Basketball preseason for the 2023 season kicked off in Week 4 of Term 3, with the 1sts, 2nds and High-Performance players training on the court and gym, and participating in the Track & Field program. Players were a part of the Track & Field team until Week 7, after which they returned their primary focus to the court, preparing for Basketball.
Congratulations to Daniel Palacio and Harrison Lee for making the College’s CAS Athletics squad, where they participated in the CAS Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.
After the Track & Field season, Basketball preseason kicked off for our Junior A and B teams. Many hours were put in, on and off the court, to better the boys’ skills. During this time, the 1sts and 2nds played St Patrick’s, Sydney Grammar, Scots College and Moriah College. The 1sts were successful in beating all these teams, while the 2nds unfortunately could not get over the top of Scots College, in a close battle.
During the holidays, there was a Basketball camp for the players, with a two-day tournament, after which the teams played against a number of schools. 1sts, 2nds and High-Performance players were fortunate to have an overnight camp, which included sleeping at school. This was an enjoyable experience for all the boys, as they were able to run around with their mates. During the overnight stay, the boys were able to experience talks from past CAS Premiership winning players, as well as past 1st V players.
The Knox Invitational Tournament was a good experience for all teams. The 8As were successful, coming 6th out of 10 teams, winning two games and losing three. The Year 9 team fought hard to come 8th place, winning one game and losing four.
The 2nds were very successful, coming 4th in a head-to-head finals game against Trinity, with them winning three games and losing two. The 1sts had a slow start on the first day, but really picked it up on the second, coming 7th and winning two games and losing three.
A special thanks goes to all the coaches who mentored the boys throughout the preseason, including Mr Johnston, Mr Linden Smith-Hyde, Mr Garvey, Mr Spargo, Mr Kennedy, Mr Smith, Ms Turnbull, and Mr Thompson. A big thank you also goes to Mr Johnston and Mr Gibbs for organising the camp and tournament.
Tom Gleeson
Captain of 1st V Basketball
The first round of the competitive cricket season began last Saturday, as Queens Park hosted the 10A and 2nd XI fixtures against Knox. The 1st XI and the Year 9A both played their respective matches at Knox.
This week, we have also been very fortunate with a return to the Batting Club, despite the recent downpour of rain. The Batting Club is a fantastic extra session that the College provides, to enable and equip our aspiring young batsmen. I encourage all batsmen who are looking to enhance their skillset, to take part and learn from our talented skills coaches.
Players have been notified via email of the times and dates for each session pertaining to their age group. Players must complete the survey sent to them, if they would like to attend. Ultimately, the Batting club rounds out our Cricket program for those players wishing to improve as a batter, as they are provided with two net sessions and one fielding session each week.
Waverley batted first and ended up all out for 119, but were chased down by Knox with six overs left in play. Well done to Toby Rudolph, reaching a total of 48 not out off 16 balls. This amazing effort was supported by Will Livissianis and Fred Robertson, who both set a stable platform of 27 runs a piece. Toby Rudolph was again active in halting Knox’s run chase taking 3/10, and causing a pressured finish at the end of the day for Knox.
The Year 10A proved that they were the team of the round, by comfortably chasing down Knox’s 76 in only 26 overs. Charlie Short’s 2/19 and Zander’s highly impressive 3/1 also set the tone, by pressuring Knox into miscalculating shots. A most notable display of cricketing athleticism was Zander Bass’s screamer of a catch in second slip off Liam Walsh’s perfect line and length.
Unfortunately, the 2nd XI were outmatched by a well-drilled Knox, however, the Waverlians put in a strong fight with Freddie Le Vay reaching a total of 26, on what was a tricky wicket due to all the recent rain and humidity.
Despite falling short of Knox’s 7/228, it was evident that the Waverley students were there to work hard for each other and dig deep. Carter Steyn, Toby McDonald, Matt Frost, Jonathon McDonald, Hunter Eldridge, and Hirav Gandhi all took a wicket, as Knox batted first. Hirav Gandhi and Will Hickey both put on a display of flair with the bat, and equally top scored getting out on 52.
