A celebration of Wesley sport
During the last three weeks of this term we are celebrating and acknowledging the achievement of all of our teams during the recently completed winter sport season. Assemblies held for Middle School and Senior School students on all three campuses, have included the acknowledgement and presentation of awards and First teams’ badges to members of our Firsts' teams, as well as recognising all recipients of team awards.
Team awards vary from sport to sport but include; Most Valuable Player, Best and Fairest, Coach’s Award and Most Improved. These are awarded by the coaches of each and every one of our teams to their respective teams, from Year 7 up to and including senior teams.
In addition to celebrating the achievements of individuals, we also acknowledged the performance of our Firsts' teams and a brief summary of each is below;
The Boys' Basketball team finished second this season. They had a number of close matches during the season, including a notable 10 point loss to Caulfield, the eventual premiers, who went through the entire season undefeated.
After a slow start to the season, the Girls' Basketball team really stepped up toward the end of Term 2. Prior to this they had been winless, but to their credit they finished the season with 3 wins, and a draw to finish 5th, a great result.
Our Boys' Cross Country team finished equal second to cement their best result in recent years. The team consisted of 11 students, an impressive indication of the depth of the talent of the squad, as to qualify as a member of a Firsts' team a competitor must finish in the top six places for the College, in at least one of the six APS events during the season.
The Girls' Cross Country team are to be congratulated on their impressive performance this year, winning each of their six APS events during the season, and taking out the premiership for the fourth year in a row.
The Wesley First XVIII started the season with a draw against Brighton Grammar, the eventual premiers. One of the many highlights of the season was playing Carey Grammar under lights at the Harry Trott; an experience that the boys will never forget, in a season in which they finished in 8thplace.
Our Boys' Hockey team had a mixture of inexperience and maturity and comprised seven members from the Middle School and eight Year 12 students. Whilst they were winless for the season, the gains that they made, both on and off the field, will become more evident in future seasons.
By finishing in the top four after playing each opposing team, the Girls' Hockey team were well-placed for the re-drawn rounds in which the top four teams played each other. After some close matches the girls finished third, having had a draw, as well as a defeat by one goal against the premiers Haileybury.
It is not often that a team who finishes 4th on the ladder defeats the premiers in a sporting competition, but that was just what happened with our netball team, who defeated Ivanhoe Grammar in their last match of the season. The team are participating in the Victorian State Schools Netball Championship next Thursday and we wish them all the best.
The APS Boy' Soccer competition was extremely tight this year. Whilst Wesley finished in 6th place, they were only 6 points behind Xavier College, the premiers.
The Girls' Soccer competition was also very competitive, with Wesley placed fourth behind two teams on equal second. It was pleasing during the season to see a number of players make their debut and to see the
blend of youth and experience continue to combine well, both on and off the pitch.
Any season of sport at Wesley would not be possible without a number of staff from across the College combining and working together to ensure that our students can participate in fixtures each Saturday. This list includes Grounds and Maintenance staff, Health Centre nurses, security and pastoral care staff and also our coaches, both members of the teaching staff and our external coaches too.
Lastly, it would be remiss of me not to mention the support and encouragement of the parents and families of the students. Whilst they might not always show their appreciation, I know that they are grateful, as are we, that they have this assistance.
