Friday April 16th
A relaxed start to the day and then we headed to a big shopping centre for a few last minute purchases and gifts. Northlands is one very big shopping centre, well worth a visit. Our first glorious blue sky day in Melbourne. All prepared Google Maps had been re consulted and we set off arriving in plenty of time…but it was another Darebin football place not the one we needed. A few circuits then some directions from someone else and we were off arriving a few minutes before kick-off time. Warm up consisted of running out on the artificial pitch. No complaints about the condition of the field. A fairly even competition over the whole game where both sides had chances, Ivanhoe was unlucky hitting the wood work a couple of times and missing an open goal. The goal they scored was a great strike form just outside the box. We managed equalise in the dying minutes of the game when Josh broke away passed to Jared S who crossed it back and Josh managed to will the ball in to the net, hooray a 1-1 draw to finish the tour. Back to the Big4 and some instructions on packing and maximising load weights before some of the boys took a plunge in the pool and began packing. We are leaving the Big4 at 6.30am! Hopefully I will have us going to the correct airport tomorrow. Over and out.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Post Fourteen
Thursday April 15th
All packed up and an easy trip across town to our other Big4 park. No Google Map issues today. Once at the park we had to wait a short time until all of our units were ready. A little more compact than our last Big4 and no flat screen TV, oh no, how will the boys cope? We headed in to central Melbourne again after a short walk to the nearest tram. The boys split and visited various corners of the city. I headed to the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in the new square opposite Flinder’s Street Station, a great facility. We met again at 5pm after waiting briefly for me after I found a great DVD shop. We all piled on the tram during rush hour got to the end of the line and discovered we were on the wrong one! Apparently the coach and his son were here last year with the golf and new what they were doing, not! After a brisk walk and a bus ride we got back to the Big4, gathered BBQ material and had tea. The BBQ patties have been superb in Australia. The boys have amused themselves with the table tennis table, table football, video games and television.
All packed up and an easy trip across town to our other Big4 park. No Google Map issues today. Once at the park we had to wait a short time until all of our units were ready. A little more compact than our last Big4 and no flat screen TV, oh no, how will the boys cope? We headed in to central Melbourne again after a short walk to the nearest tram. The boys split and visited various corners of the city. I headed to the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in the new square opposite Flinder’s Street Station, a great facility. We met again at 5pm after waiting briefly for me after I found a great DVD shop. We all piled on the tram during rush hour got to the end of the line and discovered we were on the wrong one! Apparently the coach and his son were here last year with the golf and new what they were doing, not! After a brisk walk and a bus ride we got back to the Big4, gathered BBQ material and had tea. The BBQ patties have been superb in Australia. The boys have amused themselves with the table tennis table, table football, video games and television.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Post Thirteen
Wednesday April 14th
The interesting thing this morning was one cabin of boys having their bags packed and out on their decking ready to leave… except we don’t move out until tomorrow! Well done Shamus, Anu, Jared S, Lachlan and Michael. The boys had a sleep in as we didn’t practice this morning. Google maps lets us down today as it suggested a road joins up with another one but it didn’t! It’s always a sinking feeling when that happens. Caleb found a local and after some translation we got the right directions that then caught up with our map directions. The field is part of the Berwick City Soccer Club and was being set up when we arrived. Hallam arrived soon after as they were bussed from their school. The field was big and in okay condition. The referee gave us a little hiccup declaring that most of the boys’ shin guards were too small under FIFA and Australian regulations, after a phone call he said he would still be able to referee the game. He said a number of court cases against referees are underway in Australia where refs have allowed players to play with inadequately sized shin guards, the players have been injured and are then suing the ref as he or she let them play! Not just shin guards but even potholes in the field! Hallam has a football academy but the big sport at the school is AFL then Rugby League. They have an arrangement with the Melbourne Storm. We were presented a souvenir pennant of the game before hand and our player of the game received a shirt afterwards. Everything was in place for a good game but unfortunately we didn’t bring our best performance of the tour. Jared C was able to start today as he has had a thigh strain which has hindered his involvement in the last two games. The opposition showed high skills and an ability to read the game very well. We put ourselves under pressure by giving the ball away and not being able to capitalise when we got close to their goal. One observation from this and the last game is how quickly they take their opportunities in front of goal; there is very little hesitation or an extra touch. We were one down at half-time and ultimately lost 3-0. Afterwards we were hosted in the club rooms for a sausage and drink. Caleb was given a shirt for player of our team and we have arranged for them to pick up a spare shirt of ours at the office of the Big4 tomorrow. If we had been on form today I think the game would have been a lot closer. No map problems on the way home and we had fish and chips for tea. Something one of the students yesterday got me to say and then turned to her friend said “see, I told you so”; I thought I sound the same as them! A lack of photos today as the camera was left behind. Peter from the opposition took a couple of team shots and I will get him to send them. Change of Big4s tomorrow and then only one more game to go and we are almost home.