Congratulations to Liam Wood, Hunter Eldridge, Jack George, Lucas Ryan, Jonathan McDonald, Toby McdDonald, and Matt Frost on their 1st XI debut. Furthermore, I am pleased to announce that Hirav Gandhi will take over as 1st XI captain and he will be supported by William Hickey as Captain of Cricket.
Lastly thank you to John McCallum, Ben Shorthouse, Greg Elliot, and Dan Kroll in facilitating the early morning preseason training sessions at the end of last term. The cricketing community is always very appreciative of your efforts in fostering the cricket program.
Good luck to all teams, Captains and Coaches for this 2022/23 season!
Click here to view the Fixtures
Welcome back to Term 4 and we have now commenced the new summer season for 2022-23. The training schedule has been sent to all students and parents/carers. Please also note that all Year Groups are labelled by their 2023 cohorts (Year 10 are now Opens; Year 7 are now Year 8).
All fixtures and any changes to training due to weather or other events will only be posted via the Waverley College App. All students and parents/carers need to ensure that they have subscribed to the relevant activities, and we have our first round of fixtures this coming weekend.
We are still finalising teams and good attitude and performance will be considered when adjusting selections. Please also note that any leave requests from sport are only via email to myself please.
Thank you to all of our Basketball staff and players who gave up a number of days during the holidays to continue to prepare for this summer season.
We also had a number of students and Old Boys continuing to represent at the highest levels. Well done to Zion Poitaha and Ollie Aboud who are currently representing NSW Gen Ble U16 Rugby, as well as Old Boys Clem Halaholo, Fritz Jahnke-Tavana, Charlie Worthington and Aaron Dimovitch for representing NSW Gen Blue U19.
We also had Isaac Heeney and Nick Blakey playing for the Swans in the AFL Grand Final at the end of last term.
As well we had Ky Pule in Year 11 representing Australian Schoolboys rugby in Japan, where he was also lucky enough to watch Old Boy Ben Donaldson playing for Australia A.
Ky Pule and Ben Donaldson in Japan
After a very successful Athletics season we had a number of boys competing at the NSW All Schools with some very impressive results. Thank you to Mr Jeremy Roff for his work over those four days with the boys, and well done to the following students on their outstanding performances:
H1 – 1st Ryan McNamara 13.03s PB
H2 – 3rd Rory Muldowney 13.24s
2nd Ryan McNamara 12.66s (Qualified for Australian Champs in 2023)
4th Rory Muldowney 13.37s
H1 – 6th Julian Minto 13.04s (22nd Overall)
13th Ryan McNamara 21.78m
H2 4th Aodhan Williams 12.18s (23rd Overall)
H4 7th Arran Storie 12.48s (33rd Overall)
H5 3rd Josh Ballard 12.03s (16th Overall)
H5 6th Cruz Clarkin 12.53s (36th Overall)
16th Jone Tuqiri 26.02m
H2 3rd Ricardo Zanapalis 11.68s (14th Overall)
H3 8th Oskar Lebard 12.35s (41st Overall)
19th Owen Lloyd-Jones 18.11m
H1 7th Oliver Stynes 15.44s (12th Overall)
16th Luke Newrick 5.11m
4th Rory Muldowney 13.36s (PB)
2nd Rory Muldowney 4.84m (Qualified for Australian Champs in 2023)
S2 18th Joshua Peters 5:00.31(25th Overall)
17th Julian Minto 4.39m
H2 3rd Asher Thomasyu 2:05.54
5th Solomon Tuqiri 35.48m
4th Ricardo Zanapalis 6.41m
H1 4th Rory Muldowney 27.24s
H2 1st Ryan McNamara 26.81s
H4 3rd Julian Minto 25.25s (PB)
H1 3rd Ricardo Zanapalis 23.23s PB ( 17th Overall)
4th Ryan McNamara 26.32 PB (Qualified for Australian Champs in 2023)
5th Julian Minto 25.11 (PB)
6th Solomon Tuqiri 29.03m
4th Rory Muldowney 9.66m PB
3rd Asher Thomasyu 1:57.17 PB (School Record)
(Qualified for Australian Champs in 2023)
8th Jone Tuqiri 19.48m
Last Thursday saw the first CAS Track & Field Championships since 2019. Waverley College had an impressive day and evening, and were very well supported by Years 7 and 12 in tough, rainy conditions.
