Team Summaries 1999

Written by Jesse James 2nd November 1999

Under 8:
The season saw the club with only three registered players at this age group at the start of the season.  The break in the season for the Under 16 and Under 14 tours allowed a concerted effort by the club to establish this side in July.  With five players, two great dads, one Under 10, we started to establish a side.  By seasons end 15 registered players enjoyed 'catch, pass & run for friendship & fun', as did the old fart who got them together.   This without doubt was the most successful aspect of the Club (Senior or Junior), for the year.  Thanks kids!!   Mick Campion, Mick Myers and Brian McMahon did a great job.

Under 10
Once again Stuey Douglas did a magnificent job with some great little players.  The training discipline will have to improve by Under 16's but the onfield commitment could not be faulted. Good skills, great defence and having a 'go', made the games I saw very enjoyable.  Well done the coach & Greg Plunkett.

Under 12
22 rugby players wore the Maroon jersey in 1997 and this dropped dramatically to 15 in 1998, for 1999 thuis averaged 1.  The team finished fourth on the ladder and played Onkaparinga in the semi-final going fown  63-0.  The coaching was abysmal due to lack of commitments by coaches in the first tow-thirds of the season.  After this time Steve Hall took over and the lads improved but the damage had been done and this side was never given the chance to reach its real potential.  Thanks to Steve for the efforts and to Mark Shimmield for filling the management hole.  To the Under 10's who stepped up to help the 12s in the semi's I am very, very proud of you all.

Under 14
The mystery continued for Ben Allgrove and Brett Jackson as the coaching they started in 1998 continued.  This team finished second on the ladder and played in the Semi-final going down 13-12 to Brighton.  Our Under 14s were the only side that challenged the eventual premier Onkaparinga and enjoyed the season.  Once again self belief is the ingredient missing.  Ben & Brett's work saw an improvement in all players by seasons end.  In closing thank you to the players, parents, Ben, Brett, Ginny and Paul Horne.

Under 16
Minor and Major premiers had a good 1999.  The team provided games for players from Burnside, Port Adelaide and Woodville as well as our own players.  I have no apologies to those from the club who believe we should have been more insular in our treatment of the players from other clubs.  We, as a club, owe a responsibility to any person who wants to play our game.  I don't we will eventually have to arrange games against ourselves.  Rugby in our State deserves more than that. Two coaches stepped in to fill Ben and Richard's shoes and Dan Pryor and Gary Pope doing a magnificent job in their first year.  Skill and discipline became the important tools and in a spiteful year at this level were instrumental in the team's success.  Not one player in this side was sent from the field or temporarily suspended during the season and congratulations must go to the players, coaches and especially to the Captain, Levy Chitty.  Levy's effort and example came a long way from last year's nine game suspension.  We disposed of Brighton in the semi-final and defeated Elizabeth in the Grand Final 21-10.  Five in a row and our second minor premiership. Congratulations to all concerned, with a special mention to the dedicated parents who helped, supported, encouraged but seldom interfered.

Under 18
Great work from Olly and Nick Porter in a year of absolute contrast in respect to training.  The dedication of the nine or so players who always trained, mostly forwards, to the blase attitude of others who not only considered training below them but consistently failed to attend games or notify of inability to be available.  Your coaches and team-mates deserved better.  On paper we had 20 players who had one premiership medal with most of these having two, who should have been available to play in this division.  We finished the season with 22 registered but played 95% of all games one or two players short.  Olly Porter, Nick Porter and Anne Bradley deserve reat praise for their commitment during the season.  Olly & Nick never saw a full team at training.  Due to this lack of attendance at games and training the team finished third and lost in the semi-final 24-7 to Elizabeth. This team had what was necessary to win a premiership but failed to reach that potential.  To the players who now go on to seniors, work hard, go well, I am very proud of you and know you will excel.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall then, the improvement on 1996 which was a reasonably successful season, in 1997 waned in 1998 and continued downward in 1999.  All sides competed well in their respective divisions.  We continue to produce quality junior footballers for the Club, we are teaching rugby to a number of children, 99 in 1996, 133 in 1997 a  drop to 113 in 1998 and 118 registered players this year.  We are identifying talent and offering a path for that talent to follow.

The Club as a whole and in particular the Junior division can take some credit for supplying David Rohsheim with the vehicle to win selection in the Southern States Under 18 team who played the NSW team in Sydney, Luke Steel who was selected in the Under 16 Division 11 side that defeated ACT in Ballina, Brock James who won selection for the Australian Schools tour to new Zealand and James Hopkins who also won selection in the Australian Schools Tour to New Zealand's south island.

Our congratulations go to the Senior Club for their success in the 'West End Tropy' for Champion Club, the Womens' rugby team on their third consecutive premierships, both Minor and Major, and to our Fourth 15 for the great Grand Final victory.

During the season the Junior Division has supplied players to the Senior sides and it was with an immense amount of pride that the Seniors had quite a number of Junior and ex-junior players in their sides.
We have therefore met the objectives we have set but need to ensure that the levels of those objectives raise higher and the targets set are reached.

8's, 10's and 12's need greater recruitment, while retention at 14,16 and 18's level is crucial and the drop off rate from 18's to seniors needs to be addressed. On that point, my gratitude to the senior selectors for their patience and common sense with fitting current 18's into the senior sides, thanks Ted and Bob.

Consideration should also be given to the appointment by the Club of a Development Officer to establish a Primary Schools Competition in the local Linden Park-Burnside Glenunga area and one in the Stirling to Birdwood area.

The Club should also develop a plan for Junior Girls Rugby to augment our success in the Womens Division.
The Club won for the first time the 'Eastwood Trophy', the junior club championship. The margin for this win was 50 points, with these extra points being accrued on the ANZAC weekend when the Club provided not only its own quota of billets for visiting teams but covered the hole left by other clubs. Thanks to those that helped, contributions to successful clubs are seldom restricted to onfield performance.

Once again thanks to all those who helped in 1999, if I've forgotten you, I'm sorry, we need to start now for 2000 and ensure we don't waste the hard work done so far.