GUERNSEYS COME OUT OF STORAGE AS PIES DUST OFF COBWEBS

The Pies jumpers will come out of storage this weekend as all 4 senior mens grades suit up for some intraclub scratch matches to dust off the cobwebs after a record length pre-season ahead of Round 1 next weekend!

The Covid-19 pandemic has had some interesting outcomes and one has been the shortened QAFL season and the cancellation of the 2020 NEAFL Season and possibly the end of NEAFL football for good.

What this means is that the Magpies welcome back 8 players with a Sherwood background back into the Senior squad, most importantly 7 of those 8 are 20 years old or under and have come through the Sherwood Juniors or Colts. The Magpies also added two more experienced players in ex Lion, Liam Dawson via Aspley and former SANFL Premiership player with West Adelaide Errin Wasley-Black.

However, the Magpies were strategic in their approach and chose to ‘cap’ the influx of playing talent to 10 players, with a strong focus on youth and players with a Sherwood connection. Given Sherwood already had more NEAFL aligned talent from their junior/colts ranks than any other Brisbane based QAFL club it was always going to be a delicate balancing act. Aspley Captain and Sherwood product Jackson Allen is having a season with the Goondiwindi Hawks, while former Magpie Captain and Grogan Medalist Cal Carseldine is staying with Aspley in their QFA ranks.

The Sherwood hierarchy of President Andrew Thomson and his board in consultation with Senior Coach Anthony McDonald have fielded numerous requests from other NEAFL aligned players to join the Pies but decided to stick to the a cap of 10 with obvious preference given to Magpie youth who shouldn’t be denied the chance to play the highest level of football available to them during their crucial development years.

With the Queensland Government easing of restrictions from Friday, July 3 which permits match full contact training and official games,  the Pies have scheduled two intra-club games on Saturday July 4, starting with a very talented Colts outfit mixing with the Woodsmen at 11:30am before the Senior Squad get into a full contact session from 2pm.

The Magpies retained most of last year’s playing list, with the most significant retirements from the Senior ranks in Val Pope, Gareth Crawford and Gerard Moore expected to feature at 1130am alongside the likes of Chris Mihalopoulos, Jim Rozynski and Chris Hunt among others, so the Colts are certainly in for some outstanding on-field education!

As mentioned above the Pies have welcome back 7 teenage young guns back from NEAFL Ranks in Tom Baulch (Aspley), Billy Johnson, Dan Edwards, Caleb Franks (Redland), Samson Ryan (Canberra), Bruce Reville (Lions) and Riley Greene (Southport). Edwards was R/up in the 2019 Magpies B&F, while Greene was 4th - so they are crucial cogs in the Magpie machine! Sadly the perenially unlucky Mitch Stallard had one training session back at Sherwood and looked as fit as a racehorse before breaking his hand, likely ruling him out of the shortened season.

Another returning player to Sherwood after a year off is the classy Aaron Maricic who is looking fit and could be a crucial recruit at the Magpies with his polish and clean disposal forward of the ball. Another youngster who joined the Pies ranks is the developing big man Tristan Juffs-King. He stands at 208cm and is an imposing figure on the track after joining the Magpies from Sandgate who sadly dropped out of the QAFL before the pandemic hit. On the more experienced side of the recruiting ledger is former local Kenmore junior Alex Mitchell, who joined the Magpies primarily in a coaching role but still has plenty to offer on the field after a long VFL, NEAFL and QAFL career.

The Pies were also active in the local junior ranks with the highly sought after Josh Lane joining from Jindalee and a swag of youngsters coming over from a strong age group who came through Wests Juniors in the likes of Connor Bulley, Mitch Lake and Ethan Harris. (all are also colts eligible players)

Meanwhile, the Pies own playing stocks from 2019 have continued to improve and develop with Colts B&F Winner Jackson Paynter looking to take the next step alongside Cade Scott, Noah Resuggan and Lachie Davies. Scott is still an eligible Colt, but having tasted senior football in 2019 will again be looking to establish himself in the big league.

The nucleus of last year’s team is still at McCarthy Homes Oval led by skipper David Lewis, ex-AFL players Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams, key players In Bill Peirce Medallist Luca Winton, Jack Goodall, Aaron Highlands, Brody Lumber, Will Fletcher, Drew Mitchell and Brenton Saunders  and highly regarded youngsters in Riley Easton, Lachie Dennis and Ethan Sivijs.   Another youngster has looked super impressive on the track in the pre-season is Zac Collison, but alongside Highlands, Beams & Harwood won’t be on show tomorrow due to a prior commitments. (the game was hastily arranged on 72 hours notice)

Coach Anthony McDonald says it has been an interesting time adjusting to the changes but has taken the view that these are exciting and challenging times and he has met challenges head on with  a strong online presence during the shutdown period to ensure good communication with his players and then on return to training managing the social distancing and the gradual changes to the restrictions.

The new challenge has been absorbing the return of 10 of Sherwood’s NEAFL aligned players into the club and also managing a playing list that stretched beyond 70 with only 45 available spots! Training in the past month has been in 3 groups of 20 with the oval divided into 3 sections with players in each group not to socialise or mingle with players in other groups. However, training will be back to what most of us will think of as normal next week before the big opening clash with old rivals Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday July 11th .  

The Sherwood football community will be looking on with interest on Saturday as the long awaited 2020 season gets a bit closer.

All supporters are reminded that social distancing will be required at the footy so we can all continue to remain well and the season will be able to continue without interruption.

Regis Aged Care Chelmer - GUT Feelings

With footy just around the corner, we are back for the first edition of GUT Feelings…

A random collection of thoughts from the influential minds, deep inside the Nest!

Gut Feelings has come out of a covid-19 forced hibernation as rumours of a return to football filtered through the cave so here we go again, albeit a later start than expected in 2020

• The QAFL is now scheduled to play Round 1 on Saturday July 11. At this stage it is proposed that the competition will comprise of 9 rounds. 4 home games, 4 away games and a bye, with each team playing once and then into a 4 week finals series. Finals will be Top 6 this year, which is a good initiative to ensure as much footy as possible is played in 2020

• There is plenty of preparation work to occur before games begin, but training has been going for 2 weeks now at the Senior level for Men & Women, while juniors are also off and running.

• Junior football is anticipated to commence the week later on July 18, while the Woodsmen will likely be the first game played for the season on Friday July 10.

• Sherwood will host traditional rivals, the Mt Gravatt Vultures in Round 1, a welcome change after inexplicably heading to Dittmer Park for 5 consecutive seasons for a Round 1 fixture!

