Thursday, 14 July 2011
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Day 6 Avoca to Gundagai
After a long 6 hour trip from Avoca to Gundagai, we have now settled in the Sovereign Inn. Everyone is walking around as quietly as possible as the owners have threatened to throw us out. So if we arrive home before this blog, you know what happened.
Correction of yesterday’s blog:
In the interests of online accuracy, it is important to correct factual inaccuracies from yesterday’s blog regarding the game between the adult females and the girls. In the immortal words of Michael Caton in The Castle, ‘Tell him he’s dreaming.’ Enough said.
Thanks to Carolina, who left us in Avoca to go on another holiday. Her work as a part of the kitchen crew was fantastic and her support of the teams scoring and cheering was much appreciated. Special thanks for taking Adrian with her!! Just kidding guys.
The final night in Gundagai saw the Road Trip crew trek to the RSL for a last main meal together, followed by the end of trip quiz night. 3 rounds of tough questions based on the trip were handed out by the quizmaster J-Train a.k.a. J-Smooth a.k.a. J Dogg. Following the quiz, we headed back to the accommodation to be greeted by some grumpy neighbours. We dressed up and crammed in to one room to have a fashion parade and announce the results of the quiz. Well done to Courtney, Georgia, Zack, Lani and Anne for their crazy outfits. The Milan Beasts were the quiz winners.
Final night awards:
Princess Kate and Prince William Cosiest Couple Award: Whilst there were a couple of contenders amongst the kids (initials CF and HT or TD and RH), the undoubted winners of this award are my two co-authors of this blog, Coaches Tranter and Treasure. It was like writing a blog with a honeymoon couple. Special nicknames ‘The Great One’ and ‘J-Train’. All complimentary exchanges- ‘Oh Great One, your post moves are so great’ and ‘J-Train has these great offensive moves.’ And both Collingwood supporters as well.
Jake King Most annoying Habit Award- I will confess that the nickname ‘Chainsaw’ does not do full justice to my snoring tones. But Zac’s effort of tomato sauce on his chicken wrap came close.
Award for Loyalty to Parents who should know better: The footy tipping competition pulled out new levels of child loyalty. Sarah ‘Thommo’ Thompson gave up any chance of winning the tipping competition by picking her dad’s North Melbourne team against Collingwood. But even worse, Ella ‘Daisy’ Ryan had to sacrifice the winnings by tipping Richmond, the club her dad played for. I’m certain this form of influence goes against United Nations Children’s Rights Conventions.
In contrast, Lucy ‘Lucielle’ Burke tipped Port Adelaide because her dad barracks for St. Kilda. All I can say is ‘Look out, the Saints are coming.’
Bruce McAveney Award for Footy Tipping: Courtney ‘The Munster’ Munn managed to be the only person to tip the last six games in the footy tipping. Many were let down by the woeful efforts of the Tigers and the Blues. And Chris ‘Chrissie’ G managed to be the only one to tip the West Coast against Geelong, winning a bonus prize.
Top 13 as decided by the kids:
1. The dog at MS billet became particularly affectionate with her leg.
2. Zack chipping his tooth, another $100 down the drain
3. CM’s underwear drying off in full view of everyone else at the Avoca camp
4. Ciggers falling out of bed whilst trying to close a window
5. Animal House room #19.
6. Shaq’s obsession with Peri-peri chicken
7. HT’s obsession with CF
8. Izzy running into a pole
9. Adrian saving the footy from the river on the first day and then promptly kicking it back in the river.
10. Ella face planting off her bed
11. When AP, LB and MS got locked in their bedroom accidentally
12. LY’s cabin runs out of toilet paper
13. The Rap hit “Zimmy Za Tar”
Final Thanks:
The roadtrip relies on the help and support of a large number of people, many of whom I’ll forget to mention.
Firstly, we would like to thank the great clubs that we played against and especially the fantastic billet families in Canberra and Wollongong. And a special mention to the families who helped us retrieve bags that some children left behind.
Secondly, we’d like to thank the various fund raising and organising committees that set up the trip. Whilst we cannot overstate the long hours of work that you have all done, I’d like to particularly thank three people. Steve Brown (who did not have a kid on the trip and had his plans to join the trip ruined by Tiger) and Lindy Masterson (from the Sabres organisation) did a great job organising the accommodation, bus and budget. And the trip would not have gone on without the fundraising organisational efforts of Naomi Adams. Thanks a lot.
Thirdly, we would like to thank our great bus driver, Rebecca. She is now completely proficient in driving in circles in Canberra and Wollongong because of our hopeless navigating. From then on, we let her take the lead. And we never got lost again.
