Sport News

Last Saturday saw Marist host St Patrick's College across the weekend. It was a competitive round of fixtures with both schools enjoying their share of victories. Just as importantly, matches on the field/court were played in the right spirit, competitive but respectful, intense but dignified, as it should be for a schoolboy competition. I was especially impressed with the collegial nature both sets of 1st volleyball players took to the post-match function where they shared stories and wished each other well for the rest of the year.

Marist dominated the three 1st team events this week, winning the AFL 68-3, the volleyball 3 sets to nil and the cricket by scoring 253 and bowling SPC out for 84 in reply. We dominated the AFL round, losing only 2 matches, in volleyball we won a lot more matches than we lost but were undone in a lot of the A matches, and in cricket we dominated the oldest and youngest years but SPC dominated the middle year levels. 

This weekend we travel to St Laurence's College in what is always a keenly contested set of fixtures in any sport when our two schools come together. All teams will need to be on their game this weekend.

Our swimming team once again did us proud on Tuesday at the Sleeman Aquatic Centre in the 2024 AIC Swimming Championships. A strong team represented Marist, led by captains James Leigh and Hayden Barnes and Vice-Captains Bailey Skinner and Ed Wild, the team showed the benefit of their strong culture and dedication to their sport as a group with a fine set of performance across the day. A fine result saw the team finish second overall behind St Peter’s Lutheran College.

Congratulations to all swimmers for your performance on the day, you did the College proud. Well done to event winners and podium placers and thank you to our dedicated swimming staff, led by our Head Coach Mr James Boyce and Coordinator Ms Jade Ritchie.

AIC Expectations

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.

Cricket

Mr Derek Lennon (Cricket Coordinator)

The 1st XI got back to winning ways with a convincing result against St Pats on a pristine McMahon Oval. A beautiful hard wicket was prepared and Marist won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. A fine partnership by Will Nickelson (top scorer with 82) and Jack Watson (a patient 55 off 116) set the scene for some Louis Morris power-hitting (52* from 37) to finish it off at 5/253. It proved too much for St Pats who struggled with the constant pressure from the bowling line up with Joey Laner, Louis Morris and Flynn Cleary getting 2 each and Will Easter, Sam Lewis, Archie Murray and Sam Wilcox all getting one each.

Across the board Marist dominated the primary matches and Year 7 and opens teams, while St Pats won the majority of the year 8, 9 and 10 matches. Fine performance came from the second XI, who enjoyed another fine batting performance to score 9/242 from their 35 overs and dismissed SPC for 93, the 7Ds defended 4/105 bowing out Pats for 63 and the 5Bs put on a show, scoring 5/190 and dismissing SPC for 43.

1st XI Report by Jack Watson

In a thrilling cricket encounter between Marist and St Patrick's, Marist won the toss and elected to bat first. Jack Watson displayed resilience with a gritty knock of 56, while Will Nickelson's impressive 82 set the tone for Marist. Louis Morris added fireworks with a quick 52 off 37 balls, propelling Marist to a formidable total of 253. 

The momentum continued as Joey Laner claimed two quick wickets, putting Marist in a dominant position. The bowlers maintained the pressure, with each contributing a wicket. St Patrick's struggled to counter Marist's bowling prowess and was eventually bowled out for 84, securing a comprehensive victory for Marist. 

A well-rounded performance from Marist's batting and bowling units showcased their dominance in this cricket clash against St Patrick's. Shout out to Archie Murray who took his first 1st XI pole. 

AFL

Mr Corey Robinson (AFL Coordinator)

Round 5 against St. Pat’s produced comfortable wins for both 1sts and 2nds while also saw the best overall day in the season for the Years 5-9, winning 8/12 games. A thank you as always to the parents who come to support every Friday/Saturday, the coaches as well as all the players across both days.

