Back: Mark Casey (Runner), Peter Collins (Coach), Oliver Leonard, Jacob Lippiatt, Travis Gauntlett, Jack Norrish, Jacob Dean (hiding), Fynn Gardner (Captain), Ethan Richards, Michael Hardie, Sam Collins (Vice Captain), Nicholas Yeo, Tom Casey, Michael Price, Matthew Flowers, Luke Miller, Craig Flowers (Coach)
Front: Jackson Dolley, Ryan Sinnott, James Currey, Thomas Kinnane, Cameron Birkholz, Sam Grattidge, Thomas Grier, Riley Spinks
Absent: Tim Hollick
The Booragoon JFC has been blessed with the strongest Year 8 age group in its history. It’s a pleasure to be part of such a strong group of players and coaches who have been involved with this Year group for many years.
Michael Webb, one of the original Blues coaches who still plays a part today, started the wonderful culture that is the Year 8 Blues. We as coaches are merely facilitators to the development and success of the boys and the primary objective of the boys enjoying their football. There is no doubt that our team have had a lot of fun this year and finishing on top of the ladder is no doubt the outcome of a close team, who compete hard, display fantastic skills and play as a team.
The 2016 year started off with some new faces thanks to the solid recruitment drive our players undertook. As coaches we had to get to know the skills of the new boys and where they should play. All the new boys had to get used to their team mates and new coaches and find their role in the team. We as coaches don’t always get it right but as the year went on the team has got better and better. Simple skills such as blocking, tackling, shepherding and “talk” have improved all year.
There have been some outstanding contributions by many of our players and especially our Captain Fynn Gardner who has showed great leadership. We would like to make special mention of our Fairest and Best award winners, Thomas Grier and Samuel Collins and Runner Up Jack Norrish who all had outstanding seasons. I’m almost certain we would have had the “Coleman” medallist within our ranks also in the form of Sam Grattidge who had an outstanding season.
Thank you to all the parents who have been extremely supportive in the many roles that are required to support a football team. A big thank you to Andrew Spinks as the ever reliable, unflappable Team Manager yet again ably supported by Dave Gardner. Booragoon JFC has a fantastic Committee and thanks again to the President Anthony Doig with his significant contribution to the club success and on a Year 8 Premiership (we can’t lose with two Year 8 teams in the Grand Final).
The Year 8 Blues have displayed a fantastic team and parent culture during the year. We congratulate everyone on an outstanding season conducted with sound sportsman like behaviour by parents and the boys, the Blues did not lose a Game Day Environment point during the year which is a testament to the “Blues Culture”. We hope our season will culminate in a Premiership for the Year 8 Blues. One more to go!
Craig Flowers and Peter Collins (Co-Coaches)