There were some impressive performances from many individuals and relays. Some of the standouts were the U13 4 x 100m relay who also broke a College record that has stood since 2007; Oliver Stynes hurdles, Payton Turau in throws, Asher Thomasyu in middle distance, as well as the way our Track & Field captains led the squad.
Well done to Mr Jeremy Roff and Mr Matt Mountfort for the fantastic way they have created such a positive culture in this squad, and we encourage as many students as possible to keep training, as well join this squad for 2023. Thank you also to all of the coaches and staff who have been involved in the squad, as well as supported us at the Championships.
If we can continue to improve, and move up even just one place in a number of events, there is no reason why we cannot win the championships in the next couple of years. The Track & Field season is only five weeks and is not a huge demand.
The final placings on the evening were as follows:
Congratulations to all of the award winners, and especially to Dane Towns who was awarded the Morris Curotta Cup for most outstanding athlete.
>>> Click here to view the full list of award winners.
Well done and thank you to all of those students who attended the internal summer sports trials last Saturday. Any student who was an unexplained absence, has currently been selected in the lower grades.
*Can I please also remind all parents, carers and students, that an application for leave that is not illness related, is not conducted through the parent portal, but via an email directly to myself or a Head of House. This is the correct and expected procedure.
In the upcoming holidays, the University of Wollongong and Tottenham Hotspur are offering another ‘Elite Development Program.’ The program is open to Senior School students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12, who are looking for an intensive football training program, which covers more than just the on-field components of the game.
Mr Robert Gold has been working closely with Waverley College this year to establish a strong relationship, and it was great to see Year 10 student James Medland be a part of this program recently.
Mr Robert Gold can also be emailed for further information: robert.gold@tottenhamhotspur.com
On 13 October, we will be hosting a Coach Education session at the University of Wollongong which will run through: the Global Football Program, Tottenham Hotspur Philosophy, Football within the region, as well as other football-specific components.
During this Coach Ed, we will be delivering an On-Field Session as well as a short presentation. We will also have time for a Q&A and catch up afterwards.
If you are interested, please complete the short registration form below:
>>> Click here to view and complete the registration form.
Finally, I want to wish all of the 2022 Year 12 students best wishes for the HSC and next steps beyond school. Thank you also to all of the parents, carers and families of these students for all of your support during their high school journey.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This coming Saturday, 17 September we have internal sports trials for Basketball, Cricket, Tennis, Touch Football and Water Polo. The fixtures and Term 4 training schedule are now available via the fixtures link above or on the College website.
All year Groups are labelled by their 2023 cohort (Year 7 are now Year 8, Year 10 are now Opens). All students in these activities are expected to attend these trials unless permission has already been given for leave. Any student who fails to attend will be selected accordingly.
We will celebrate the successes and awards for the CAS Track & Field team next week, but I want to congratulate all of the athletes, staff and coaches who have done a tremendous job. I also want to thank all of the Track & Field squad parents for their wonderful support, this Athletics season.
In the upcoming holidays, the University of Wollongong and Tottenham Hotspur are offering another ‘Elite Development Program.’ The program is open to senior school students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12, who are looking for an intensive football training program which covers more than just the on-field components of the game. Mr Robert Gold has been working closely with Waverley College this year to establish a strong relationship, and it was great to see Year 10 student James Medland be a part of this program recently.
Mr Robert Gold can also be emailed for further information: robert.gold@tottenhamhotspur.com
Best wishes to all of Year 12 in their final week of school, as well as for their HSC preparations.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Our College Track & Field team has continued to perform well, leading up the 91st CAS Track and Field Championships on Thursday, 15 September at Homebush.
In the week of the championships, the whole squad will train on Monday and Tuesday afternoon, with ‘Carbo Night’ also on Tuesday evening. We will then present the whole squad at assembly on Wednesday, 14 September. Following the championships next Thursday, we will then have a presentation evening at the College on Friday evening.
