Sports Bulletin: Issue 01/22

Last weekend marked the first official round of the AIC AFL, cricket and volleyball season for all teams from Years 5-12 (excluding the first teams who commenced Round 1 the week before). Most teams played St Peter’s Lutheran College in the main draw, with other teams playing a variety of schools in the supplementary draw.

Our 1st AFL, volleyball and cricket teams led the way with good victories against the opposition. The 1st volleyball game was the ‘match of the week’. Arguably the two top sides of the competition came up against each other in the early rounds. Villanova pulled out a win in a 5-set thriller. The supporters who attended the game are to be congratulated for their cheering. As our team went through their ups and downs throughout the match, I’m sure the support from our student body was appreciated by the players to get them over the line. Let’s hope our 1st teams have their heads on straight this weekend and leave last weekend’s victories behind. Often boys can be drawn into a lull the week after solid wins. Keep hungry and keep training hard boys!

It was great to get out and see our new Year 5 students wearing the green and gold for the first time. Getting around the paddock it was evident that the Year 5 boys were enjoying the experience and were already showing signs of the ‘green and gold pride’ variant. It’s more infectious than Covid, its clinically proven. On top of this all our Year 5 teams won their first game (not counting the one internal cricket game). But more importantly they got out there, had a go and had fun. A great effort boys!

I must congratulate all teams from Year 5-12 and their parents for ensuring our uniforms were kept to a high standard. This year the college has introduced a new range of sports uniforms which will roll out across the year in all sports. I thought the AFL and volleyball uniforms looked great. I was extremely pleased to see the boys, for the most part, were wearing the correct volleyball and AFL socks.

The way we wear our uniforms, conduct ourselves at school and in public, the way we play and train, the way we support each other and the attitude we have to want to give our very best among many other things is important to us at Villanova. We ask our boys to strive to be the best they can be in all facets, not because they are asked but because they have a sense of pride in themselves and their school.

Although schoolwork and studies take the highest priority for our boys at Villanova, we are mindful that we focus not only on intellectual development but rather we promote the holistic development of each student.

To that end, your son’s involvement in the College’s co-curricular program, whether that be sport, music or cultural, can assist him to develop as a person in many ways. Participation in sport can teach those involved about resilience, the importance of teamwork, trust in yourself and others, it can teach you about hard work and determination and outcomes, it is a way we can learn about success and failure, it teaches us about humility, sportsmanship, integrity, honour and pride. These elements support a student’s social and emotional development. The development of a student in these areas can’t be achieved through studying a book or gazing into a computer screen, you experience these things by actively doing.

Like all things in life, its best to achieve a balance. My simple message is this – I urge students to balance their studies with some co-curricular activities. Getting involved and enjoying these co-curricular activities will help them to develop into a stronger and more balanced person.

As we have just commenced the current AIC Trimester 1 sports season (including swimming, volleyball, cricket and AFL) the Sports Office has been busily working behind the scenes to get the next AIC Trimester 2 sports season (including rugby, football, cross country and chess) underway. In fact, many of the plans for this season have been in the pipeline since mid-last year.

This week we officially open the Online Sign-on process for those wishing to represent Villanova in AIC Rugby, Football, Chess and Cross Country. Please read below further information regarding this process. Note – the online sign-on will close on Monday 28 February.

Due to Health and Safety reason, no dogs are permitted at Villanova Park

Last weekend several families brought their dog/s to cricket. It was unfortunate that our groundsmen had to clean up after some of them on Monday. Please keep your dog at home (despite whether you see others doing the wrong thing).

This week we approach Round 3 of competition against Ashgrove. This will be a big round for all players, so I challenge all boys to ‘step up’ and produce their very best this weekend and show everybody the amount of pride they have in their College by the way you conduct yourself as a competitor and as a member of our College. Best wishes and enjoy!

