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April '03

THE INFAMOUS E-MAIL

With season 2003 nigh, an e-mail was widely circulated throughout VAFA circles. 

It did not emanate from the Old Xavs, nor from any of its members. Perhaps we'll never know the truth about its author, though everyone is entitled to guess.

The e-mail is reprinted here in full, without grammar corrections and without prejudice.  Apologies to those who may have been libelled, but this document was so widely circulated at the time we thought it worth preserving in the interests of posterity. 

oldxavs.com, the Old Xaverians Football Club and its committee and members do not at all share sentiments expressed within.

Old Xaverians

The empire is crumbling in every respect. Xavs have crashed out in the last two final series, as the veterans move into retirement, Club 18, or middle tier law firms. Blood after much debate in amateur circles has finally lost his V Plates and found better things to do on the weekend, Bowen is selling Makita drills in his dads hardware business, Mollard still has red hair and always will, and Jones was forced into retirement after the operation to remove the stick up his #%! had some nasty side affects. The young players have used their elite education to work as shop assistants in Chapel St selling $120 t-shirts. In total then the well is pretty much dry at Toorak Park. Players such as Ford, Brushfield , Orlando, and Ockleshaw are all that remains between the former power and a descent into B grade.

Old Melburnians

Somehow Old Melburnians were able to win lasts year B grade premiership. Good luck to them I guess, I mean they never deserved to be relegated anyhow, they were after all, only cheating. They have a nice ground at the Junction and it is damn shame that they let Simon Theodore anywhere near it, he is terrible bloke and should be ridiculed at any opportunity (if you have time get there for the seconds and laugh at his brother too). McMillan should not be allowed to play any form of competitive sport at his age and should make a belated attempt at a graceful exit, and Pertzel would be better served joining his former MHSOB teammates in their double drop campaign.

Uni Blues

Mid-table mediocrity has plagued the club for over decade, they have barley contested a final in the past decade but this does not even scratch the surface of the problems that pervade the boys from Royal Park. There is little to no passion in the place, as people randomly pass through it while they fail a sociology degree. It is always fun to laugh at Quinton Gleeson, he started a career at every AFL Club in Melbourne and got sacked by every single one. As if that was not enough he now works at the AFL filling up water bottles at Vic Kick clinics. The cries of "kick it to George, kick it to George" from the Uni Blues faithful has died down since George DeCrespigny (Who now resembles George Constanza more than a State player) decided that leaving the goal square was "unrewarded running".

St Bernard's

It is a sick culture that fills every crevice at the Snakepit. The condescending and overwhelming arrogance of the club would you believe they have won 12 premierships on end. For example, six months after the Grand Final I saw them at training session and they all had their premiership medals on, Danny Byrne had two on. Upon further investigation it was relieved that it was some hair-brained scheme from their fruit loop coach Peter Nicholson to let everyone know "we are the champions".

Speaking of Peter Nicholson he also famously once said "I don't have friends, I have premierships" good on you Pete, that's a great way to live your life. Their supporters yell nonsensical, inaudible garbage from the sidelines, but I guess they have lived in East Keilor all their lives and who am I to stop them from getting one back on the "rich boys from the other side of the river".

As a opposition supporter at the Snake pit you will have had a good day if you have reminded Tim Harvey that he does not in fact work in "Hollywood" as his self proclaimed nickname suggests, but in Altona, asked the runner Luke Gollant if he played in last year's premiership, and Steve McKeon how is AFL career is going. If you can get out of there without stitches from one of the old codgers chucking a pot at you, it's a bonus.

Old Haileybury

The Haileybury ground is one of the most uninspiring pieces of real estate in the Amateurs. They have one of the biggest female followings in Amateur Football which in itself is not remarkable, but the filth that comes out of the players wives, girlfriends and mums of the OH players would shame many building sites. On the field the key players to abuse are Jenke, Seccull, O'Farrell and the Corrigan brothers.

Old Ivanhoe

No one cares much for Old Ivanhoe, in fact I don't think Old Ivanhoe care much for Old Ivanhoe. As a result there is very little to report here, save for the fact they have a fantastic looking water girl, which B grade clubs can look forward to experiencing next year. If you can be bothered it probably would not hurt to let Weddle, Stevens, Hope and Toovey know their place in the world.