Marist College Ashgrove's victory over St. Pats marks a significant turnaround in their season after two consecutive losses. The disciplined performance led to a commanding display against St. Pats, setting the team on a positive trajectory as they head into a crucial matchup against St. Laurie next week. Oscar Pitman delivered an outstanding performance in the ruck and forward, while Jack Williams proved instrumental with four valuable goals. Additionally, Jack Watson's move to the backline proved fruitful, contributing to the team's impressive outing. With renewed confidence and momentum, Marist College Ashgrove looks forward to building upon this Friday's win for the last two rounds. The 2nds also showed their ability to bounce back with a commanding win. Jacob Keogh’s return went well seeing him kick a goal and get through unscathed, with Riley Say and Cooper Guise having great games – Riley kicked a goal and Cooper coming off with best on ground honors. 

Saturday saw our best overall result for the season with 8/12 teams winning. With some very big scores being produced, a thanks you to players and coaches for letting everyone get a turn of getting on the scoreboard. Even in defeat, they were all still very close games with the 9A, 8A, 8B all still in contention going into 3-quarter time. The improvement with these boys is out of sight and the younger crop of students will certainly be the familiar faces to go on and play Open AFL for Marist.

Volleyball

Mr Patrick Denkes (Volleyball Coordinator)

Marist Volleyball took on St Patrick’s College over the weekend. The matches were played to a high standard, with St Patrick’s unfortunately getting the better of several junior teams despite fierce resistance. Our Senior teams, however, led the way, with strong results across the board. Congratulations to the 1st VI on a decisive victory. I know many of your fans would be relieved to have been spared from the stress of another 5 set battle. Well done to senior teams across the board, you have set a strong example with your positive game play and strong results across the season. 

Next weekend Marist takes on St Laurence’s in an away round. It is important that all players turn up on time for matches. As well, it is essential all players are wearing the Marst College blue socks and the Volleyball uniform. The standards you set off the court are the standards you set on the court.

1st VI v St Patricks College by Isaac Roach

Last Saturday at 12:30, the 1st volleyball team faced off against a young and striking St Pats team who had previously beaten Marist in the pre-season. The boys were full of energy at the start of the game, wanting to let the opposition know how much they had improved over the season. With a mass crowd gathered full of day boys and borders, everyone was ready to put on the blue and gold. A shock injury to Will Lukin (who had been in peak form) during the warmup sent a wave of silence and eeriness through the crowd. 

The 1st VI boys remembered that they had a strong point to prove thus they’re gathered their focus instantly. The first set was electric with some massive throw-down spikes coming from the 1st VI. Players like Aidan Smythe, Josh Lewis and Owen Dodwell set the standard high early and the boys followed. With dominant, strong attacks that shut down the fluency of the St Pats team, our first 6 claimed the first set 25-17. 

The second set was point for point. Many highlights came from our strong blockers and resilient middles like debutant Micah Netzler who showed great composure all throughout the set. After making a strong service streak, the boys pulled away and managed to secure another set win. 

The final set started slow for the 1st VI. Going down 5-1 in a matter of minutes, putting them on the back foot. This had happened to the boys in previous games, winning the first two sets but then losing momentum making the fight harder to win. However, it was clear how much this squad had grown. They remained composed, unfazed and kept their energy levels high. After an abundance of clutch passing from Oliver Betts, we clawed our way back and worked our way back to match point where Aidan Smythe claimed a massive kill block to win the game (3-0 to Marist). 

We would like to thank all parents and supporters for their time and all the medical staff who assisted on the day. We also send our best wishes to our teammate Will Lukin for a quick and speedy recovery.

Football

Mr Derek Lennon (Football Coordinator)

Football trials for our Year 8, 9 and 10 A and 2nd XI teams are progressing well. These provisional squads will be released to the College app by next Friday 14 March. These squads will then continue training until the holidays. All unsuccessful boys and all boys who want to play football will start trials on Monday 18 March for 2 weeks, including the internal trial day on Saturday 23 March.

Provisional teams will be released on Thursday 28 March as a starting point for holiday trial matches against Terrace and training commencing in Week 1 Term 2. These squads will be subject to change based on performance in the trial matches (Terrace- 13 April and St Laurence's 20 April) and training over the first few weeks of the season.

Full trial details including dates, times and locations will be available in the College newsletter and College app next week.