On the day of the championships, the students competing will arrive at school at 9am and head straight to the PAC. Squad reserves and all other students will be in class for Period 1. At 11am the competitors will depart for Homebush, and all students elected for events must have the correct College Athletics attire (singlets and shorts).
At 1pm, Years 7 and 12 will also depart for their compulsory supporters’ duty at the championships. We will provide students with a packed meal for the carnival. There are canteen facilities at the venue, however, prices are high and the queues are always long.
The event concludes at 8pm and students will be bused back to the College by 9pm or students can sign up to return on one of the two buses that comes back to either Maroubra Junction or Hurstville train station. The sign up sheets are in the Wellbeing Centre, and once these buses are full, we will not be able to add any more students.
Years 7 and 12 must be in full College uniform and all squad members can wear their College tracksuit.
If students are departing the event with parents/carers, they must seek permission from their Head of House or a relevant staff member.
Any parent/carer or spectator is welcome to attend, but must pre-purchase tickets via the link below:
https://www.ticketebo.com.au/CASt&f
We still have one more invitational carnival this Saturday at ES Marks, and it is not too late for students to still try to make the squad.
On Saturday September 17, our Water Polo, Basketball, Tennis and Touch Football teams will all have their first round of summer trials. It is compulsory for students to attend these trials for selections, and these teams will commence their training with all other activities on the first day of Term 4.
We will publish the fixtures and training schedule on the College website this week.
We have also commenced pre-season training for Cricket, Tennis and Basketball for a number of students. All other activities will commence at the start of Term 4.
Finally, congratulations to all of the Waverley College students who took part in a range of Rugby Union, Football, AFL and Rugby League Grand finals over the past two weekends. There were many successes and some disappointments, however, it is a wonderful achievement to see so many Waverley College students successful in their endeavours.
Special mention also goes to Owen Lloyd-Jones who competed in the NSW Junior Short Course Swimming Champs over the weekend. Some impressive results in some tough U12 events:
Congratulations Owen Lloyd-Jones
Old Boy Stuart Swinburn, (brother of Scott in Year 11), has been selected to compete in the Australian Dolphins Team at the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre from 13-18 December. This is a brilliant achievement and we send him our best Waverley wishes.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The College Nets will be open for training over the last weeks of Term 3. Students seeking to play in an ‘A’ team or the 1st XI are expected to attend in preparation for a start to the competition season in Term 4.
Players are to bring their own protective equipment, as well as a ball for bowling. Players who consider themselves to be batsmen will be given priority to bat first. Coaches will then endeavour to rotate batting time each session, and each week, to ensure fairness.
Kit bags can be stored in the storeroom located under the PAC after each session, and then collected after school.
Important: Players currently in Year 7 who played in the Year 7 teams of Term 1 2022, are now trialling as the Year 8 team of 2022/2023. Therefore, the current Year 7 cohort will play in the Year 8 age group for this summer season.
Mr Sean Picone
Convenor of Cricket
E: spicone@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Waverley College Track & Field team performed strongly last Saturday at Homebush, and there were a number of impressive results, particularly in our younger age groups.
There are still some gaps we need to fill leading up to the CAS Championships on 15 September, and we really need some of our older students to step up to make themselves available for events like Middle Distance, Hurdles and some of the other field events. If we can perform well in these areas, and have our strongest athletes, we will go very well.
Next Monday is the College House Athletics carnival at ES Marks. There will be buses that depart the College at 8:15am and return by 3pm. However, students are encouraged to make their own way to and from the carnival.
Parents are welcome to attend, but please note that surrounding parking is challenging, and there is no parking on site. Students making their own way to the venue will need to arrive at 8:30am and the carnival concludes at 2:30pm.
We will run the Opens 3km and Javelin from 8:30am for any student who wishes to participate in those events.
In the case of rain, we will notify the community by 7am and the day would then revert to a normal school day.
Please note that there are NO canteen facilities, and students are required to bring their own lunch and snacks.