Finally, whilst all the travelling adults have acted above and belong the call of duty (Liz, Kellie, Anne, Christine, Glenn and Mike), it is worth singling out Jamie Treasure for his leadership. We knocked Jamie for a variety of things in this blog, but he made sure that every kid was happy and secure on the trip. So, Jamie- you win first prize- an all-expenses paid ticket to next year’s roadtrip.
Correction of yesterday’s blog:
In the interests of online accuracy, it is important to correct factual inaccuracies from yesterday’s blog regarding the game between the adult females and the girls. In the immortal words of Michael Caton in The Castle, ‘Tell him he’s dreaming.’ Enough said.
Thanks to Carolina, who left us in Avoca to go on another holiday. Her work as a part of the kitchen crew was fantastic and her support of the teams scoring and cheering was much appreciated. Special thanks for taking Adrian with her!! Just kidding guys.
The final night in Gundagai saw the Road Trip crew trek to the RSL for a last main meal together, followed by the end of trip quiz night. 3 rounds of tough questions based on the trip were handed out by the quizmaster J-Train a.k.a. J-Smooth a.k.a. J Dogg. Following the quiz, we headed back to the accommodation to be greeted by some grumpy neighbours. We dressed up and crammed in to one room to have a fashion parade and announce the results of the quiz. Well done to Courtney, Georgia, Zack, Lani and Anne for their crazy outfits. The Milan Beasts were the quiz winners.
Final night awards:
Princess Kate and Prince William Cosiest Couple Award: Whilst there were a couple of contenders amongst the kids (initials CF and HT or TD and RH), the undoubted winners of this award are my two co-authors of this blog, Coaches Tranter and Treasure. It was like writing a blog with a honeymoon couple. Special nicknames ‘The Great One’ and ‘J-Train’. All complimentary exchanges- ‘Oh Great One, your post moves are so great’ and ‘J-Train has these great offensive moves.’ And both Collingwood supporters as well.
Jake King Most annoying Habit Award- I will confess that the nickname ‘Chainsaw’ does not do full justice to my snoring tones. But Zac’s effort of tomato sauce on his chicken wrap came close.
Award for Loyalty to Parents who should know better: The footy tipping competition pulled out new levels of child loyalty. Sarah ‘Thommo’ Thompson gave up any chance of winning the tipping competition by picking her dad’s North Melbourne team against Collingwood. But even worse, Ella ‘Daisy’ Ryan had to sacrifice the winnings by tipping Richmond, the club her dad played for. I’m certain this form of influence goes against United Nations Children’s Rights Conventions.
In contrast, Lucy ‘Lucielle’ Burke tipped Port Adelaide because her dad barracks for St. Kilda. All I can say is ‘Look out, the Saints are coming.’
Bruce McAveney Award for Footy Tipping: Courtney ‘The Munster’ Munn managed to be the only person to tip the last six games in the footy tipping. Many were let down by the woeful efforts of the Tigers and the Blues. And Chris ‘Chrissie’ G managed to be the only one to tip the West Coast against Geelong, winning a bonus prize.
Top 13 as decided by the kids:
1. The dog at MS billet became particularly affectionate with her leg.
2. Zack chipping his tooth, another $100 down the drain
3. CM’s underwear drying off in full view of everyone else at the Avoca camp
4. Ciggers falling out of bed whilst trying to close a window
5. Animal House room #19.
6. Shaq’s obsession with Peri-peri chicken
7. HT’s obsession with CF
8. Izzy running into a pole
9. Adrian saving the footy from the river on the first day and then promptly kicking it back in the river.
10. Ella face planting off her bed
11. When AP, LB and MS got locked in their bedroom accidentally
12. LY’s cabin runs out of toilet paper
13. The Rap hit “Zimmy Za Tar”
Final Thanks:
The roadtrip relies on the help and support of a large number of people, many of whom I’ll forget to mention.
Firstly, we would like to thank the great clubs that we played against and especially the fantastic billet families in Canberra and Wollongong. And a special mention to the families who helped us retrieve bags that some children left behind.
Secondly, we’d like to thank the various fund raising and organising committees that set up the trip. Whilst we cannot overstate the long hours of work that you have all done, I’d like to particularly thank three people. Steve Brown (who did not have a kid on the trip and had his plans to join the trip ruined by Tiger) and Lindy Masterson (from the Sabres organisation) did a great job organising the accommodation, bus and budget. And the trip would not have gone on without the fundraising organisational efforts of Naomi Adams. Thanks a lot.
