U9 Reds Report
Season Overview
Season Overview
The U9 REDS played 12 games for the year winning 10 and losing 2. In the Lightning Premiership we played 4 games winning 2 and getting knocked out in the semi-final by one point (to East Brighton who went on to beat Mordi-Brae by 35 points in the Grand Final!!), but still lay claim to the title of ‘top of the ladder’ at the end of the home and away season.
We had a good mix of ‘older’ and ‘younger’ boys who all showed (at varying times) great skills and endeavour. Training on Fridays was an event not to be missed thanks to Coach Russell Jarrett, who made the sessions enjoyable and practical. Turn up was excellent and match days showed that the boys had been listening as they put into practice the handballing, sheparding, manning up and kicking skills learnt.
Huge thanks to all parents and friends who supported during the year at training and with the ‘rostered’ tasks – especially the coach Russell Jarrett, our trainer Wendy Capes and ‘all rounder’ Don Hollick.
Good luck to the 16 boys going on to under 10’s next year and we hope to see the remaining 10 ready for a big year next year.
Go City!
Goal kickers for the year:
Matthew 25
Joel 7
Howie 7
Lachy 7
Andrew 6
Dae 5
Harvey 5
Patrick 4
Andrew 4
Mitchell 3
Henry 2
Hugo 2
Curtis 1
Noa 1
Noah 1
Lightning Premiership 27th July U9 REDS
Despite the inclement weather and disappointment of not making the grand final the day was a great success. Thanks to Don Hollick who started Saturday morning at 7 am to secure our marquee position for Sunday and arranged the day to perfection. Also to Bronwyn for support and fund collection. The hugely successful BBQ came as a result of Rob and Lisa McNaughton, who along with Bill Tzimas also provided the snags and condiments. Thanks again to the coach and all ‘volunteers’ on the day including Scott Emerson who ran for Russell all day and Bill Tzimas who patrolled the boundary while not cooking up snags.
Game 1 vs Mordi-Brae @ King George V Reserve, Bentleigh
St Kilda Reds 1 goals 2 behinds 8 points
Mordi-Brae 3 goals 4 behinds 22 points
First game of the day on the far oval against our nemesis Mordi-Brae. Matt opened our scoring with a goal in the opening stanza and at half time it was REDS 1 goal 2 behinds to Mordi-Brae 1 goal 2 behinds. The on ball brigade of Lachy, Howie, Harvey and Elijah were giving us plenty and Declan and Mac were in their element in the wet. Second half saw a determined Mordi-Brae pull away with the wind as Harvey, Joel and Adam did their utmost to curb the tide. A big effort by all players but the Mordi-Brae machine overran us.
Game 2 vs St Bedes/Mentone @ King George V Reserve, Bentleigh
St Kilda Reds 5 goals 3 behinds 33 points
St Bedes/Mentone 1 goals 3 behinds 9 points
This one was a must win as we came up against fellow first round losers St Bedes Mentone. A goal up at half time we put our foot on the pedal in the second half to record a comfortable victory. The scoreboard didn’t really reflect a hard fought game, but Howie who got a hit in the head and Harvey who was kicked in the foot will tell you otherwise. All the REDs were solid with Andrew, Marco, Henry and Dae putting in excellent efforts and Daniel and Zac giving us drive around the midfield. Matt and Andrew kicked 2 goals and Lachy kicked a single goal. The backline led by Lukas and Noah and their long raking left footers held firm when it counted.
Game 3 vs Ormond @ King George V Reserve, Bentleigh
St Kilda Reds 4 goals 3 behinds 27 points
Ormond 2 goals 3 behinds 15 points
The boys went into the third game against Ormond with great confidence. Ormond pushed hard but again our defensive line held firm with Connor and Oliver keeping their opponents quiet. Curtis was in and under and Mitchell was a live wire up forward. Alex was giving a target up forward and with the midfield on top the REDS were a goal up at half time. The coach asked for a big effort and the boys responded with two more goals in the second half. Goal kickers were one to each of Matt, Lachy, Harvey and Howie.
Game 4 (Semi-final) vs East Brighton @ King George V Reserve, Bentleigh
St Kilda Reds 1 goals 2 behinds 8 points
East Brighton 1 goals 3 behinds 9 points
On the main oval for what we hoped was our penultimate game of the day the REDS matched up against East Brighton. A big oval and we were on the back foot from the start when East Brighton scored a goal within the first minute. The REDS made their way forward and very nearly scored a goal, but a free kick was awarded to East Brighton for a kick off the ground. (They’ll talk about this for years to come). Players all over the ground were showing great endeavour, but at half time East Brighton led 1 goal 1 behind to St Kilda yet to score. Hugo and Noa were giving all they could and Patrick and Nick were fighting tooth and nail.
The second half saw the ball locked in the REDS forward line but due to congestion we had trouble scoring. A great goal by Matt saw us just short of the target but sadly we could not peg back the deficit, with the time clock beating us. Every ounce was expended by a valiant team of REDS and everybody played well. At the end it was just a single point but the parents were united and rapturous in their applause for the boys.
Back to the marquee to round off the day for presentations and a couple of choruses of ‘When the Saints go Marching in’ to let them know they better watch out for us in 2009!
Go City!
Round 12 20th July U9 REDS
Vs Beaumaris Blues @ Peanut Farm
St Kilda Reds 5 goals 4 Behinds 34
Beaumaris 5 goals 6 Behinds 36
All players available for the last home and away round and it proved a good workout and a reality check for the REDS before the Lightning Premiership.
In overcast conditions St Kilda captain Lukas Rowe won the toss and kicked against the wind to the Luna Park end of the Peanut Farm. The Beaumaris midfield proved adept at winning the ball out of the centre and exerting pressure on the St Kilda defence. Lachy Harris and Oliver Argyrou were caught in possession as Beaumaris pushed forward. Lots of packs formed with Adam Oulton in hard and at the bottom of many. No clear opportunities were presented and Beaumaris managed just a couple of behinds. St Kilda were trying to clear the ball through the agency of Howie Persson and Mac Hocking with Zac Batagol on the wing teaming up well, but Beaumaris managed to keep the ball forward for most of the quarter. Their best chance of the quarter was cut off by a great captains mark from Lukas Rowe, right on the 10-metre line. At quarter time it was Beaumaris 4 behinds to the REDS yet to score.
