Around the Grounds
Round 1 saw 10 out of our 13 Junior teams play home games – from U6s right through to the U12s. It was an exciting atmosphere around the grounds and great to see all the smiling faces and kids enjoying their first round of soccer – for some it was their first game!
There were mixed results for our teams, however, it was great to hear that all teams improved as they progressed through their matches. Thanks to the Coaches, Managers and Parents who shared some match information and photos for the first game and we look forward to seeing how all our teams progress throughout the Season.
U6 Tigers
The U6 Tigers kicked off the season well this week with many of the kids having their first game.
They had an awesome time with plenty of goals and smiles on dials all around the field! Great passing and chasing down the ball led to a 5-3 win over Mitchie Victory.
Well done Tigers..!!
U7 Geckos
We had a good first game to start the season. We have new players on the team this year and I’m looking forward to seeing them develop in the team. We had some strong passing, good ball control and looking ahead for our teammates to pass. As a result, we finished up with a 9-5 win over Mitchie Canberra.
For his great teamwork, chasing after the ball and looking after his teammates, the ‘Player of the day’ kickin chicken award went to Eric – Great work..!!
U8 Wasps
The Wasps took on North Star this weekend in our first game of the season. The long weekend and some COVID absences reduced us to the bare 7, but that meant we got plenty of game time in the legs.
The game was a pretty one-sided affair and while we struggled to get out of our own half for most of the match there was plenty of exciting skills and determination on display.
Both keepers Ellis and Fletcher got a workout and made amazing saves. Leo also was a solid last defender getting into good positions but the Player of the Day award went to Nadia for her non-stop involvement throughout the match.
In the final wash up the Wasps failed to trouble the scorers while North Star ran out of room on their scoresheet. We fought to the end and can’t wait to have another crack next week.
U8 Hornets
Round 1 saw the U8 Hornets travel to Bardon for their first game of the season. Moving from the U7 format of 4v4 onto the larger field with 7v7 including a goalkeeper had its challenges throughout the match for both teams, however, the Hornets were able to string together some nice passes and slot 2 goals in the second half to finish the game strongly with a 2-0 win.
With only a couple of training sessions to learn some new rules – perform throw-ins instead of kick-ins, corner kicks and a goalkeeper! – the Hornets had a great first game with their teamwork on display. There was plenty of help in defence when Bardon made a break, however, our number one defender for the game – Jasper – was solid as a rock and did not let one ball past him. For this super effort, Jasper received the HJs Player of the Day award.
Cooper & Ned S shared the goalkeeping role for the first game – both maintaining clean sheets – with some nice saves and great goal kicks to find their teammates in space.
Ed & Harper were Jaspers’ helpers at the back – moving the loose ball away from goals and getting it quickly to the sidelines for the team to get on the attack.
Patty, Fitzy (Ned F), Mika and Archie predominantly shared the attacking role throughout the game, however with positional play quickly going down the drain with a swarm of bees around the ball (or Hornets in this case) – they also found themselves providing assistance in defence on numerous occasions. The Hornets had a number of shots on goal to increase the score line, however did not convert. For his great game awareness, streaky runs and skilful passing, Fitzy got the Kickin Chicken Player of the Day award!
U9 Dingoes
The 2022 season sees some changes in the squad from last year with five new faces in the Dingo Pack.
With a handful of training sessions under our belt, the pack were excited to get the season started and Round 1 saw us on the road at UQFC vs the Lions.
The opening exchanges were frantic with both teams taking a little time to settle into the match.
The Dingoes were starting to show signs of working together as a unit and had some good opportunities on the break but the Lions were more clinical with their chances and saw UQFC take the points with a 4-1 win.
I was proud at how the lads didn’t stop and saw a late and well-deserved goal from Magnus which galvanised the team. With this momentum, another 10 minutes could have seen a different result, but that’s football.
Our newest signing Toby (aka TJ) epitomised the Dingo fighting spirit with a fantastic team attitude, never gave up and was a positive voice for the team. A worthy recipient for Round 1’s Player of the Day/Kicken Chicken award. Well done TJ.
Another solid training session behind us and looking forward to coming home this Saturday for Round 2.
U12 Wanderers
The U12s Wanderers had a great first game defending and attacking where no goal was scored up until the last quarter of the game.
Last year the team played Moggill for their first game and lost with many goals scored against us. This first game win showed the effort from last season paid off!
It was a great team effort – winning the game with a goal from Nic. Nic picked up a Player of the Day award for his goal. Jack picked up a Player of the Day award for his great defending skills and Kate picked up a Player of the Day award for great ball skills and a huge effort – a clear stand out in overall game improvement!
We are excited to have most of our team returning this year with the addition of some great new team members, and our coach Mark returning for another season. Bring on Round 2!
U12 Warriors
Our U12 Warriors team had a bye for the first round so we organised a high-intensity training session with Senior Mens FQPL supercoach Ritz and one of the Warriors Coaches – Matt (from the Senior Mens squad) on Field 1!
The guys ran the kids through a number of training drills and skills, with the kids thoroughly enjoying themselves whilst working hard throughout the session. We look forward to seeing how the team goes in their first game for Round 2 and cannot thank Ritz enough for the enthusiasm and enjoyment he is bringing to our Juniors!
