PR E PA R ATORY S C HO OL
Preparatory School Football Tour
The Guildford Grammar Preparatory
School Football Team travelled to
Melbourne during the holidays. We left
for Melbourne on Monday morning of the
second week and hit the ground running
with a game of glow in the dark mini-golf
at Harbour Town. Tuesday morning brought
on our first match against Scotch College.
This is a truly beautiful school with a rich
history spanning over 150 years. The players
were in awe of the hallowed turf which is
reserved exclusively for the 1st XVIII. Scotch
started the match strongly and it took our
players some time to work into the game.
Elijah Hewett played brilliantly and was
awarded the match ball as the best player
for our team. Following the game, the boys
were invited to the Scotch assembly where
they were presented with a pin they can
now wear proudly on their blazers. After
the assembly we visited the home of the
Western Bulldogs for a unique view into the
main training session of an AFL club. That
night we were off to Crown for a game of
laser tag, ten-pin bowling and an hour on
the arcade machines.
The next morning we toured Etihad stadium
getting a behind the scenes look at this
magnificent venue. We were lucky enough
to see the change rooms, coaches boxes
and some of the corporate suites. We
played our second match against Oakleigh
Primary School that afternoon and in a
turnaround from Tuesday, we started the
match with a goal inside the opening
minute. Our boys dominated much of the
game and eventually recorded our first win
in Melbourne. Piers McKechnie was a
standout in the mid-field.
50
less than a goal. David Ellard (Ha 05-06)
took us on a wonderful tour of the Carlton
Football Club facilities at Princess Park after
the match. Dave was truly inspiring as he
allowed us an insight into the life of an AFL
player. He even handled the curly questions
such as, “How is Mick Malthouse as a
coach?” Friday night saw us head back to
the MCG for a Friday Night thriller between
Collingwood and St Kilda. The boys learned
to appreciate the fine weather in Perth as
the barometer dropped and the rain fell.
Thursday gave us a break from playing and
we toured the Melbourne Cricket Ground
and National Sport’s Museum. The boys
took in the amazing history of this venue
where many of the sporting relics from our
nation’s history are housed. Following on
from the MCG, we took the short walk to
the Shrine of Remembrance and finally to
the Old Melbourne Jail where Ned Kelly
spent his final days