The second quarter was a reversal of fortunes with St Kilda keeping the ball forward for most of the quarter. When Beaumaris did get it forward deputy vice captain Joel Crocker and Henry Boileau teamed up well to clear it easily. Zac Batagol continued to rack up possessions on his wing and Patrick Frencken ran strongly on the other wing. Dae Szydlik took a great mark in front to put through the Saints first for the day. Noa Simon added a behind to the Saints tally before marking straight in front from a Mitchell Jarrett centring kick and going back and casually slotting it through the middle. Beaumaris caught the Saints napping, taking the ball out of the centre and breaking through for the first goal of the day against the wind, before, in trying to repeat the performance, being cut off by Harvey Emerson with a searing run through the middle to find Hugo Twigg on the half forward line. Andrew Tzimus and Daniel Parish bobbed up with telling marks in the forward line and at half time it was a close one with the Saints in front by 5 points, 2 goals 3 behinds to Beaumaris 1 goal 4 behinds.
The second half saw Beaumaris get out of the blocks running, getting it forward and putting on an early goal to hit the lead again. The Saints started to get their running game together. A great passage of play that started in the full back line with Lukas Rowe saw Zac Batagol feed it to Elijah Kingsley and on to vice captain Marco Walker for a handpass to Matt McNaughton who bounced and threaded through a great snap from the forward pocket. Beaumaris continued to run it forward but Connor Bannister was everywhere taking marks and kicking to position. Nicholas Watson took a telling mark at full back and passed to Elijah Kingsley for another clearance. The pressure being applied finally told as Beaumaris marked in front and kicked a goal, shortly after to be denied another goal with a touch off the boot by St Kilda. Some great work starting with Dae Szydlik now in defence and kicking to position around the wing to Lachy Harris and Matt McNaughton, saw the ball go deep into the St Kilda forward line where Alex Martin pounced and squared the ball to the waiting Noah Rowe. Noah took his time and went back to kick his first goal for the season and put the Saints back in front.
It was game on and at three quarter time the boys were confident. The last quarter started with a flourish from Beaumaris who again took it out of the middle and pumped it forward. Despite the desperation shown from Declan Hollick and Oliver Argyrou to trap the ball, Beaumaris managed to capitalise with a goal on the run to put them in front. From the middle Curtis Sayers smothered and bumped but Beaumaris managed to clear the ball wide and then bring it back through the channel to mark and score a goal that put them further in front. The Saints then turned it on taking the ball forward and seeing Matt McNaughton reply with a classic long snap across his body. Straight back into the forward line again, but the Beaumaris defence was holding ground. Lachy Harris seemed to have the ball on a string and a shot at goal went tantalisingly close to leave us just two points down with two minutes to go. Another shot went straight across the face and out of bounds. There were several ball ups but neither side could clear. When the siren sounded the ball was still trapped in the REDs forward pocket, and Beaumaris had triumphed by two points.
This was a great game to watch with the lead changing several times for the day. It brought to a close our ten game winning streak, but Beaumaris deserved their win with some great rearguard football in the last quarter. The clearances from the centre were probably the most crucial element and the Beaumaris team had the drop on us today. A good hitout for next weeks Lightning Premiership where we may come up against the Beaumaris boys again.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 2, Dae Szydlik 1, Noa Simon 1 and Noah Rowe 1 with player awards to Matthew McNaughton, Nicholas Watson and Mitchell Jarrett. The coach’s award for the day went to Adam Oulton.
Go City.
Round 11 13th July U9 REDS
Vs Ormond Blues @ Ormond
St Kilda City Reds 5 goals 3 Behinds 33
Ormond 2 goals 7 Behinds 19
Rob McNaughton had kindly stepped in as coach for the day to see if he could keep the REDS bandwagon rolling on. Coming off a maximum 4°C on Saturday it had at least warmed up to about 5 for the start of the game, with a prevailing wind heading straight down the ground away from the grandstand.
The boys ran onto the ground following captain Harvey Emerson through the Saints banner:
Harvey won the toss and kicked with the wind. Ormond showed from the first bounce that this wasn’t going to be a repeat of the first time we played, taking the ball out of the centre and running on at every opportunity. Lachy Harris got the REDS started, showing the evasive skills that allowed him to pump the ball deep into our forward line where Declan Hollick and Dae Szydlik were both marking strongly. Noa Simon, on the wing this week, was reading the play well and getting a few touches, but Ormond had flooded back making clean breaks difficult. A great piece of play by Matt McNaughton saw him open the Saints account with an overhead kick sailing straight through the middle. From the centre Ormond took it away again, but the reliable Joel Crocker marked and played on finding Adam Oulton deep in the forward line. The resultant scramble saw Marco Walker get the ball out to Lachy Harris for another Saint goal on the run by Lachy. At quarter time the REDS were two goals 1 behind to Ormond yet to score.
The coach was happy with the first quarter effort and meeting the team objective to score two goals in the first quarter.
The second quarter started well for the Saints with Andrew Tzimas coming on and getting the ball deep into the forward line. Some bullocking play by Howie Persson around the boundary pushed the ball forward to free up Alexander Martin, who picked up and snapped but couldn’t get it on target. Ormond cleared and looked in control, only to be undone by great marks from Mac Hocking at centre half back and vice captain Curtis Sayers in a similar position. Lachy Harris came off with an injury and play seesawed for a while with the Saints, through the agency of deputy vice captain Connor Bannister and Patrick Frencken, who both showed the benefits of playing in front, only allowing Ormond to get it as far as their half forward line. Nick Watson was also in the thick of things with Ormond constantly rebounding. A great bump at the last minute by Harvey Emerson and a goal saving mark from Henry Boileau kept Ormond at bay and limited their scoring to three behinds for the quarter, whilst the REDS were held scoreless.
The REDS picked the tempo up a notch with the wind in the third quarter with some great passages of play. Hugo Twigg capped of a superb piece early in the quarter, which seemed to involve most of the REDS team as the ball was run from half back and delivered to Hugo by Dae Szydlik. Elijah Kingsley layed some big bumps and Oliver Argyrou playing on the wing this quarter gathered possessions. A miss from a set shot was followed shortly after by a goal on the run from Matt McNaughton for his second of the game and the Saints fourth. Back to the middle and straight out again through Joel Crocker to Curtis Sayers and on to Noa Simon. Henry Boileau, lurking in the forward pocket attacked the ball and snapped yet another for the Saints. At three quarter time it was the Saints 5 goals 3 behinds to Ormond 3 points.
