Club News

Alphabet Party this WEEKEND

2nd July 7:30pm

1st Annual Alphabet Party

A alphabet letter will be supplied to you and you need to come dressed up as either an object, character celebrity or cartoon caracter starting with that Letter.

ie. S = Snake, Sandpit, Shane Warne or Superman.

Entry is $5, and there will be a prize for the best dressed male and female on the night.

Merchandise and Equipment

The Club has a range of junior equipment and merchandise for sale.

Social Membership Keyring Stubbie Holder 1 free drink	$35.00
Adjustable Cap	$20.00
Polar Fleece Beanie	$20.00
Knitted Beanie	$20.00
T-Shirts	$25.00 or 2 for $40
Hoodie (last seasons)	$35.00 (2 left)
Hoodie	$45.00
Stubbie Holder	$7.00
Membership Keyring	$12.00
Reebok 7K Armpads	$45.00
Brine 8″ Junior Gloves	$45.00
Brine 12″ Junior Gloves	$45.00
Warrior 12″ Junior Gloves	$45.00

Photos of the equipiment and merchandise can be seen on the website under the Merchandise heading. http://www.malvernlacrosse.com/merchandise/

For further enquiries or to place an order if you cannot get to the club please contact Brendon Farrell on 0412 887 871 or email him at farrell@creativity.com.au

This Weeks Games

Sat	14:30	State League (Malvern Town Hall)	Malvern	Vs	Surrey Park
	14:30	Division 2 (Altona)	Altona	Vs	Malvern
	11:00	Under 16 (Malvern Town Hall)	Malvern	Vs	Footscray
	9:30	Under 14 (Lower Plenty)	Eltham	Vs	Malvern
	9:30	Under 12 Blacks (Malvern Town Hall)	Malvern Blacks	Vs	Footscray Green
	9:30	Under 12 Reds (Malvern Town Hall)	Malvern Reds	Vs	Moreland
Sun	13:10	B Grade (Footscray)	Surrey Park	Vs	Malvern

Game Day Reports

State League

Malvern vs Footscray.

Result – Loss 9-13

Went down to Footscray to play against clearly the best team in the country at this point with a quiet confidence that the way we had trained and prepared (considering our poor club lighting at this point) we would take the fight right to them.

7 mins in to the first quarter 1 nil up and getting ourselves into the game, all was on track. The next 12 mins were from nowhere on our script with our defensive stopped playing to prior instructions with no on field recognition of what we knew would be Footscray’s strengths in coming hard from behind the cage against our short sticks defenders.

This led to a 7 – 2 score line half way through the 3rd and it’s very hard to give great sides a sniff and then pull them back. To our credit our defence got back on track, we owned transition, hard ground balls and general play to outscore them 5 to 7 from that point and only some poor shooting and clearing mistakes stopping us from getting level in the last which is a great positive to take away.

We still sometimes fall back into 2010 habits and every player needs to understand what their value and job is within the team and just do that and do it well.

I generally don’t comment on umpiring but last Saturday with what could only be described as 4 or 5 of the worst decisions this year going against us including the first time in my 40 years in the game seeing an umpire play the ”hidden ball trick” against us was deplorable. For us to maintain our focus and integrity was fantastic and another great sign of our development…

I really believe our upside is still to come in 2011 and Surrey Park at home this week is big test of where we are at as a group, we have come a long way and just need to make the last step and take a big scalp to prove to ourselves we have arrived as the team we can be.

5 different players from 4 different clubs all asked me if Malvern can still the finals in 2011 on Sunday morning at State training………………… they know we are coming

Division 2

Malvern vs Chadstone.

Result – Loss 9-12

B Grade

Malvern vs Altona.

Result – Won 12-8

Once again the team ventured over the Westgate to Williamstown to play Melbourne Uni.

Melbourne Uni were our first opponents earlier in the year and it was going to be a good test to see how far we had come.

We were missing Katie and Jess but Melb. Uni were also missing a number of players (some of their players from the US had gone home after their studies) and they only had 8 players. In the spirit of the game we agreed to play 8 aside.

