We have now completed just over half of the winter sport season. Congratulations to all teams on their performance during Term 2. Please remember that we restart the ISA competition the first Saturday after school returns next term (Saturday 22nd July). This also means that all training starts first day back at school (Wednesday 19th July) so please ensure you are prepared.

Last weekend we hosted both Boys' Football and Rugby. It was great to see all the support from the BMGS community, and the teams certainly appreciate parents and friends attending home games. Why not buy yourself a supporters' jersey from the Uniform Shop to really get behind the BMGS teams?

Thank you to all the Basketball players who came in to help Mr Quilter run the fundraiser BBQ for Nationals. It was a big success.

Congratulations: Netball

Last week we had a number of students attend the ISA Netball trials. Congratulations to Rose Perisce-Burrell (Year 9), Ruby Roberts (Year 9) and Jessica Harris (Year 9) who were selected to the U16 ISA team, and Olivia Harris (Year 12) who was selected in the Open ISA team.

We wish all the players the very best for the NSWCIS Netball Championships.

Congratulations: Swimming

Noah Erne (Year 7) has been selected to compete at the School Sport Australia Swimming Nationals (representing NSW and BMGS) to be held in Sydney in August! He will be competing in the 200IM and the 4x50m freestyle relay team.

Noah also competed at the Mountains and Plains Championships last weekend in Bathurst where he won ten individual medals, and two 1st place ribbons for relay teams.

Once again some outstanding results from Noah. We wish him all the best at the School Sport Australia Championships.

Congratulations: Tennis

Congratulations to Neil Geikie (Year 9), who was selected to represent the Central West Region in the 14 boys State Teams Championships last weekend held at Gosford. The team didn’t make the finals, however, they put in a really good effort.

ISA Athletics Carnival

The ISA Athletics Carnival will be held in Term 3. The team list will be put on the noticeboard prior to the end of term so please ensure you check for which events you have qualified.

Mrs Megan Harris

Head of Sport

Match Reports: Saturday, 17th June

Boys' Football

BMGS U13s defeated Oxley As, 2-1

Expectations were that with a full bench, it would be a tough match , but ultimately we would prevail. As it turned out, we almost didn’t have a full team, with the 11th player arriving at the 11th hour, just as I was about to ask Oxley to play a man down. As always, the boys shrugged off the setbacks and settled into the game, attacking from the beginning and making attempts at goal. Silas was playing in his other favourite position of centre mid, and Javier centre back. We took an early lead with a goal from Silas within 5 minutes, then we continued to dominate the first half, repeatedly pressing the Oxley defence and making some very close shots at goal but failing to convert. Oxley were much tougher opponents than anticipated, and in the second half took the game to us, giving us many anxious moments. Eli K was a standout in the right back, blocking, marking well and making some decent passes. Within 6 minutes of the second half, Oxley equalised due to some defensive blunders that left Caspian exposed. Just like our last game with them, it became a slugfest, with Oxley making several brave attacks and attempts at goal that left our hearts in our mouths, praying for salvation from the whistle. Javier, Eli, Eligh - and Emil, who bravely played with a sore heel, saved us numerous times, using their bodies to block balls, then feeding the rebound to the mids. Olly had been battling unsuccessfully the entire game to find the back of the net, and in the last 3 minutes, Thomas “Golden Boots” Hanemann created a glorious set piece, taking the ball up the field, then feeding the ball to Olly, who had put on a burst of speed down the line, to move into space. Olly was near the corner post, received a perfect pass from Tom, dribbled past 2 defenders back into the centre, and, from outside the 18, unleashed a cracker of a shot that soared over the heads of the Oxley defenders, and fooled the Oxley goalie into thinking he had punched it over the crossbar, only to look back and find it in the net. Olly showed tremendous resolve in being hungry for victory that little bit more than everyone else, and despite being more tired than everyone else, reached deep and pulled out some Messi magic to give us a 2-1 victory and earn himself the Man of the Match trophy.

Mr Zen Nzula, Coach

BMGS U14s drew with Oxley College, 0-0

This week, our U14s played out a hard fought draw against a much improved Oxley College side.

Each team spent the first ten minutes battling to gain control of the game and to identify areas of opportunity. From the 10th minute onwards, the majority of the game was spent deep inside Oxley’s defensive third. BMGS totally dominated possession and whenever there was an Oxley break it was quickly extinguished by solid defending. I was especially proud of Quidam; his game has developed immensely over the season due to increased composure with the ball to accurately pass to the midfield that helps start another attacking raid. Quidam was equally supported in defence by the always composed Xavier J and our left side defender ‘brick wall’ Jaiden!

James played the perfect defensive midfield role picking up all loose balls and creating multiple opportunities for our attacking unit. I am unsure of how many Km’s each player ran but it must have been huge as BMGS continued to prize open the Oxley defence via multiple runs into gaps and supporting plays. The home spectators were on the edge of their seats as we all lost count of the number shots on goal and how many times the goal posts or frame were hit by BMGS shots.

Although the team were not able to come away with the win, I was extremely proud of the spirit in which the BMGS boys played and their continued efforts to push for a winner until the final whistle. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday and I look forward to the final push for a Semi-Final spot next term.

Mr Chris Johnson, Coach

BMGS U15s were defeated by Oxley College, 7-1

We faced a tough game this weekend. With a few of our players missing due to illness and overseas travel, we were lower in numbers than usual (which is saying something!). We tried to find some U14s players to fill the ranks, and I need to thank Dante and Henry for their contribution. We took the field with 7 players – the minimum required for an official match. Luckily, a few Rugby players were at the ground - Aiden Mungai and Fergus Fulton – and were able to help out for a half.