The team was changed around a bit for the last quarter with a new Saints on ball brigade. Ormond made the most of the chances they had been threatening to take all day and played good football to put the back line under tremendous pressure. Daniel Parish stood out for the Saints with some saving marks and Howie Persson continued to try and break the lines, but Ormond played on at all costs and had their running game going. Declan Hollick and Mac Hocking continued to be in and under but Ormond managed to lock the play in their forward line kicking two goals for the quarter, with their final goal after the siren and held the Saints scoreless.
Neither side had been able to convert against the wind and the Saints second quarter, plus a little more accuracy and finishing in the forward line probably were the major difference between two pretty even sides.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 2, Hugo Twigg 1, Lachy Harris 1 and Henry Boileau 1 with player awards to Oliver Argyrou, Elijah Kingsley and Noa Simon. The coach’s award for the day went to Harvey Emerson.
Go City.
Round 10 29th June U9 REDS
Vs Mordi-Brae @ Peanut Farm
St Kilda Reds 6 goals 2 Behinds 38
Mordi-Brae 3 goals 7 Behinds 25
With a gale blowing towards the grandstand end, St Kilda captain Andrew Tzimus won the toss and elected to kick against the wind. It proved an inspired choice as St. Kilda held Mordi-Brae goalless for the quarter, kicking one ourselves and setting the REDs up for the remainder of the match.
The side lined up:
B: Nick Watson Lukas Rowe (vc) Declan Hollick
HB: Noah Rowe Joel Crocker Adam Oulton
C: Hugo Twigg Harvey Emerson Zac Batagol (dvc)
HF: Mitchell Jarrett Dae Szydlik Henry Boileau
F: Curtis Sayers Alex Martin Marco Walker
Ru: Daniel Parish
RR: Matt McNaughton
Ro: Lachy Harris
Interchange: Mac Hocking, Andrew Tzimus (c), Elijah Kingsley, Howie Persson, Connor Bannister, Patrick Frencken.
The Saints gained the early ascendency out of the middle with Lachlan Harris in and under from the very start. Mitchell Jarrett and Henry Boileau were prominent up forward early on, both going in hard and teaming up with full forward Alexander Martin for a great running chain of handballs. Mordi-Brae countered but courageous play from Joel Crocker put a stop to their attack and the resultant rebound saw Dae Szydlik pick up and snap from a pack to put the Saints first goal on the board. Again the Saints got the ball out of the centre courtesy of the hard running Harvey Emerson, but a long bomb with the wind by Mordi-Brae looked to have caught the Saints out of position until Adam Oulton ran straight and true and crashed through the Mordi-Brae midfield.
The pressure applied by Declan Hollick and Nick Watson out of the back pockets helped keep Mordi-Brae to two solitary behinds for the quarter. The coach was rapt at quarter time and lauded the boy’s efforts and attack on the ball. Kick long and keep getting in first was the message.
Howie Persson came on and took up on Lachy’s example out of the middle, securing and belting the ball forward. A chain of handballs starting from deputy vice captain Zac Batagol to Elijah Kingsley to Howie Persson again saw another thrust forward for Dae Szydlik at full tilt to rove the pack and slice through the Mordi-Brae defence for his and the Saints second of the day. Shortly after Dae was in it again passing to Marco Walker who took the ball, ran, prepared to shoot for goal and was bumped off his feet at the last second. Mordi-Brae took the ball around the far boundary and managed two more behinds in succession before Noah Rowe cleared to Lachy, which started a passage of play leading to the Saints running the ball the length of the field for a behind themselves. The resultant kick in saw Hugo Twigg get a deserved free kick straight in front. From 20 metres he slotted it straight through the middle, for his first (in the U9’s) of the season. At half time it was the Saints 3 goals 1 behind to Mordi-Brae 4 behinds.
The third quarter saw the Saints still full of fire. Vice captain Lukas Rowe continued to be a thorn in Mordi-Braes side, putting a stop to several attacks and like his brother starting the chain reaction that saw the ball rebound to the Saints forward line. Daniel Parish was again inspirational, breaking through the Mordi-Brae defence and handballing on to teammates. As usual, Mac Hocking was there to mop up and Mordi-Brae just couldn’t seem to find a way forward. A lapse of concentration let Mordi-Brae in for their first goal of the day, before in the blink of an eye, St Kilda had regained the momentum thanks to a real captain’s goal from Andrew Tzimus, letting go a thirty metre torpedo against the wind and on an angle that pierced through the middle of the uprights. No sooner, it seemed, had he made his way back to the middle, than he repeated the result. This time a more moderate kick from 15 metres straight in front after a safe mark. At three quarter time the REDs lead 5 goals 2 behinds to Mordi-Brae 1 goal 7 behinds.
Last quarter saw a few positional changes and Mordi-Brae lift the tempo. Against the wind they started to control the ball and managed to cut off any St Kilda forward forays at half forward, breaking the lines and rebounding over the midfield. Curtis Sayers continued to run hard and both Patrick Frencken and Connor Bannister had their work cut out for them in the back line. Something was missing however, and Matthew McNaughton reminded us what that was, picking the ball up at half forward, taking two bounces and slotting it through on the run. St Kilda was in attack again with Lachy Harris about to attempt a 70-metre goal when the siren sounded. The Saints had won, kicking 6 goals 2 behinds to Mordi-Brae 3 goals 7 behinds.
A great first half set up the victory and the coach congratulated the boys on their commitment and effort. The boys were rapt to defeat the skilful Mordi-Brae side, who had served it up to the Saints way back in round 1. The victory was the teams 9th in a row, and the song gets louder every week.
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Goal kickers for the day were Dae Szydlik 2, Andrew Tzimus 2, Matthew McNaughton 1 and Hugo Twigg 1 with player awards to Noah Rowe, Connor Bannister and Dae Szydlik. The coach’s award for the day went to Lachy Harris.
Go City.
Round 9 22nd June U9 REDS
Vs South Melbourne @ Peanut Farm
St Kilda Reds 4 goals 9 Behinds 33
South Melbourne 0 goals 0 Behinds 0
Are the REDS just fair weather footballers? They’ll tell you they are fabulous in the wet. Well, the question was asked and answered emphatically today.