St Kevins

St Kevin's, Geez they are hard done by. For so long they had the mother of all chip on their shoulder about not being Xavs, they now have a matching one about not being St Bernard's. With their home base being in the pristine surrounds of Righetti Oval, and with no home ground to speak of (I mean honestly even the D4 Bullen Cobras have their own ground) it's a wonder that the refugees of amateur football have any players at all. They must have slept with the light on in the Giansiracusa household because the twins who play for SKOBS are possibly the two most petrified footballers going around. Don't be afraid to let Gross know that he is Grossly overrated and Luke Mahoney that he will make a better C grade match reporter when he is playing in that grade in a few years time.

Marcellin

I actually quite like Marcellin, when you are confronted with a top four of Xavs, St Bernards, Old Scotch and Marcellin, the choice to support the Eagles in the finals is a easy and logical one. They have a plethora of running players and seem to have a mortgage on the "Woodrow" medal. It would probably not hurt if they were able to get another flag this year to match the one they won in 2001. All the best to resident nice guy Bernie Dineen is his come back from a serious injury.

Old Trinity

Old Trinity revel in being the tough guys of amateur football, what they don't revel in so much, is winning. The club had a high point last year when club legend Hatfield was found guilty of "fingering" an opponent he was duly dealt with by the judiciary and sadly the fans wont get see to him belting blokes behind the play again. Also departed is leading goal kicker Greig whose whereabouts are disturbingly unknown. Ramsden remains, as does his nickname of Rambo, and even though he is more Rambo 3 these days he remains the best ruckmen in A grade. I am sure they will win enough games to stay up but never threaten the top 4, business as usual I guess at Bulleen Road.

Old Scotch

The "Scotchies" as their fans like to call them remain one of the big clubs in A grade despite a dismal finals record in recent times. So long Xavs favorite whipping boy in grand finals, Scotch continually fail to overcome their Elsternwick Park demons. One of the problems might be Tim Finnochario (how a Catholic Italian ends up at Scotch I will never know, but then again the Goldberg brothers previously of AJAX also played at Scotch) he seems to find the wide open spaces of Elsternwick beyond his running capabilities. Equally so glamour Full Forward Luke Hawkins seems to go missing when the heat is applied. Don't miss the skipper Hume either, he is a close second behind Theodore as the worst bloke in Amateur football.

4 April '03

BLOOD ON THE TRACK

Old and young looked on in awe and there were even murmurs from Hypocrite Hill when a super-fit Michael Blood hit the track last night at Toorak Park.

Wearing the familiar number 1, the ruck star trained at a furious pace, as well as he has in years, before taking his protégés for some ruck practice .  However, he denies a return to the playing ranks is imminent.  

"Just helping out with the lads," the big fella told oldxavs.com.

Others begged to differ.  Among the huge crowd that assembled to hear the Round 1 lineups, the Magi of the Mound were tossing odds about  on the date of his comeback. "There's no number one in the Record," said one, "which means he's definitely coming back."

Only time will tell, and oldxavs.com will be the first to know and the first to bring you the news. 

4 April '03

NEW COACHES NAMED

With the appointment of our 3rds and U19s coaches, the panel is now complete. The 3rds will be coached by Joe Lyttleton (at left), while Anthony Duggan will guide thew U19s. 

Both have strong Xaverian connections and we welcome them back and offer our congratulations  on their appointments.  If the fire in their eyes is matched by the fire in the bellies of their players, it'll be a great year.

1 Apr '03

CROC SHOCK! Scotch list goes to mist; Parade pulls pin, OMs AWOL

Old Xavs 3rds and Crocs will have a delayed start to the season with the late withdrawal of  Scotch, Parade and OMs from the VAFA Club XVIII comp.

The revamped Club XVIII season will begin on 12 April with revised team groupings.  

The Crocs will compete with Collegians, De La, Monash, St Kevins, Marcellin, Prahran and the Hoers.

The 3rds will do battle with Fitzroy Reds, Essendon, Carey, Trinity, Therry Penola, Uni Blacks in a 7 team comp.

1 Apr '03

SEASON PREVIEW

Change has been the by-word at Old Xaverians throughout the off-season, with the departure of three-time premiership coach Tim O’Shaughnessy and a swag of players who have contributed heavily to the club’s success in recent years.