On Saturday, 27 August, Waverley are hosting the invitational athletics also at ES Marks, and will require some parent assistance with some of the events on the day please.
Thursday, 15 September heralds the first CAS Track & Field Championships for three years.
Students in Years 7 and 12 are required to attend on compulsory supporters’ duty, and will depart the College at 1pm.
The Athletics squad will depart the College at 11am.
We will provide all students in attendance with a lunch pack.
The event concludes at 8pm and students will return back to the College by 9pm. We will provide a return bus back to Maroubra Junction and Hurstville station for any student in attendance from those areas.
This week, we celebrated our winter co-curricular award winners as well as Cadet leadership appointments. Congratulations to all award winners!
I also want to make very special mention to Ms Kayla Heng from St Catherine’s School, who has been appointed the first female SUO of the Cadet Unit.
>>> Click here to view all of our wonderful Winter Co-curricular Award winners for 2022.
Thank you and well done to all who attended the wonderful Rugby Presentation Evening last Friday. A huge thanks to the members of the Rugby Supporters’ Group, Mr John McCoy for all of his hard work, as well as Easts Rugby for putting on such an enjoyable function.
I also want to congratulate our Debating Teams and especially our 1sts who secured a notable win against Knox last Friday evening.
1sts Debating V Knox
We also had a number of boys playing in various club finals over the weekend, and it was exciting to see Waverley students doing so well.
Good luck to our Athletics squad this Saturday at ES Marks.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
On Friday, 19 August, the Waverley College Rugby community gathered at Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club to celebrate the 2022 season. The evening was a huge success and you could certainly feel plenty of positivity and spirit at the venue.
We celebrated the outstanding player performances (Senior and Junior School), those undefeated teams (Prep 1sts, 13As, 13Bs, 15As and 16As), and also gave a special farewell to our departing Year 12 players.
We thank Denis Hickey and the Rugby Supporters’ Club for their efforts in organising a great night. We also thank Ms Jade Sparks (Convenor of Junior School Rugby), Mr Thomas Olds (Prep 1st Coach), Mr Steve O’Donnell (Director of Co-Curricular) and Mr Paul Cornish (1st XV Coach), who all spoke superbly on the night.
A highlight on the night was watching members of our 1st XV presenting our junior students and teams – including the undefeated Prep 1st XV team – with their awards on the night. I know the young Waverlians were thrilled to meet and be presented by the Double V.
On behalf of the Waverley College Rugby Community, I would like to thank the following people who contributed so much in the 2022 season:
I hope all members of the community enjoyed the 2022 season, and I look forward to seeing you on the playing fields in 2023!
Waverley to Win!
Mr John McCoy
Convenor of Rugby
E: jmccoy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Thank you and well done to all students, parents and staff who attended the first invitational athletics carnival of the season at Homebush last weekend. This was actually the first inter-school carnival for almost three years.
We had some very impressive performances by a number of athletes as well as a couple of great relay results. However, we are still needing a number of positions filled, particularly in the older age groups.
Any student is welcome to start attending and we are back at Homebush this Saturday, followed by three Saturdays at ES Marks. All students who have been doing Track & Field as either a winter or summer co-curricular option, are expected to compete for the College this term.
The next four weeks of the season lead up to the CAS Track & Field championships on Thursday, 15 September. Year 7 and Year 12 will also be attending this carnival on ‘compulsory supporters’ duty’ and will be bused out and back from the venue. The supporters’ groups will depart at 1pm and return by 9pm. Students will also be provided with a meal.
Parents and family members are also welcome to attend, however there is a small entry fee. We will send more information closer to the date for students and athletes who will be attending this big event.
Next Thursday, 25 August we will celebrate our award winners at the College Assembly, and will notify those award winners by email at the start of next week.
We will have our postponed College House Athletics carnival at ES Marks on Monday, 29 August commencing with the first events at 8:30am. This is a compulsory day for all students in Years 7-12, and whilst we will provide limited bus services to and from the venue, students are encouraged to make their own transport arrangements. There are currently NO CANTEEN facilities at ES Marks so students are required to bring their own lunch.
