U17A Round 10

Following an outstanding win over Greensborough H.C. the previous week, a match up against a Baw Baw H.C. team that had improved throughout the season, was potentially a dangerous assignment for the Waverley H.C Under 17 Shield team.

Perhaps in recognition of this, innovative coach Stephen James drew on the talents of former Australian player and current State League 1 Captain Travis Brooks to address the team prior to the game. Travis’ engaging style helped to focus the players on the importance of self-belief and the need to adhere to team processes regardless of the reputation of the opposition or the state of the game.

Once again, the team placed enormous pressure on the ball from the outset, forcing the opposition into turning over possession and then using its speed and quality passing to create opportunities on goal – culminating in a 9 – 0 win. The players responsible for putting the finishing touches on this hard work included James Knee, Jonathan Wentworth, David Jensen, Riley Maddock (3) and James Munro (3). With James showing Riley that power is not everything when it comes to scoring.

As with the previous match, this outcome was, without doubt, the result of a sensational team performance in which each and every player made a significant contribution:

• Todd Cope was a rock down back continually making good defensive position and laying excellent tackles
• Playing at centre half, Zac Davis used the ball creatively to set up many quality plays
• David Howson’s speed and hard running caused havoc up forward
• Elliot Kitchingham’s consistent tackling and team orientated play made him a player upon whom his team mates were able to rely
• Pat Rawlins’ determination and skills forced a number of key turnovers – at least one of which directly resulted in a goal
• Stuart Rayner’s controlled aggression enabled him to dominate the right side of the field
• Andre Shea – on debut in goal with the Shield team – performed admirably pulling off a number of excellent saves. Well done Andre.
• Nick Spencer’s speed and constructive talk contributed significantly to the team’s focus
• Having suffered from illness all week, Nick Steffens’ work ethic throughout the night was not only a gutsy effort, but a source of inspiration to his team.