Round 3 AIC Fixtures – Friday 18 and Saturday 19 February, AIC Cricket, AFL and Volleyball v Marist College Ashgrove (in the main draw) and Swim Meet at Centenary Aquatic Centre
Please go to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures v Ashgrove. Simply scroll down on the College’s home page to the ‘Latest News’ section and click the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ section in The Locker Room: Weekly Fixtures » Villanova College (vnc.qld.edu.au)

COVID SPECTATOR RESTRICTIONS – Round 3 v Marist College Ashgrove (in main draw), Friday 18 and Saturday 19 Feb

Cricket and AFL Spectator Restrictions

• Use Covid check in and socially distance

Volleyball Spectator Restrictions

• Villanova – Volleyball Venue (Goold Hall)– Only one parent per player for all games from Year 10 – 12.  Two parents per player for the 1st game. No student spectators except the 1st game may have up to 20 students per College spectating. Use Covid check in, wear a mask and socially distance.
• Marist College Ashgrove – Volleyball Venue (Champagnat Centre) – All adults must show their vaccination status before entry, sign-in, wear masks and socially distance.

AIC Cricket – Mr Chris Everding, AIC Cricket Co-ordinator
The season finally got underway last Saturday in Round 2 v St. Peter’s Lutheran College. Rain impacted many of the afternoon games and all but two matches were completed. Many thanks to the coaches and parents for making sure boys were at the fields ready to begin on time. We will still have to navigate around Covid absences and smaller team numbers due to it, and just punch on and get the boys a game. Some teams with reduced numbers will allow players to have a longer bat and bowl more overs.

The 1st XI bowled SPLC out for 106 and then had a lengthy delay with rain. After things had settled down and the Lewis-Duckworth system came into play Villa was asked to score 80 runs off 26 overs. This may have seemed like an easy feat, but the boys were fighting against more bad weather approaching. The game was looking like it was about to be delayed again by the rain until Ben Thallon thumped 14 off three balls in the 18th over to secure the win just as the rain came down and settled in for the rest of the day.

Well down to all of our teams on Saturday. Villa recorded 18 wins and five losses against a number of Colleges and a few of those losses were very close games. Special mention to the Year 5 teams. Villa won all of the matches played and from all reports, the boys have started their Villa cricket career off with enthusiasm and excellent encouragement of their new friends.

This week we will face a tough opposition v Marist College Ashgrove. I ask all players and coaches to focus on the challenge we face this Saturday. The opposition will be determined and wary – Villanova will be ready and waiting. All teams must produce their best this week, good luck and best wishes to all!

Villanova Team of the Week – Round 2

AIC Cricket Results – Round 2

AIC Swimming – Mrs Juanita Jacobs, AIC Swimming Co-ordinator
Three weeks until the AIC championships!  The AIC championships are getting closer, so our preparation for the event is also ramping up.  It is imperative that swimmers attend as many sessions as possible during the week.  Friday morning is our only compulsory session for all swimmers so that we can focus on technical aspects of racing such as the starts, finishes and relay change overs. It is important for all members of the swim squad attend.  Given the COVID situation at the moment, it is possible that we will lose swimmers in the lead up to the championships, so all swimmers and reserves, must be able to step up on the day.  Training will continue as normal for the next few weeks.  We ask the swimmers to arrive at least 10mins early, to sign on with the teacher on duty

Friday night last week was a great turn out of the swimmers, and the first outing for the Year 5 team.  Their excitement and support for each other was wonderful to see.  There were many great performances on the night, but the best one belongs to the Open swim team, for beginning to get the Villanova area cleaned up and tidy.  The Iona staff approached me after the meet to ask me to pass on their thanks and congratulations to a great group of boys, who took it upon themselves to be responsible for Villa’s reputation.  Well done.  Some lost property was collected and is currently with Mrs Lamb in the Middle School student services office.

A few reminders, this Friday’s meet will be at the Centenary Pool.  All students will be bused to the venue and return by bus to school.  If your son is not able to attend, please email the team manager, to inform them as we need to be able to have some idea of numbers for buses. Please see details below.

AIC Swim Meet at Centenary Aquatic Centre

Date – Friday, 18 February – AIC Invitational Meet

Venue – Centenary Aquatic Centre, Gregory Terrace, Spring Hill

Time – Warm-up – 4.00pm; Start 4.15pm – 6.10pm

Transportation – A bus will transport all squad members to Centenary, departing Villanova at 3.10pm at the front of the College. The Year 5 and 6 swimmers will be escorted by a teacher to the bus area.  A return bus service will arrive back at the College at 6.20pm.

