‘Drop ten, turn and Face.’ Quilty’s Football Yarns 22 ISA Finals again

‘Drop ten, turn and Face.’ Quilty’s Football Yarns 22

ISA Finals again

As the millennium came to an end our battle with St Patricks Strathfield for Football ascendency showed no sign of abating. This was the last season we wore the Royal Blue shirts in the SPX 1st XI. We had attempted to change in 1998 but the checkered strip was not available this year. The Grand final format was now well established, the school communities of both colleges were willing to turn up on cold, wet windy evenings to shout their side home.

In 1999 the ISA moved to a two round format giving ten matches, a semi and a final. For us Garth Moring assumed the captaincy, a decision later justified by his ISA and NSWCIS selection.

Championships are hard to win and even tougher to hold on to. So it proved in 1999. Our pre-season was good playing Knox, Aloysius, Newington and Barker. The latter two being beaten for the first time in a few seasons. Knox got us back later in the NSWCIS Cup while our NSWCCC Cup outing saw us go down to a very strong Corpus Christi Tuggerah. They were probably the strongest team we faced all year and we only went down in sudden death extra time. Winning doubles over SCECGS, Chevalier St Spyridons and St Andrews ensured us a Grand final place for third successive year. Goalkeeper Nick Byok backed up for a second season while his defence of Leung, Gough Jeremiasse, Zacknich and Williams conceded less than a goal per game. In the middle Cuthbert, Kargarian, Vaccarella, Nahabedian, Wickenden were a strong combination with youngsters Michael Mastroianni and David Prentice grabbing their opportunity when it arose.

Goals flowed freely in 1999, Peker, Scardilli Baker and Fazzolari getting their share. Our representative reward was to see a total of ten players make the three ISA sides. In 1999 Christie Park was unavailable so we played the ISA Final out at the old Newtown Rugby League Stadium at Henson Park. On another cold night it was great spectacle on that cambered surface. Battle as we could, we were outplayed by a better side on the night going down 3-0, frailty at corners a key factor. That said, we had had a good twenty game season only falling at the final hurdle. Even more heartening we took a total of eight players on to the following season which was a fine basis to build on. Bill Gleason and Mark Campbell again provided important support across the season and youngster Raffy Tchaprazian was a busy and useful team manager. The Twentieth century was coming to end with SPX firmly entrenched as one of the stronger ISA Football schools.