Team : UNDER 15 (Div.2)
Trophy Winners
Best and Fairest:- Fraser Gregson
Runner Up Best and Fairest:- Hamish Brayshaw
Best Team Player:- Sam Morris
Most Courageous:- Daniel Coldebella
Coachs Award:- Tom Stanfield
2013 was a really enjoyable year which resulted in the team playing in the grand final for the second year in a row. The decision to play in Division 2 proved to be the right one, as we remained competitive against all sides. If measuring by scoreboard results, we won 12 games and lost 6 which was is even more satisfying knowing that we were competitive in 15 of the 18 games throughout 2013. Individually, all players were recognised for sticking to the game plan and were exposed to playing multiple positions during various times of the season.
The team had a solid pre-season which started in early February at South Rd beach, and saw several players attend most sessions. During these sessions we worked on a game plan of opening the game up with a focus on a first choice of running with the ball, playing the way you are facing and staying on your feet. Slowly we added more rules of predictability that allowed us to improve our performance and play an open, fluent style of footy most Sundays when the weather conditions favoured us.
It was satisfying to see the team embrace a different style of football and execute a challenging game plan with varying degrees of success. In most games we had times when we cruised along, and then shared moments when we struggled to be competitive; however the team regularly maintained a positive outlook which resulted in great football outweighing the not so great efforts. The players were always enthusiastic at training although often their enthusiasm seemed unrelated to footy, however, I was regularly amazed at the way they delivered on game day and showed their efforts on the training track were not wasted.
I am genuinely hesitant to highlight individuals or individual efforts; however there are some that need to be recognised. Fraser Gregson appeared at 29 of a possible 32 trainings for the season and is one of the most inspiring junior players in the competition with his relentless desire to embrace the physical contest. Ned Murray showed unprecedented commitment to miss only two of the 32 trainings which clearly influenced his extremely consistent season. Adrian Hug and Max Gernant are recognised for their efforts to make changes to their fitness levels which involved a serious commitment outside of our weekly trainings. Well done to both for making the effort and the vastly improved contribution you made to our team in 2013. Hamish Brayshaw had another awesome season for Rovers. Hamish was awarded the 2013 SMJFL Best & Fairest for the entire competition and was long overdue. Its a terrific effort and no surprise – despite only playing 11 of the 14 games. We also acknowledge the enormous effort from Ben Kneebush throughout the season. Ben always played on the oppositions best forward, regularly giving away more than a few inches but was never beaten all season. The greater the challenge, the harder he played and his enthusiasm and commitment to our team plan was unquestionable.
I would sincerely like to thank Cameron Gregson for assisting me with coaching these young men as together we hoped to create an environment where each player felt valued, challenged and part of our group. Ron and Susan Coldebella did a brilliant job, as always, sharing the demanding team managers role and were integral to the teams development over the season. Gary Wilson, as our chief medico, was amazing and always happy to be there on game day and his experience and calm approach was appreciated by all. Our runner, Steve Jackson, had the ability to re-define the coachs messages and deliver a positive but meaningful communication and was an awesome addition to the support crew. Without naming everyone individually, I would also like to thank all the other parents for doing their part in creating what I hope was a memorable year for all our boys.
Finally, I wish to applaud the President and committee for their commitment, and foresight to give up their valuable time to help create such a fantastic environment where our boys (and girls) can enjoy developing the lifelong friendships fostered by playing competitive team sport. In particular, I wish to thank Ant White for his constant support and dedication shown to all teams at Rovers, as well as Brett Yorgey for the passion and resolve he showed as President of Hampton Rovers Juniors over the past years. Our whole community benefits from the efforts of people like Brett and Ant and the steady, positive development of the young men in our Under 15 Rovers team this year, is a direct result of the hard work performed behind the scenes by all involved.
Regards and Go Rovers in 2014!
Stuart Murray
