Sport News

With a very busy first week of the term completed, we now head into the first round of our final sporting season for 2021 against St Laurence’s College this weekend. Congratulations to all students who have been selected in the 1st V Basketball, 1st XIII Rugby League and 1st IV Tennis teams for round of competition this Saturday, as well as all students who have been selected in AIC competition teams for this weekend. 

We would also like to acknowledge the work that our coordinators, Mr Michael Connolly 

(Basketball), Jon Fitzgerald (Track and Field) and Mr Andrew Ward (Tennis) have done in preparation for our AIC sporting season. They have worked very efficiently with the sports department to organise trials, teams, training schedules, and referees during pre-season. Well done to all hard-working staff members and students on their fantastic commitment in preparing for the upcoming season.

Last week, our Basketball teams had trials against Ipswich Grammar, Villanova and St Laurence’s to help prepare them for our upcoming AIC seasons. We like to prepare against schools that will test us. In what is always expected in trials between our Colleges there were some very close and competitive matches that set both Colleges up for a good Term 3 season of basketball.

Our AIC tennis teams had competitive trials against Villanova and St Laurence’s with our younger age groups providing Mr Ward with an excellent foundation to build our tennis program in 2021. 

At Padua playing fields on Saturday our Rugby League teams had trials against Padua and Iona. The carnival atmosphere at Banyo provided for an enjoyable day with all games being tightly contested. The day gave an indication that the AIC Rugby League season will be tightly contested across all age groups. 

The Track and Field season began last week with training across all disciplines starting this week. It was great to see the healthy turnout of boys at training. This Friday is our House Athletics Carnival which will determine our Met North nominations and help us identify boys who should be at training. We would like to give special thanks to Rob Martin who has been invaluable in setting up the Track and Field program for this season. 

This weekend begins our final AIC season of Saturday sport. With only one Saturday sporting season remaining it is crucial that all boys aim to finish the year off in style. Please check match times and venue information available on the College app. Good luck to all students for the season and particularly to our senior students representing Marist College Ashgrove for the final time!

State Cross-Country Championships 

Congratulations to the following boys for their results at the Cross-Country State Championships held at Limestone Park over the weekend:

Met North Rugby 

We wish the following boys the best of luck as they compete at the State Rugby Championships at Padua Playing Fields this Thursday 22 July – Sunday 25 July. Under 12 - William Slater, Owen Aldridge, Stanley Grellman and Harry McAuliffe. Under 15 – Taavi Upchurch, Thomas Millard, Bailey Caplick, Jasper Barry, Riley Canavan, Lachlan McCall, Leo Henry, Tom Howard, Ezekiel Anderson, Patrick Anderson and Elliot Aldridge.

COVID Spectator Restrictions 

The following COVID safe restrictions are in place for this weekends sport. As you are aware these restrictions and guidelines could change at any time, but at this point in time the following restrictions are in place for AIC sporting fixtures:

Tennis and Rugby League

• Use the Check-In QLD App
• Outdoor sports – spectators are welcome
• Masks must be worn if you cannot socially distance from other adults

Basketball (includes both indoor and outdoor courts)

• Use the Check-In QLD App
• We are keeping the communication consistent for all basketball fixtures (regardless of games
• being played either indoor or outdoor)
• Restricted to one parent/guardian per player for all grades
• Masks must be worn by all adults
• Masks do not have to be worn for players 12 years and under (and those otherwise exempt)
• Players and coaches in the ‘Field of Play’ do not have to wear masks
• 20 student spectators per College, if venue permits, will be able to attend the 1st V Basketball games. No student spectators allowed for any other matches
• Please adopt the “Get in, play, get out” rule to mitigate co-mingling

Basketball – Mr Michael Connolly

 Skills Clinics

After five weeks of basketball trials involving almost four hundred students, we now have our AIC teams selected and I would like to thank all the coaches who have been working hard throughout the process. I would also like to congratulate the boys who were successful in being selected in one of our AIC teams for the season ahead. 

Naturally, in a sport as popular as basketball, there are going to be boys who miss out on being selected in one of the four teams permitted per age level. This is unfortunate but hopefully we have found a way to keep them connected this term.

This year, I would like to offer those boys who trialled and missed a place in the AIC teams the opportunity to attend a once a week skills clinic which would involve them receiving coaching in basketball skills for the first few weeks of the program, with a view to it evolving into a session where they play short games against each other for the session.  

For those boys who, missed out on selection and, for various reasons, cannot join a club in order to improve their skills, these sessions will give them the opportunity to stay connected to Marist basketball and improve their skills during the term. 

Numerous coaches from our program as well as our current 1st V players have offered to be involved in coaching this group of boys and I intend to start these sessions in Week 3 of this term on a day yet to be determined.  

If your son was one of the boys who trialled but missed out on selection and you would like him to be involved in these sessions each week, please respond to the invitation which will be posted on the app later this week.

Please note that you will not need to buy any basketball uniform to be involved in these clinics.  I will provide team bibs for all participants.

Uniform

A reminder to all parents that the boys selected to play in our AIC teams will need to wear the full basketball playing uniform which includes the Marist basketball singlet, blue shorts and blue MCA socks.  Images of these items can be found on the College app under the basketball tab.

I would also like to remind all players that if they wish to wear something warm to the venue on Saturdays, it must be a Marist College item of clothing. ie hoodie.

Bench Duty

Each coach has been asked to make up a roster of bench helpers for the home game following theirs each Saturday.  As a result, there may be an occasion during the season when your son will be asked to stay for the game following his to assist on the score bench.

Chewing Gum

Quite a few boys have been turning up to basketball matches chewing gum. I would like to remind all players that chewing gum is not permitted at the College. This includes on Saturdays.

Spectator Restrictions

Please keep up to date with the latest restrictions on spectator numbers for our matches in the gym.  The latest updates will be posted on the College app.

I would like to wish all players, parents and spectators an enjoyable season of basketball in 2021.

Tennis - Mr Andrew Ward

A mixed bag of results for last Saturday’s trial against St Laurence’s College. Some extremely encouraging signs in a lot of players and to see the hard work and early mornings starting to pay off is very pleasing. 

Very good wins by our Year 6-8 teams winning both A and B matches. Our Year 5 team was better for the outing and hopefully, now the boys are aware of how the day runs and at times can look very messy with excited boys. Unfortunately, our weakened Year 9 team was not so lucky going down in some very closely fought matches.

Our Year 10 and 11 teams were very evenly matched. We really need you boys to turn up to matches as 2 boys from Year 11 were no shows. You know who you are boys.

The Opens teams were extremely competitive and I could see some boys a little nervous and making a few too many errors giving their opponents some gifted points.

Special mention to Mr Blake Harold showing some fighting Marist spirit to come from a set down to win his singles match against a very determined opponent.

Thank you to the boarding boys for filling in the 3rds team, much appreciated, and fun to watch our mainly Year 8 boys match it with the much older opponents and coming away with some good wins.

This is a call to any players from Year 9 upwards that could help bolster the teams and would like a game representing the school at AIC level. We are so close to becoming a major force in this competition and with a few more players in our older ranks, I think we could go a long way this year.

The future looks bright and I cannot wait to see how we go this week.