We bid farewell to retirees Michael Blood, Dan Richardson, Adam Sassi, Damien Stoney, Alex McDonald, and if reports are correct, Adam Jones. 

Al Parton has moved to Carey, Ben Coughlan and Simon Lethlean have headed to Sydney, while Travis Ruyg, Phil McDonald, Tim Clarke and Simon Wood are traveling abroad with undetermined return dates.

However, Adam Chatfield has arrived from Geelong, Michael Holmes, Stuart Skidmore and James McDonnell have returned to the club and Nick McInerney has crossed from Port Melbourne.  Andy Bowen and Chris Santalucia have come from Sandringham, John Pasceri, David Sapuppo, Stuart Ross and Pete Ryan are up from the U19s and likely to push for senior honours, and others who have perhaps lacked opportunities in past seasons will likely become mainstays by season end.

New coach Michael Sholly has done a superb job in preparing the team for the season ahead.  The numbers at training have been extremely encouraging both in terms of quantity and quality, particularly so among the U19s, suggesting a bright future for the club over the next few years.

As always, the competition in A Section will be tough.  Several clubs have recruited widely among former AFL players in an attempt to knock off the newly crowned St Bernards.

We encourage all Old Xavs supporters to get involved and be a part of a new era of success for our club. 

Let the games begin.

31 Mar '03

TWO MORE XAVS MAKE AFL DEBUTS

Congratulations to Matt McCarthy and Luke Ball, both of whom made their first AFL senior appearances on the weekend. 

Matty had 9 possessions and took four grabs with the Cats, while Luke managed 17 touches and five grabs for the Saints.

Good luck guys.  Here's hoping for long careers for both of you. 

. . . and that superstition about not combing your hair before a photo shoot?  Forget about it!

29 Mar '03

PRACTICE MATCHES vs DE LA SALLE

The pre-season Festival of the Boot pulled into the Dairy Bell Dome for its final stop, with players having their final opportunity to press for selection, save perhaps a quiet word or drink with the selection committee mid-week.  

As is the custom, the U19s began proceedings and they did it very nicely.  All played well as the slick outfit displayed skills befitting the beautiful weather and ran out winners by a large margin.

The 2nds' performance matched that of their junior comrades,  with the youth and experience combining better than  Cointreau and Baileys after far too many beers.  There was enough to suggest that the Twos will again be pushing hard for a September engagement.

The Seniors had the close one, but only relatively speaking, and Coach Sholly can look forward to the season with the knowledge that he has a squad that will be extremely competitive if it continues to do the hard work. 

29 Mar '03

CHAMBERLAIN NO APPEASER: U19² SPANK STUDENTS

Old Xavs U19 2s displayed generous junior depth in winning their final hitout before the season proper against Latrobe. 

Reports from the front are sketchy, but the margin was in the vicinity of 20 points, leaving Fred Chamberlain with some selection problems - albeit nice ones.

27 Mar '03

PRESIDENT'S WELCOME

Welcome to the Old Xaverians 2003 Season, which promises to be a very exciting and different year for the club.

The year heralds many changes particularly in the playing and coaching personnel - it will be a real transition for us with the retirement of several stalwarts of the last 10 years and players venturing overseas or interstate for work. Fifteen players from last year’s Seniors and Reserves Grand Final teams will probably not line up for the season opener against Trinity.

I wish those players departing all the best in the various pursuits and trust that they will continue to be a part of our great club in some way or another.

I would like to welcome Michael Sholly as the senior coach. He comes to us with a very accomplished playing and coaching career. Michael has very close links with Xavier – he is a past student of the College and an Old Xavs player and coach during the 80s.  It was tremendous to find such a great candidate within the Xavier Family.  To date, he has shown great enthusiasm for the role and has well and truly rolled up his sleeves and got on with the job.  It is also evident that he has started to develop great relations with the players. 

Chris Gawne has stepped up to the role of coach of our 2nds.  Many of you will know Chris as one of Tim’s assistants last year and we thank Tim for introducing him to the club.  Chris has in a very short period of time become a true Old Xav.  

At this point, we have not appointed a coach for our 3rd 18.  However, our numbers at training demand we field a fourth senior team.  

