Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 45 2009, heart stopping, penalty shoot-out ISA Final win.

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 45

2009, heart stopping, penalty shoot-out ISA Final win.

Our 2009 Season was certainly one to remember. It stretched to a total of 29 games which was impressive considering we had three wash outs in what was a very wet season. A solid pre-season saw us defeat Asquith BH and Kings, with draws against St Aloysius and St Augustine’s. The St Andrew’s Cup was played out at Oakhill this year. We beat High, Trinity, SCECG’s and Riverview and true to past form, we again made the Final, only to go down to a hot Newington College side. Unfortunately, our young gun Nathan Mastroianni picked up a bad foot injury which kept him out quite a while. 

The ISA was very stop/start with all the rain. We did manage three wins in May/June over St Andrew’s, Oakhill and SCECG’s but were disappointed to go down by a goal to St Pat’s and lose a NSWCIS thriller to Riverview in a quagmire, 3-2. 

Heading to Queensland in July, Captain Michael Rocca led our biggest ever Tour Party, 19 players and three staff. Things didn’t start too well with three defeats to Knox, Riverview and Queensland Academy, Precision & Artistic. Goals were certainly a problem at this point but Jack Richardson did his best impression of a forward, suddenly weighing in with five goals in the next five games. Wins over New Zealanders Te Aroha College and Clairvaux made things look at a bit better. A defeat to Sydney side Scots College was quickly avenged as we reversed things to win 1-0. The semi saw us come up against Riverview once again going down 3-2 in a thriller.

Returning to Sydney we refocused on the ISA hitting the good form that usually results from going away together.  A 3-3 draw with St Pat’s was followed by three quickfire wins, including a 7-0 demolition of Oakhill. This series of wins put us in the ISA semi-final against St Spyridon’s at Oxford Falls. In a topsy-turvy game it finished 3-3 at full time, extra time and penalties soon followed. Our SPX 1st XI has an amazing record in Penalty deciders, and this one was no different. Captain Michael Rocca and @Andre Carle were both relieved as Danny Deblaere scored the winning penalty and keeper Phil Swart made three crucial saves to put us through. We were in the ISA Final again, out at the legendary Christie Park.

As ever as hundred’s of school supporters and old boys made the trek to North Ryde. We got off to a good start Andre Carle scoring twice against his old school, while we were well on top giving us a 2-0 led. As usual, St Pat’s kept going and as the momentum changed pulled a goal back. As time ticked down we cracked again and at 2-2, the game again went to our second penalty shoot-out in week! In what was classic for the ages, Andre Carle again missed his penalty! So tense was the penalty contest that our keeper Phil actually cramped up and needed treatment between kicks. Then in a brilliant turnaround Phil saved their fourth kick and it went to sudden death. Big Sean Abernethy scored his kick before Phil dived low to the left to save again and we had won the ISA Final 5-4 on penalties. 

Sometimes, people just don’t know what they have. ISA night-time Grand Finals at Christie Park had proven to be a massive plus for the competition. Throughout the day the lower grades would play their finals culminating in the 1st Grade final at 7.00pm. It was sad then that the 2009 final SPX v St Pat’s proved to be the last one. A decision taken by the ISA themselves.

Reflecting on this particular SPX side brings me to realise what a great thing football can be in peoples lives. Andre Carle and Danny Deblaere both took the opportunity to go to the USA to study and play the game they loved spending multiple years doing so. They were following the pathway that David Prentice did, back in 2002, which was also the one followed by Luke Browning and Joseph Esposito in later years. I have remained friends with many of this side. Joe Moore whose video of the full penalty shoot out showed he still had a love for the college, while Ben Trupiano who showed the insight to adapt it so cleverly, has had a great career in around football administration. Big Sean Abernethy works across the road at Chatswood High, teaching PE, While Joe Fachkha plays up the road at Asquith and I played against his dad John A Fachkha, at Prouile. Simon Aitkin has worked alongside me for SPX ISA and NSWCIS. George Kollias indeed scored a goal when it mattered in 2009, while the Ventura, Kastropil and Richardson families kept on writing more significant chapters in the SPX football story. As ever 2009 showed SPX football setting and writing its own history at the college, even if a bit rough and ready. The goal was always to emerge from our own environment and take on' all comers' just for the hell of it. Personally, I made the fateful decision at the end of 2009 to go to coach a younger SPX side, the following season 2010. It just happened to be@John Chapman's group and great things were yet to come. 

Included here are a series of video clips of the 2009 ISA Final. There are two versions of the penalty shoot out, one by Ben Trupiano includes a voice over from Australia’s Uruguay penalties win. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/508136681/videos/130591116681/

https://www.facebook.com/538949585/videos/121415909585/

https://www.facebook.com/1269093725/videos/1208305328980/

https://www.facebook.com/713658932/videos/140065313932/

https://www.facebook.com/713658932/videos/140057778932/

https://www.facebook.com/713658932/videos/140045863932/

https://www.facebook.com/713658932/videos/140080973932/