Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 48 A new beginning, SPX U14’s and U15’s

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 48

A new beginning, SPX U14’s and U15’s

Having originally arrived at SPX in 1997, I took on the dual role of 1st XI Coach and Football Convenor, the latter, for four years. As I have written elsewhere SPX at this time had its sporting tradition very much ensconced around Rugby Union. The Grandstand at Oxford Falls faced the main pitch which was the Rugby 1st XV Field. While Rugby had at least eight qualified Rugby coaches we in Football had no more than two. With all this in mind I made the decision then, to concentrate my main energies at the top end of the school. Our students had an obligation to play two terms sport a year and this could include Basketball, Squash, Cricket or even Debating. There was no compliance pressure to play Football nor Rugby. In the next 14 years I worked as coach of the SPX 1st XI and in truth the college piggy backed off the Rep club system in terms of player skill development. If we had had a collection of qualified football coaches, things could have been different but as stated we did not. In practice it meant that although SPX ran 14-16 teams many of our better players played externally with Rep sides, coming on my own radar later, usually in Year 10. Between 1997 and 2009 we won the ISA Championship four times and the St Andrew’s Cup twice, appearing in a total of eleven finals, including the NSWCIS final. After that tumultuous ‘last ever’ night final at Christie Park in 2009, I decided to step down as 1st XI Coach and take on a new challenge coaching a younger side, the U14’s.

Season 2010 proved to be an exciting one for the SPX U14 football side, led by John Chapman. While possessing a squad of undoubted talent, the gods of competition decreed that a range of obstacles would be placed in our way to test the resolve of the players, parents and coaches alike. In the event all was well in the end and the U14’s finished as ISA Champions for 2010.

In many ways 2010 was a fresh start for the U14’s. Different coaches sometimes see different things in the same player, and this was certainly the case this year as four boys came up from the B side in 2009 to play for the A’s. Many players were asked to play new position and indeed our captain John Chapman, was expected to move from the midfield into sweeper. The sheer diversity of size and athleticism among players meant that it took a while to discover a formation/system to suit the group. In the end we went with the highly unorthodox 3 - 6 -1 system which placed striker Leon Warren up front on his own. Leon finished as our top goal-scorer in 2010, many goals where he had literally run clear from friend and foe alike, to score.

A feature of ISA football is the omnipresence of competitive St Pat’s sides in the competition. We drew with them early on, but the vagaries of the weather meant we were not to see them again because they went down to Oakhill in the semi-finals.

We defeated SCECG’s 1-0 in our semi-final at Macquarie University on a day when injuries had decimated our rank’s, but we came through in a must win situation. A lasting memory of 2010 for me was how Joe Espositio, who was also playing Reps, seemed to turn up every week with a different person giving him a lift on to his next engagement. But turn up he did and although at times it looked like we might not make the finals, through hiccups to sides like St Andrew’s, make it we did. 

One of our defeats in the regular season had been to Oakhill by a clear 5-1. Facing them in the Grand Final was an interesting prospect. Turning around such a score-line was an immense challenge but that is exactly what we did.

On a brisk morning at Castle Hill we took on the Minor Premiers on their own turf.  In a tense but goal-less first half we matched Oakhill. On what was a large pitch we gradually got on top, Striker Leon Warren led the way with the opening goal against our opponent’s from Castle Hill.  Captain John Chapman marshaled the defence well, to ensure there was no way back for Oakhill. Two further strikes from midfielder Joseph Esposito wrapped up the match for a thoroughly warranted victory. 

As coach in 2010 this proved to an enjoyable experience for me having worked with the 1st XI for 14 seasons previously. 

Squad 2010 ISA Champions.

John Chapman; Ben Sullivan; Zac Sullivan; Pat Mcmanus; Darcey Patterson Thomas Aposhian; Darian Hargreaves; Joe Esposito; Tim Matevski; Harry Morten; Leon Warren; Lachlan Fuller; Danisha Ediriwira; Gabe Liucci; Oliver Baiel; Andrew Silva; Jake Keen.

Rolling into Season 2011 the SPX U15 squad strengthened considerably. Christian Desa came across from Rep football as did Nick Bersee and Claudio Rosano. Once again, our side SPX team was really competitive, if lacking a bit of size. In what was another wet season with much disruption, the ISA finals were actually staged at Oxford Falls for the first and only time. SPX U15’s had been runners-up in the regular season to St Pats but made the final after beating St Spyridon’s in the semi. Chapman’s boys battled bravely on the big pitch but went down to a good St Pat’s side by 3-0. 

If things had gone to plan, I would have taken this side on to U16 in 2012. However, the football gods once again decided to intervene. The current 1st XI Coach, Paul Hamam, decided to leave SPX and go south to Melbourne to get married. After two seasons away from the 1st XI I returned to work with Simon Yue at the beginning of a golden run for college football.

Coming back to the senior side I was aware of most of the available players, after all, I’d continued to tour Queensland with them in 2010 and 2011. They had reached the NSWCIS final going down to St Josepth’s 3-2 and an ISA final losing to St Pat’s. As I have said before, 1st XI football at SPX, treads a fine line by encouraging the Rep players to also play for the college. This involves a heavy workload as at SPX we regularly play 35-40 games a season. We carry a large squad of 18-20 players, precisely because of that. Training/playing commitments for everyone are an ongoing series of negotiations and accommodation. We had made it work for 15 seasons. Thus in 2011, when I heard that several players had let the side down at semi-final time, I had an opinion that I shared with the Headmaster. At this time, it wasn’t my side, but I was asked what should happen to those two or three players. My solution was simple. Punish them once. Don’t roll on grudges into the following seasons. That is was actually happened. They paid one price in terms of school honours, and by the time I took over in 2012 they were back in the fold. One of the players in question was Luke Sullivan, a natural leader and in 2012 he became my 1st XI Captain, in one of our best teams and seasons ever.