With the rain starting up just before play and lasting the whole game, conditions were going to sorely test the boys’ skill. Matthew McNaughton in his role as skipper lost the toss and we kicked towards the clubroom end. Both sides came out and battled hard for control in the greasy conditions. Elijah Kingsley had a chance for the REDS first, but took a bounce too many and could not control the slippery ball. The coach had Noa Simon and deputy vice captain Adam Oulton starting up on the forward line this week and along with young Marco Walker were applying relentless pressure to keep the ball in the St Kilda half. The skipper Matt McNaughton had our first real shot on goal from a free kick, but fell just short. South Melbourne was rebounding, but could only get it to the middle before Mac Hocking and Noah Rowe returned it with interest. Vice captain Dae Szydlik had a chance but unselfishly chose to pass it off to a leading Mitchell Jarrett, where a great spoil by a South Melbourne defender held us out once again. It wasn’t till late in the quarter when the bustling Howie Persson managed to break the deadlock, with a well-deserved long goal on the run.
The coach was happy at quarter time, at least he appeared to be as viewed from the shelter and warmth of the clubrooms.
Second quarter saw the rain continue and Lachy Harris come on and rip South Melbourne apart. Yet again the dominance of Daniel Parish in the ruck and around the ground was telling, and Alex Martin freed up by the coach was leading, marking and kicking long. Zac Batagol, continuing a great run of form and Henry Boileau returning from the injury list were prominent and enjoying the plentiful supply, but South Melbourne had seen the signs and in what some might call a Tiger inspired panic, flooded the backline. Some excellent work by Lachlan Harris to find an unmarked Joel Crocker, floating down from the backline 15 metres out, saw Joel kick truly to get St Kilda’s second major for the game. At half time it was St Kilda 2 goals 4 behinds to South Melbourne yet to score.
A crowd in the rooms at half time, the boys playing curtain raiser to the under 17’s. The coach reminded the boys of the simple rules of wet weather football, get in first and kick long. Quite a few of the under 17 ‘s were tuning in, especially when they found out the boys were 7 and 1 (and got lollies at half time!).
Third quarter started on a burst. Nicholas Watson, with not much to do in defence in the first half was thrown into attack, and a familiar pattern was played out again, “ball kicked long, off the pack, Matthew McNaughton, Goal”. Back to the middle and a kick out of the centre by Hugo Twigg, mark by Elijah, long bomb to Lachy Harris, twist, turn and another goal. The REDS were on fire and all over the ground the boys were pushing forward. As much as South Melbourne tried to turn the tide, they just could not clear it. If it wasn’t Curtis Sayers taking strong marks between centre half forward and the middle, it was Harvey Emerson taking an absolute screamer in the wet on the half forward line. At three quarter time it was St Kilda 4 goals 5 behinds to South Melbourne yet to trouble the scorers.
The last quarter saw much of the same. South Melbourne fought hard, but even when they did break the lines, debutant Connor Bannister mopped up and kicked confidently to his teammates. Andrew Tzimus out of the centre and Patrick Frencken on his wing, with their ball control, made it look like a dry day. Although much of the play was in the St Kilda forward line we couldn’t put anything but points on the board. Lukas Rowe was narrowly short from a free kick and Declan Hollick and Mitch Jarrett also couldn’t quite slot it through the middle. At the final siren St Kilda had added 4 points to register 4 goals 9 behinds. The defence had stood up all day and held South Melbourne scoreless.
A fantastic team effort by all the boys. Their willingness to man up and look for teammates in a better position when disposing was exemplary. The question posed was never in doubt from the first quarter.
A big game at home next week against the only side to have beaten us so far this year, Mordi-Braeside. The REDS go in with good form, and Hugo Twigg, who after our game today booted two superb goals for John Feehan’s under 10’s, can't wait to add a couple more for the under 9’s.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 1, Howie Persson 1, Joel Crocker 1 and Lachy Harris 1 with player awards to Andrew Tzimus, Henry Boileau and Noa Simon. The coach’s award for the day went to Daniel Parish.
Go City.
Round 8 15th June U9 REDS
Vs Cheltenham Green @ Cheltenham
St Kilda Reds 8 goals 8 Behinds 56
Hampton Green 2 goals 0 Behinds 12
Captain for the day Elijah Kingsley won the toss and St Kilda kicked to the Argyle Street end. The first quarter was spent mostly in the St Kilda forward line, with the Reds bombing it in and Cheltenham defending well. Dae Szydlik, despite illness during the week, lined up at centre half forward and produced a great clearance to set up our first scoring opportunity and then followed up shortly after with a mark and shot for our first goal. Curtis Sayers was in amongst the action, but like teammates Harvey Emerson and Noah Rowe could only put points on the board. Patrick Frencken on the wing was carrying on from previous weeks, smothering, playing in front and getting heaps of the ball. Late in the quarter Cheltenham broke through the St Kilda defence to score a major, leaving them 3 points behind at quarter time.
Second quarter saw the ball go quickly into the St Kilda forward line, as players held their positions well and off the pack Matthew McNaughton snapped truly to register yet another goal for the season. Cheltenham fought hard and had a fair bit of the play, but Lukas Rowe, as well as the other "twins" Mac Hocking and Declan Hollick all marked well and cleared through teammates. A great piece of teamwork saw Hugo Twigg mark and link up with the ‘gazelle' Elijah Kingsley to take the ball from half back to full forward. Nicholas Watson performed a great smother and tackle on the wing to wrest control of the ball and stop a Cheltenham attack and Marco Walker was making great position for the St Kilda counter attacks. Although St Kilda added only a single goal for the quarter, they kept Cheltenham scoreless.
The coach was full of praise for the boys at half time and was pleased with the way we were holding our positions. The third quarter saw St Kilda take control with Howie Persson sparing the opposition no rest. Together with ball magnet Lachy Harris and Daniel Parish in the ruck, who gets better every week, the ball stayed in the St Kilda forward line for first Matt McNaughton, then Harvey Emerson and finally Joel Crocker (courtesy of a 15 metre penalty) to all kick goals. Curtis Sayers had the opposition lunging at thin air as he turned, twisted and snapped....for a behind. Noa Simon and Oliver Argyou again played solid football, giving their opponents little breathing space in defence, and Alex Martin, released from full back duties this week, was turning up all over the field with strong leads. At three quarter time St Kilda had taken a stranglehold leading 5 goals 6 behinds to Cheltenham 1 goal.