• There are still questions to be answered on match day protocols as restrictions continue to change, but limiting spectators at McCarthy Homes Oval may be very tricky as the ground is not an enclosed facility and can be accessed from 360 degrees

• Senior Coach Anthony McDonald and Exercise Physiologist and Strength & Conditioning Coach Daniel Robson-Petch have mapped out fitness programmes for all players and the players have sent in data throughout the shutdown period about their activities to monitor their progress. McDonald has been an inspired choice of coach in the pandemic as he has good communication skills and has worked hard to have his players as ready as can be for when the season starts. 

• McDonald has asked all his players to buy in to a “team first ethos” and to strive for excellence by respecting the club and your teammates  by not taking any shortcuts.  The acronym is BERG which stands for “Build Excellence Reach Glory”. Why BERG ? — The Berg has been the players’ nickname for the club premises for many years now.

• The club has been forced to make a coaching change due to the Covid-19 pandemic with Reserves coach Scott Hannan having to move from Toowoomba to North Western Queensland for employment reasons. The club has announced former player  Corey Hopkins as his replacement. Hopkins, who played at NEAFL level with Redland & Southport and had a stint in the SANFL, has been on the club’s coaching panel for the past 2 seasons and has a good football brain with excellent communication skills

• The clubs assistant coaches/line coaches for 2020 are 2019 Coach of the Year, David Hammill well supported by Quentin Johnson, Alex Mitchell and Brett Connell, while there will be some specialist development coaching from Justin Clarke & Gerard Moore among others.

• The social media presence of the club throughout the lockdown period and return to football as well as communications via the club newsletter has been first class. The COVID Safety posters using Sherwood players young and old to get the important messaging across with a dose of humour was highly amusing and more importantly, very effective.

• As the club prepares to return to football at all levels, a huge thanks should go to the hard working board lead by our Club President Andrew Thomson, along with many other volunteers working tirelessly to keep the club not just viable, but healthy.

• During the ‘no football period’ instead of enjoying a well earnt break, we have seen some excellent work sharing the club history, the near completion of new coaches boxes both home & away, the clubhouse roof is being replaced, a ballet studio(!) has been launched to maximise use of underutlised space, the club bistro has been re-launched, the bar has been revamped and so much more!

• Our new Director of Operations and also a club sponsor, Jie Walsh has been invaluable in his work within the licensed venue to maximise efficiency. Working alongside our new Venue Manager, John Simpson - the Magpie family won’t know themselves with new and improved menus for food and drink and friendly service with a smile that goes part and parcel with a family footy club.

• We can never speak enough about our volunteers who look after our playing surface. These lads do a marvellous job presenting such a great oval not just for our players, but also for the local community who were out in force during the shutdown. Big thanks the BBQ Mafia boys who feed them each Friday morning with Breakfast fit for a king!

• GUT Feelings has heard of an East Coast league proposed to include the AFL club Reserves – the 10 clubs in Victoria and x2 clubs in SE Queensland and x2 clubs in Sydney. This obviously has implications for the viability of the NEAFL this year but also in the future.

• The GUT Feelings crystal ball will suggest the NEAFL is  dead in the water and Redland and Aspley will re-join the QAFL in 2021 while Southport are  applying to be included in the East Coast league as either a stand alone club or in alignment with the Gold Coast Suns. 

• With NEAFL now officially cancelled for Season 2020, there is a flood of players on the market. While some clubs could be tempted to take a short term view, GUT Feelings is confident that Sherwood Football Club won’t lose sight of the big picture.

• Sherwood have 10 players from the club in the NEAFL such as Mitch Stallard, Caleb Franks, Dan Edwards and Billy Johnson at Redland, Cal Carseldine, Jackson Allen and Tom Baulch at Aspley, Bruce Reville at the Lions, Samson Ryan at Canberra and Riley Greene at Southport. Combined with a number of aligned players (no previous Sherwood affiliation) from Redland such as Matt Thomson, Stephen Mills, Scott Miller, Adrian Williams, Boyd Bailey and Harrison Kerr - suddenly the landscape changes significantly.

• Sherwood is proud family club with many club juniors part of the Senior program, and the arrival of potentially 16 players from the NEAFL could upset the balance. However, GUT Feelings is confident this will be managed appropriately and players will only be welcomed if there is an open discussion on 2021 intentions and beyond.

• It looks very likely that the junior football landscape has changed for 2020 as well. State and National Representative carnivals cancelled, academy games unlikely. With plenty of Sherwood players involved in academies, regional sides and likely would have gone onto state sides its a tough pill to swallow for the kids missing out on these memorable experiences in their formative footy lives. Good luck to recruiters at the draft, having not seen any underage footy in 2020!

• Also looks like divisional footy in the youth space is off, with youth football following junior guidelines and playing against local teams as opposed to being graded. Sherwood are so strong in a couple of age groups, we might end up with Sherwood vs Sherwood in one age group grand final if it heads that way!

• Rule changes, a pet topic of GUT Feelings! — 16 minute quarters—does not impact on QAFL football as play weekly and not 5 days apoart as may be the case in the AFL--  must be some element of fatigue nd a place for the big man who may lack a yeard in pace

• If need to reduce quarters then maybe settle on 18 minutes

• In light of Rugby League changes which have sped up the game then some simple changes will speed up our game—get rid of ruck nominations and it is simply one player each into the ruck and a third man up incurs a free kick—boundary umpires take 10-15 seconds to throw the ball in and ball ups can take too long—get the ball back into play as quickly as possible which will reduce crowding and speed up play. And it may result in more fatigue which then opens up the game as players struggle to get to the next contest. After all, once upon a time coaches would try to have their team fitter than the opposition so that later in the game they could get on top and their fitness advantage would result in a win.

• As for reducing teams to 16 per side, let’s take a deep breath and not alter the game too much. The game is fast enough if allowed to flow and a reduction in number of players in a team will result in the death of the big man who may lack a yard in pace but still offer a target in an 18  a side game. We still want to see a physical contest rather than a game of keepings off which may well be the result of a 16 a side match. 

Place Graceville - Pathway Update - We're Back!

Great news - Footy Season start dates have been finalised by AFL Queensland this week!

Ss you may have seen over the past few weeks, we have been posting updates to our various social media channels and the club website about an imminent return to footy. We have tried to make them both informative and fun, so take the time to follow us on Facebook if you have it.

Last week, the Queensland Government have eased COVID-19 restrictions to Stage 2 and are currently planning to ease restrictions down to Stage 3 on July 10th.  This allowed us to commence senior training with maximum of 20 on the oval at any one time, which is impractical for Junior football given our volume of players.  With confirmation from the State Government that now confirms we can have 3 separate groups of 20 on the Oval in defined zones, we are now ready to get started!

With this in mind, AFLQ have released their plan to return to footy and the two main bullet points are:

•     We can start training immediately

•     Games are likely to commence in early to mid July

There is a lot of important information in this email, so please read it carefully.

