Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 41 St Andrew's Cup winners again

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 41

St Andrew's Cup winners again

Season 2004 was a landmark one for SPX 1st XI. Since joining the college in 1997 I had endeavoured to make our side competitive, not only in our own ISA competition but also against schools from other leagues such the CAS and GPS. These were usually, bigger and better resourced. I often tell the story that walking onto their ground, I’d shake hands with the bloke who I thought was the coach only to find they had four or five other people also involved running the team. There I was with a bag of footballs and a willing handshake. It is something that brings a sense of pride that we came eventually to match these Independent School ‘big-hitters’, increasingly coming out on top in the process.

Our skipper in 2004 was Chris Shahinian. He had played for the SPX 1st XI in 2003, played ISA representative football and a was a fine leader. In later years, Chris actually asked me to come and coach the Armenian based Homenatman club, from Willougby.  I was tempted but knowing that, having recently merged with the Ararat club, it would have been a lot to do in addition to playing, coaching Cassie’s women’s side and also the SPX 1st XI.  

Season 2004 was busy enough we played 23 games in all, being semi-finalists in one competition, beaten finalists in our own ISA competition and finally landing one, winning the St Andrew’s Cup for the second time in four years. We had also made the final twice more across the five years it had been held. 

As I wrote at the time, 

“Captain Chris Shahinian, led from the front, ably assisted by vice-captain Liam Longbottom and Club Captain Bryce Robson, who had just recovered from a knee reconstruction, to participate. This was probably our youngest ever squad, but we proved to be very competitive”.

This is where Football differs from many other sports like League and Union. Younger players can be selected and hold their own in our game. Marc Cinelli, and previously, the late Shahab Kargarian, played 1st XI from Year 9.

The St Andrew’s Cup was held at Oxford Falls in May. We beat both St Pats and Kings in the early round robin, then went on to beat GPS Champions Sydney Grammar with a last second 2-1 win. In the final we took on and beat CAS side Knox 2-1 in a final, we dominated. As ever we played several outside schools in traditional trials including St Aloysius, Sydney High, Cranbrook before making an early exit against Riverview in the NSWCIS Cup. The ISA season had a very wet start. We did manage to get in wins verses St Spyridon’s and St Andrew’s before flying to Queensland.

What made 2004 unique for SPX 1st XI was that for the first time, we went north to Queensland to take on interstate and often International competition. The Competition at this time was the Southern Skies Tournament, based in Brisbane. The organisation was first rate. Not only was there a Football tournament but Rugby, Hockey and Netball also on show. Most sides would stay at the University of Queensland campus at St Lucia. We stayed in one of the College Houses, usually St John’s or Kings College. From those early years sides in the various sports came from all over Australia, South Africa, Great Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and East Timor. Depending on the year the games were put on at one of the large Brisbane private schools like BBC, Brisbane Grammar or Terrace. 

Heading up to north in July, with teacher Matt Bentley and three parents Mr John Macris, Mr Roy Mercer and Mr Peter Ruggeri we had five adults the traveling party. We took 19 players on tour. Playing sides from Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Of the games played, we won three of six. Losing to Queenslander’s Bayside and the eventual winner the Malaysian U18 Regional Academy, Bukit Jalil.  We still made the semi-final but disappointingly went down to Brisbane Boys College in a game we ought to have won. This new experience of an inter-state tournament was great experience for the side, Year Ten Student Marc Cinelli making the ‘All Stars side of the Tournament’. 

An interesting side story to the inaugural Queensland Tour was the fund-raising we did beforehand. Several parents donated prizes for ‘a draw’ including TV’s and Music players. However, undoubtedly the star prize was a signed Arsenal Jersey for the Invincibles’ side the previous year, donated from the UK by, you guessed it, my cousin Johnny Hill! We raised $5200 in all, the shirt winner was Mr George Cinelli. Much soul searching went on as to whether I would allow this Arsenal Shirt into my house but relented knowing that it was for a good cause.

Returning to Sydney we won our first two ISA games against SCECG’s and Oakhill before struggling in a 1-0 loss to St Pats, earning a semi-final spot all the same, against SCECG’s. Unfortunately, our young striker Tom McAllister broke his leg in this match. (Fortunately, Tom was to recover to be a future 1st XI star and NSWCIS sprint champion.) The game finished 0-0 and we advanced to the final,  because we had finished as runner-up. 

By now Christie Park, ISA Grand Finals had a fine tradition. A crowd of over 500 braved the rain and wind to witness a worthy ISA final. In what was an ‘end to end contest’ we went down 1-0. This had been the eighth consecutive years we had faced St Pats in the final, our last victory had been in 2000. The crowd was fantastic. Our senior players, Chris Shahinian, Liam Watts, Jeremy Toole, Bryce Robson, (who had captained the ISA) Rowan Platt, and Jake Mercer had had a memorable season proving a match for most sides in Independent football. Patrick Toner and Rupen Sevagian came to Queensland while Jimmy Moylan from rugby helped us out in the St Andrew’s Cup. Another season over, thought turned to the next season, there is always rebuilding to be done for another season.

Played  23 Won 13 Drew 2 Lost 8

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