Thirdly, we would like to thank our great bus driver, Rebecca. She is now completely proficient in driving in circles in Canberra and Wollongong because of our hopeless navigating. From then on, we let her take the lead. And we never got lost again.
Finally, whilst all the travelling adults have acted above and belong the call of duty (Liz, Kellie, Anne, Christine, Glenn and Mike), it is worth singling out Jamie Treasure for his leadership. We knocked Jamie for a variety of things in this blog, but he made sure that every kid was happy and secure on the trip. So, Jamie- you win first prize- an all-expenses paid ticket to next year’s roadtrip.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Day 5 Avoca Palms at Gosford
For Day 4 as a group we all over nighted at the Avoca Palms. Players were allocated cabins, generally chilling out after dinner watching movies with most agreeing for lights out by around 10.30pm – 11.00pm. Day 5 morning came with breakfast at 9am and by the blurry eyes it appeared some clocks weren’t working the night before for some of the players.
This didn’t stop the dynamic support team with Masterchef Kelly commandeering pancakes for all. This sprung to action the “Pancake Queen” Liz Heath who not to be deterred by the slowest BBQ in NSW went to Plan B cooking up a storm in Cabana 5.
After breakfast an expedition to the beach was taken up by some led by Medicine Woman Anne, Masterchef Kelly and Team Manager of the Year Christine. The crew was missing for a while and there were concerns Medicine Woman was using her Friday night navigator heading towards the same fate as Burke and Wills but fortunately they returned in time to depart for the games against the Central Coast Waves.
To date the 14.2 girls had played 3 games winning convincingly and 1 combined game with the 14.1’s which we lost by 2 points (while the points differential shows the 14.2’s were the major reason for the loss, in true team spirit we quickly shared the blame with the 14.1’s). With the record are you seeing the similarities with the mighty Magpie Machine? Just like Collingwood we were pitted against a competitive but inferior opponent like North Melbourne (sorry Thommo our only Kanga’s supporter) the Central Coast Waves.
During the warm-up a bucket of water was required to wake-up Sleepy Mackie (this social butterfly takes after her mother - get some sleep girl!!!) but when the siren went Sleepy was fortunately switched on helping us get out of the gates fast. Georgia (affectionately known as Colllllliiiiinnnnson) was knocking down shots and with the Trash Talking Stephmister was blocking shots like swatting flies. Magpie Kylah was in Brownlow Medal winning form, Laniiiiiiiiiii was taking the ball strong to the rack (must have been inspired from the game against the legends yesterday) and Trannnnnttttttteeeerrr added to her scoring with ball handling and some full court defense . It should be noted that Collllllliiiiiinnnnnson’s and Trannnnnttttttteeeeerrr’s free throw shooting during this game and the week was the work which would make them honorary members at a Bricklayers Convention.... Olivia the Headbutt was all over the place putting her stamp on her game with her heart, soul and unfortunately her head hitting the floor on 2 occasions requiring diagnosis from the Team Manager of the Year and Medicine Woman. And Kanga Thommo’s response to North Melbourne’s capitulation to the Mighty Pies, she played like a Premiership Pie knocking down 8 points in the 1st half. The SABRES (Pies) ran out eventual winners 54 – 20.
Over the last 5 days, the boys team has been developed by Coach Treasure, who has also mentored the assistant coach, Alison Page. Some comparing the coaches relationship to the Mick Malthouse/Nathan Buckley situation at Collingwood. Coach Treasure is happy with his work and has given more responsibility to his apprentice over the last two days. Today’s match against the Central Coast Waves was a display of a well constructed game plan from Coach Treasure, put into play by Coach Page and the boys. The Sabres got off to a flying start leading by 10 at quarter time. Starters Jason and Tyler had a big impact early on, with steals and layups coming thick and fast. Henry continued with his ‘in your face’ defence, harassing the Waves players. Zack obviously learnt some tricks from the matchup against Coaches Tranter and Treasure (the Great one and the J-Train a.k.a. J Smooth), performing some fancy moves on his way to a game high 14 points.
Bailey knocked down a big triple in the first half, to go along with a handful of steals. Ryan delivered up some silver service to his teammates with some sweet dishes. As usual, Chris played many roles, including point guard, small forward, defence guru and scoring wiz.
Many of the girls players were adamant that Coach Page was coaching the boys and was to get credit for their performance, but Coach Treasure was the mastermind behind the team and not only produced a champion team, but an up and coming champion coach (Page).
The boys cruised to a 30 point win and capped of the tour on a high note. Their end result was 2 wins and 3 losses. They have developed their offensive structure and enjoyed playing high intensity defence. They are showing good decision making skills and it will be exciting to see what they can bring back to Melbourne and reproduce on Friday nights.
