Backing up on a season like 2014, or 2012, for that matter, is always a task. Our SPX 1st XI in 2015 certainly put in a full shift playing a total of 36 matches, the first of these in late January and a season running until late August. People may look back on this particular season and judge that in spite of finishing top at the round robin stage, of three competitions, we weren’t able to land the trophy lifting blow, in any of them. In the wash up we had two Grand Finals, a semi and a quarter final and I can proudly say we never died wondering in any of them.
As has been written elsewhere, 2014 had been the culmination for a squad which had travelled together across many seasons at SPX. Because of this it meant that in 2015 we only had six players surviving from the previous year, involving eleven new players coming in. We made ourselves very busy playing 17 games by the end of April. Captain, Ben John was playing his third year of very successful 1st XI football, and along with his right-hand man, Vice-Captain Alex Drake, they had won the ISA Championship, Queensland Cup and the NSWCIS Cup in that epic 6-1 victory over Barker.
In 2015 our two-day St Andrew’s Cup campaign saw us make the final with wins over St Aloysius, Sydney High and Oakhill. In the event we went down 3-1 to a well drilled Waverley side, our only loss in those 17 matches. Our ISA competition began in May with four good wins over SCECG’s St Andrew’s, St Spyridon’s and Oakhill, quickly followed by a win and a draw over St Pat’s. Looking good we defeated Redeemer College in the NSWCIS Cup before stumbling in the Quarter Final to Newington College. Fortunately we had little time to dwell on that result because we jetted off to Brisbane for the High Energy Tournament. Wins over Pembroke of Adelaide, Clairvaux of Queensland came either side of two hard fought wins over the two African club sides who were competing. Brisbane has a large refugee community from various African countries, two of which competed regularly in the High Energy event. As is the way in a whole week of tournament play, attrition can play a role. In spite of topping the classification rankings we did not make the final. Early on we had comprehensively downed Barker College but facing them in the Semi-final we went down 2-1. With just a third-place finish at stake we lifted to defeat St Peter’s of New Zealand finishing with a win.
Returning to Sydney we ran off three quick ISA victories over SCECG’s, Oakhill and St Andrew’s earning a semi final spot against the Men in Black of Strathfield. A 2-1 win was enough to avenge our exit at the same stage the previous season. We were in the ISA final against Oakhill College. As unbeaten Minor Premiers we went into this match in good shape. In normal time the two sides played out a 1-1 draw with extra time also failing to deliver a result. Ominously their keeper had had a blinder in the match. In the shoot-out both keepers including our Greg Frelingos, were amazing. Seven of the first eight kicks taken were saved before we hit the post and ended up losing the shoot-out 2-1!
At the time many people voiced their opinion that this was an unsatisfactory way to decide a season long competition. As much as I hate to lose, I couldn’t complain because my sides have won Championships a number of times in exactly that way! JPII in the MCS in 95’: SPX in the ISA 09’; SPX in the NSWCIS Cup in 12’; SPX in the Queensland High Energy Cup in 14’ and SPX in the NSWCIS Cup in 19’. In addition, we have generally been very successful in shoot outs generally. You have to take the good, with the bad. As they say in Israel, “Sometimes for me, sometimes for you”.
In 2015 our parental support was amazing. Anyone looking back at the media offerings I have put up in this series of Football Yarns over the years, couldn’t fail to notice the professionalism added by Danny John and Rachel Woo. Simon Yue and I often celebrate the media help we have had across the seasons by parents and teachers. Neil Chapman, Roula Ravenscroft and Matt Stearn, Rachel Woo, Antonio Saraceno and Andrew Giles all contributing to the visual history of our 1st XI. Danny John creating, our very own Magazine, ‘Shape, Tackle and Goal’. Danny’s commitment to keeping players, parents and coaches aware of happenings around our season was awesome. Nick Refenes finished the season as our top goal-scorer with 25 while young striker Harry Clay got to 21 before a season ending injury. Ben John and Alex Drake the leadership team deserve special mention. They had played since Year 10 and we calculated that they had played at least 113 games for the SPX 1st XI in that time, winning 83, drawing 19 and losing just 11. An achievement unlikely to be registered in any other school sport or at any other school in Football. Many of our SPX players at this time quietly told me that they were always thankful that Ben played for us! His commitment to the cause being scary. I always reminded Alex that he was the calm player in the family, his brother Matt from 2007 was also a very committed player like Ben! Great servants Daniel Makerry, Luis Facchin and Luke Browning all finished up, the latter going off for a successful scholarship sojourn in the USA, studying and playing football at American University in Washington DC.
For me personally 2015 was a great season at the Schools Representative level. I was fortunate enough to work as the Coach of the NSWCIS Opens side in the All Schools Championship. Working alongside Steve Fochesato of St Pats and SPX old boy Simon Aitkin, we led the side to win the Tournament and be crowned Champions for the first time in over twenty seasons. Anyone who knows this NSW Schools competition would be aware that the NSW State Schools usually dominate proceedings with their two sides. In a strange aligning of fate, I had actually won this tournament previously, 21 years earlier in 1996, while working with the NSWCCC squad which include both Nick and Leo Carle.
Our 2015 All Schools Championship win was delivered by what was the best side I have ever coached in my career. In a way I wish I knew beforehand how good they would be, an amazingly talented team. In a team of champions we had three Lachlans’, Roberts, Hughes and Scott. The former played for Australian schoolboys, the middle one for Sydney FC and the latter for Western Sydney Wanderers. Ryan Blumberg, the skipper went on to win a Nike Scholarship and play in the UK with Charlton. In the tournament we were unbeaten but the most memorable game was that verses the NSW 1 side who we downed 5-2 after trailing 2-0! Another great season of football memories
A copy of our NSWCIS team game in the NSW All Schools win v NSWCHS I is here on YouTube
https://youtu.be/NduKWimJzp0
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