However, as a priority - please get in touch with your team manager ASAP to confirm your intention to both train and play in 2020 as we need to confirm our teams.  If you are unsure who your team manager is, please reply to this email and we will provide the contact details.

Full details on all policies and procedures are available HERE

A checklist and set of guidelines specifically relating to Stage 2 is HERE

These are incredibly detailed resources, we have taken the time to summarise them below with information relevant to parents and players.

Training during Stage 2 restrictions:

We are very well prepared and have finalised training dates starting next week for some teams, with others beginning the following week. Training for each team will only be held on one day each week during Stage 2 restrictions.

There are a number of other rules that the club must follow during Stage 2 restrictions when running training sessions. These rules will be in place for all of Stage 2, and we appreciate your understanding and efforts in helping the club to comply with them. There will bespot checks on clubs throughout Stage 2 from authorities, and any breaches of the rules may cause sanctions to be imposed on the club.

The guiding principle for Stage 2 training is  “Get in, Train, Get out”.

Summary of training Rules:

• Appropriate social distancing rules still apply.

• One training session a week during Stage 2 restrictions.

• Maximum of 20 people involved in one training session (incl coaches).

• Your team manager/coach will advise you of the groups. Once assigned a group, you must stay with the group during Stage 2 training. No group swapping without permission is allowed.

• Training sessions will b restricted to specific training zones.

• There will be a COVID kit for each training group that includes hand sanitiser, spray sanitiser and disinfectant wipes.

• No training with any group that is not your age group (ie, your child can’t train with their sibling in another age group like they may have done in the past).

• Training attendance sheets will be completed to adhere to regulations

• Bring your own water bottle and snacks. No sharing.

• Get ready for training at home. Arrive at the ground ready to train. There will be no access to changerooms.

• Use of footballs only, no other equipment.

• All footballs must be wiped down with antiseptic wipes at the end of the training session.

• No physical contact. No tackling. No hi-fives. No huddles.

• Arrive at training at the start time. Not earlier. There will be no kicking balls around the oval before training

• Leave training immediately on completion of training as other teams (incl seniors) may be training on that day

• If your child is not feeling well, do not come to training

• Parents are encouraged to not congregate around the oval during training. If practical, simply drop and go.  Otherwise please wait in the car, or inside the club while adhering to all directions from bar and restaurant staff.

The rules don’t sound like fun, but they let us get back to footy in a post COVID-19 environment. They are the rules for Stage 2 only, which is currently scheduled to end on July 10th. When restrictions are eased to Stage 3, more regular training patterns will resume.  So at the moment, we need to “Get in, Train, Get out”.

It’s only a short time we need to do this and we thank you for your support and adherence to the Stage 2 training rules.

Reminder: Failure to comply with the above could lead to sanctions on the club.

The Season:

With the Queensland Government planning to ease restrictions to Stage 3 on July 10th, AFLQ has released the start dates for the upcoming season.

Fixtures will be provided after updated team nominations have been received by AFLQ. We require confirmation of players asap so that we can re-register our teams. 

Auskick does not have a defined start date, but we anticipate it being in line with Stage 3 restrictions.
 
Summary:
Things are moving fast and, at the moment, for the better. We can get back into footy sooner than many of us thought. The club is well prepared, but there are strict rules we need to follow. We need your support over the next 5-6 weeks to make sure Sherwood’s return to footy is successful.

Thanks for your patience and understanding in these trying times. 

In a final note, if you ordered and had a mouthguard fitted from the wonderful folks at Essential Care Dental - please visit their clinic asap to collect!
 
Footy is back! 
Up the Maggies!

McCarthy Homes - Stage 2 Restrictions Brought Forward

Since the most recent announcement regarding return to play protocols and dates, Sherwood Football Club in recent weeks have worked diligently towards the Stage 2 Restriction Date of Friday 12 June, with training to commence the week following.

In somewhat unexpected (but welcome!) news, the State Government has brought forward this date to Monday June 1 !

However, while we are now permitted to train from June 1, there are significant protocols in place that we are required to adhere to and unfortunately while we are extremely well prepared and advanced in our planning, we were not prepared to a return to training for all age groups this week!  Given we have over 700 active male and female playing participants across AFL9's, Auskick, Juniors, Youth, Colts and Senior Football it is next to impossible to have us all back out there this week given the restrictions of 20 people (including coach) per oval per session!

AFL Queensland have put in a submission to the QLD Chief Health Officer to allow Australian Rules Football Clubs to have multiple groups of 20 on a full size oval, but don't expect an answer for approximately 48 hours so all clubs remain bound by these restrictions.  Given you can fit about 40 basketball courts on a full size oval, and the restrictions are the same - we are hoping for a positive outcome from this submission.

This outcome will then form the basis of our final stage planning for a return to training for all grades of football.

There are still significant protocols in place for this return and these are outlined in THIS DOCUMENT 

Headline items from these protocols include:

• No contact & players/coaches must remain 1.5m apart

• No access to changerooms

• No equipment other than footballs and markers

• Come dressed to train & bring your own water bottle

However, for a clear understanding of the restrictions we encourage you to read the document linked above.

Sherwood Football Club MUST appoint at least one COVID-19 Safety Officer.

The COVID-19 Safety Officers bears no liability for a potential outbreak, they are only in place to ensure adherence to protocols to the best of their ability(ies).

ALL Club medical staff (including Doctors, physio, trainer, first aid officers) must complete Australian Government Infection Control Training

However, we also encourage all coaching staff, volunteers and team managers also complete this training.

You should see in the coming fortnight a gradual return to training for Senior Men & Women and Colts with Youth and then subsequently Juniors to follow.  Regular updates will be posted on the club website and social media, while major announcements will be done via the weekly newsletter.

If you haven't already been in touch with your team manager and/or coach regarding your intentions to play in season 2020, please do so ASAP to assist with planning. Your team manager will generally be your best resource for training times once confirmed, though we will endeavour to update websites, social media and via newsletter where practical - but wish to avoid spamming!

In a final note, we once again share the following resources for anyone interested in the return to play protocols:

AFLQ Roadmap

Community Guidelines & Fixtures

We are now very close to a return to football and its an exciting time for all.  Please continue to do your part and adhere to all government regulations, download the COVID Safety App and follow the directions of our club volunteers when training recommences, this has never been more important than it is now!

Huge thanks to our hardworking committee who are adapting to a fast changing environment day by day, while no doubt adapting in their professional and personal lives as well!

Massive thanks also to each of our Magpie family for so far doing their bit to get us to this point, we look forward to seeing you soon.

McCarthy Homes Major News - Return to Play Update

Late on Friday night 15 May, we received the latest concise update from the hardworking staff at AFLQ that gives the clearest indication to date of a return to play. It’s important to note that all announcements are subject to Government endorsement once these dates arrive.