Like previous games St Kilda were ‘sluggish' to half time and turned it on in the second half. In the last quarter Zac Batagol, Adam Oulton and Andrew Tzimus ran riot and pumped it forward where Mitchell Jarrett showed his class with a great long goal. The bustling Howie Persson worked hard to clear the pack and slotted through a right footer on the run and Matt McNaughton snuck in for his third of the day. Cheltenham didn't lie down however, counter attacking the length of the field for a great goal against the tide. At full time it was St Kilda 8 goals 8 behinds to Cheltenham 2 goals straight.
The scoreboard did not quite tell the story of the day as a younger Cheltenham side with three ex-St Kilda players, defended strongly all day, early on showing us how to be in first for the ball. They will be a real force next year.
The St Kilda marking up was great, and showed the boys putting into practice what they have learnt at training. Passages of play including the sheparding and movement of the ball by hand and foot showed a real determination to play as a team. Standing room only in the change rooms after the game with the song sung for the seventh time in a row.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 3, Dae Szydlik 1, Harvey Emerson 1, Howie Persson 1, Mitchell Jarrett 1 and Joel Crocker 1 with player awards to Curtis Sayers, Declan Hollick and Alex Martin. The coach's award for the day went to Patrick Frencken.
Go City.
Round 7 1st June U9 REDS
Vs Hampton Green @ Hampton
St Kilda Reds 8 goals 17 Behinds 65
Hampton Green 1 goals 0 Behinds 6
Noah Rowe as captain for this round lost the toss and St Kilda kicked to the far end of Ludstone Street Reserve. The fog was slowly lifting; enough to barely see from one goal to the other by the start of the game. St Kilda went straight into attack through the agency of ruck rover Harvey Emerson. Play was bottled in the St Kilda forward line with Dae Szydlik, Mitchell Jarrett and Lachy Harris all having a dash but only bringing up minors. Deputy Vice Captain Curtis Sayers looked to have our first on the board from the boundary, but grazed the post. Hampton counter attacked, finding the St Kilda backmen out of position to get the first major of the game on the board. At quarter time it was Hampton 1 straight goal to St Kilda three behinds. St Kilda in front everywhere except the scoreboard.
“Lets get some more kicks in and capitalise on our chances”, said the coach at quarter time and Matthew McNaughton coming on in the middle did just that, following the play down the ground and snapping truly for St Kilda’s first of the day. Mac Hocking was marking well and picking up kicks with gay abandon and Patrick Frencken on the other wing was continuing his great first quarter form. Marco Walker showed heaps of courage in blocking Hampton’s thrust forward and vice captain Nick Watson was now on and marshalling the back line to give Hampton no quarter. For the most part St Kilda had all the play with full forward Elijah Kingsley providing a target, but like a few of his teammates not kicking straight. A great piece of individual play from Lachy Harris saw St Kilda’s second for the game and with Daniel Parish controlling the rucks, played stayed forward of centre. The few occasions when the ball ended up in Hampton’s forward line Noa Simon and Hugo Twigg casually repelled the attacks with consummate ease. A second goal to Matt McNaughton courtesy of a Lachy Harris handpass reminded us of Dale Thomas, with the same laconic approach and result. At half time it was St Kilda 3 goals 9 behinds to Hampton still a solitary goal.
The third quarter saw the back line under a little more pressure, but Joel Crocker stood firm, despite a knee injury sustained at Friday’s training that may have ended the careers of lesser mortals. Together with Declan Hollick who puts in every week and debutant Oliver Argyou, who showed great touch first up (coach was heard to remark “he goes OK”), the ball ended up staying in the St Kilda forward line for most of the quarter. Adam Oulton went forward in the third quarter and showed his versatility, yet again getting soooo close to scoring a major. The smooth running Howie Persson kicked our fourth, before in a blink of an eye, Matt McNaughton added another two majors to his tally to further bankrupt his parents. At three quarter time it was St Kilda 6 goals 13 behinds to Hampton 1 straight goal.
The last quarter went the same way as the previous two, with St Kilda having a full head of steam up. The unstoppable Matt McNaughton kicked his fifth for the day as the coach threw players forward, with Henry Boileau, Lukas Rowe and Nick Watson joining in to bomb long into the forward line. Picking up on the supply was Harvey Emerson who took a great goal square mark and booted truly (missing the goal post for the first time in a couple of games…). On the siren Lachy Harris marked and kicked a huge 45-metre point – our 17th for the day.
Final scores were St Kilda 8 goals 17 behinds to Hampton 1 goal. Apart from some inaccurate kicking, St Kilda played with great confidence and fantastic teamwork.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton an astonishing 5, Lachy Harris 1, Howie Persson 1 and Harvey Emerson 1 with player awards to Daniel Parish, Howie Persson and Hugo Twigg. The coach’s award for the day went to Harvey Emerson and the opposition provided an award, which went to the goal magnet Matt McNaughton.
Go City.
Round 6 25th May U9 REDS
Vs East Brighton @ Peanut Farm
St Kilda Reds 4 goals 6 Behinds 30
East Brighton 2 goals 2 Behinds 14
Captain for the day Henry Boileau lost the toss and the Saints kicked to the Luna Park end. It was a willing first term with the Saints in control – but East Brighton putting on heaps of pressure. Lachy Harris was in and under as usual laying a great bump on a boy twice his size to stop any Brighton momentum. First goal came from a mark in the square to Matt McNaughton after great contesting on the forward line by Adam Oulton, which led to a Harvey Emerson snap to Matt. Dae Szydlik was in fine form at centre half forward with some great marks. When Brighton did get it forward it was the reliable duo of Hugo Twigg and Noa Simon that repelled the thrusts. Just on the quarter time siren, Andrew Tzimus got a free and kicked truly for the Saints second for the quarter.