It was a tough game as the Melb. Uni players ran hard and positioned themselves well both in attack and defence. For the first time in a number of weeks we were beaten in the ground ball contests and they seemed to want to work harder for the ball.

Every time we scored they managed to find an easy avenue to goal and with only 8 players on the field they were able to create and utilise space better than us. The scores at half time were 5 – 5

The second half saw a more determined effort by the girls and scoring opportunities become easier and the team piled on 7 goals to 3 to have their first “official” win of season 12 – 5.

Leanne Currie had a good game in goals ably supported by Jaimie Jenkinson in defence. Jaimie played a solid game despite the lingering effects of a finger injury from the previous game.

Playing 8 aside we were able to fully rotate our midfield throughout the game with everyone getting good game time and contributing.

Sarah and Ang ran hard all game and Ang had a chance to score her first goal only for the shot to hit the post. Once both the girls get more comfortable with cradling the ball and relaxing their arms more scoring opportunities will come.

Donna, Maddy and Ally all ran hard and carried the ball up and down the field.

Our “Veterans” Romy (6 goals), Eleanor (2 goals) and Phoebe all played solid games and their experience is a great benefit to the other players in the team and in this game this experience really counted when needed. Phoebe has been a welcome acquisition to the team and will be greatly missed when she returns to the Country to study.

Congratulations go to Nina who played her best game for the year. Not only was she swooping on ground balls, chasing hard on clears and providing passing opportunities in attack but she was also on the end of a fast break from Eleanor and scored her first goal in Lacrosse. The cheer was deafening and the Melb. Uni girls were not sure what had happened as Nina’s Malvern team mates and supporters rushed to congratulate her. A significant event for Nina whose confidence has taken a big step forward (only matched by the size of her grin!).

Congratulations to all and thanks again for the continued support of the faithful who turn up each week to support the girls, it is greatly appreciated by all.

Under 16’s

Malvern – Caulfield vs Eltham Surrey.

BYE

Under 14’s

Malvern vs Melbourne High School.

Result – Win 22-1

Malvern versus Melbourne High School.

Ins: Chris Paz, Luke Bus, Aaron Currie (U12), Caleb Alaimo (U12)

Outs: Darcy Campbell; injured. Toby Jardine, overseas.

The sun broke through the tree canopy at the Northern end of the ground . It was going to be one of those brisk and clear Melbourne mornings and unlike the drought years, it was a little soft underfoot. I pondered the fact that these kids had grown up playing on hard grounds and the adjustments that would now be necessary, as El Nino had morphed into La Nina. I can only pretend to understand this life cycle.

I wandered too, if the soft grounds had caused Darcy’s injury?

Subtle changes are not readily identifiable and are easily forgotten.

The ground had begun to resemble the ground of many years ago – mud around both goals and a specific tacky, smelly black mud in the centre of the ground – an inconvenient legacy the bloody cricket wicket that had become the bane of all winter field sports. They say that more than any other thing – smell invokes images and memories from one’s youth. Gus had forgotten about the muddy grounds and had not washed some of uniforms from last week. Phew, what a way to be reminded of the past and he shut the musky bag as quickly as he had opened it. Weekly uniform washing, along with footy boots drying off in front of the gas fire, was now mandatory again.

The players and their parents had begun to straggle in. By U14″s, one has watched most of the same kids play together for about three years. It is a little special watching these kids develop – the comedy being in the way they keep making the same mistakes until they eventually grow out of them – and every now and again one has the privilege of witnessing the development of a team which one both suspects and is hopeful will keep together and encourage each other through the hormonal years to eventually play at the highest level. To play with someone for twenty years is to have one of those very special and rare friendships in life.

Even more rare is the team that grows old together. We can only envy the special bonds that the great Williamstown team of the sixties has and the Malvern teams of earlier and later decades.

It’s a friendship that is not often described but is very real. Oh well, something else to do in retirement.