This week we saw the announcement from the elite game of its planned roadmap to Return to Play. AFLQ are now in a position to be able to share more definitive plans in terms of what this means for Community Football in Queensland.  

Returning to play in a safe, hygienic, and controlled manner is paramount to the AFL. The safety and well being of participants is the number one priority. As such, the Return to Play strategy has been focused on ensuring clear endorsement of State Government and public health officials at every phase of return.

Each State Government is responsible for determining what level AFL football is at in their State and approving when we can transition from one stage to the next.  Formal announcements will be made by AFL Queensland to leagues and clubs when they receive official approval to transition into each stage. It is imperative that clubs and individuals do not move ahead of next stage and restrictions in place until formal approval is granted. Failure to adhere to directives and guidelines can put the entire process at risk.

The current state of play:

• From 15 May, Queensland will transition to Stage 1 on the roadmap towards easing restrictions. The State Government has confirmed that this means solo or pairs training can continue. Group or formal training cannot commence during Stage 1.

• The State Government has indicated a transition to Stage 2 from 12 June. Subject to Government endorsement, this will involve extending the training group size to 20 people, although non-contact training with strict protocols continues. 

• Pending further review, when the State Government moves to Stage 3 on 10 July and provides formal endorsement, AFLQ will provide further information on plans for return to competition, with hygiene and safety protocols firmly in place.

Communication will come once there is formal approval at each stage. Rest assured that the Sherwood Football Club is well prepared for each level and have plans in place should the transition from each stage to the next be a smooth one.

The primary focus for Stage 1 is preparing to return in a safe, well prepared and educated manner. In order for this return to training and competition to be successful and approved by State Government, it is essential that we all play our part in implanting the clear health and safety protocols across all parts of our game. Again, we reiterate that this cannot occur until Stage 2 training is permitted.

Whilst our focus remains on safety and education preparations in Stage 1, AFLQ have also produced a detailed framework of what the season may look like for Junior and Senior football based on Government timings, as we progress through from Stage 1 to Stage 2 and 3. We understand how important it is for Clubs to plan and prepare for  what a potential season could look like. We must reiterate however, this fixtures forecast cannot be guaranteed and is subject at any time to changing advice from the State Government.

In addition, an important part of this return to play process is the requirement of each Club to appoint a COVID Safety Officer that is responsible for ensuring these protocols are adhered to and participants can return to a prepared and safe environment. Sherwood Football Club have a number of exceptional candidates for this role and will announce an appointment before Stage 2 is implemented. Should you wish to register interest in this role, contact president@westernmagpies.com.au

We also strongly recommend all participants immediately download the COVID-SAFE App, to ensure we can quickly trace and manage any outbreaks in the community. We all have an important role to play in ensuring that not only football returns, but Australia returns safely towards a normal way of life. 

AFLQ have created an in depth section of their website relating specifically to what the season may look like for various levels. There is a significant amount of information to digest in this documentation and the link can be found HERE

Sherwood Football Club will spend time working through the available information before summarising it for our Magpie family in the next 10-14 days so it contains relevant information to our participants and volunteers.

The AFL have also provided a section on their website providing a suite of educational resources and COVID safety posters. The link for this can be found HERE

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we look forward with cautious optimism towards getting a season underway in due course.

Sherwood Football Club - AGM Report

While the action on the football field is on hold, the Sherwood Football Club needs to continue operating off the field and as a result, the AGM was held recently in March adhering to strict COVID Safe guidelines.

Andrew Thomson has been returned as President of Sherwood for his third year at the helm after the club's Annual General meeting held on 22 March, 2020 (just before the social distancing rules were tightened).

Thomson stressed the club was well placed to manage the Covid-19 shutdown with the club finances in a a strong position, and most major costs relating to football. So with no football, many costs are down to match the expected revenue losses.

Highlights of the meeting were the continued growth in participant numbers with the Football Department highlighting that the club has now had four senior mens teams for 15 consecutive seasons, the only club in Queensland to do so. The club is also looking forward to the return of Senior Women's Football in 2020, after pioneering female footy for many years.

Growth in junior participants also occurred with over 400 junior players registered at the club.

Other highlights were the upgrade of the oval to a first class playing surface, re-organisation of the Social Club with increased patronage through the club via innovative ideas and partnerships, consolidation of club sponsors to put the club in  a good financial position and the decision to revert the name of the senior section of the club to the traditional name of Sherwood, allowing the adoption of a " One Club" strategy with amalgamated media platforms for both the junior and senior sections of the club and a holistic one club approach.

Thomson thanked outgoing club Finance Director Martin Sinfield for his support for the past 3 years and Sinfield presented the financial reports which showed the club to be in a sound financial position, with revenue of $518k and expenditure of $503k. 

The Club's Board of Directors for the coming season is

President: Andrew Thomson 

Vice President & Director of Junior Football: Peter Radcliffe

Secretary: Gabriel McKinnon

Treasurer: Harry Marshall

General Director: Mitchell Merritt

General Director: David Green

Director of Governance: Niall Powell

Director ofFacilities: Chris Dennis

Director Past Players: Shane Bridley

Director Club Operations: Jie Walsh 

New Sponsor Alert – INCODE Engineers Join the Pies

A name familiar to many in the Sherwood Magpies Community are INCODE Engineers, having had a long association with the club dating back to 1989.  INCODE have provided in-kind services to Sherwood Football Club on a number of major infrastructure upgrades and projects including original install of the previous generation of field lighting, design and install of mobile tower and design construction and supervision of the new change room facility opened in 2015.  More recently, the team at INCODE have been the driving force behind another exciting new infrastructure upgrade that’s set to be announced soon!

Club Captain & INCODE Engineer David Lewis, Club Director Niall Powell & INCODE Engineer Tom Marxson

A family owned and run business, INCODE have also sponsored the club previously and of the four brothers who have represented the club, three of them still work together at INCODE Engineers, including current Club Captain, David Lewis.  (we’re reliably informed the back sheep of the family is a lawyer!)

The Brisbane based team is not just a group of footballers with Engineering degrees, they are made up of
highly experienced structural engineers who are dedicated to using their knowledge and expertise to provide clients with a high quality service and innovative solutions to all projects.

INCODE Engineers are committed to providing designs that exceed client expectations, integrating methods that emphasise quality of build and simplicity, saving project time and cost throughout construction.

Structural Engineering

• Structural Design

• Management

• Project Planning

• Site Inspections

• Physical Risk

Investigation & Causation

• Photographic Documentation

• Precise Measurements

• Witness Interviews

• File Reviews

• Geotechnical Reports

Telecommunications

• Design

• Planning

• Engineering

• Certification

• Reporting

To find out more about INCODE orif you can partner or network with them in a professional capacity, visit https://incode.com.au

New Sponsor Alert – Storage King

Storage King - the largest self-storage organisation in Australasia - have signed on as partner of the Sherwood Magpies for season 2020 and beyond.

The closest Storage King facility to the Sherwood Football Club is located at Rocklea where its managed by long time Collingwood fan Maxine, who has an obvious and immediate affinity to the Magpies!  Local area Manager, Jarryd Churcher has also confirmed that there will be year round offers to the Sherwood Footy Club community at multiple sites around Brisbane.  Details on those offers and the participating stores will be announced shortly.

“As a company, we’re also quite big on local community engagement. If there’s any events you require volunteers for, just say the word and we’ll have a team for you.” he added.

Services and features of a Storage King self-storage facility include:

• Various sized commercial, industrial and domestic storage options

• 24/7 access

• 24 hour surveillance including CCTV

• Clean, dry and easy to access spaces

• One stop packing options

• Onsite managers during business hours

• Insurance options

• FREE move-in truck and trolley use

• Forklift access and pallet racking

For the nearest facility to the club, visit https://www.storagerocklea.com.au/

New Sponsor Alert - Tradecrete Group

Locally owned and operated Tradecrete Group have signed on as new community partners with the Sherwood Football Club for season 2020 and beyond in what is another exciting new sponsorship deal for the club and a local business servicing local clients and wider South East Queensland.

Tradecrete specialise in all facets of concreting, from little shed slabs and small garden paths up to complicated, large and decorative jobs in high end renovations and new builds. Owner and tradesman Matt Schloss is known for his superb attention to detail on all jobs big or small and said he was keen to get involved with the Magpies after visiting the club several times and absolutely loving the community atmosphere and vibe.

“I do business with a couple of other existing sponsors, and know a few lads that have played here and have found myself drawn down to the club more and more in recent months as its become a real hub of the community. Kids on the oval enjoying some footy, live music, cold beer and good old fashioned friendly customer service. Why wouldn’t I want to get involved?”

“If you’re a local business around here, you’d be mad not to associate yourself with this joint, its the absolute heart beat of the area and I’m excited to jump on board as a sponsor”

If you’ve got a concreting job, big or small - make sure you get in touch with Tradecrete.

Details: Matt Schloss matt@tradecretegroup.com.au

New Sponsor Alert – Recycling Metal Industries

Local family owned and operated business, Recycling Metal Industries (RMI) have joined forced with Sherwood Football Club for season 2020 and beyond.  Local to the area, General Manager Will Morgan said he was excited to be partnering with the Magpies as he sees the club as fantastic community hub for all locals to the area, not just the Australian Rules fraternity.

Having lived in the area for 15 years, he has watched on with interest as the club (and the rest of the local community) has strongly re-built from the devastating floods of 2011 and felt it was time to get involved in 2020. 

“There is a real buzz about the place in the last 18 months, every time I drive past there seems to be something going on!  Big crowds flocking to games, enjoying the BBQ Mafia food, live music a great place for a cold beer.  I’ve been down for a few games over the years and while I’m a league man myself, I know a good community club when I see one”

RMI are locally owned and operated, but are able to service clients effectively and efficiently all over Australia.  They take all kinds of scrap metal and open Monday to Saturday from 6:30am, closing 4:40pm Mon-Fri and 11:40am on Saturday.  RMI specialise in the servicing of the scrap metal requirements of the manufacturing and trades sector.

RMI have the following key features:

• Certified weigh bridges at each site

• Industry leading photographic and weighing equipment at all our facilities

• We are a long standing member of the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of Queensland (WCRAQ)

• Registered license to trade under the Second Hand Dealers' Act

• Certification for Metal Recovery under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (issued by Brisbane City Council)

If any club members, players or supporters would like to partner or consider networking with RMI, get in touch with Bill Morgan on billmorgan@rmi.com.au or visit their website https://www.rmi.com.au/

New Sponsor Alert – HoLo partners with Magpies for 2 year deal!

Innovative online mortgage broking technology platform ‘HoLo’ have signed on with the Magpies for an initial 2 year partnership. 

Mitch Merritt (Director), Justin Dickinson, Andrew Thomson (President) & Tianna Peters (Senior Women’s Team & Youth Girls Coach)

Co-founder and Managing Director Justin Dickinson is a local to the area, parent to two fantastic lads plying their trade in junior footy at the Magpies and is said to be a bit of a superstar team manager in his spare time.  A Sydney Swans fan, Justin had a long career in the finance and banking space before taking the plunge to establish HoLo in order to help Australian’s get a better deal on their home loan.  However HoLo are not just another mortgage broker, they are a bonafide (and independent!) technology platform designed specifically to make the process of getting a home loan or a great deal on your current mortgage, in both a simpler and faster way. 

HoLo can give you access to 41 lenders, find the right loan to suit you and have you approved all without a meeting or any cumbersome paperwork. And with decades of property industry experience across the team, there’s always an expert available to assist as well. Not to mention, they’ve been known to have clients approved and ready to bid at auction, or sign unconditional contracts within 3 days!

A handful of club members have used HoLo, to rave reviews, so we welcome HoLo as another fantastic partner for the Sherwood Football Club and encourage any members, supporters, players or club partners looking to get a great deal on their mortgage to visit holo.com.au

Don’t forget to refer your friends!

Carter Capner Law - The Girls are Back in Town!

The Sherwood Football Club are pleased to announce the return to Senior Womens Football in 2020 after a 5 year absence due to facility upgrades.

After being awarded a provisional license late in 2019, the Magpies were yesterday told of their successful application to field a side in the QFAW Competition for Season 2020.

Sherwood wish to acknowledge the support from AFL Queensland in relation to this process and the collaborative approach that was taken to work to a positive outcome, not to mention the support of other local clubs with thriving Senior Women’s programs with particular mention of Jindalee Jags and Yeronga Devils.

Sherwood Football Club Director, Mitchell Merritt was the driving force behind the re-establishment of the Senior Women’s program and worked tirelessly to attract new players to the game in particular.  The Women’s squad (now numbering over 30 interested players) have been training twice a week since November and a number of the players have already immersed themselves in the club culture taking on coaching roles in the U11 and U13 youth girls teams for Sherwood.

The winning team from the Great Race challenge held at training during torrential rain this week!

In some cases players are returning to Sherwood where they started their footballing journey as many as 10 years ago in either Senior womens or Junior Magpie teams, while other local women have been inspired to take up the game by an existing association with the club, players of broader Sherwood footy family.

Playing in the South Competition, the Womens team will on some weekends be aligned with the QAFL Mens team playing twilight games at 445pm in front of adoring home crowds after QAFL senior games while the local community enjoys a dose of footy and some Barbecue Mafia!  There will also be standalone home games during the season and the official fixture will be released in a few weeks.

A coaching and support team is well established, however if you would like to be involved in the 2020 Womens Program as a volunteer please get in touch with us on president@westernmagpies.com.au

Team managers, water carriers and general support crew are always welcome!

Announcement - Sherwood Football Club

SHERWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB – Announcement

The board of the Sherwood Districts Australian Football club today formally announce that we will be recognising our traditional and historical name as the Sherwood Magpies at all levels of football moving forward.
 
This recognition of our historical club moniker comes as part of a broader ‘one club’ policy that has developed over several years since the re-introduction of the Magpies to the QAFL in 2014.  In 2017 we returned to the original Sherwood Magpies strip of the traditional black & white stripes of Collingwood as opposed to the Port Adelaide SANFL strip of great acclaim that was worn by Magpie senior teams from 1999.  This initial step ensured Sherwood footballers would wear the same strip from u6’s through to Senior football as part of their footballing journey.  The club board was re-structured and a facilities upgrade plan was established.  This also involved a communications and marketing strategy that can only reach its full potential through the underlying one club vision shared by our many and hardworking volunteers.
 
The ‘Western Magpies’ tag or ‘brand’ was previously a condition from AFL Queensland to be granted a license back into the QAFL State League rather than the now disbanded BAFL, this condition has long since been removed and the Magpies now take their opportunity to re-align with the clubs rich history.
 
The club will continue to cater for players of all abilities and genders from the age of 6 through to senior football, having had the longest running 4 x senior mens team structure in South East Queensland from Seniors, Reserves, 3rds and Colts/U18s.  A return to Senior Womens football for Sherwood has also been a key factor in this planning, with Senior Womens Football dating back to the early 1970’s at Sherwood and with the appropriate facilities upgrades now in place, female footy at Sherwood is set to thrive once again.
 
With the Senior Mens team being part of the highest level of community based mens football competition, the QAFL – we also acknowledge the huge and significant contribution to our Senior football program from the many surrounding clubs in the Western Suburbs of Brisbane. Young players  wishing to test themselves at a higher level of Senior Football from Jindalee, Kenmore, Wests, Moggill, Moorooka, Calamvale, Forest Lake, Ipswich and further afield to Toowoomba, Dalby and beyond have played an enormous part in the rich history of Australian Rules Football played at Sherwood.
 
This move now begins the overarching process of a full integration of all facets of the Sherwood Districts Australian Football Club;

1. Junior, Youth and Senior Football – Male & Female
2. Club Operations – Bar & Restaurant
3. Facility enhancements and upgrades for increased community partnerships and programs
 
From a practical perspective, the move from Western Magpies to Sherwood Magpies at will experience a transition period over the next 6 months that will include consolidation of websites, social media platforms, apparel, signage and logos.
 
Exciting times at Sherwood, we look forward to another wonderful season in 2020.

McCarthy Homes - QAFL Reserves Coaching Appointments

The Sherwood Football Club are pleased to confirm the appointment of Scott Hannon as Reserves Coach for Season 2020 with Bryce Crossley as his assistant.

Originally hailing from Victoria, Scott has had consistent involvement in football all his life and continuously coached at various junior and senior levels for the past 13 years.  This includes junior and youth coaching at Beenleigh Buffs, Darling Downs Youth Representative Footy and more recently Senior coaching roles in Toowoomba and Western Queensland where he was inaugural Senior Coach at Chinchilla Suns, Senior Coach at Toowoomba Tigers and Senior Assistant Coach at Coolaroo.

The appointment of Scott continues the Magpies long and proud association with Darling Downs Football where the likes of club legend Jimmy Rozynski hail from, as well as more recent recruits such as Riley & Brodie Easton, Jacob Sheath, Ryan Cherry, Sam Copland and Samson Ryan to name just a few.   A Level 2 qualified coach, Scott has been enjoying his transition to a QAFL Football Program and we are delighted to welcome him to the Magpies.

Bryce Crossey is a Div 1 U18 Premiership player with Sherwood, made his State League Senior debut as a 17 year old with the Brisbane Lions in 2010 and made his Senior Debut with the Magpies the following year in 2011 as an 18 year old.    Since then Bryce has played approximately 30 Senior games and been a 2 x winner of the JB Medal for Reserves Best & Fairest.  An accomplished and hard working centreman, he unfortunately suffered an ACL tear in early 2018 and his yet to recover in time for a return to football.

Putting his playing credential aside, Bryce has long enjoyed both formal and informal involvement in Sherwood Colts and Youth ranks as an assistant or development coach, including involvement in the 2016 Magpie U17 Div 1 Undefeated Premiership side.  He has a strong footy brain ready for a transition to coaching at Senior level and we are excited to welcome him to the Senior ranks to assist Scott with the QAFL Reserves side in 2020.

McCarthy Homes - Colts Coaching Appointments 2020

The Sherwood Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of co-coaches for the 2020 Colts Program in Ben Jaenke-Cain and Drew Mitchell.

Ben is a life member of the Sherwood Football Club and was a Senior Premiership player as a 16 year old in 2008 and a Bill Peirce Medalist in 2014 when he had one of the more outstanding seasons in Magpie memory taking out the Senior Best & Fairest Count by an astonishing 63 vote margin, totalling 149 votes!  For comparison, while still using the same voting system the last 4 winners haven’t polled more than 100.

Ben was also selected in the QAFL Team of the Year in 2014, represented QLD at U15, U18 and U21 level and 2020 will be his 11th season of Senior Football at the club.  Originally a Springwood Junior, he joined the Magpies in 2004 to play U14s to join a few of his mates and to play in the famous black & white stripes (as a passionate Collingwood supporter!) He won the AFLBJ Div 1 U16 Best & Fairest in 2006 and he also had a stint at Redland in 2011/12 before returning to the Magpies.

Drew Mitchell is quite simply part of Magpie royalty.  Both the son and grandson of life members, Drew was always destined to flourish in the black & white stripes and flourish he has.  Forging his own identity, Drew was Senior Captain in 2017 and 2018, and also won a Bill Peirce Medal in 2017 when he tied with Gareth Crawford in a thrilling Best & Fairest count.  Much like his great mate Ben, Drew has also been a QAFL Team of the Year member and had a stint in the NEAFL in 2011/12 before returning home to the Magpies.

However, playing credentials aside – both Ben and Drew through their years of playing Senior Football and holding leadership positions have built great reputations when it comes to working with young players and teammates.  Ben for many years has taken aside young players making their way in Senior footy for one on one coaching before and after the main sessions and also currently works in junior sport with Logan Basketball.  Drew is a school teacher, so is well versed in coaching, mentoring and leading young students and also follows in the footsteps of his father Steve Mitchell who was a life member of Sherwood Football Club and a legendary junior coach, Reserves Premiership coach and Senior Football Director.

We are thrilled to secure Ben and Drew as co-coaches of the Magpies Colts in 2020, and we feel the development of our young players in a traditionally strong U18s program could not be in better hands.