I can’t believe I am having to farewell personnel this early in the year, but so be it.  Unfortunately we are losing James Fay as our U19 coach, James has coached the 2nd U19 for the past 2 years and has done a tremendous job in  a very challenging environment, having to deal with a constantly changing personnel and occasionally not having the numbers  required.  James agreed to step up to the first U19 job and would have been fantastic, but has just been offered a job in Sydney that is too good to refuse.  We are saddened by this, but wish James all the best.

Fred Chamberlain has stepped up from an assistant U19 coach to be the coach of our second Under 19 side.  And it has been tremendously pleasing to see the huge numbers of U19s at training at Xavier - it has been by far the most successful pre-season of these young men in my time at the club.  The quality of U19 players is also very promising indeed.  We wish Fred all the best for the year.

Andrew Hall has taken over as the Crocodiles coach.  It has also been pleasing to see them undertaking a pre season and I am sure they will have a very successful year  expect from them.

For the second year running, Lachlan Ford will captain the senior XVIII with Tim Ockleshaw serving as vice captain.  Congratulations to them both.

Old Xavs remains one of the biggest football clubs in this country, which in itself, is a source of pride.  I have spoken to many presidents already this year who have concerns with numbers, and in some cases,  difficulties fielding teams.  We certainly do not have this problem and the calibre of player also continues to be outstanding.

We are entering a new 3-year lease of Toorak Park, a very popular venue with our supporters, and we will continue to play our U19 games at Victoria Park.

With all the changes, great opportunities are available to the younger players of the club who have served apprenticeships in our reserves and U19s over the past couple of years.  I am very confident that these players will take the next step in the careers and we will have a very successful year.

As is always the case, the off-season is as exciting as the on, with some changes to the VAFA amateur definition and a couple of legal wrangles.  Peter McDonnell and Mick Rush have worked hard behind the scenes over the past months to ensure that the Old Xavs’ voice is heard.  

Can you also acknowledge our recruiting team of Michael Logan and Luke Hannebery, along with the coaches and to Kevin O’Shaughnessy for his tireless work behind the scenes on all facets of the club.

Finally I would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsors, without whose support we would not be such a great position off the field.  Running an operation of this size takes a considerable amount of money and I am very grateful that they have again been so generous in supporting us. Special thanks must go to our Major Sponsors Jack Bowen and Matthew Honan.  We look forward to seeing them regularly over the next 6 months at our games and socila functions.

May I wish all of our sponsors, members, players, coaches and officials the very best for 2003.

Davina Connors-Calhaem

25 Mar '03

FAY JOINS SYDNEY EXODUS 

Sydney has snared another Old Xav.  James Fay is heading north to join Ralph O'Shaughnessy, Ben Coughlan and Simon Lethlean in the Harbour City.  

 James is a great club man who gave up the opportunity of a stellar playing career to coach the U19 2s for the past two seasons.  He was due to coach the U19 1ss this season.

We wish James all the best with his new locale and employment. 

22, 23 March ‘03

PRACTICE MATCHES vs UNI BLUES

After discovering that the Glenferrie Oval had a hole bigger than that left by Jason Dunstall in the Hawks line-up , the U19s travelled out to beautiful Holland Park , Kensington for the scrimmage against the Blues.

The sideline resembled that of a gridiron contest, with more players seeking a run than were actually going around in the middle.  The major tactics for the afternoon centred around the organization of the coaches’ whiteboard to ensure that all aspirants had a run.

It was a reasonably scrappy affair, with patches of brilliance interspersed among the ruck and maul that is often the main course on windy pre-season days.  Eventually, the Xavs cut loose and piled on enough goals to silence the opposition.

Promising performances were turned in by a number of our stars of the future, but it suffices to say that all played well, even if we did use 43 players.

The early game at Moorabbin on Sunday featured a slightly smaller squad hoping to impress coach Chris Gawne.  The wind, the three-period or chukka affair and the magnificent surrounds proved a distraction for many, and the game ended with a score line quite different from the expectations.

The later game featured many who will vie for Coach Sholly’s opening day line-up.  While several stood out in a pretty solid team performance, it was difficult to gauge the strength and depth of the opposing squad.  Many lined up in positions unfamiliar; an indication that their new mentor believes that versatility will be one of the keys to success this winter.

Roll on the real stuff!

