SPORT
To help us with our PSA preparations, the
Swan Districts FC hosted many of our boys
over the Colts pre-season campaign. With
others at Perth FC, Claremont FC, East
Fremantle FC and East Perth FC, the decision
was made that we wouldn’t have a preseason camp. We were as well prepared as
we could hope to be and we openly declared
that the 1st XVIII’s goal was to win the Alcock
Cup. Many people questioned why we
would put pressure on ourselves, especially
given the number of Guildford Grammar
School teams that had fallen over the last
hurdle in their quest to win the Cup, but I
knew that this group was mentally strong
and that any perceived external pressures
would be well short of the pressure the boys
had placed on each other to live up to our
behavioural trademark over the years.
Our season started with a “Talking Footy”
forum featuring WA Football Commissioner
and Old Boy, Larry Kickett (He 70-72), West
Coast Eagles star Nic Naitanui and Leading
Teams partner, Darren Harris. It was a night of
great footy conversations in a relaxed setting
and as a group we took many things away.
The next event to shape our season was
our leadership vote. This team was blessed
with many quality leaders, but two stood
out. Ashley Bartlett (12St) and Marshall
Jones (12He) both wanted the job. Little
separated them when the votes were
counted, and although neither wanted to
share the appointment, I decided that it was
best for the team that they make it work
and we appointed Co-Captains. It proved to
be an inspired choice, with both bringing a
wonderfully diverse set of skills and qualities
to the role.
After a couple of pre-season games against
Mazenod College and Darling Range Sports
College we got down to business with early
round wins against Trinity and Christ Church.
With the bye in the third round, we were
eager to take on the perennially strong Hale
School in the Indigenous Round fixture. In
the lead up to the game, current student
Francis Divilli (12SG) and AFL Premiership
player, Des Headland, spoke to the group
about our role as custodians of the Wadjuk
Noongar land on which Roberts Oval is
placed – we were to defend that land and
each other with all the spirit and tenacity
we could muster. We came away with a five
goal win and our Alcock Cup vision was
becoming clear and vivid.
Round 6 against Wesley set up a virtual
Alcock Cup preliminary final. Although
touted as the team to beat this season,
Wesley had dropped a couple of early games
and another loss to us would see them drop
out of contention. The game that unfolded
was as good a school boy game as you will
ever see, with the physical clashes a highlight.
Neither team took a backward step, but
when they kicked the first two goals of the
last quarter to have a nine point lead, five
minutes into the last quarter, kicking with the
breeze, we looked in trouble. Our fighting
spirit would come to the fore though, and
we held them out for the remainder while
kicking two goals ourselves to record a two
point win. Dominant wins against Trinity
and Christ Church would see us go into the
semester break undefeated and two games
clear on top of the ladder from Hale.
The Alcock Cup equation was simple;
win two more games and we would be
guaranteed a share of the Cup while
three wins would see us declared outright
champions. Unfortunately, we returned from
the break a little rusty and we were well
beaten by Hale. Things were looking a little
shaky a week later when we found ourselves
nine points down going into the last quarter
against Scotch in wet and windy conditions.
We toiled hard to reduce the deficit by a
goal but were still down with five minutes
to go when Griffin Logue (12SG) launched
himself above the pack to take a classic
‘hanger’. He then slotted the goal from 55m
to put us in front for the first time that day.
When the siren sounded we were a solitary
point in front. A solid win over Aquinas the
following week would see us have one hand
on the Cup, but it was clear the way the boys
calmly celebrated the win that they had no
intention of sharing it.
The final round against Wesley was a
memorable day for all the right reasons!
The school staff and student population was
100% with us and th H