The interesting thing this morning was one cabin of boys having their bags packed and out on their decking ready to leave… except we don’t move out until tomorrow! Well done Shamus, Anu, Jared S, Lachlan and Michael. The boys had a sleep in as we didn’t practice this morning. Google maps lets us down today as it suggested a road joins up with another one but it didn’t! It’s always a sinking feeling when that happens. Caleb found a local and after some translation we got the right directions that then caught up with our map directions. The field is part of the Berwick City Soccer Club and was being set up when we arrived. Hallam arrived soon after as they were bussed from their school. The field was big and in okay condition. The referee gave us a little hiccup declaring that most of the boys’ shin guards were too small under FIFA and Australian regulations, after a phone call he said he would still be able to referee the game. He said a number of court cases against referees are underway in Australia where refs have allowed players to play with inadequately sized shin guards, the players have been injured and are then suing the ref as he or she let them play! Not just shin guards but even potholes in the field! Hallam has a football academy but the big sport at the school is AFL then Rugby League. They have an arrangement with the Melbourne Storm. We were presented a souvenir pennant of the game before hand and our player of the game received a shirt afterwards. Everything was in place for a good game but unfortunately we didn’t bring our best performance of the tour. Jared C was able to start today as he has had a thigh strain which has hindered his involvement in the last two games. The opposition showed high skills and an ability to read the game very well. We put ourselves under pressure by giving the ball away and not being able to capitalise when we got close to their goal. One observation from this and the last game is how quickly they take their opportunities in front of goal; there is very little hesitation or an extra touch. We were one down at half-time and ultimately lost 3-0. Afterwards we were hosted in the club rooms for a sausage and drink. Caleb was given a shirt for player of our team and we have arranged for them to pick up a spare shirt of ours at the office of the Big4 tomorrow. If we had been on form today I think the game would have been a lot closer. No map problems on the way home and we had fish and chips for tea. Something one of the students yesterday got me to say and then turned to her friend said “see, I told you so”; I thought I sound the same as them! A lack of photos today as the camera was left behind. Peter from the opposition took a couple of team shots and I will get him to send them. Change of Big4s tomorrow and then only one more game to go and we are almost home.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Post Twelve
Tuesday April 13th
Although it was only Saturday since our last game it seems longer. To get the boys back in to the swing of things we had a light practice from 10-11 before our game this afternoon at 1.30pm. Rowville’s Western Campus was easy to find and only 15-20 minutes away ably guided by our top map reader Caleb. The whole school has close to 2000 students from Year 7-12. The Eastern Campus contains the sports academy which has about 350 students involved in Football, Golf, Netball and Basketball. There is also an Institute of the Arts there with a Performing Arts Centre that seats 500. Check out www.rowvillesc.vic.edu.au for more detail. Their football academy has 10 hours per week football related such as conditioning and training. The rest is academic and they must meet a grade point average of 3.0 to remain in the programme. There are about 100 in the football programme and pay $950 each to help fund it. They have professional coaches, a physiotherapist three days a week on campus, testing at Monash University etc. Some of these boys have been involved in this programme since Year 7 and it certainly shows. You could tell from their pre game preparation that this was going to be a tough game. It certainly turned to be a game that our goalie Jono benefited from. Their speed on and off the ball, anticipation, touch and finishing was all superb and certainly superior to our boys at the moment. At half-time the score was 0-5 and there was a nagging worry that this score could only get higher. The second half was a little more even and they scored two more goals to complete the game winning 7-0. Jono had to make some good saves in both halves. This was certainly a well disciplined and talented side. The boys all received a school key ring and there was an afternoon tea in the library afterwards. Rowville were talking about a possible tour to New Zealand next year with their Sports Academy first teams. Tonight the boys are cooking for themselves with the menus ranging from; burritos to chicken/vegetable stir-fry to nachos along with dessert for all. It doesn’t get any easier tomorrow with the Hallam game.
Although it was only Saturday since our last game it seems longer. To get the boys back in to the swing of things we had a light practice from 10-11 before our game this afternoon at 1.30pm. Rowville’s Western Campus was easy to find and only 15-20 minutes away ably guided by our top map reader Caleb. The whole school has close to 2000 students from Year 7-12. The Eastern Campus contains the sports academy which has about 350 students involved in Football, Golf, Netball and Basketball. There is also an Institute of the Arts there with a Performing Arts Centre that seats 500. Check out www.rowvillesc.vic.edu.au for more detail. Their football academy has 10 hours per week football related such as conditioning and training. The rest is academic and they must meet a grade point average of 3.0 to remain in the programme. There are about 100 in the football programme and pay $950 each to help fund it. They have professional coaches, a physiotherapist three days a week on campus, testing at Monash University etc. Some of these boys have been involved in this programme since Year 7 and it certainly shows. You could tell from their pre game preparation that this was going to be a tough game. It certainly turned to be a game that our goalie Jono benefited from. Their speed on and off the ball, anticipation, touch and finishing was all superb and certainly superior to our boys at the moment. At half-time the score was 0-5 and there was a nagging worry that this score could only get higher. The second half was a little more even and they scored two more goals to complete the game winning 7-0. Jono had to make some good saves in both halves. This was certainly a well disciplined and talented side. The boys all received a school key ring and there was an afternoon tea in the library afterwards. Rowville were talking about a possible tour to New Zealand next year with their Sports Academy first teams. Tonight the boys are cooking for themselves with the menus ranging from; burritos to chicken/vegetable stir-fry to nachos along with dessert for all. It doesn’t get any easier tomorrow with the Hallam game.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Post Eleven
Sunday April 11th
Good news Billy is able to make his own way into the airport and should be able to play at some stage this week once we monitor his recovery. The manager’s knee locked up last night even after having an operation in Jan to stop this happening. Since I was in a motel by myself I was stuck. I tried to convince Greg from Brisbane Grammar to manipulate my knee to unlock it but he didn’t look keen. I waited for Billy’s doctor to come along and there and then on the airport floor he was able to manipulate the joint open and out popped whatever was causing the jam, hooray I can walk. A very simple group check in procedure saw us all set to go. A pleasant two hour flight saw most boys choose the pie option rather than the sandwich (it’s a slow news day). We picked up the vans and once we did an obligatory one circuit of the airport we were off along the various toll roads, motorways and highways to Big 4 Dandenong. Very nice accommodation with a double bed in one room and two rooms with two bunk beds in each. There is a large lounge/kitchen area with an L-shaped lounge suite taking up one and a half walls. Once settled we went to the supermarket and two cabins of boys decided to cook butter chicken for themselves! The others stuck with the Burnley BBQ. The temperature is much like home cool outside and no real humidity unlike Brisbane which was sweltering this morning. The boys have the heat pump on in their rooms. A visit to Melbourne city is on for tomorrow.
