5 years ago this boy was a Premiership Captain and Norm Smith medallist, among many other accolades- Morrish medallist, Kevin Sheahan medallist etc that would accumulate on the journey.
He backed it up by being an Assistant coach to the Players' Manager, Paul Connors coached East Malvern Knights U13 Div 3 2017 Premiers in the Southern Metro Junior Football League. How many draftees were coaching U13's on Friday night training and Sunday games? Beyond dedication...
This kid is special. Very special.
East Malvern Gold celebrates a remarkable victory on the ground after the game
UNDER 13 DIVISION 1 GRAND FINAL REVIEW
Tuesday, Aug 21,2012
By Ben Pollard
SMJFL fans witnessed one of the more remarkable finishes to a junior grand final on Sunday.
The main event at Le Page Park in Cheltenham, the Under 13 Division 1 premiership match, was decided by the very last play of the day.
Having trailed Beaumaris Sharks for the entire game, East Malvern Gold won a free kick from a rolling pack in their forward line with less than 30 seconds to play.
The resulting set shot goal from best-on-ground Jack Higgins put his team ahead for the first time right when it mattered.
The loss was heartbreaking for the gallant Sharks, with many boys falling to the ground as the final siren sounded – at one point early in the final quarter, Beaumaris led by almost three goals.
But for East Malvern, there were scenes of jubilation as celebrations started for a comeback victory they’ll never forget.
East Malvern assistant coach Michael Stephenson said the effort was something to be proud of.
“Their fight was fantastic… It’s just a remarkable sign of their courage and tenacity,” he said.
“We’ve been down in the last quarter against a couple of sides during the year and come back and won, so I felt confident that if we were down we’d still have a bit left in us.”
Beaumaris dominated most of the first quarter, piling on 3.3 (21) before East Malvern scored. The Sharks’ intensity stood out as they dominated at the stoppages.
East Malvern soon got going, and the teams often went goal for goal through the second and third quarters as the margin hovered around 12 points.
At three-quarter time, Beaumaris coach and AFL champion Dermott Brereton urged his players to keep working towards a victory they could remember for the rest of their lives, but it wasn’t to be.
After conceding the first goal of the final term, East Malvern finally clicked into gear. Michael Stephenson said fresh legs allowed his players to snatch victory with the last three goals of the game.
“They (Beaumaris) ran ferociously hard today – in fact, that’s been our strength and they outran us for a lot of the game.
“I think in the end we ran on harder… We hadn’t been at our best, so I was confident we had a little bit left.”
Jack Higgins’s match-winning goal capped off a brilliant game from the East Malvern captain, but Stephenson said there were many contributors in the premiership win.
“Will Sutherland stood out and Ed Ralph was very good for us; Charlie McGaw presented well… But I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t make a contribution and do something important for us.”
Big Hayden McLean was superb for the Sharks in defeat, while Will Armstrong was influential with three goals up forward.
But for the Beaumaris boys in tears after the game, this is one day they’ll unfortunately remember for all the wrong reasons.
EAST MALVERN KNIGHTS IN U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS
East Malvern JFC players Gus Styles, Isaac Morrisby and Jack Higgins played in the NAB U16 Draft AFL U16 competition up in Queensland during the winter school holidays.
Through a tough selection process, the boys were chosen to play in the championship, with a chance to represent the Victorian Metro team in the national competition.
In round one the Vic Metro team couldn’t hold off the South Australian team, going down by 26 points, but the Vic Metro team worked hard in the match and were prepared for the levels that the upcoming matches were going to played at.
Round two saw the Knights boys and their team play Vic Country. The Metro boys again played a difficult match against a hard side and weren’t able to snag the victory, being defeated by 19 points.
In their final match, the boys played Western Australia. Both Higgins and Morrisby scored goals in the match and the Vic Metro team ultimately sealed victory by 69 points.
Despite playing some great matches in the competition, particularly in their round three win against WA, the
Vic Country team was a dominant force throughout the championship and ultimately won the competition overall.
Higgins was also deemed the Best and Fairest player for the entire competition across all the states for Division 1, winning the Kevin Sheehan medal.
East Malvern JFC Secretary Andrew Close believes it is an outstanding achievement for all the boys to play in the competition and Higgins’ medal is “one that ranks as possibly the highest individual achievement at our club”.
However being part of the competition for the three boys is a testament to their football skills.
Playing great sides and other skilled players across the country is a great opportunity for players to further develop skills and learn about high performance AFL games.
The three players had a bit of a chat to SMJFL about the competition and what it was like playing in the championship.
Jack Higgins
How did you keep yourself motivated through the trials and selection process?
It was easy to keep motivated, as I love playing football and my teammates and coaches were great to work with. The chance to represent Vic Metro was motivating enough.
What was it like playing with two of your EMJFC teammates in the competition?
Fantastic as we are good mates, also great to play alongside other SMJFL players.
How did you enjoy the competition?
Loved playing the Nationals, such a positive experience and I learned heaps from all the coaches.
What was your favourite match of the competition?
Enjoyed each game, we worked as a team and developed our footy.
SMJFL along with the Mighty Knights congratulate the boys and all other SMJFL players playing in the leagues across the U16 championships - the highest level for U16 boys.
For more information about the U16 draft, head to www. afl.com.au/draft/u16s and http://www.afl.com.au/ news/2015-07-11/2015-nab-afl-under16-champs-round-three