Season 2013 is now done and dusted and the juniors have had a great year.
Things started well before Christmas with careful planning to ensure that our juniors were going to be strong and successful. We determined very early that it was paramount to the success of the juniors that we fielded a third under 10 side. Some really great marketing and recruitment drives culminated in achieving our goal of a third under 10 side. I would like to thank Toni Pavlovic for coordinating our football clinic program which saw up to 300 kids across 6 local primary schools learn the basics of junior football and eventuated in 46 new under 10 registrations.
On the field, it has been a mixed year with our under 10s and 12s sides winning a few games but unable to make finals. It is always very difficult for us to compete in the division 1 junior competition with only 2 sides in each age group, hence the important of fielding the third side in under 10s to ensure the building process of the juniors continues.
Our under 14 division 1 side finished 2nd on the ladder and played for 3 weeks of finals, but unfortunately just missed out on making the grand final by 8 points. At Under 16 level, both sides made finals with our division 4 group going down in the first final. Our under 16 division 1 side won the grand final by 25 points against Greenvale. This was a great result and has ended what could be the longest time between premierships for the juniors, some 4 years. Congratulations and well done to all these boys, coaches and administrators on the Premiership.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our junior coaches – Matt Robertson, Ben Petruccelli, Tirone Gillis, Jay Burke, Rocky Senese, Domenic Palumbo, Greg Bird, Jarrod Gibson and Geoff Maddern. And of course thanks to their Assistant Coaches, Team Managers and weekly volunteers who ensured the smooth running of the sides throughout the season.
I would like to make special mention of Bruno Laguda who won the under 16 division 1 best in competition medal and also to Cooper Bond and Ben Caluzzi who made the under 15 Victorian Schoolboys side, Ben as a 13 year old! A big congratulations to Monique Conti who made the Under 15 Victorian School girls side. It was great to once again this season have the highest representation at the EDFL Rep Squads - Well done to all these players who represented the club proudly.
The future of the juniors is looking very promising. The building process of the juniors is well and truly on the right track and I would expect things will continue to improve over the next few years and very soon we will be right up there again!
I would like to thank Bruce Runting, Nick Srour and Essendon Doutta Stars Committee for your continual guidance, support and encouragement throughout the season. A further thanks to Walid and Rachael for their Friday night meals which went very well this year.
Bradleigh Andrews
Junior Football Operations Manager
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