Good news Billy is able to make his own way into the airport and should be able to play at some stage this week once we monitor his recovery. The manager’s knee locked up last night even after having an operation in Jan to stop this happening. Since I was in a motel by myself I was stuck. I tried to convince Greg from Brisbane Grammar to manipulate my knee to unlock it but he didn’t look keen. I waited for Billy’s doctor to come along and there and then on the airport floor he was able to manipulate the joint open and out popped whatever was causing the jam, hooray I can walk. A very simple group check in procedure saw us all set to go. A pleasant two hour flight saw most boys choose the pie option rather than the sandwich (it’s a slow news day). We picked up the vans and once we did an obligatory one circuit of the airport we were off along the various toll roads, motorways and highways to Big 4 Dandenong. Very nice accommodation with a double bed in one room and two rooms with two bunk beds in each. There is a large lounge/kitchen area with an L-shaped lounge suite taking up one and a half walls. Once settled we went to the supermarket and two cabins of boys decided to cook butter chicken for themselves! The others stuck with the Burnley BBQ. The temperature is much like home cool outside and no real humidity unlike Brisbane which was sweltering this morning. The boys have the heat pump on in their rooms. A visit to Melbourne city is on for tomorrow.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Post Ten
Saturday April 10th
I’m sure some of the boys will want to join the ‘backpacking culture’ after their stay at Mooloolaba. The sights and experiences at the backpackers will be probably something the boys will be talking about for a while. We travelled in a full size greyhound bus to Brisbane and if I had remembered we were playing at the Brisbane Grammar School playing fields rather than the school itself we would have been there very early. My planning gave us a brief tour of; part of the city, the various new road/flyover/tunnel constructions, and the outside of Brisbane Grammar School. Their playing fields are about 15 minutes from their school which consists of about 1600 pupils from age 11-17. There was a rugby carnival on at the fields with a large number of teams including two from New Zealand. Our field is the main football field and it has just been converted from a cricket block which meant it was a little bouncy in the middle. Luckily cloud cover did give us some respite from the hot conditions; I just saw the weather on TV which gave a high of 31 for Brisbane. Possibility of some rain in Melbourne tomorrow. We were looking for a huge improvement from yesterday’s game and we got it. The boys played one of their better games on tour and considering this was their fourth game in a row they did very well. We played four 20 minute periods to enable two drinks breaks as we have done previously. Although we lost 1-0 it was a very good game of football and the boys retained more possession than yesterday. They scored in the 35th minute and had a goal disallowed due to an offside call. The linesman was the player’s father! We had a number of free kick opportunities and made a number of good attacking moves. The best one was a ball delivered by Jarred S into the box and Shamus had made a perfect run but unfortunately couldn’t get it on target in the end, great run though. Billy had a bad foot clash towards the end of the game and had to be helped from the field. Luckily the linesman is also a doctor and was able to do a quick check. Billy is now at their house as they were taking one of the team as a billet, he is in very capable hands, and hopefully nothing is broken. After the game the Brisbane parents put on a BBQ under the trees beside the field and it was gratefully received. From what the parents were saying I think the boys are in for a good time tonight with some going on the Harbour Cat, others going to Sizzler and some going to the movies, more on this tomorrow. The second stage of our journey starts with our flight to Melbourne in the morning.
I’m sure some of the boys will want to join the ‘backpacking culture’ after their stay at Mooloolaba. The sights and experiences at the backpackers will be probably something the boys will be talking about for a while. We travelled in a full size greyhound bus to Brisbane and if I had remembered we were playing at the Brisbane Grammar School playing fields rather than the school itself we would have been there very early. My planning gave us a brief tour of; part of the city, the various new road/flyover/tunnel constructions, and the outside of Brisbane Grammar School. Their playing fields are about 15 minutes from their school which consists of about 1600 pupils from age 11-17. There was a rugby carnival on at the fields with a large number of teams including two from New Zealand. Our field is the main football field and it has just been converted from a cricket block which meant it was a little bouncy in the middle. Luckily cloud cover did give us some respite from the hot conditions; I just saw the weather on TV which gave a high of 31 for Brisbane. Possibility of some rain in Melbourne tomorrow. We were looking for a huge improvement from yesterday’s game and we got it. The boys played one of their better games on tour and considering this was their fourth game in a row they did very well. We played four 20 minute periods to enable two drinks breaks as we have done previously. Although we lost 1-0 it was a very good game of football and the boys retained more possession than yesterday. They scored in the 35th minute and had a goal disallowed due to an offside call. The linesman was the player’s father! We had a number of free kick opportunities and made a number of good attacking moves. The best one was a ball delivered by Jarred S into the box and Shamus had made a perfect run but unfortunately couldn’t get it on target in the end, great run though. Billy had a bad foot clash towards the end of the game and had to be helped from the field. Luckily the linesman is also a doctor and was able to do a quick check. Billy is now at their house as they were taking one of the team as a billet, he is in very capable hands, and hopefully nothing is broken. After the game the Brisbane parents put on a BBQ under the trees beside the field and it was gratefully received. From what the parents were saying I think the boys are in for a good time tonight with some going on the Harbour Cat, others going to Sizzler and some going to the movies, more on this tomorrow. The second stage of our journey starts with our flight to Melbourne in the morning.