Similarly, the other parents become your good friends. By shear habit – the weekly game – you begin to see and talk to these people more readily than your chosen friends. We develop a tolerance to each other (the essence of the Club) and the conversations with these people move in specific ways – from the weather in the first year through to politics and religion to eventually all that matters is their company – friends. By this stage we are looking after each other’s kids and the community has strengthened.

Sport can nourish all those that are involved.

Duncan McKenzie is an interesting Lacrosse figure. Whether you like him or not is not relevant – you cannot help but admire him.

Almost single handed, he has kept the Melbourne High School Lacrosse Club extant.

He genuinely does things for the sport and for kids. He battles week in week out and although his U14 teams

are typically not that strong, he is having appreciable success by U16. This club is also the starting off point for the University Lax teams. For those who are unaware, the kids from Melbourne High generally have not picked up a stick until their first year in U14s, hence the comparative skill disadvantage.

From Malvern’s perspective, the big question was how the team would fair without their spiritual leader and part-time guru – Darcy?

With the American State League contingent being on hand, all four of them, Gus running the bench and me as water boy, this is the best-resourced team in the State!

The final score was 22 to 1 but much Kudos must go to Melbourne High’s goalkeeper who probably stopped as many as he let in.

Three votes for Malvern went to Nick Chapman. In my mind, Chappie is one of the best improvers of the year. He is rapidly maturing and is channelling his excellent individual skills into the team game. Nick was able to bag a swag of goals and assists and still bring his team mates into the game. Of course we missed Darcy, but Chappie found another gear. Two votes went to the little terror on the forward line, Jordan Campbell, who snagged a handful of goals and assists. Jordy is busting at the seams to be a man. He is focussed on what and how adults play Lacrosse and is mentally already playing senior Lacrosse. Paul Loulatzis played his best game so far at Malvern on Saturday and received one vote for his troubles. He goes about his workmanlike game quietly and has made significant improvements in his game. He is one of the best ground ball gatherers in the team and top scored with his five assists. He is on the way to making a name for himself.

Elliot (Elmo) is similar to Paul in the way they go about things. With fitness and strengthening work they will both become reliable ball carriers. When Elliot finally breaks out – watch out.

Nick Maher, Luc Busscari and Alex (half game in the nets) shared the defensive duties. I think all of these boys may have sneaked up to the forward line and bagged a goal or two. Paz was not that busy, but a beautiful clearing pass from the goalie resulted in a goal.

Kaleb did his usual creating muck around the ground. May have copped one for his troubles. Dillon Ive is growing in confidence by the week as is another U12, Aaron Currie. He was in the perfect spot a couple of times only to be ignored for the older players. Do not worry guys we can all see that you are in the right spot and you are doing the right thing – it’s just going to take time.

Thanks to Billy Exton for his refereeing efforts.

The new light towers at Malvern look like the business. I am hoping that they will be a metaphor for Lacrosse – out of the Dark Ages. Perhaps this is the Renaissance of Lacrosse.

Saturday morning is by far my favourite three hours of the week.

Under 12 Red’s

Malvern Red vs Camberwell Buzz.

Result – Loss 5-15

Once again the Reds ventured down High St. to play another Camberwell team. This time our umpire JB turned up so we were off to a good start. Ahbie put his hand up to go in goals, the buzz came out firing and they had our defence and goalie working overtime.

The score at half time was 8-1, so the reds were determined to come out and change that. We lost Karl at halftime and were down to 3 on the bench so our midfielders led by Ahbie, Paige, Jenna and Ellie stepped up.

Our back half held up with Ben playing good defence with help from Parth and Matthew. We saw the two Ives playing in goals in the second half, both Ashley and Josh did well in the net.

The attack line was bolstered with Will, Freddy and Sankal. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and our kids lost 5-15 but they never stopped trying and with that hard fought determination they will be a “force to be reckoned with”.

Jenna 2 goals
Ahbie 2 goals 2 assists
Paige 1 goal 1 assist
Matthew 1 assist
Parth 1 assist