East Brighton came out firing in the second quarter. Elijah Kingsley copped a beauty for the second week in a row and was escorted off by our trainer Wendy. Joel Crocker at centre half back started to come into his own and Zac Batagol was inspirational with his chase down and ‘tackle’ to hold the ball up on the wing. Vice captain Mac Hocking laid some great smothers, but Brighton had St Kilda chasing them. Daniel Parish in the ruck was winning contested possessions for St Kilda and Howie Persson ruck roving this week fought hard, but Brighton ended up kicking the only goal for the quarter to leave them a goal down at half time.
A solid effort in the third quarter saw St Kilda hold their lead. The Rowe brothers, Lukas and Noah held their positions well, with Noah taking several marks and then kicking to possession. Deputy vice captain Marco Walker and Alex Martin also chipped in to hold Brighton goalless for the quarter. Up forward Harvey Emerson was unlucky to hit the post and captain Henry Boileau was providing a spark with Curtis Sayers doing some great team things. Some great reading of the play by Mitchell Jarrett saw a snap that produced the Saints third for the day.
At three quarter time the coach ‘changed’ things around a bit with players starting in previously unfamiliar positions. Some smart play out of the middle saw St Kilda go forward where the dangerous Patrick Frencken swooped on the ball and kicked a trademark long left foot goal to nearly put the game out of reach for Brighton. To their credit Brighton lifted and had most of the play for the rest of the quarter. Declan Hollick and Nicholas Watson battled hard in the back line, and it was touch and go for a while, but Brighton could manage only a single goal. At the final siren St Kilda 4 goals 6 behinds had defeated East Brighton 2 goals 2 behinds.
A good effort by the boys, we ‘lost’ ourselves a bit in the second quarter, where everyone chased the ball, and at times, although commendable, the handballs should have been replaced by a long kick – but we’ll work on things at training.
By now we all know the song, which was belted out for the fifth game in a row.
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 1, Andrew Tzimus 1, Mitchell Jarrett 1 and Patrick Frencken 1 with player awards to Harvey Emerson, Mitchell Jarrett and Lukas Rowe. The coach’s award for the day went to Marco Walker.
Go City.
Round 7 18th May U9 REDS
Vs Murrumbeena @ Murrumbeena.
St Kilda Reds 3 goals 3 behinds 21 points
Murrumbeena 1 goal 5 behinds 11 points
St K | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 21 |
Murrumbeena | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 11 |
The heavy rain that had occurred all Saturday, as if by a perfect script stopped just before the start of the game and the sun broke out. Murrumbeena won the toss and kicked with the wind. The first quarter was a dour affair with both sides getting the ball into their respective forward lines. Overall Murrumbeena had slightly more of the play in their forward line. The reds however made better use of their limited opportunities and finished with 1.1 for the quarter. Lachie Harris got the Reds on the board with a successful long shot for goal. Murrumbeena seemed to be first at the ball and have first use, but didn’t convert their opportunities. The Reds backline of held firm and repelled the Murrumbeena attacks.
The second quarter saw Murrumbeena take the initiative and impetus away from the Reds. The opposition showed much more desperation and desire for the ball and played their best quarter for the game. The backline was constantly under attack and to their credit never gave in at all. Murrumbeena peppered their goals having 6 shots in all. Had it not been for inaccurate kicking the end of result could have been very different indeed. At the end of the second quarter Murrumbeena had hit the lead by 4 points. How would the Reds respond………..?
Half time saw some home truths bought to the 24 Reds players. More intensity, be first to the ball, take the initiative, were some of the messages delivered to the group. As had been the trend so far many changes were made with players coming on and off the ground as well as other positional changes on the ground.
To their credit the Reds lifted dramatically in the third quarter, Joel Crocker, Lachie Harris and other onballers started getting the ball and using it to their advantage. Joel Crocker scored the only goal for either team for the quarter, with scores at the end of the third quarter, Reds 2.2, 14 points to Murrumbeena 1.5, 6 points. Credit to the defensive players, who kept the Murrumbeena team scoreless. Declan Hollick effected a good smother, showing that the defensive side to his game is very strong. Henry Boileau showed poise with a strong mark. Andrew Tzimas was showing his enjoyment playing on the ball and Daniel Parish thought he had scored a team lifting goal, until the goal umpires decision was over turned by the field umpire. With a slight lead, Murrumbeena still threatened heading into the last quarter.
In the last quarter, numerous changes were made; Lachie Harris and Joel Crocker were moved into the backline in preparation for a Murrumbeena onslaught. Lachie had some good runs, breaking the lines out of the backline, with Joel reading the play well and getting into good defensive positions. Alex Martin at full forward was making good position, leading and taking marks, giving the Reds a target to kick too. Matt McNaughton on a forward flank kicked and missed from a set shot but redeemed himself later in the quarter with a successful set shot. In the end, the Reds were a little more polished in the wet conditions, however Murrumbeena put up a constant and solid effort.
Final scores:
St. Kilda City 3.3 21
Murrumbeena 1.5 11
Goal Kickers Joel Crocker 1, Lachlan Harris 1, Matt McNaughton 1
Player Awards Matt McNaughton, Andrew Tzimus, Declan Hollick
Coaches Award : Joel Crocker.
Go City.
Round 4 11th May U9 REDS
Vs St Bedes/Mentone @ Oval #1 Albert Park
St Kilda Reds 7 goals 5 Behinds 47
St Bedes/Mentone 3 goals 7 Behinds 25
What chance when the coaches mum doesn’t let him come out to play?
Luckily Leon Harris stepped in to take over the reins for a week, ably supported by Darren Crocker, for our home game played at Albert Park.
Captain Alex Martin lost the toss and St Kilda kicked to the city end of the ground. St Bedes were all over St Kilda in the first quarter, and it was obvious the ‘new’ coach was going to need something more than a bucket full of lollies to get the boys going. The back line was up against it as Hugo Twigg, Lukas Rowe and Henry Boileau fought hard across half back, but St Bedes had all the answers. The midfield machine of Howie Persson, Lachy Harris and Curtis Sayers were finding it hard to stop the opposition dominance. Quarter time saw St Bedes 2 goals 2 behinds with St Kilda yet to score.