Note – parents are not permitted to attend this swim meet due to the size of venue. We ask parents to collect their son from the College NOT AT THE POOL after the event please.

A full program can be found in the AIC Swimming sections on the College’s web page: AIC Swimming » Villanova College (vnc.qld.edu.au)

Note – If you are not able to attend the Friday carnival for any reason, please contact myself or the relevant swim manager. Email:  jjacobsatvnc.qld.edu.au

AIC Volleyball – Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Volleyball Co-ordinator
Round 2 against St Peters proved to be a tough day of volleyball last Saturday. Many of the games played were tight and only decided by a few points. Whilst it is disappointing to not get the win in some of the games, it is still pleasing to note that our Villa boys fought hard and competed right to the end.

Congratulations to the players and coaches that came away with the win against St Peters. Our 1st VI side kept their winning start to the season going with a thrilling five set victory against one of the toughest competitors in 1st VI Volleyball for 2022. This match was certainly exciting to watch spanning over 2 hours and 20 minutes with the final set finishing at 15-9. Whilst they did it tougher than they would have liked they showed great composure and teamwork to come away with the win in what certainly was a heart-stopper of a fifth set.

The tough competition will continue this week as we take on Ashgrove in Round 3. There is no doubt that all our teams will be well prepared and ready to go again this Saturday. Our junior teams (7-9) will be playing at Ashgrove whilst our senior (10-Opens) will be playing at home. Please check the weekly fixtures for game times and venue information: Weekly Fixtures » Villanova College (vnc.qld.edu.au) Please note that spectators attending matches held at Ashgrove will need to show their vaccination status before entering.

Finally, can I please ask that families assist us in ensuring the College is well represented by wearing the correct AIC volleyball uniform, including socks, to all matches.

AIC Volleyball Results v St Peter’s Lutheran College

AIC AFL – Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator
Footy is back, and what a terrific way to start the season with the weekend’s results. Eight of the 10 teams had dominating wins against very good opposition on the weekend. The Firsts continued their strong start to the year with a huge win against St Peter’s Lutheran College. All teams displayed incredible talent on the weekend and have certainly set the bar high in terms of expectations for the season ahead. It was terrific to see the amount of support at Coorparoo on Friday evening.  The encouragement and war cries from all boys present really gave our men an edge on the field.

This weekend our older boys will be up against Marist College and once again it would be fantastic to see as much support as last week. Our younger boys are playing against rivals St Laurence’s, and it would be incredible for our future AFL stars to have some support from the senior boys who might be around. The younger boys were so incredibly proud to wear the green and gold on Saturday, but a little help with the VNC chant might be in order.

With sicknesses and unavailability’s can I please ask that if you are unable to make a game or training session, that you let your coach know as soon as possible. All coaches put in hard work to ensure games and training run smoothly and everyone is developing, so please stay in contact.

Please ensure you are at your game at least 30 minutes before bounce. Good luck for the weekend ahead, we have set a very high bar on what we can achieve this season.

AIC AFL Results – Round 2

Trimester 2 Sport Sign-Ons – Rugby, Football, Chess and Cross Country – Now Online
All students who are interested in representing Villanova in AIC Rugby, Football, Cross Country and Chess in Term 2 from Years 5-12 must complete an online registration form – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-2-sport-sign-on

Within the online form please tick your preference. Note that Rugby and Football will be played during the same time. Students who are eligible may choose either Rugby or Football as well as Chess and Cross Country.  Please see below all information pertaining to the up-coming Rugby and Football season.  This includes the commencement date of the trials as well as times and venues for all training.

IMPORTANT! – Students wishing to play AIC Rugby League in Term 3 must play either AIC Rugby Union or AIC Football in Term 2.

• RUGBY UNION (Open to all students from Year 5 – 12) Games played on Saturday as per College Calendar.
• FOOTBALL (Open to students from Year 5 – 12) Games played on Saturday as per College Calendar.
• CHESS (selected students from Year 5 – 12) Games played on Friday afternoon/evening as per College Calendar.
• CROSS COUNTRY (Open to all students from Year 5 – 12) Meets – Refer to College calendar.

We ask that all parents to complete this online registration alongside their son. Information regarding the student’s name, year level, ID number, parent’s email address, DOB and sport selection is required.

