Time flies when you are having fun and the 2024 football season is drawing to a rapid close with plenty of enjoyment from the journey thus far and some excitement still to come. As one club we have got better on and off the field, had a laugh while doing so, welcomed new faces, celebrated small & large wins – and are very proud of the way our players in all grades have represented Old Iggies and shown care for each other along the way.
Our A grade Men continue to compete well and at times open up higher ranked opponents with our developing brand of footy. Alas though, despite so much to like in these games we were unable to secure the gold medals needed to challenge for the finals and have changed tact to a different kind of end of season excitement. After winning important games against PHOS and Uni, with a game to go we sit in 9th spot thanks to our percentage reflecting how competitive we have been.
Irrespective of gold or silvers, the theory that the future is bright has been proven. We are the youngest team in the comp, enjoy a spirit amongst the group that fuels the commitment to get better and have seen enough tangible evidence of what the potential can look like to know that the clubs North star of “Enjoying sustained success aligned to our values” is realistic for this playing group.
Key to that future success is the strength of the whole Men's squad and wonderfully demonstrated by the Men's Reserves and C grade being finals bound. After surviving July with good results despite mini exoduses to Euro, Bali et al. The on field performances of both teams get better each week with player availability at a seasons high. Tight games against finals bound ROC’s showed that we wont just be there to make up numbers. The improvement in playing style and results is no surprise when you see the work done by these teams as a whole each Tuesday and Thursday. A credit to Coaches Dawsy, Max and Stevo for the environment they create.
On an individual basis; young guns Saul Owen Thomas and Nick Miller made their A grade debut, Ash Hearnden racked up 50 games with the Women's team (and was the only player to play all 14 A grade games this year) and we celebrated Andrew Twynstra 150 games & Charlie Gallman 250 games.
Sadly the Women’s season has already come to an end….
The women’s A grade finished the season strongly winning 2 of our last 3 games to finish 5th on the ladder with 7 wins and 7 losses. In many grades a 50/50-win loss ratio would be enough to play finals (Top 4), but this year in Division 2 you needed 10 wins from 14 games to make the finals. This clearly shows the strength of the top 4 teams and enables us to understand the level that is required to play finals in this division. Encouragingly for the group, one of these late season wins came against Hope Valley who finished 3rd on the ladder, showing that at our best we can mix it with these top sides.
The B Grade women also finished the season in 5th position, which is a fantastic effort when you consider that in 2023, we went through the season without a victory. Many weeks we were tight for numbers and had to scramble to get a team on the park, but we always found a way and over the course of the 12-game season we had 46 players pull on the guernsey for the B grade. So, it is no surprise that Mouldsy has dubbed himself the ‘Supercoach’…but then again, he did this after round 1!
To have a successful footy club, there are a few imperatives – Players, sponsors, supporters and volunteers. So, I would like to take this opportunity to firstly thank all the supporters who came out and cheered us on throughout the season, your support never wavered and meant so much to our group. To our sponsors who continue to provide financial assistance to ensure that we have wonderful facilities and support both on and off the field, we are truly grateful. There is a band of volunteers who gave their time week in week out to support our Women’s program, so please join me in thanking them:
Andrew Moulds – B Grade Coach
Michael Tanti – B Grade Runner
Lou Quinn – Player Welfare Manager and B Grade Team Manager
Julie Winter – A Grade Team Manager
Nathan Cooper – A Grade Team Runner
Ben McDonald and Tim Rice – A Grade Assistant Coaches
And a big shout out to everyone who did a shift on the match day BBQ…thanks for playing your part.
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the Women of our football club. Our A grade Women started the celebration when Friday night footy came to KRO to take on Westminster in a rematch of a game where only 1 point separated the teams earlier in the season. In front of a big crowd our women showed the development of their game as the season has progressed, with a comprehensive 35-point victory. The following day all roads led back to KRO to celebrate ‘Ladies Day’ while watching the Men take on Sailsbury North. With over 100 ladies in attendance and the champers flowing it was a fantastic day which celebrates all the Women (players, volunteers, partners, family and friends) who contribute to make Old Iggies such a wonderful community.
Jason Baily and Daryl Spencer
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