Congrats to Ben and Drew on their appointment.

McCarthy Homes - Back to the Berg - The Return of Women's Footy!

The Sherwood Football Club Board of Directors wish to announce that the club has been successful in being granted a provisional license for a 2020 women’s football in the QFAW competition.  

The return of women’s football to McCarthy Homes Oval stems from a proud legacy of women’s football dating back to the 1990’s. “This team in a crucial part of our holistic strategy to reflect a truly diverse offering for all members of the local community,” said Mitchell Merritt, Director.

“Being able to provide a genuine participation pathway for female football is something that the club has been eager to do for a number of years. When I commenced playing at Sherwood in the mid 2000’s, Womens football was thriving at the club and we were pioneers in the female footy space. However, over time the infrastructure requirements to field 400 junior players, 4 x senior mens teams and continue to support womens football became a bridge too far and a large collection of our female players left to the greener pastures of Yeronga where there were 3 sets of home & away dressings rooms while our own rooms were substandard at best. As a result, we have been unable to field a senior womens team since 2014” said Andrew Thomson, Club President.

“The 2011 floods had a devastating impact on many clubs, not least the Magpies and its been a long journey to re-store our facilities to not only be ready to sustain male and female footy from u6s through to Seniors, but also for those players to thrive. We have updated our rooms, re-surfaced the playing field, negotiated access to additional training surfaces and following extensive consultation and a groundswell of support for this team we now feel the time is right to get back into the Senior Women’s competition” Thomson said.

Following a Come & Try Session in October which was run by the QAFL Senior leadership group with the support of Tribal Sport and the AFLQ an expression of interest list of over 50 players was developed, with many of them waiting several years for their chance to return to the Magpies after the hiatus.

“It’s been a frustrating 5 years at the club for us, as I’ve encountered so much support and positivity about getting Senior Women’s footy back up and running at the club, but we had to watch on as the game exploded in popularity as we wanted to be sure we were ready and would do it properly to ensure our many junior girls again have a pathway to Senior football. As leaders in this space for so long, it was frustrating to watch on for 5 years now, but also incredibly proud and rewarding to see so many young women who started their football journey at the Magpies to be playing QAFLW and even AFLW and getting so many opportunities that weren’t there only 5 years ago” Thomson said.

Additional to the standard approval process, there are restrictions placed around the Sherwood Magpies playing list composition, to ensure the integrity of the game and the growth in female footy is organic.

These parameters will include;

Sherwood Magpies 2020 QFAW Team Recruitment Restrictions for the 2020 season

• No more than 35% of the Club’s registered players were primary registered with a QFAW or QAFLW club in 2019

• The Club can only sign up to a maximum of 3 players who were registered with the same QFAW Club in 2019

• The Club can only sign up to a maximum of 2 players who were registered with the same QAFLW Club in 2019

While a search for a Senior Women’s Coach is completed, the club has appointed an interim coaching & support panel to run the pre-Christmas sessions which consists of AFL, AFLW, QAFL and NEAFL experienced players and coaches. 

Training will commence next Wednesday the 27th of November at 6:15PM to 745PM and will be held each Wednesday evening up until Christmas in addition to another more skills-based session on Saturday morning from 7AM with the senior men’s team which is historically followed by a coffee.

If you would like to get involved as a player, volunteer or official sponsor the female football programme please get in contact with Mitchell Merritt via sponsorship@westernmagpies.com.au or 0427 715 619. 

McCarthy Homes Senior Coaching Announcement - Anthony McDonald new QAFL Senior Coach

The Sherwood Football Club Board of Directors wish to announce the appointment of Anthony McDonald as the QAFL Senior Coach for season 2020.

Anthony is a Level 2 qualified coach with a long history of involvement in football as a player, coach and administrator including a previous stint at the Magpies as Club Development Manager.  It was an exhaustive process with the club speaking to 13 applicants, all who brought strong and varied attributes to the table.

After an initial round of discussions and interviews, the club identified the key requirements of the role, some non-negotiable attributes and the style of coach to take the club forward in 2020 and beyond.  All applicants were then re-assessed against this criteria which then narrowed the field to four very strong candidates.

Based on this assessment and subsequent interviews and discussions, it was clear that all of the candidates would make exceptional senior coaches at QAFL level however Anthony was a clear leader with his commitment to a consultative process, empowerment of a high calibre group of Assistant Coaches and Development Coaches and his proven ability to manage stakeholders at all levels and build strong relationships throughout the playing group and broader club.

From a football perspective, Anthony has extensive experience as a player and coach dating back this time at Salesian College in Sunbury, Port Melbourne (VFA/VFL) before football took him around the country with stints in Yepoon (QLD), Sutherland Sharks (NSW), Robe (SA), North Adelaide (SANFL), Nightcliff (NTFL), Strathpine (BAFL) and then again back to the Wide Bay Capricornia region where he was involved in several clubs as a player, coach and administrator as well as being the AFL QLD Regional Manager.  He was also the Club Development Manager at the Magpies from 2008-2010 and coached the Reserves in 2011 and maintained involvement at the club until 2013.  Since then, he has focused his time on junior representative coaching and developing his business Time Technology where he facilitates programs on time management, leadership and productivity including facilitating programs at the AFL Coaches Association National Conference and other leadership, culture and development conferences.

Joining Anthony on the Senior Coaching panel are the following two new appointees and returning coaches.

Alex Mitchell:  Alex was a local junior to the Western Suburbs, commencing his career at Kenmore Bears in the 1990s.  His playing career then took him to Morningside in the QAFL/NEAFL and to Victoria where he played in the VFL with Williamstown and was part of the Collingwood development program and he was also a member of the Essendon development squad as a draft prospect before spending time in the WRFL and subsequently returning to  Morningside where he played NEAFL/QAFL until 2019 and played in the QAFL State side in 2018.  He also had a stint as an Assistant Coach at Kenmore in 2012 when they achieved their highest ever Division 1 finish, and in discussions with several players who played with him – Alex is an astute football brain and a keen thinker on the game, who routinely took the time to assist with the development and guidance of younger players.  

Brett Connell: Brett was relatively late to Australian Rules Football, taking up the game as a Rugby League convert at the age of 16 where he commenced with Morningside, played for South East Bushrangers before graduating to Senior football in the QAFL and NEAFL with a Reserves Best & Fairest on the way up in 2006.  He played in a QAFL Senior Premiership in 2009 and missed out on going back to back in 2010 ironically after tearing an MCL vs the Magpies in a game in Toowoomba.  He was also the QLD State U21 Co-Captain with Dayne Zorko in 2009. A school teacher by trade, he then relocated to Canada where he played in 2 Premierships in the Ontario League and unsurprisingly was in the Ontario League team of the year in both 2011 and 2012! He coached a Premiership in Canada in 2015 and was awarded coach of the year before dipping his toe in the water in 2017 as an assistant coach at Coorparoo Kings.  Brett has Magpie blood in his veins though, having been a ball boy for the Souths Magpies in the QRL where his father had an extensive and by all reports legendary playing career.

