As a second year U9 coach, to be a part of the development of these fantastic young team has been the most personally rewarding and enjoyable experience. The majority of our team from last year fronted up again with the same high level of enthusiasm and eagerness to have fun and improve their footy skills. The inclusion of additional six new players were instantly welcomed into the fold and wasted no time in playing their role and becoming an integral part of the team.
What impressed our parents the most was the enormous improvement from last year. Our boys immediately picked up where they left off from last season after finishing on a real high. Their level of 100% effort and willingness to improve was evident as we immediately got off to a flying start with six wins in a row. We knew our boys loved a challenge, so mid-season we headed up the ranks into U9 North.
After facing tougher opposition, our boys realised that the essential ingredients of team success was hard work and teamwork. We learnt to use our voices more, help each other out, man up, run and spread and play defence and attack strategies more effectively. It was clearly evident every team member always gave their best efforts and continued to improve resulting in some very exciting close wins along the way! We were always very proud of our boys the way they conducted themselves playing hard but fair football. They celebrated their wins by singing the Rovers song with much gusto but were also gracious in defeat and still managed to have a laugh…and that’s what it’s all about!
A huge Thank-you to our dedicated parents! We are so fortunate to have such a strong community spirit and willingness to get involved on the field (sometimes in Antarctic conditions) and behind the scenes. To get a group of boys on the field each week required so many busy hands, starting from the Team Manager: Nick McKimm, Assistant Coach: Pete Seddon and also the Runners, Goal Umpires, Field Umpires, Scorers, Water Bottle Carriers……the list goes on!
It was an absolute pleasure to coach such a fantastic group of young lads and see the start of lifetime friendships being formed. No doubt we look forward to seeing you all return next year and hopefully plenty of new faces too.
Best & Fairest award: Elliot Brown
Runner Up Best & Fairest: Kyle Verbunt
Most Courageous: Chevi O’Neill
Most Improved: Billy Morris
Best Team Player: Jake Taranto
Steve Taranto
U9 NORTH COACH
