion team!

At the end of the day, as the final whistle blew, we packed up and returned home to Koonung. Andrew’s final speech was fitting: “It was ours to take, and we were so unlucky. We proved ourselves by beating the best team here today. Be proud of yourselves because everyone played their part. Ms. Hodson and I are leaving this ground feeling like winners regardless of what the scores said today. We are so proud of all of you, and there’s something to take away from today’s experience.”

- Mrs Hodson and Mr Mangonis

Year 8 EMR Soccer - Friday 26th July

In a challenging and closely contested competition, Koonung Secondary College's Year 8 soccer team fell short against Rowville Secondary College in the Eastern Metropolitan Region competition. Despite their valiant efforts, Koonung SC ended up in 3rd place in what proved to be a thrilling and hard-fought match. Can’t wait to see this team develop for the intermediate competition in 2025! - Mr Hodkinson and Miss Arnold

Intermediate Table Tennis - Tuesday 30th July

Well done to all who participated in table tennis! Unfortunately, the competition was just too good for Koonung, losing across the board. Special mention goes to Alison in year 9, Evan Llewellyn, Angus Brodie, Ben Goold and Bodhi Harris for great sportspersonship, turning up to all their matches and giving it their best, as well as helping with scoring the games. - Miss Vriends

Intermediate Basketball - Tuesday 30th July

Koonung Secondary College’s intermediate basketball teams recently made a stellar impression at the Whitehorse Division Basketball Competition, held at Kilsyth Stadium. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams represented the school with skill, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship, making their mark in a highly competitive environment. Shout out to Zarah, Grace, Talan, Remy, Archer and Max who were standout performers on the day! - Mr Dunn, Sen Li and Emily Ridgewell

Intermediate Hockey - Tuesday 30 July

Fantastic work to our Intermediate Boys Hockey team! After winning against both Blackburn and East Doncaster, it came down to the last game against Box Hill in penalty. The boys held their nerve, especially Camden in goals, to come away with the win. Shout out to Tarkyn, our assistant coach for the day. Can’t wait to see you all compete at the EMR competition next term! Mr Kofoed

Well done to all students who represented Koonung in term 2 and so far in term 3. We look forward to seeing more teams in action at the end of Term 3!

Claire Murray

Interschool Sport and Carnival Coordinator

Koonung Secondary College

claire.murray@education.vic.gov.au

Koonung Sporting Stars

If you have any great sporting stories, please share them with our Koonung community by emailing Miss Claire Murray (Sports Coordinator).

KSC students selected for Yarra Junior Football League Representative Team

Congratulations to the following Koonung students who were selected in the Yarra Junior Football League Representative Team! The girls were part of the YJFL Representation trials in February and were selected into a Training Squad that trained for during March, April and May and over time the squad was reduced in numbers and they were selected into two teams (Division 1 and Division 2) and they played three games in a YJFL Interleague carnival over the long weekend in June. The program has now been finalised for 2024.

Under 15 Girls

Under 14 Girls

Zarah Shepherd (also the Captain of her team during the Interleague Carnival)

Celebrate Koonung's 60th Anniversary.

We invite you to celebrate with us on Sunday 8 September, 2-4.30pm. All welcome; current families, extended families, friends, alumni and our local community. RSVP is essential.