Post Nine
Friday April 9th
After four relatively even games we found ourselves up a well organised and disciplined side in Brisbane Boys’ College. We played three 30 minute sections and were able to contain them in the first period holding them to 0-0. The rest of the game saw their control of the ball dominate us and we unfortunately could not hold possession often running around chasing, something Mr Burnley had pointed out to the boys would happen. The final score was 6-1 which left the boys tired, hot and a little despondent. Jarred S scored our only goal after a couple of nice touches and delivery from Shamus. Jono had plenty to do in this game, making a number of saves under pressure. This game was worthwhile in letting the boys know what to expect of a well-disciplined side. BBC has coaching programmes in place from Year 5 and has 30 football teams in their school of 1600. After this the boys were able to chill out for the rest of the day before a real Australian BBQ put on by the Backpackers down beside the harbour. The boys were able to taste kangaroo and croc along with the usual sausages etc. One of the biggest things they will miss from the Mooloolaba Backpackers is the pool table which they fairly much commandeered as soon as they arrived. Things don’t get easier with probably our toughest game tomorrow; hopefully we can rise to the occasion.
After four relatively even games we found ourselves up a well organised and disciplined side in Brisbane Boys’ College. We played three 30 minute sections and were able to contain them in the first period holding them to 0-0. The rest of the game saw their control of the ball dominate us and we unfortunately could not hold possession often running around chasing, something Mr Burnley had pointed out to the boys would happen. The final score was 6-1 which left the boys tired, hot and a little despondent. Jarred S scored our only goal after a couple of nice touches and delivery from Shamus. Jono had plenty to do in this game, making a number of saves under pressure. This game was worthwhile in letting the boys know what to expect of a well-disciplined side. BBC has coaching programmes in place from Year 5 and has 30 football teams in their school of 1600. After this the boys were able to chill out for the rest of the day before a real Australian BBQ put on by the Backpackers down beside the harbour. The boys were able to taste kangaroo and croc along with the usual sausages etc. One of the biggest things they will miss from the Mooloolaba Backpackers is the pool table which they fairly much commandeered as soon as they arrived. Things don’t get easier with probably our toughest game tomorrow; hopefully we can rise to the occasion.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Post Eight
Thursday April 8th
Thanks to the generosity of Villanova College (http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/) they picked us up this morning in one of their three tour buses that they are using while here. They have about 40 rugby and 26 football players in their training camp. The field was a little bumpier than yesterday but still okay. The temperature was hot and the boys were very glad when the odd cloud drifted over the sun and the breeze picked up. We again played four 20 minute periods to enable a drinks break. The first 20 we dominated but could only score through a penalty taken by Billy. It was a little disappointing that we couldn’t take our other chances in this passage of play. After the first 20, Villanova adjusted their team line up and provided a stronger more even contest for the rest of the game. They got a penalty that they converted, Jono you can’t push players in the back, and the scores were level. We had a few early chances in the last 20 before Connor followed through and slotted the winner 10 minutes before the end of the game. A good competitive match that both coaches were happy with. Along with that we have made a good contact with a school that is keen to play us again if the opportunity arises. Thanks to their physio for helping us out and the transport to and from the match. Once we were back at the backpackers the boys soaked in the pool before having free time in the afternoon. We headed down to the beach for a BBQ later encountering some local wildlife on the way. Great BBQ facilities next to the beach and the local Coles had some great patties and sausages. During the day Shamus confessed his football boots are made of kangaroo leather along with some of the other boys. Now I know why some of the local animals have been looking at us strangely. Michael is pushing hard to gain membership in the DWAS (Dr Who Appreciation Society [PNBHS Branch]) but he is yet to demonstrate enough knowledge (the TARDIS is not red!). Lachlan is at the start of the journey of his real musical knowledge with a brief introduction to the merits of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and he calls himself a musician!
Thanks to the generosity of Villanova College (http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/) they picked us up this morning in one of their three tour buses that they are using while here. They have about 40 rugby and 26 football players in their training camp. The field was a little bumpier than yesterday but still okay. The temperature was hot and the boys were very glad when the odd cloud drifted over the sun and the breeze picked up. We again played four 20 minute periods to enable a drinks break. The first 20 we dominated but could only score through a penalty taken by Billy. It was a little disappointing that we couldn’t take our other chances in this passage of play. After the first 20, Villanova adjusted their team line up and provided a stronger more even contest for the rest of the game. They got a penalty that they converted, Jono you can’t push players in the back, and the scores were level. We had a few early chances in the last 20 before Connor followed through and slotted the winner 10 minutes before the end of the game. A good competitive match that both coaches were happy with. Along with that we have made a good contact with a school that is keen to play us again if the opportunity arises. Thanks to their physio for helping us out and the transport to and from the match. Once we were back at the backpackers the boys soaked in the pool before having free time in the afternoon. We headed down to the beach for a BBQ later encountering some local wildlife on the way. Great BBQ facilities next to the beach and the local Coles had some great patties and sausages. During the day Shamus confessed his football boots are made of kangaroo leather along with some of the other boys. Now I know why some of the local animals have been looking at us strangely. Michael is pushing hard to gain membership in the DWAS (Dr Who Appreciation Society [PNBHS Branch]) but he is yet to demonstrate enough knowledge (the TARDIS is not red!). Lachlan is at the start of the journey of his real musical knowledge with a brief introduction to the merits of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and he calls himself a musician!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Post Seven
Wednesday April 7th
Michael has revealed he is destroying the Australian economy by substituting the NZ one dollar coin for the Australian two dollar along with the usual 20 cent piece swap over. He feels he has wiped out 100 jobs from the Australian workforce. He has gone over the top and tried to substitute the NZ two dollar for the Australian one dollar, that doesn’t make sound financial sense. Self service cereal in the kitchen today along with supplied toast and tea from the Backpackers. Something resembling jam was on offer along with vegemite and peanut butter. After that we went for a ‘brisk’ walk along a path beside the beach. Then it was back for a rest or a swim in the pool before lunch. After lunch the boys needed to rest before the game at 3pm. The taxis picked us up at 2pm for a 15 minute drive to the Maroochydore FC ground. Four full sized fields, two fields with floodlighting for night play along with another lit for practice. Fields were in good condition. Next door to the field we were on the next two teams we are encountering were playing each other; Villanova and Brisbane Boys’ College. This was probably the hottest time that we have played in and a few of the boys were feeling the heat during the game. In fact we played four 20 minute periods so the boys could re-hydrate. The big news is that we won 6-0 in a match we began to dominate in the later stages. At half time we were leading by two before finishing strongly with four goals in the second half. Anu put himself around the field but was unable to score himself although he did help others in their quest to get on the scoring sheet. He was also the player most likely to be eaten by mosquitoes on the sideline. Maroochydore Under 17 consisted mainly of 15 and 16 year-olds and our physical domination of the game proved to be the winning factor. I think we actually finished stronger than they did even with the heat. They had a time after our second goal that they showed promise and if they had scored it would have been an interesting passage of play. After returning to the Backpackers we settled in for all you can eat pizza topped off by some boys heading to MacDonald’s for a McFlurry, the perfect end to a perfect meal. Jono scored big getting extra M&Ms. An early start tomorrow with a 10am game. Scorers: Billy x 2, Lachlan x 2, Caleb x 1, Jared S x 1.
