Riverview and Newington do battle… again
St Ignatius Riverview and Newington College are carving out quite the story in the Independent Schools Competition.
The cross-town rivals will face off on Friday night for the second ever grand final of the fledgling competition and the second grand final play-off between these two excellent footy schools.
The match commences at 7:30pm at Gore Hill Oval, St Leonards and will be streamed on AFL Sydney Juniors’ Facebook page.
.
2022 revisited
Last year, the teams ventured to Jubilee Oval in Kogarah (home of NRL’s St George Dragons) for the first Aussie rules match at the venue.
It was Riverview who dominated Newington in almost all facets under Friday night lights, running out 55-point winners. Year 11 student, Zac Nandlal, named best afield with a classy performance through the midfield.
.
A new year, new teams
Unlike community or elite footy, school teams have the real danger of high talent turnover, with squads often decimated following Year 12 graduation. Strong, sustained footy results come from a strong, sustained footy program, not a bunch of talented athletes across one school year group.
Both these sides have proven their programs produce excellent results and it will be fascinating to see how the undersized and injury-hit Newington of 2022 bounce back.
.
Form guide: Newington
Newington College has been the team to beat this year.
The young side regrouped quickly following the grand final loss and has been led strongly by Billy Longmire and Harry Cameron (even casual footy fans will recognise those names).
The boys from Stanmore are undefeated this year and in Round 4 beat Riverview by 23 points.
Last week’s semi-final proved Newington’s strength, thumping Waverley College by 128 points.
One senses Newington has one hand on the premiership trophy. The question is, will ghosts of 2022 haunt them and narrow their path to glory?
.
Form guide: St Ignatius Riverview
The once infallible Riverview started its 2023 campaign slowly, seemingly struggling to adjust to the loss of some of its 2022 stars.
Big losses to Knox Grammar and Newington College early in the season would have derailed other schools but the players trusted coach, Mark Drinkwater, and saw them fight their way back into contention.
It was a tight semi-final against Knox Grammar, but Riverview’s belief and fitness saw them run out 14-point winners.
.
What the coaches said…
.
Mark Drinkwater, St Ignatius Riverview
It has been an inspiring experience watching such a young, skilful and dedicated Opens team slowly develop into such a cohesive and tight team throughout the 2023 AFL season.
We enter into our second straight grand final, this time against an undefeated opponent in Newington. It will be a challenge, one that we are thrilled to be a part of. l am sure our brand will stand up, entertain and let the best team win on the night.
At St Ignatius Riverview it’s not just about our Opens team, but the AFL program in its entirety. We are particularly proud that in 2023 all our Div 1 teams from years 7-8s, 9-10’s, 2nd XVlll and our Opens team have all won through to their respective grand finals by finishing in the top two positions on the ladder.
The future looks bright for AFL at Riverview College.
The stars of the future, our Regis Lads year 5-6 also had a fantastic year.
This is a wonderful achievement and speaks volumes of our AFL program, talented students, dedicated coaches and off-field staff, parents and the unwavering support we receive from the College.
Good luck to all players, especially the year 12 students from both schools, l hope you create some wonderful memories.
.
Xavier Gargan, Newington College
This season we have relied upon our depth of talent with all players playing their role for the team. Our strength has been our defensive pressure and our ability to commit to the contest.
One player to watch is Felix Rugge-Price (No.12), who is an extremely talented centre-half back. Felix is an amazing decision maker, with silky skills and loves the physical contest. He will be one to watch at the top level over the coming years when he leaves the gates of Newington College.
.
.