Coach Sholly spoke after the game with our ace cub reporter Chris Vernuccio . . .

On the lineup: “We’re just having a little look just to see whether they could (work together as forward options). We will probably try someone different up there next week and then we’ll make up our mind.”

On the showing: “I thought some of our experienced players did well, people who have played previously. I think it was a good team effort. I just think we are generally competitive all the way around the ground.”

On improvement: “Certainly. I think (we can improve) our defensive side of the game. When we had the ball we seemed pretty good and we tried to run it hard  - when we didn’t have the ball, that’s when we’ve got to run even harder.”

On the prospects: “Got no idea, absolutely no idea. I don’t know the opposition; we don’t know any of their teams. The thing about practice games is you only really worry about yourself and how you’re playing and don’t worry about what’s going on with the opposition. So to say we’re trying to win the premiership is a long way off.”

On the rookies: “We got six or seven players from the under-19’s in the team, so we’re looking forward for that whole group to improve. Sapuppo in the ruck, Bowen on the wing.”

15 Mar '03

PRACTICE MATCHES vs SKOB

Nothing like a day-long series against Skobbers to shake away the summer cobwebs.

A large squad of U19s, many of whom have made their way to Toorak Park directly from Barkers Road, kicked the dew from the beautifully manicured Trevor Barker field.  The boys showed enough to suggest that the 19s will field two very competitive teams this season.

The 2s went about their business in their usual fashion, putting together some winning passages that reminded one of last September's glory.

The team that ran on to the field at 2pm was a mix of old and new, but nonetheless sported a new look with several veterans playing in unfamiliar positions.

Again, most of the chatter was about the younger faces, many of whom will no doubt feature heavily in Coach Sholly's plans this winter. 

For the most part, the coaches liked what they saw.  Several seasoned stars missed through prior commitments, but will return for next week's clash at Moorabbin, giving all a better guide as to the composition of the lineup on Opening Day.

15 Mar '03

CHATFIELD JUMPS ON BOARD

Old Xavs have pulled off a major coup by acquiring the signature of Adam Chatfield.

The popular 23 year old comes to the club from Geelong, with whom he debuted in 2000.  Originally from Pennant Hills in NSW, Adam is expected to play a key midield role this season.

Welcome, Adam!

13 Feb '03

BLOODY AND RICHO HANG 'EM UP

Old Xavs' Four Horsemen have taken their last ride together. 

No more the massive torpedo, nor the Herculean performances from the  greatest ruckster in Red 'n' Black history. And no more the sharp lead and the careful left foot through the uprights to register another major for the good guys.

Club legends Michael Blood and Dan Richardson retired this week, ending an on-field partnership with John Bowen and Andrew Dillon that spawned the greatest era in Australian Amateur Football. 

They are the only players to have played in each Grand Final victory from 1995 to 2000, the glorious Straight Six.

Blood leaves the game with a mantle full of trophies and the respect of every team-mate and opponent with whom he has played. In 212 games with Old Xavs, four times was his name called out as winner of the B J O'Shaughnessy; twice was he the winner of the Jock Nelson for BOG in a Grand Final and in 1997, recipient of the Woodrow for Best and Fairest in A Section.

Richardson prowled the goalfront for a decade, topping the goalscoring in A Section on two occasions and the club's sharpshooting on many others in 205 games. Always the key to the Old Xavs forward setup, he retires as the Xavs' all time career goalscorer.

Our congratulations to each on their football achievements, their courage and commitment to Old Xavs over many years. Rest assured, their achievements will never be forgotten.

10 Feb '03

MORTO GRABS VIC JOB

Old Xavs stalwart and 3-time Reserves Premiership coach Chris Mortensen will coach the VAFA U19 representative team against the Diamond Valley Football League on 27 July 27.  Well done Morto on the appointment.  Rumours are rife that scout extraordinaire Anthony “Junior” Bourke may be tracking the U19s for likely types.

2 February '03

INTERVIEW: MICHAEL SHOLLY

The game is all about teamwork, said Coach Sholly after pounding the tan from Dallas Brookes Drive down to the Yarra.

He was talking about cricket . . .

Q.  Welcome back to Old Xavs. You've been concentrating on summer pursuits for 10 years, and now you're switching to winter.