Michael has revealed he is destroying the Australian economy by substituting the NZ one dollar coin for the Australian two dollar along with the usual 20 cent piece swap over. He feels he has wiped out 100 jobs from the Australian workforce. He has gone over the top and tried to substitute the NZ two dollar for the Australian one dollar, that doesn’t make sound financial sense. Self service cereal in the kitchen today along with supplied toast and tea from the Backpackers. Something resembling jam was on offer along with vegemite and peanut butter. After that we went for a ‘brisk’ walk along a path beside the beach. Then it was back for a rest or a swim in the pool before lunch. After lunch the boys needed to rest before the game at 3pm. The taxis picked us up at 2pm for a 15 minute drive to the Maroochydore FC ground. Four full sized fields, two fields with floodlighting for night play along with another lit for practice. Fields were in good condition. Next door to the field we were on the next two teams we are encountering were playing each other; Villanova and Brisbane Boys’ College. This was probably the hottest time that we have played in and a few of the boys were feeling the heat during the game. In fact we played four 20 minute periods so the boys could re-hydrate. The big news is that we won 6-0 in a match we began to dominate in the later stages. At half time we were leading by two before finishing strongly with four goals in the second half. Anu put himself around the field but was unable to score himself although he did help others in their quest to get on the scoring sheet. He was also the player most likely to be eaten by mosquitoes on the sideline. Maroochydore Under 17 consisted mainly of 15 and 16 year-olds and our physical domination of the game proved to be the winning factor. I think we actually finished stronger than they did even with the heat. They had a time after our second goal that they showed promise and if they had scored it would have been an interesting passage of play. After returning to the Backpackers we settled in for all you can eat pizza topped off by some boys heading to MacDonald’s for a McFlurry, the perfect end to a perfect meal. Jono scored big getting extra M&Ms. An early start tomorrow with a 10am game. Scorers: Billy x 2, Lachlan x 2, Caleb x 1, Jared S x 1.
Post Six
Tuesday April 6th
Practice, breakfast and then the boys did a good job of tidying and packing their rooms. What was once spread around was now back in the confines of its bag. On the bus and on the road at 10am for a leisurely drive up the coast to Mooloolaba. A very informative bus driver told us all we needed to know about everything on the drive, I almost consider myself an expert on Queensland. We had one stop at a BP which it seems everyone was stopping at. The driver found Mooloolaba Backpackers easily and we quickly settled in. Off down to the beach which is only a short walk and it proved a hit. A bit more swimmer friendly than Surfer’s and it seemed a nicer beach. We organised tea across the road at the Bowling club, buy one special get the second for half price. All you can eat pizza tomorrow night at the Backpackers and we will probably use the free BBQs down on the beach on Thursday night before an Aussie BBQ at the Backpackers on Friday night. I think we are all looking forward to playing another game after the routine of practice and the down time since the last game. Hopefully we will see some of what has been practiced in the game tomorrow. PS since I know it is raining in Palmerston North I can inform you we are sitting on a balcony on a balmy evening after sun on the beach.
Practice, breakfast and then the boys did a good job of tidying and packing their rooms. What was once spread around was now back in the confines of its bag. On the bus and on the road at 10am for a leisurely drive up the coast to Mooloolaba. A very informative bus driver told us all we needed to know about everything on the drive, I almost consider myself an expert on Queensland. We had one stop at a BP which it seems everyone was stopping at. The driver found Mooloolaba Backpackers easily and we quickly settled in. Off down to the beach which is only a short walk and it proved a hit. A bit more swimmer friendly than Surfer’s and it seemed a nicer beach. We organised tea across the road at the Bowling club, buy one special get the second for half price. All you can eat pizza tomorrow night at the Backpackers and we will probably use the free BBQs down on the beach on Thursday night before an Aussie BBQ at the Backpackers on Friday night. I think we are all looking forward to playing another game after the routine of practice and the down time since the last game. Hopefully we will see some of what has been practiced in the game tomorrow. PS since I know it is raining in Palmerston North I can inform you we are sitting on a balcony on a balmy evening after sun on the beach.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Post Five
Monday April 5th
Another practice, another breakfast. I’m happy to report the bus situation was much smoother today arriving a good hour earlier than yesterday. Although the boys intended to visit Waterworld today they only seemed to stay for a bit before the attractions of the thrill rides lured them back to Dreamworld. The day seemed to go smoothly with some discovering the Deal or No Deal game machine in the arcade. If only Jono had listened to Shamus he would have been another 100 tickets better off. Bus ride back was smooth and orderly and the boys are now packing their bags for tomorrow’s transfer to Mooloolaba and discovering how much gear they have misplaced. Boys were able to wear mufti today and JJ, Ryan and Lachlan were able to flaunt their new t-shirts. JJ’s has a ‘clever’ saying, Ryan’s is one of three high quality shirts he bought the other day and Lachlan’s proudly records his trip on the Tower of Terror, even if he turned the front seat down and sat in the second row. Shamus was involved with an altercation with an Ibis at lunchtime. He put his food down went to get something and returned to find the Ibis foraging in his box of hot chips! As we enter uncharted territory I’m unsure when the next update will be.
