The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
1 February 2004
Home
Archive
Subscribe
Links
Contact
Dunbar mystery unraveled
New school bid for ‘male-only’ offers
Twins among high achievers
Parents urged to read new books
Steps to safety
Priests honoured
Doing the Lord’s work
Religious named
Pregnant pause: To do or not to do? Oh, baby!
Insurance board post
Caring for needy
Lay Catholics
Editorial: True blue
Letters: Thanks to institute
Conversation: Mons Paul Ssegemogerere, vicar general of Kampala, Uganda - Helping his country tread the right path
Today – God’s gift to us all
Refugee children say ‘thanks’
Chinese community has much to celebrate
The stained-glass detective
Teacher, priest and puppeteer
Riding a wild horse ...
Up there, Ignatius!
Mates give Bulls’ groom Super send-off
Up there, Ignatius!
Sydney Swans defender Leo Barry, an old boy at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, shows some of the finer points of Aussie Rules to young hopefuls at the SCG
By Damir Govorcin
Senior Australian Rules players at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, have all circled April 17 on their calendar.
It’s the historic day when their under-18s team makes its debut in the Sydney Football League (SFL) competition.
As yet, the draw hasn’t been finalised, so the team’s opponent is still unknown.
But that hasn’t curbed the enormous amount of interest this new venture has created at the school.
St Ignatius’ College will become the first Greater Public School to enter an under-18s Australian Football team in the Sydney Football League.
Australian Rules was played at the school in the 19th century, but was soon banned because it was deemed too rough.
But after an 80-year hiatus, it was reintroduced into the sports program in the 1980s.
The school has fielded Australian Rules teams at under-age level over the past 20 years, but the introduction of a senior team is now seen as a natural progression for the sport to continue at the school.
“Our aim is to provide a pathway for students who come to the school in Year 7 to have the opportunity to play Australian Rules during all their school years,” says Chris Kitching, the school’s director of co-curriculum.
“We are the largest school in the GPS, so our infrastructure and numbers allow us to field a senior Australian Rules team.
“We have 20 sports at the school and we hope to make Australian Rules a permanent fixture.”
The move to field a team in the senior Sydney competition has been applauded by Paul Roos, coach of the Sydney Swans, who says he welcomes the involvement of schools such as Riverview, because it will encourage the development of Australian Football in Sydney.
Current Swans defender Leo Barry is a Riverview old boy.
St Ignatius will have a squad of up to 30 players, some of whom have been in pre-season training with Sydney Football League club Pennant Hills.
Mr Kitching says the school has an open invitation to the Sydney League and the Swans to offer their support during the year.
Apart from Australian Rules, the school will also field rugby league teams in under-13s, 14s and 15s in the local North Sydney competition.
Former Balmain international Steve Roach, who has three sons at Riverview, has played a key role in getting the school’s rugby league program off the ground.