The coach made some positional changes at quarter time and reminded the boys that they need to run harder. Still St Bedes seemed to control the ball but inaccurate kicking only increased their behinds tally. Against the flow of play Matthew McNaughton roved from a long bomb and snapped truly for St Kilda’s first of the day. St Kilda seemed to be getting with it with wingmen Patrick Frencken and Declan Hollick starting to pick up possessions and Mac Hocking giving us a target on the forward line. Marco Walker took the coaches advice and ran and harassed the St Bedes backmen, allowing the ball to stay in our forward line. Another well earned goal to St Kilda through the determined Joel Crocker saw us getting closer, but St Bedes responded soon after to maintain the break. Noa Simon, Daniel Parish and Adam Oulton on the full back line were doing their utmost to keep St Bedes at bay, and the pressure on the player kept St Bedes to only a few more behinds. At half time it was St Bedes 3 goals 6 behinds to St Kilda 2 goals.
“More running” said the coach, and the boys responded. Andrew Tzimus went into the centre and set St Kilda alight in the third quarter. Elijah Kingsley started to give St Kilda first use of the ball from the middle and Howie Persson and Lachy Harris capitalised. The St Kilda boys started to hold their positions and Zac Batagol and Patrick Frencken both ran riot on their respective wings, constantly repelling St Bedes attempts to clear. Matthew McNaughton goaled again to put St Kilda closer and when Lachy Harris booted truly from 30 metres out, St Kilda had hit the front. We looked like going further ahead except for a great block on Harvey Emerson that stopped what looked like a certain goal. At three quarter time St Kilda 4 goals 3 behinds led St Bedes 3 goals 6 behinds.
It was neck and neck going into the last quarter and although St Bedes fought hard, some resolute defence and teamwork from Dae Szydlik and the hard checking Nick Watson kept them at bay. Noah Rowe attempted and almost took mark of the year, but the story was up forward where the ball was coming in nicely. Harvey Emerson goaled for his first of the day and when Andrew Tzimus snuck in with a mark in front of goal and kicked truly, it put St Kilda nearly three goals in front. Henry Boileau now in attack after some telling marks in defence received a free kick and also kicked straight for his first major of the season. At the siren St Kilda had kept St Bedes to 1 point in the second half and put on 5 goals 5 behinds to record a memorable win against the previously unbeaten St Bedes.
Apart from a slow start, St Kilda held their positions better than the opposition, ran harder and got the ball out of contests more often than the opposition. In the second half particularly, the teamwork and kicking to players in better positions down the ground was excellent.
As is the norm, the song was again sung with great gusto!
Goal kickers for the day were Matthew McNaughton 2, Harvey Emerson 1, Joel Crocker 1, Lachlan Harris 1, Henry Boileau 1 and Andrew Tzimus 1 with player awards to Zac Batagol, Adam Oulton and Noah Rowe.
Go City.
Round 3 4th May U9 REDS
Vs Beaumaris Blues @ Beaumaris.
St Kilda Reds 4 goals 4 behinds 35 points
Beaumaris 1 goal 5 behinds 11 points
A tough ask against a Beaumaris side that in previous years have always been very strong and fast.
St Kilda captain Patrick Frencken won the toss and kicked to the change room end in the first quarter. Beaumaris got the ball away but some telling marks in defence from Andrew Tzimus kept Beaumaris at bay. St Kilda slowly started to find their rhythm as the midfield machine of Howie Persson, Lachy Harris and rover for this week Matthew McNaughton pushed forward. Curtis Sayers showed great desperation in smothering off the boot to keep the ball in attack for St Kilda. Ruckman Elijah Kingsley got a free kick just out of range, but his kick to the goal line saw vice-captain Mitchell Jarrett read it well and snap truly to put our first (and his first for the season) on the board. The coach had asked Adam Oulton for goals today and he was doing everything to make this a reality. At quarter time St Kilda were 1 goal 2 behinds to Beaumaris yet to score.
The second quarter was tough with Beaumaris kicking towards what was notionally the scoring end of the ground. The back line held up superbly. Noah Rowe was inspirational with some telling marks and kicks to position. Henry Boileau and Daniel Parish, after getting a roasting from the coach at quarter time, came out focussed and in control. Henry’s marking for the day was superb, with a screamer in the last quarter. Zac Batagol showed what an asset he is with his desperation and ‘in and under’ approach keeping Beaumaris at bay. At the other end of the ground Harvey Emerson couldn’t believe it when his on the run shot went wide for a point, but thanks to our wingman in captain Patrick Frencken and Declan Hollick the honours for the quarter were shared between Beaumaris and St Kilda, with both sides only able to register a single point for the quarter.
The coach was happy with the efforts at half time and asked for more of the same in the premiership quarter to come. Lukas Rowe was on the field now after a pre-game injury that sidelined him for a while. St Kilda kept the ball in our forward line for most of the quarter, with Beaumaris forays into attack held up by the captain of the back line in Alex Martin, with great assist from the ever improving Nicholas Watson, who threw himself on the ball (and opposition) whenever it came his way. Joel Crocker continued to be first to the ball and showed uncanny ability to weave his way through the opposition at will. The St Kilda teamwork was great and Marco Walker found himself on the receiving end of some well-directed passes. To their credit, Beaumaris managed to bottle it up on our full forward line, before the reliable Matthew McNaughton roved well and snapped truly for his second goal of the weekend (the first being with the under 10 side on Friday night – which was courtesy of a rocket like pass from another under 9 teammate in Lachy Harris). Howie Persson got in on the action shortly after with a snap reminiscent of the previous week to register our second major for the quarter. At three quarter time it was St Kilda 3 goals 3 behinds to Beaumaris still a solitary point.
The last quarter saw a determined Beaumaris side put the pressure right back on St Kilda. They went straight into attack, but thanks to slightly inaccurate kicking only managed three more behinds; before a kick across goal from St Kilda saw Beaumaris swoop to score their first goal for the game. A loose kick in from another Beaumaris behind saw the ball stay in their forward line. St Kilda started to regain some composure with Dae Szydlik, who had played both forward and back for the game, and deputy vice captain Hugo Twigg repelling the Beaumaris attacks and providing much needed drive off the back line. No ‘icing the clock’ for St Kilda, as players sensed that Beaumaris had done their dash and the last half of the quarter was all St Kilda, as Dae Szydlik and Matt McNaughton teamed up to run half the length of the ground hand balling to each other. Holding the ball in the forward line Curtis Sayers was rewarded for his hard work with his first of what will be many goals for the season.
The handballing, teamwork and looking for each other was a credit to the coach and team. A couple of lessons still to be learnt – especially kicking towards the boundary in defence – but all in all a superb effort.