All players must wear the College blue training shirt, football shorts, socks, shin pads and boots to trial. 

Football is fully inclusive so all boys who want to play will be allocated to a team but all players must be registered to play football. Sign-on closes at the end of this term.

Date Claimer

Saturday 13 April (last weekend of the Easter holidays) – Trial v St Joseph’s College (Terrace) at Tennyson for 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8A, 8B, 8C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 10A, 10B, 1sts, 2nds, 3rds. Draw details will be posted to the College app closer to the date.

Marist Rugby Union

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Easter Rugby Camp – Sunday 14 April

SAVE the date!

Please keep an eye out for information relating to the Easter Rugby Camp. Last year we had over 300 students from Years 5-12 attend the camp which included skill development, games, fun events, the season launch, and a number of selected matches against Nudgee College.

This year we plan to be bigger and better again! More information will follow this week.

Currimundi Camp – Blue Squad

Over the weekend, 35 students and 5 staff attended a camp at the Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre. The camp is part of the 1st XV’s preparation for the upcoming trials and AIC season.

It is a physically and mentally challenging 30 hours for the boys with some thought-provoking classroom sessions run alongside some demanding on-field training. The close proximity to the beach provides a wide cross-section of facilities to test even the fittest of students whilst also offering a fantastic recovery opportunity.

The objectives of the camp are -

1. Start building a connection with the boys they will play with throughout the season.
2. Identify the culture and values we aspire to create.
3. To understand who we represent when we play in a Gold jersey.
4. To continue developing our expectations and standards around training, preparation and performance. 
5. Work hard and have some fun as a group.

Thanks to the students for their approach. I couldn’t speak more highly of the young men who attended the camp and the manner in which they embraced the activities. They are a wonderful group and we look forward to seeing their continued development.

Thanks also to the staff who volunteered their time and supported the students. Mr Chris Daykin, Mr Adam Earnshaw, Mr Paddy Conn and Mr Mitch Reid all provided expertise and genuine care for the students across the weekend.

Marist Rugby Union | Sign On

Thanks to the student and parents/guardians who have already completed the sign-on process.

If you haven’t signed on yet, please go to the Marist app and see information regarding the sign-on process. 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 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.

Rugby Ready Program | Year 5-12

This is Week 3 of the 4-week Rugby Ready Program. Please continue to read the Marist app for all the necessary details including the program content, schedule and dress code. 

A reminder for those students wishing to play rugby union at the College that the Rugby Ready Program is a mandatory program. I understand some students have missed sessions due to injury or illness, however I will work with all the students to make sure you complete the program.

Please NOTE, if a student does miss a session, please attend another session that week either a year level up or down eg. Year 8 can attend Year 7 or Year 9. This ensures that a student remains on the same schedule each week as his year level and can re-join his group the following week with a full understanding of the language, techniques required, and the physical progression.

This week a major focus of the program is the “Mayday” call. The Mayday Safety Procedure has been developed to enable players and referees to take prompt action to relieve pressure in a scrum should a problem arise. Last season we had two Mayday calls and due to the expert coaching, and the compliance and maturity of the students involved, the two students involved walked away from scrums with nothing more than a fright.

Thanks to the coaches for volunteering their time and expertise to the program. Marist is fortunate to have many staff, old boys and current students contributing to the rugby program. We appreciate all that they do in creating a safe and challenging rugby environment.

NOTE – A reminder to any student swimming at AIC Championships today that you will start your Rugby Ready Program from tomorrow (Wednesday) onwards. If you are in Year 5 – 7, Year 10, or Opens, please join your year level this week as scheduled in the Marist app.  

Year 8 students, join Year 7 Rugby Ready session

WHEN: Thursday 3:30pm

Year 9 students, join Year 10 Rugby Ready session

WHEN: Thursday 6:45am

Rugby Union Trials

Please make sure you see the Rugby Union Key Dates Calendar in the Marist app for all games throughout the season, including trial games in Term 1.