Another practice, another breakfast. I’m happy to report the bus situation was much smoother today arriving a good hour earlier than yesterday. Although the boys intended to visit Waterworld today they only seemed to stay for a bit before the attractions of the thrill rides lured them back to Dreamworld. The day seemed to go smoothly with some discovering the Deal or No Deal game machine in the arcade. If only Jono had listened to Shamus he would have been another 100 tickets better off. Bus ride back was smooth and orderly and the boys are now packing their bags for tomorrow’s transfer to Mooloolaba and discovering how much gear they have misplaced. Boys were able to wear mufti today and JJ, Ryan and Lachlan were able to flaunt their new t-shirts. JJ’s has a ‘clever’ saying, Ryan’s is one of three high quality shirts he bought the other day and Lachlan’s proudly records his trip on the Tower of Terror, even if he turned the front seat down and sat in the second row. Shamus was involved with an altercation with an Ibis at lunchtime. He put his food down went to get something and returned to find the Ibis foraging in his box of hot chips! As we enter uncharted territory I’m unsure when the next update will be.
Post Four
Sunday April 4th
Michael comes close with his prediction of Chelsea 3-0, although plenty of others made comments about his faith at the start. Plenty of trash talk about other clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal. An early start to the day with a 7am training and then breakfast before hitting out for the theme parks. We just get to the bus on time only to have our next bus to the theme parks so full it couldn’t take us. Instead we get on another bus to transfer to another bus! Consequently we were about an hour behind schedule. A lot of cars in the car park but I didn’t think the park was excessively busy, certainly not in a busy Disneyland way. The boys were free to do what they wanted to and although we they had a multi-park ticket they preferred to just visit Dreamworld and tomorrow will be Waterworld, I mixed it up a bit for a bit of variety. I have a new plan for the buses tomorrow and hopefully this will work a bit better, at least we got home a lot quicker than the morning’s experience. We didn’t get to see SpongeBob’s laser spectacular but I’ll see what I can do for tomorrow. The last 30 minutes at the park today consisted of boys seeing if they could get phone numbers from local girls, there was some success. The boys were all in bed between 9-9.30 something which has been more the norm than not.
Michael comes close with his prediction of Chelsea 3-0, although plenty of others made comments about his faith at the start. Plenty of trash talk about other clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal. An early start to the day with a 7am training and then breakfast before hitting out for the theme parks. We just get to the bus on time only to have our next bus to the theme parks so full it couldn’t take us. Instead we get on another bus to transfer to another bus! Consequently we were about an hour behind schedule. A lot of cars in the car park but I didn’t think the park was excessively busy, certainly not in a busy Disneyland way. The boys were free to do what they wanted to and although we they had a multi-park ticket they preferred to just visit Dreamworld and tomorrow will be Waterworld, I mixed it up a bit for a bit of variety. I have a new plan for the buses tomorrow and hopefully this will work a bit better, at least we got home a lot quicker than the morning’s experience. We didn’t get to see SpongeBob’s laser spectacular but I’ll see what I can do for tomorrow. The last 30 minutes at the park today consisted of boys seeing if they could get phone numbers from local girls, there was some success. The boys were all in bed between 9-9.30 something which has been more the norm than not.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Post Three
Saturday April 3rd
I forgot to mention that our shooting practice was enhanced yesterday by the fact there is a bush area behind one of the goals and we were reminded that snakes may be about, be careful retrieving that ball! No training this morning as the boys were a little stiff and sore from yesterday’s game. We will be having practice at 7am for the next two days before breakfast and then heading off to the theme parks. Today we went to Harbour Town, a large outlet style shopping centre and to my surprise the boys spent very little. Anu probably purchased the world’s worst looking sunglasses although he assures me they were a good deal at $5; you certainly wouldn’t have wanted to pay more. After two hours in the maze of stores we headed to Surfer’s Paradise where it appears a large percentage of the population were as well. After we had to wait at the parking building because the 4wd in front had to take his surfboard off to fit under the height restriction we were all set to hit Surfer’s. The sea conditions weren’t ideal with messy waves and a strong undertow. A lot of people were happy to relax on the sand and take in the view. Jono was appointed an honorary lifeguard as he kept a close eye on the ‘swimmers’ on the beach and not in the water. After a mix of window shopping, street entertainers (including the always present stand still man) and swimming, the boys ended up in Timezone where they mastered the art of putting tokens into a revolving shelf to try and knock other tokens off before putting them all back in anyway. Apparently there was a point to this. They even encountered an expert ‘tokener’ who entertained with stories of how much he had won. All was not lost for me as I discovered a pinball machine I hadn’t played before, Big Buck Hunter Pro, part of my world wide quest of playing every pinball machine there is. I give it the thumbs up. After making our way home the boys organised themselves for their own practice and washed their own practice gear! They are entertaining themselves until the big game tonight.