All nominations are due by Monday 28 February.

We expect that when a boy commits to a team that he follows that commitment through until the end of season.  Both parents and players must acknowledge within the online sign-on form that they are aware of the College’s policies and expectations with regards to school sport. The College’s Selection Guidelines and Code of Conduct will also be found on the online sign-on form. Please note that school sport is given priority over club sport.

AIC Rugby and Football Training/Trials
Any boy wishing to represent Villanova in either Rugby or Football must complete an Online Sign-on Form to register their interest – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-2-sport-sign-on

The first training/trial session will occur the very first week after Round 7 of Cricket, AFL and Volleyball. That is, the week beginning Monday 21 March.

Training times and venues for all Year 5-12 rugby and football teams are listed below. All Year 5 and 6 teams will train at Little Langlands or Whinstanes. Year 7-12 teams will train at Villanova Park. The College will provide bus transportation to Villanova Park for all teams. Parents are required to collect their son from Villanova Park after training. There will be no return bus service from Villanova Park.

Please see the divisions below. Note in each division the players will be graded from A, B, C etc. Opens will be graded from Firsts, Seconds, Thirds etc.

Football – Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Opens

Rugby – Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Opens

AIC Rugby and Football Trial Games – Date Claimers 

• Mon 21 – 25 March (Rugby and Football training/trials begins at Villanova Park for all Year 7-12 teams, Year 5 and 6 teams will trial at Little Langlands/Whinstanes)
• Saturday 26 March Internal AIC Rugby and Football Trials at Villanova Park (1sts, 2nds and 10A rugby and football v SLC at SLC only, all other teams will trial internally at Villanova Park)
• Saturday 23 April AIC Rugby and Football trial v Ashgrove (full school trial- Year 5-12)
• Saturday 30 May Round 1 – Saturday 11 June Round 7 as per College calendar

AIC Rugby and Football Training/Trial Schedule
The below schedules will be applied all season. NOTE – some Year 5 and 6 training times could change depending on the coach’s availability, however, we will endeavour to keep to the schedule below.

Rugby Training

• Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11 and Opens at Villanova Park 3.45-5.00pm, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
• Year 5 at Little Langlands, Tuesday afternoon 3.15pm-4.30pm and Thursday mornings 6.45-8.00am
• Year 6 at Little Langlands, Tuesday mornings 6.45am-8.00am and Thursday afternoons 3.15pm-4.30pm

Football Training

• Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, 3rds, 4ths and 5ths at Villanova Park 3.45-5.00pm, Monday and Wednesday afternoons
• 1sts and 2nds at Villanova Park 3.45-5.15pm Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
• Year 5 at Little Langlands, Monday afternoon 3.15pm-4.30pm and Wednesday mornings 6.45-8.00am
• Year 6 at Little Langlands, Monday mornings 6.45am-8.00am and Wednesday afternoons 3.15pm-4.30pm

Rugby and Football – Coaches/Referees

If you have an interest in refereeing or coaching, please contact:

Year 5-12 Football – Anthony Kemp email: akempatvnc.qld.edu.au

Year 5-12 Rugby – Chris Everding email: ceverdingatvnc.qld.edu.au

AIC Chess
More information regarding Chess will come out in the weeks to come. Trials will commence soon. Chess is played on Friday afternoon. Boys can participate in Chess, Cross Country and either Rugby or Football if they wish.

AIC Cross Country
More information regarding Cross Country will come out in the weeks to come. Training will commence sometime before the end of term. The AIC Cross Country Championship is held during school time in Term 2, that is, Wednesday 1 June. Boys can do Cross Country, Chess and either Rugby or Football if they wish.

Composite Sport Trials
Please find below a list of composite trial and nomination dates. All the necessary information regarding these trials can be collected from the Sports Office.

Representative Sport
Parents are invited to email the Sports Office regarding the sporting achievements of their son at a Met East level or higher. Generally, we only advertise those achievements which follow the Queensland School Sport pathway and not club results unless they are at a Queensland or national level. These achievements will be noted in this section from week to week.

Congratulations to Tom Feenstra, Sebastian Shimizu and Joshua McDougall who made the Met East 14-18 years Baseball team. These boys will participate in the Queensland State Championships in mid-March. Good luck and well-done boys!

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport