All things considered, the GSJ-SW Magpies sure put in a great effort at the Under 16 Championships held Sat, 12 Jul 08 at Dalton Park, Wollongong.
This year saw all 8 regions compete on what turned out to be a beautiful winter's day for football.
Group A consisted of Sydney South, Illawarra, Sydney South West & Central Coast.
Group B consisted of Sydney North West, Sydney City, Sydney West & Newcastle
The first game for the Magpies had them up against Sydney City. It was quite evident from the first ball up that the Pies meant business with domination across all positions. The final scores said it all: Syd West 44 v Syd City 1
The second game had the West up against old rivals Sydney North West. The slick ball movement and player rotations of the Eagles proved to be the difference with final scores: Syd West 13 v Syd North West 40
The final game of the round robin saw the Magpies fighting for a semi-final spot as they went head to head against Newcastle. The Pies got off to an excellent start and were well in front at the half time break. The last eight or so minutes saw a most remarkable turnaround as the Newcastle team stepped up a notch to kick the last 4 goals & snatch the win. Syd West 32 Newcastle 38
Despite a disappointing end, all players gave it their best. However small, each player showed a moment of glory in the overall contribution to the team. The carnival proved to be a magnificent experience for the younger 15 year olds... one that will hold them in good stead in Season 2009. The older boys will hopefully carry this experience... as they move into & through the senior football domain in the coming years.
The facilities, organisation and friendly folk of the Illawarra sure made the day a most pleasant experience for all concerned. Sincere thanks to the Wollongong Lions and the Illawarra Region for putting on such a superbly organised event.
PS The arrival of the match ball by helicopter was certainly one of the major highlights of the day, one that will probably not be surpassed at this competition level for quite some time. Many thanks to the Navy for sponsoring this spectacular.
Click the following link for the team photo:
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Last Modified on 13/07/2008 23:25