I forgot to mention that our shooting practice was enhanced yesterday by the fact there is a bush area behind one of the goals and we were reminded that snakes may be about, be careful retrieving that ball! No training this morning as the boys were a little stiff and sore from yesterday’s game. We will be having practice at 7am for the next two days before breakfast and then heading off to the theme parks. Today we went to Harbour Town, a large outlet style shopping centre and to my surprise the boys spent very little. Anu probably purchased the world’s worst looking sunglasses although he assures me they were a good deal at $5; you certainly wouldn’t have wanted to pay more. After two hours in the maze of stores we headed to Surfer’s Paradise where it appears a large percentage of the population were as well. After we had to wait at the parking building because the 4wd in front had to take his surfboard off to fit under the height restriction we were all set to hit Surfer’s. The sea conditions weren’t ideal with messy waves and a strong undertow. A lot of people were happy to relax on the sand and take in the view. Jono was appointed an honorary lifeguard as he kept a close eye on the ‘swimmers’ on the beach and not in the water. After a mix of window shopping, street entertainers (including the always present stand still man) and swimming, the boys ended up in Timezone where they mastered the art of putting tokens into a revolving shelf to try and knock other tokens off before putting them all back in anyway. Apparently there was a point to this. They even encountered an expert ‘tokener’ who entertained with stories of how much he had won. All was not lost for me as I discovered a pinball machine I hadn’t played before, Big Buck Hunter Pro, part of my world wide quest of playing every pinball machine there is. I give it the thumbs up. After making our way home the boys organised themselves for their own practice and washed their own practice gear! They are entertaining themselves until the big game tonight.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Post Two
Friday April 2nd
No ice cream last night. Another day in paradise. Breakfast and then practice at 9-10.15, which probably turned out to be the hottest part of the day. Nothing like a swim in the Olympic size pool afterwards, this is being used by some NZ swimmers in preparation for international competition. Fairly quiet today as most things are closed for Good Friday. A PNG age group girls’ team checked in last night for a week’s camp before they go to New Zealand to play in an U17 competition. After that a number of the team who are U15 go on to play in another competition. For most if not all of these young women it’s the first time they have been out of PNG and certainly the first time they have been exposed to a large city. Our game at 2.30 was played against Robina State High School at Surfers Paradise Soccer Club’s field. The field was large in reasonably good condition. There was a slight wind in fine conditions and luckily not too warm. This game was certainly a lot more physical than yesterday’s and probably opened a few boys’ eyes to a different level of competition. Things were a little frustrating with the referee as he didn’t always pick up some fouls which seemed obvious from the sideline. For all that, the game was what we needed on this tour. At halftime we were down 1-0 and the final score was a loss 2-0. Jono made some great saves to keep the score at that level. We didn’t have a great number of chances ourselves and probably the best was a strike by Ed that went close. The way the boys were walking after the game certainly indicated they knew they had been in a game of football. A few too many times we gave the ball away easily which continued to put ourselves under pressure and led to their goals. Who will be the first to put the ball in the back of the net? Only time will tell. Another swim for some after the game, some testing of our chipping skills with the Japanese golfers’ clubs before tea and some beach volleyball again. The Japanese teenage golfers who are staying at our lodge pay about $10000 to be here for six months playing golf virtually every day, apparently this is a regular thing. A large group of Futsal players are staying from about 10 hours north of here. They have a three day tournament starting tomorrow for U17 and U10 teams, I think. Tomorrow is a chance for retail therapy at Harbour Town Outlet Centre and then a visit to Surfers paradise. Chelsea vs. Man United at 10pm local time tomorrow night. I found myself cheering for the Crusaders at the end of the game against the Hurricanes as I had picked them in my competition, Dan Carter how could you miss?
No ice cream last night. Another day in paradise. Breakfast and then practice at 9-10.15, which probably turned out to be the hottest part of the day. Nothing like a swim in the Olympic size pool afterwards, this is being used by some NZ swimmers in preparation for international competition. Fairly quiet today as most things are closed for Good Friday. A PNG age group girls’ team checked in last night for a week’s camp before they go to New Zealand to play in an U17 competition. After that a number of the team who are U15 go on to play in another competition. For most if not all of these young women it’s the first time they have been out of PNG and certainly the first time they have been exposed to a large city. Our game at 2.30 was played against Robina State High School at Surfers Paradise Soccer Club’s field. The field was large in reasonably good condition. There was a slight wind in fine conditions and luckily not too warm. This game was certainly a lot more physical than yesterday’s and probably opened a few boys’ eyes to a different level of competition. Things were a little frustrating with the referee as he didn’t always pick up some fouls which seemed obvious from the sideline. For all that, the game was what we needed on this tour. At halftime we were down 1-0 and the final score was a loss 2-0. Jono made some great saves to keep the score at that level. We didn’t have a great number of chances ourselves and probably the best was a strike by Ed that went close. The way the boys were walking after the game certainly indicated they knew they had been in a game of football. A few too many times we gave the ball away easily which continued to put ourselves under pressure and led to their goals. Who will be the first to put the ball in the back of the net? Only time will tell. Another swim for some after the game, some testing of our chipping skills with the Japanese golfers’ clubs before tea and some beach volleyball again. The Japanese teenage golfers who are staying at our lodge pay about $10000 to be here for six months playing golf virtually every day, apparently this is a regular thing. A large group of Futsal players are staying from about 10 hours north of here. They have a three day tournament starting tomorrow for U17 and U10 teams, I think. Tomorrow is a chance for retail therapy at Harbour Town Outlet Centre and then a visit to Surfers paradise. Chelsea vs. Man United at 10pm local time tomorrow night. I found myself cheering for the Crusaders at the end of the game against the Hurricanes as I had picked them in my competition, Dan Carter how could you miss?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Post One
Wednesday March 31st
Everyone manages to assemble in Wellington on time (well almost on time Caleb) and have their passports as well. The only problem with checking was having two staff doing their own things for adding up weight of baggage. Luckily we were well under our allowance.