Four minutes after kick off, Jed made a brilliant run down the wing and passed the ball to Finn. Finn dribbled it around a defender and, when the goalkeeper dived to save it, Finn passed the ball to the opposite side of the net, s. Scoring our first (and only) goal for the day. In the eighth minute, Jed ended up with a free ball at the top of the park and again ran the ball past many players, in a clean breakaway. Unfortunately he got shut down by a defender before he could convert the opportunity. After this, Oxley stepped up their game. Despite the efforts of our defenders, a player managed to break the ball through. One on one, Henry – goalkeeper for the first half – ran out to meet the player but the Oxley player managed to slot a ball past.

In the second half, despite best efforts, the boys were tiring. A number of injuries had taken players off, including Jed. With only six players on field and a goalie, we struggled. Most of the goals scored in the second half were from passages of play from Oxley that would have been contestable had we had a more balanced side. Graciously, the Oxley coach offered to move some players off the field, but the BMGS boys persisted with more attacking play and having fun. They kept up the communication and managed to keep going despite the odds being stacked against them.

This was the most epic game the 15s have played this season, rewarded by celebratory pizza at training on Tuesday. Excellent work, team!

Ms Annaliese Stammer, Coach

BMGS Second XI were defeated by Oxley College, 1-0

Both teams, having been in great form all season, came out firing from kick off. Captain, Charlie Mannes, showed brilliant leadership as BMGS took control of the game early. Jem Sullivan added to Charlie’s efforts, displaying dominance in the middle of the park. Oxley had some great early chances but Callum Knussen held strong in between the sticks and was quick off his line to deny any threat on our goal. Jules Beale and Tom O’Connor were working hard out wide, creating chances for Charlie and themselves that they were extremely unlucky not to finish, just missing the final touches to open the scoring. Finn Brinkmann added lots to our attacking efforts as BMGS began to play some really good team play. Otto and Charlie once again stepped up to fill in from the 15s and provided great impact in their respective positions. The first half finished goalless with both teams playing well despite the scoreline.

From the kickoff of the second half, BMGS didn’t drop their intensity and came out strong. More chances came and sadly went without a goal for Charlie, Jules and Tom. Jem’s freekicks were dangerous as they caused problems for Oxley’s defense but unfortunately our efforts didn’t find the back of the net. Oxley capitalized on our errors late in the half and saw themselves through on the counter attack; a high shot saw a reaching save from Callum that unfortunately found its way into the back of net, putting Oxley in the lead BMGS 0 - Oxley 1. BMGS worked desperately to get one back and came so close as the final minutes rolled around. Oxley escaped with a lucky win as the final whistle came, a truly heartbreaking result for BMGS as they played well all game.

Heads up, boys, you played so well; the score line doesn’t reflect the game at all, don't let it take anything away from your efforts, that’s just football sometimes! Hold your humble heads high. We move on and we will go back to winning ways in no time!

Mr Cameron Flaherty, Coach

BMGS First XI defeated Oxley College, 3-1

The boys First XI took on Oxley College at home for Round 7 of the season and, from the whistle, Oxley came out strongly, demonstrating a high level of intensity and skill. The boys quickly snapped into gear and hit back with an even higher level of intensity as they shut down any chances of an Oxley opener.

Richard Cunningham, alongside Isaac Nichols, Connor Secker and Will Zakis, took control from the start as they held strong in the back four. Captain Jett Fendall kept the communication fluid in the middle of the park, linking up with Will Grono and Jaxon Fraser. BMGS showed great team play early on as our chances on goal were starting to come through the efforts of Max Anicic, Flynn Nicholls and Oliver Drew. Both teams were putting in the work as Jack Roberson cleaned up with some strong saves to keep out the Oxley attack. A quick sub saw Trin Camilleri and Jaiden Kennedy provide instant impact as they took the field. Jaxon was working hard in the midfield and a strong tackle saw us regain possession. With Jett putting us on the counter, Max found space and met the ball well, getting a shot away that forced a hit away from the Oxley keeper. Flynn was in the right place for the rebound and opened the scoring for BMGS.

From the restart, BMGS quickly won the ball back as Jaxon was there once again to stop the Oxley counter. Will Zakis provided excellent support on the right side with himself and Will Groenewegen linking up for a quick 1-2 that saw Zakis whip in a beautiful cross into the box. The ball found Flynn, who pulled off a brilliant header to double the score.

Half time talk was short and sweet as the boys took the field for the second half, ready to finish the job. Connor was crucial in defense, shutting down the Oxley right wing, and both Wills displayed brilliant skill and effort in their respective positions and kept the ball in our possession as they looked to provide more chances on goal. Max, Ollie and Flynn were working tirelessly up top and kept the Oxley defense on the back foot as all three of them narrowly missed the final touch to get it over the line. Isaac and Rich were putting in a shift at the back with some crucial clearances and safe play to keep it away from our goal. Oxley eventually scored, making the score 2-1.

Jack pulled off some more great saves to deny Oxley an equalizer. Jules Beal (in his final match for BMGS) and Charlie Mannes, both playing up from Second XI, made short but much needed appearances. Oliver continued to work, coming so close to scoring every chance he had. With only ten minutes remaining his hard work paid off after a strong run that saw him cut through three players and rifle a shot into the back of the net to seal the game BMGS 3 - Oxley 1.

This was another brilliant performance all round, with everyone putting in a solid effort to get the win and keep the undefeated run alive. Well done, lads, on another hard earned result of which you should all be proud. Big shout out to Charlie Mannes and Jules Beal for their contributions as well. Come on, BMGS! Goal Scorers: Flynn Nicholls (2), Oliver Drew (1). [Men] Of The Match - Jaxon Fraser and Will Zakis. (Big efforts from both these boys! )

From the Principal