A.  It's great to be back. I've seen a lot of football in the past decade - seen a lot of success at Old Xavs - and I'm delighted to have this opportunity.

Q.  How will you apply your success at cricket into your coaching methods here?

A.  Many people are under the misapprehension that cricket is a game for individuals.  In fact each player must rely on teammates. 

Only team players are successful. The strength of a team comes from its ability to function as a unit. Successful teams have people who possess leadership, discipline and integrity and want to play for and with each other. This is true in any sport.

Q.  And particularly football?.

A.  We only have to look at the record of Old Xavs over the past decade to know these qualities were here in abundance.

Q.  So how do you see things this year?

A.  Stepping into Tim O'Shaughnessy's shoes won't be easy. He has set the bar pretty high, turning out the most successful amateur team in the toughest amateur competition in the land. 

This is a tough time of year to put together the magnetic board, but once we know who has retired, who is coming back and the calibre of those players who will join us for the first time, we'll have a better idea.  

We'll be competitive no matter the makeup of our lineup, so it wouldn't be wise for others to underestimate us.

Q.  So what are they showing you on the track? 

A.  I'm already seeing some esprit de corps. The turnout was excellent before Christmas and this week we've had great numbers. 

There's a lot of encouragement of others - not just the experienced pushing the younger ones, but rookies urging on older guys they are yet to play with.

Q. So you're encouraged?

A. I'm happy to be back in the Xavier community that has so many of my good friends. 

I'm happy with the efforts of the guys thus far and I'm confident that the hard work, respect for each other will produce results for our club. 

Q. Thank you and all the best for the year ahead. 

1 Feb '03

XAVS HIT THE TRACK

The pursuit of the 2003 Premiership has begun in earnest with a crowd of football-hungry Old Xavs resuming training last Wednesday at Xavier College.

With the first practice match just six weeks away, it was time to shake off the January blues and get the bodies back in shape for the gruelling season ahead.

Training will continue on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights until Toorak Park becomes available after cricket commitments.

10 Jan '03

CARRIE HOME SAFE BUT SORE

Old Xavs stalwart Carrie Stoney is back in Melbourne after her 2200km walk from Brisbane to raise awareness about depression.  Congratulations on a job well done!  At right, Carrie is congratulated by an unidentified power- walker during a visit to Canberra before her epic summer trek.

LEARN MORE HERE

10 Dec '02

GOOD GOLLY, IT'S SHOLLY!     

Michael Sholly will coach Old Xaverians in season 2003.

In 1983, Sholly coached the Crocodiles to a Premiership in their first season, thereby establishing a culture for success at the Club XVIII level that continues today. 

Sholly later served OXFC as an assistant  coach and as 2nd XVIII coach.

Michael attended Xavier College from 1975-1978, excelling in both the 1st XVIII and the 1st XI, of which he was both Captain and a century maker.

He went on to play district cricket for Melbourne and amateur football for the OXFC, before a serious knee injury in 1982 brought an end to his football playing days.

Michael was then appointed Captain-coach of the University Cricket Club, taking them from bottom of the ladder to a 1st X1 Premiership and second place in the Club Championship within four years. Michael was then appointed Coach of the Melbourne Cricket Club, which he guided to four Premierships before resigning in March last year.

Last season's Assistant Coach and forward scout extraordinaire has been appointed 2nd XVIII coach.

10 Dec '02

TIM O'SHAUGHNESSY JOINS AJAX

Tim O'Shaughnessy has been appointed Director of Coaching at AJAX AFC.

Tim resigned the senior coaching post at Old Xavs last spring, after three premierships in five years.

Tim now takes on a challenging role with the junior and senior sections of the AJAX club and will oversee all coaches and liaise with the respective playing groups as well. Tim's appointment coincides with the re-appointment of his close friend Phil Davis.

All OXFC players and supporters are grateful to Tim for his efforts over the years and for the success he has brought to our club.  We wish him well with his new challenge.

1 Dec '02

JARS HEADS HARBOURSIDE

The number 7 guernsey will have a new body in season 2003 with the retirement of multi-premiership player and Victorian regular Simon Lethlean. 

Jars played the final game of his illustrious 103 game Old Xavs career on Grand Final day after inspiring the Xavs in the Prelim with his unselfishness and professionalism. We wish Simon well with his life in Sydney.