Following the conclusion of the Rugby Ready Program at the end of Week 8, the boys will start to prepare in their Year levels for the full school internal trial on Saturday 23 March (end of Week 9). This day also serves as the Rosalie Tribute Round.

For those interested in watching the early season 1st XV and 2nd XV trials, the games are as follows – 

WHAT: Internal 1st XV trial

WHEN: Sunday 10 March 

TIME: 11:30am-1:30pm (NOTE – change of time)

WHERE: Brother’s Rugby Union Club. 

WHAT: 1st XV vs Downlands / 2nd XV vs Downlands

WHEN: Sunday 17 March 

TIME: 10:30am – 2nd XV kick off / 11:30am 1st XV kick off

WHERE: Everton Park Roosters Rugby Union Club

Marist Rugby Union – Referees

Thanks to the students and the parents who have attended the first two weeks of the course. 

The course is being delivered by current QRRA referee, Callum Robertson. As a former boarding supervisor at the College, Callum has a strong connection to the school and is passionate about helping our next crop of officials begin their journey. Following three weeks in the classroom, the group will take to the field for a practical class and learning.

Students who complete the course and become a referee are able to earn $25-$40 dollars per game. For those students who are still playing, we will look to find games where possible around your own fixtures.

The Marist College Ashgrove Rugby Referee Program is offered to anyone in Year 8 and above who is interested in becoming a referee. This program is extended to anyone in the Marist community who would like to become a referee including Old Boys, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters of Marist students. Through participating in the program, you will become accredited to officiate junior rugby and have the best seat in the house.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field.

Marist Rugby Union – Social Media 

@marist_ashgrove_rugby

In 2023 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

Marist Track and Field

Mr Richard Graham – Director of Rugby / Track and Field

Mr Rob Martin – Head Coach, Track and Field

Marist Track and Field – Sunday Sessions

This year, Marist College will be looking to win its’ 10th successive AIC Track and Field Championship. To be successful, a lot of planning, commitment and effort goes into the program across the calendar year.

For all students wanting to train, Mr Rob Martin will continue to run his usual Sunday sessions. Please see below details - 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.

Follow us and stay up-to-date with Marist Track and Field on Instagram - @marist_ashgrove_sports

Tennis

Mr Andrew Ward - Director of Tennis

This week in tennis, our fixtures program are in full swing, and a permanent board at the entrance gate keeps everyone updated on the latest point scores. Leading the Head Tennis package this week are:

1. Charlie Kelly
2. Indy Headrick
3. Noah Newman

Congratulations to these gentlemen for their outstanding performances. For detailed rankings, please refer to the permanent board. It's essential to remember that this competition spans over two terms of fixtures.

Super League and Brisbane League News

In the Super League, the weekend showcased intense matches, revealing the commendable progress of our younger players. The emphasis on aggression, strategic thinking, and dedication is paying off, evident in notable performances:

• Henry Lambley's determined second set secured victory for his team in Brisbane League Div 5.
• Frankie Hain exhibited resilience in one of the longest matches of the century, showcasing his growth and handling himself admirably.
• Oscar White and Will Lambley led the Super League Div 1 team to another comfortable victory, positioning themselves for the top spot.

Term 2 Coaching

Looking ahead to Coaching Term 2, we are now accepting names for both squads and group lessons. Final bookings will be handled by Jade, who will notify everyone when it's accessible on the Think Smart App.

Farewell, Coach Bao – May Your Serves Always Be Ace!

A special note of thanks to Coach Bao for his time at Marist, and we wish him success in his future endeavours.

Acknowledging the challenges at the start of this term, we appreciate our customers' patience during staff disruptions. Despite this, our dedicated team has ensured quality lessons for every student. Marist Tennis is determined to build a united coaching team who share the same united goals.

As we progress, our unwavering focus remains on producing top-tier players. The goal is to build a robust and united team for our assault on this year's AIC championships in Term 3.

Thank You

Thanking all the parents for your continued and unwavering support. Without you, this would not be possible. We really appreciate the ongoing support and the positive feedback and look forward to a promising future at Marist. See you on the courts.

Round 6 Draws

AFL

Cricket

Volleyball