Goal kickers for the day were Mitchell Jarrett, Matthew McNaughton, Howie Persson and Curtis Sayers, with player awards to Elijah Kingsley, Nicholas Watson and Hugo Twigg.
Go City.
Round 2 27th April U9 REDS
Vs Ormond Blues @ Peanut Farm
St.Kilda Reds 10 goals 7 Behinds 67
Ormond Blues 2 goals 0 Behinds 12
The second round found a much more organised and structured Reds outfit get their first win for the season. A comprehensive victory was the result from a concerted team effort.
St. Kilda Captain for the week, Dae Sydlik won the toss and St.Kilda kicked towards the club room end. The Reds took the initiative right from the outset with a centre clearance and push deep in the forward line. Matt McNaughton playing in the forward pocket kicked the first goal within minutes. This trend continued for the majority of the first quarter with Elijah Kingsley getting the ball to Lachlan Harris giving the Reds first use. Great effort and endeavour from the onballers and forward line saw the ball continually in the forward line. Joel Crocker capitalised on his opportunity at Half forward converting a good mark and set shot at goal. Howie Perrson and Dae Sydlik also had strong quarters. At quarter time it was St.Kilda 2 goals 2 behinds to Ormond no score.
The second quarter was more of the same, as the Reds kicked into top gear. Lachie Harris was getting plenty of the ball and clearances, Perrson continued to work hard and forwards such as Mitch Jarrett, Marco Walker and Full Forward Harvey Emerson seemed to have all the play. Patrick Frencken was very damaging in the second quarter with some beautiful left foot kicks. He finished the quarter with 2 great goals and Joel Crocker continued to be dangerous kicking 2 more goals to take his tally for the game at that point to 3 goals. The Reds finished with 4 goals 1 behind for the quarter and Ormond got their first goal for the game.
For the Coach as pleasing as it was, half time was all about bringing calm to the team and getting them to focus on more of the good work, as the excitement of possibly their first win, had the U9’s all buzzing. More changes were made to bring further players into the game. Howie Perrson having a solid game kicked the first goal, and during the few times that Ormond got the ball into their forward line, the Reds defenders in Tzimas, Parish, Noa Simon, Oulton, Martin and Twigg made sure that Ormond were put under great pressure to convert. Given limited opportunities during the game, the defending players of St.Kilda city did their job very well. Mac Hocking playing on the ball provided great support for Harris and Mitch Jarrett started to get some space. Elijah Kingsley set the dominant tone for the quarter with a great (and fair) bump on an Ormond player streaming through the centre. More attacking forward play saw Howie Persson kick his second goal of the quarter and once again Frencken caused more damage with his third goal for the game right on the siren. The Reds finished with 3 goals 1 behind to Ormond 1 straight goal.
Zac Batagol, Nick Watson and Declan Hollick had solid games, with the last quarter bringing a full game team effort from the reds. The back line stuck solid with Hugo Twigg, Alex Martin, Adam, Noah Simon, Parish and Andrew Tzimas keeping Ormond scoreless for the second quarter out of four. Dae Szydlik kicked the only goal for the quarter, Lachie Harris continued to be desperate and very hard working. At the siren the Reds had scored 1 goal 3 behinds to Ormond no score. The song was sung with great excitement as the Reds look forward to their next game against Beamauris.
Goal kickers for the day were Joel Crocker 3, Patrick Frencken 3, Howie Persson 2, Matthew McNaughton 1 and Dae Szydlik 1 with player awards to Joel Crocker, Patrick Frencken and Noa Simon.
Go City.
Round 1 20th April U9 REDS
vs Mordi-Brae @ Mordialloc.
St Kilda Reds 1 goal 5 behind 11 points
Mordi-Brae 3 goals 3 behinds 21 points
A beautiful sunny day for the start of the season, but unfortunately we couldn’t match the weather, going down by 10 points.
St Kilda captain Howie Persson won the toss and kicked to the grandstand end in the first quarter. The play see-sawed for a while with on-ballers Lachy Harris, Andrew Tzimus and Elijah Kingsley pushing it forward, but Mordi-Brae determinedly keeping our forwards at bay. Joel Crocker, Dae Szydlik and Noah Rowe were solid in defence, but Mordi-Brae got through for the first minor score of the game. Vice-captain Zac Batagol was providing plenty of run, and the couple of forays forward for St Kilda saw Mac Hocking and Declan Hollick at the bottom of the packs. At quarter time it was Mordi-Brae 2 behinds to St Kilda yet to get on the board.
The coach reminded the players to hold their positions at quarter time, but Mordi-Brae got a bit of a run on and kicked two goals for the second quarter. St Kilda took the ball forward repeatedly with Harvey Emerson getting us on the board with a point, and Mitchell Jarrett in everything. Curtis Sayers came on at quarter time and showed great skill and courage in and under the packs. Centre Half Forward Daniel Parish was providing a target, but Mordi-Brae were solid in defence. The dangerous Matthew McNaughton nearly opened our account but was thwarted on the goal line.
St Kilda came out full of running in the third quarter continually pushing the ball forward. When the ball did rebound deputy vice captain Henry Boileau and Lukas Rowe cut off the attacks. The pressure we were exerting finally broke Mordi-Brae as Harvey Emerson snapped truly for a great goal. Patrick Frencken was providing an avenue of attack down the far wing. Marco Walker and Adam Oulton were working hard to keep the ball in our forward line, and Andrew Tzimus’s bicycle kick would have had him in line for goal of the year. Although Mordi-Brae kicked a late goal to consolidate their lead, the quarter belonged to St. Kilda
At three quarter time the coach exhorted the players to go in full attack mode, and although St Kilda had most of the play, holding Mordi-Brae scoreless, we were only able to add a single point ourselves. Full back Alex Martin continued to run and with Nicholas Watson picking up kicks we were starting to look the part. Hugo Twigg came into his own marking strongly and pushing the ball forward, but the final siren beat us.
A great first up effort from the Saints, but Mordi-Brae deserved their victory. St Kilda tried hard all day and the efforts at teamwork were great to watch as strings of handpasses took us down the ground. Mordi-Brae showed us the importance of players holding their positions, which we will work on at training.
Goal kicker for the day was Harvey Emerson, with player awards to Marco Walker, Dae Szydlik and Lachy Harris.
Go City.