A big thank you to the parents and senior students who assisted with the Football and AFL presentation evenings last Friday. The attendance by parents and students was fantastic, and in particular I would like to thank Naomi Isaac, Greg Isaac and Alistair Isaac for all of their hard work in ensuring the AFL night was a success.
Also to the parents of the Football Supporters’ Group who assisted with that wonderful event. Thank you also to Nick Blakey (class of 2018 and current Swans player), Mr Steve Wilmot, Mr Edward Davis, Mr Bishoy Wasef, Mr Simon Potter, Mr Jack Wachtel and Mr Jon Christiforidis for all of their work behind the scenes in enabling these events to run so smoothly.
This Friday evening at Easts Rugby, we have the Rugby presentation evening commencing at 6pm and students can wear casual attire.
Well done to Eddie Beswick in Year 11 who competed in the Victorian Formula Ford racing championship last weekend at Sandown and secured an incredible 1st place. We also wish him well for his preparations for the National titles and are looking forward to seeing many more race wins.
Congratulations Eddie Beswick (Year 11)
Good luck to our Track & Field squad this week.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
A huge thank you and well done to all students, parents, convenors, staff and coaches for the completed winter season for 2022. Whilst it was not without its challenges, we did get a full season in for the first time since 2019.
Congratulations to the following teams and coaches on winning premierships in 2022:
We also had some terrific team performances across a range of sports and activities, and hopefully all students remember the camaraderie, the skills developed and enjoyed the season.
1st XI Football. Photo courtesy: Liam Davis (Year 12)
1st XI Football. Photo courtesy: Liam Davis (Year 12)
1st XI Football. Photo courtesy: Liam Davis (Year 12)
Congratulations to the 1st XI Football on winning their final game for the season 2-0 against Trinity Grammar. Photo courtesy: Liam Davis (Year 12)
Thank you to the parents, carers and especially those members of the Supporters’ Groups and those who helped in the canteen, on BBQs or after match functions – we would not be able to deliver that part of the co-curricular program without your support.
This coming Friday we have AFL and Football presentation evenings at the College, and the following week we have Rugby presentation evening down at Easts Rugby at Woollahra.
We will also have our Years 5-12 Winter co-curricular award assembly on Thursday, 25 August from 12pm.
This week we have commenced our Track & Field season and have our first invitational carnival at Homebush this Saturday. The Track & Field season guide that has all timings and sessions can be found on the College website or on the app.
Any student is welcome to be a part of this squad, which culminates with the CAS Championships at Homebush on Thursday, 15 September. Years 7 and 12 will also attend this carnival as compulsory supporters duty, and more information about this will be released later this term.
We will be running our postponed House Athletics carnival for Years 7-12 at ES Marks on Monday, 29 August.
We have now also concluded all summer activity requests and those students will be notified via email of their approved selections. Pre-season and selections for teams will commence towards the end of Term 3, and we will also publish the training schedule around the same time.
Congratulations to Ryan McNamara, Aiden Renford and Owen Roorda who all attended the Australian SLS Pool Rescue championships over the weekend, where they were able to achieve the following impressive results:
Australian SLS Pool Rescue champs
Congratulations also to Old Boy Jed Holloway (Class of 2010) on his selection to start for the Wallabies against Argentina over the weekend. Jed played a key role in securing a famous ‘come from behind’ victory in Mendoza against the Argentinian Pumas. We all hope Jed has many more tests in front of him, and look forward to seeing more Waverley Old Boys play at this level soon.
Congratulations Jed Holloway (Class of 2010)
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of local Indigenous Elder and La Perouse man, Timothy Ella.
Tim Ella
Tim was a legend and strong advocate and supporter for Waverley College’s Indigenous programs, that included educating many of our students in the local history of First Nations peoples in the area, bush tucker as well as helping out with Indigenous Round celebrations in sport.
We send our sincerest condolences to his friends and family. Tim was the youngest brother of Wallaby Rugby legends Mark, Glen and Gary as well as brother Trevor. Tim chose a Rugby League pathway like his cousin Steve Ella.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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