Both Brett and Alex will also be pulling on the boots for the Magpies in 2019 and will hope to add to their QAFL Senior Games tally at their new home.

Joining Alex and Brett will be returning coaches David Hamill and Cory Hopkins, both local juniors who will also be Seniors Assistants along with former Brisbane Lion, Justin Clarke who will be the Development Coach.  David was the 2019 Russell Green Memorial Trophy winner for Magpies Coach of the Year and he is a key ingredient in the coaching setup at the club where he has played in 2 x Senior Premierships.  Cory started and finished his football journey at the Magpies which also took him through the NEAFL ranks at Redland, down to the SANFL with Woodville West-Torrens and eventually back to the Magpies again via Redland.  Justin Clarke hails from Booleroo in northern South Australia before he played just 1 SANFL Reserves game before the Brisbane Lions picked him up in the 2012 rookie draft.  Ongoing concussion symptoms unfortunately cut an incredibly promising 56 game AFL career short just 3 years later and he joined the Magpies as a Development Coach and Assistant Coach in 2018 where he has been instrumental in the development of the clubs young playing list.

Alister Mitchell will also be reprising his role as Club Welfare and Personal Development Manager, where he is looking after player/coach/volunteer well-being, mental health, performance coaching and program facilitation.

Alistair is on call for all our players and coaches 24/7 to chat about any issues, struggles or anxieties they might be experiencing and will attend the club each month to visit training and speak with players and coaches in addition to attending the club 3 times during the year to facilitate very specific programs and presentations.

Further coaching appointments will be announced in coming weeks, but we welcome Anthony McDonald back to the club as Senior Coach and also welcome Alex, Brett, David, Cory and Justin in their roles for season 2020.

CFMG Capital - Colts Awards

Versatile key position player, Jackson Paynter has just pipped classy defender/midfielder Darcy Prest by just 1 vote to claim the 2019 Maurie McNamee Medal for Colts Best & Fairest named in honour of a man who is considered one of the fathers of the Sherwood Footy Club.

In an incredibly tight count, Lawson Campbell was just 1 vote back in 3rd place after a great year playing in defence and he came home late to nearly claim the medal.

Paynter polled 37 votes, with Prest on 36 and Campbell on 35. All of them have big futures, with Jackon a very strong mark, a good leap and toughness and intensity around the ball. Prest was unlucky not to make his senior debut, and also represented the QLD in both U18 and U17 football. Both Prest and Paynter will be pushing for early season Senior debuts in 2020.

Campbell, is a tough uncompromising defender and also won the Best in Finals award to underline he is made of the right stuff.

Whitlam Bishop was Most Consistent after another fine season playing in defence, Darcy Prest also won Best Team Player while Oscar Murphy was a worth winner of the Coaches Award despite being in and out of the side, he always trained hard, gave his all and did any job asked of him on match day.

The leading Goalkicker was mid sized forward Cooper Crowell who had a fine season in front of the big sticks.

Anytime Fitness - Reserves Awards

The JB Medal named after long time club trainer John Burkill was this year won by Ben Jaenke-Cain who added the honour to his 2014 Bill Peirce Medal. the medal is awarded after 5-4-3-2-1 votes are awarded after each game.

A 150 game senior player, Senior Premiership player and Life Member, the Reserves is unfamiliar territory for Ben, but to win the JB Medal after just 7 games underlines his commitment to the task. Starting in the Seniors, Ben made way for the return of some young academy players before the excellent form of fellow veteran Gareth Crawford made the senior midfield too crowded for both!

Despite this, Ben continued to train exceptionally hard and also gave his time to coach and develop the youngsters coming through. He maintained his excellent ball winning ability in his 7 games, polling in 5 of them but making it count with 2 x maximum votes for best on ground and 3 times 2nd best.

Runners up was shared by Zac Collison and Rory Johnson, while Gerard Moore ran 3rd with 15 votes. Collison started the year extremely well, and was excellent across half back to regularly be in the mix for a Senior debut, while Rory Johnson was a consistent and reliable performer through the middle and also added to his Senior game tally. Both Collison and Johnson spent time injured, which likely cost them any chance of securing the JB Medal.

Johnson was also named Most Consistent, reliable key defender Harry Marshall was Best Team Player, while Jordan Bonney won the Coaches Award in recognition of his huge pre-season and ongoing efforts throughout the year which culminated in some Senior games late in the season.

In his return to football after a 4 year absence, the classy Jesse Hampel was the leading goalkicker.

Harvey Norman Oxley - Senior Club Awards

As part of the 2019 Presentation Night a number of Senior Awards were presented, these are specialist club awards in recognition of non playing roles.

Barry “Phantom” Johnstone - Senior Club Player of the Year

This award is given to the a member of the Senior Playing Squad who gives back to the football club by going above and beyond with their time, and in 2019 we had a fitting winner in Harrison Radcliffe. Harry balances his studies and playing and training commitments by being an Auskick coach and Coordinator, Roys Lions volunteer and also coached the U14 Sherwood McDonalds cup to their divisional Grand Final.

We both congratulate and thank Harry for his efforts in 2019.

Senior Club Person of the Year

The Senior Club Person of the Year recognises outstanding club volunteers, whether they are an assistant coach, football manager, team manager, scoreboard operator or many more roles that make the place tick.

In 2019, we had Jaden Crowell who was the Colts Team Manager for the second consecutive season. Jaden coordinates a group of players who range from Year 11, Uni Students and others employed full-time. Some are 18, some are not, some can drive, others can’t! Communication can be somewhat ‘limited’ with young players of this age, and then of course there are academy commitments, elevations to Seniors and Reserves football and we’re beginning to paint a picture of a team that needs the utmost commitment from the all important team manager.

In addition to his role as Team Manager, Jaden was the pseudo match day manager and given the Colts play first up, he became somewhat of a quality control officer for the day ahead at home games. For away games, he was at the club early on Saturday mornings packing the Magpie trailer (for all grades) before towing it to games. Fair to say, we couldn’t have done it without this guy in 2019!

Russell Green Memorial Trophy - Coach of the Year (Presented by Matt Green)

Returning to the club where he is a 2 time Premiership player, the larger than life character David Hamill took on a role as part of the senior assistant coaching panel for season 2019. Known for his outgoing personaility and ability to lighten the mood, “Hammers” quickly established himself as an astute thinker with a serious ‘footy brain’. His ability to clearly communicate with players, build relationships across the playing and coaching group and the care attention he gives to instruct and teach on a one to one basis has him as a Senior Coach in waiting should he ever decide to head that way.