Flights were fine and we had no problems on the plane or off the plane. Anu has become our go to person for random searches, boot cleaning in the airport, setting off the metal detectors (which then meant the rest of the team had to remove their shoes for the scanner!). We are hoping Anu will be allowed back in to NZ with out too much trouble. Some of the boys managed to shop in Sydney airport and some early parcels. Steeping out in to Brisbane’s high humidity was a shock and our bus ride encountered a lot of road works as they are only done at night on the Gold Coast Highway (7pm to 5am) thanks to the friendly bus driver for that information. Each road works also had a police car with flashing lights to control any errant drivers. While travelling to Runaway Bay we hit a tropical downpour which cleaned the road, the bus, and woke up the manager. Checking in to Sports Super Centre was easy and we were glad to be settled in, well perhaps not Ryan who discovered a pet cockroach in his room which he tried to squash but managed to chase in to his bag. It is still awol, although we did sight another one about 5cm long in the lounge/kitchen. Once the coach and manager had settled in to their air-conditioned room the boys made do with a fan noisily circulating the air in each of their rooms.
Thursday April 1st
Breakfast at 7.30 am and the boys were sighted at 7am playing beach volleyball! A full cooked breakfast kept everyone happy. Practice was transferred to the artificial turf and the boys worked hard for a couple of hours. Our two vans were picked up and a lunch of rolls and cold meat was enjoyed by all. We headed off to the game at Palm Beach Currumbin High School with our Google Map and the superb navigational skills of Ed. Arriving about 35minutes early gave us plenty of time to warm up in warm and windy conditions. The field was a little bumpy but okay. The referee told me Shane Smeltz was an old boy of PBC and he gave him plenty of red cards as a younger player. Considering this was the boys’ first game as a team I thought we played quite well. The final score was 0-0 with a number of chances unconverted by both sides. Our best opportunity was just before half time when Lachlan found himself in front of the goal and could only kick it at the keeper. The game was played in a good spirit and the referee did not have a lot to do. Back to SSC and a swim for some before tea at 8pm, plenty of guessing as to what it will be, Caleb is holding out hoping for some ice cream all will be revealed later.
Everyone manages to assemble in Wellington on time (well almost on time Caleb) and have their passports as well. The only problem with checking was having two staff doing their own things for adding up weight of baggage. Luckily we were well under our allowance.
Flights were fine and we had no problems on the plane or off the plane. Anu has become our go to person for random searches, boot cleaning in the airport, setting off the metal detectors (which then meant the rest of the team had to remove their shoes for the scanner!). We are hoping Anu will be allowed back in to NZ with out too much trouble. Some of the boys managed to shop in Sydney airport and some early parcels. Steeping out in to Brisbane’s high humidity was a shock and our bus ride encountered a lot of road works as they are only done at night on the Gold Coast Highway (7pm to 5am) thanks to the friendly bus driver for that information. Each road works also had a police car with flashing lights to control any errant drivers. While travelling to Runaway Bay we hit a tropical downpour which cleaned the road, the bus, and woke up the manager. Checking in to Sports Super Centre was easy and we were glad to be settled in, well perhaps not Ryan who discovered a pet cockroach in his room which he tried to squash but managed to chase in to his bag. It is still awol, although we did sight another one about 5cm long in the lounge/kitchen. Once the coach and manager had settled in to their air-conditioned room the boys made do with a fan noisily circulating the air in each of their rooms.
Thursday April 1st
Breakfast at 7.30 am and the boys were sighted at 7am playing beach volleyball! A full cooked breakfast kept everyone happy. Practice was transferred to the artificial turf and the boys worked hard for a couple of hours. Our two vans were picked up and a lunch of rolls and cold meat was enjoyed by all. We headed off to the game at Palm Beach Currumbin High School with our Google Map and the superb navigational skills of Ed. Arriving about 35minutes early gave us plenty of time to warm up in warm and windy conditions. The field was a little bumpy but okay. The referee told me Shane Smeltz was an old boy of PBC and he gave him plenty of red cards as a younger player. Considering this was the boys’ first game as a team I thought we played quite well. The final score was 0-0 with a number of chances unconverted by both sides. Our best opportunity was just before half time when Lachlan found himself in front of the goal and could only kick it at the keeper. The game was played in a good spirit and the referee did not have a lot to do. Back to SSC and a swim for some before tea at 8pm, plenty of guessing as to what it will be, Caleb is holding out hoping for some ice cream all will be revealed later.
Friday, March 26, 2010
PNBHS Football Development Tour Itinerary 2010
Wednesday 31 March
Depart
Transfer provided to
Thursday 1 April
Friday 2 April
Saturday 3 April
Surfer’s
Sunday 4 April
Theme Park – Dreamworld/White Water World
Monday 5 April
Theme Park – White Water World/Dreamworld
Tuesday 6 April
Transfer provided to Mooloolaba Backpackers,
Wednesday 7 April
Maroochydore FC U17 GAME 3 3pm @ Maroochydore FC 462 Maroochydore Rd
Thursday 8 April
Friday 9 April
Saturday 10 April
Sunday 11 April
Depart
Travel to Big 4
Monday 12 April
City visit
Tuesday 13 April
Humphreys Way or western Campus
Wednesday 14 April
Jack Thomas Reserve,
Thursday 15 April
Transfer to Big 4 Holiday Park, 265
Friday 16 April
Pitch 2 Synthetic Pitch
Saturday 17 April
Depart
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