The final game of the day was between the 14-1 girls and the Waves girls who had played against Glenn’s team. These poor Waves kids looked exhausted from the start, and so Coach Burke decided that it was time to really drive for a big victory through team re-organisation. Post players, Caitlin ‘Shaq’ Farmer and Molly ‘Superman’ Cochrane threw down some huge dunks. Guards Issy ‘CP3’ Sandman, Ella ‘Daisy’ Ryan and Mia ‘Ciggers’ Cigognini were knocking down shots from three-point-land. Lulu ‘the Durant-ula’ Yee and Lucy ‘Air Jordan’ Burke glided through the key shooting lay ups and jumpers. Tea ‘the Glove’ Dodic and Courtney ‘the Munster’ Munn continually stole the ball off their opponents with lightning quick hands. The final score was us- lots, them –little.
Correction from last night’s blog- In the interests of online accuracy it is important to correct some errors from last night’s blog. The game between Coaches Tranter and Treasure and the kids was remembered somewhat differently by other members of the crowd. ‘The Great One,’ Michael Jordan was also known as ‘Air Jordan’. In contrast, Coach Tranter was known as ‘Air-Ball Tranter.’ If Coach Treasure was the J-Train, then I’m the Fat Controller (some of my girls in the 14-1 team probably call me that secretly). I’ve seen quicker and more dynamic post moves by the things on the side of the road that hold up the streetlights. We asked the Gosford people to put a curtain across the court so that the hopeless display of the two coaches did not turn prospective players away from the game for good. This was not a dreamteam, it was a nightmare. A three figure difference in scores could only be accurate if air-balls and turnovers count on the scoreboard.
Not to be outdone, the 3 Musketeers (“Masterchef” Kelly a.k.a Sweet Music, “Team Manager of the Year” Christine a.k.a. Action Jackson and “Medicine Woman” Anne a.k.a Cochranator the Prequel) were clearly inspired by the performance yesterday of the legends to stage their own Game 4 against some foolhardy players from the 14.1 and 14.2 girls. Sweet Music combined the knowledge of a veteran with delicate Masterchef skills to dance rings around the foolhardy ones to stage a scoring spree that will be talked about long into the future.
Action Jackson was true to name as a non stop basketball machine with offensive and defensive moves that were so fast some hadn’t realised what had happened. The foolhardy ones now see her as some kind of basketball demi – god.
And then there was Cochranator the Prequel who with the wisdom of Yoda took her time to assess the situation to discover her golden hand with the outcome of swish, swish, swish and more swish!!!! Like the Seinfeld episode when George Costanza was a hand model, the Cochranator wore an oven mit for the rest of the day to protect her golden shooting hand!!!!
And the score – the Foolhardy ones capitulated to the extroidonary 3 Musketeers!!!!
This didn’t stop the dynamic support team with Masterchef Kelly commandeering pancakes for all. This sprung to action the “Pancake Queen” Liz Heath who not to be deterred by the slowest BBQ in NSW went to Plan B cooking up a storm in Cabana 5.
After breakfast an expedition to the beach was taken up by some led by Medicine Woman Anne, Masterchef Kelly and Team Manager of the Year Christine. The crew was missing for a while and there were concerns Medicine Woman was using her Friday night navigator heading towards the same fate as Burke and Wills but fortunately they returned in time to depart for the games against the Central Coast Waves.
To date the 14.2 girls had played 3 games winning convincingly and 1 combined game with the 14.1’s which we lost by 2 points (while the points differential shows the 14.2’s were the major reason for the loss, in true team spirit we quickly shared the blame with the 14.1’s). With the record are you seeing the similarities with the mighty Magpie Machine? Just like Collingwood we were pitted against a competitive but inferior opponent like North Melbourne (sorry Thommo our only Kanga’s supporter) the Central Coast Waves.
During the warm-up a bucket of water was required to wake-up Sleepy Mackie (this social butterfly takes after her mother - get some sleep girl!!!) but when the siren went Sleepy was fortunately switched on helping us get out of the gates fast. Georgia (affectionately known as Colllllliiiiinnnnson) was knocking down shots and with the Trash Talking Stephmister was blocking shots like swatting flies. Magpie Kylah was in Brownlow Medal winning form, Laniiiiiiiiiii was taking the ball strong to the rack (must have been inspired from the game against the legends yesterday) and Trannnnnttttttteeeerrr added to her scoring with ball handling and some full court defense . It should be noted that Collllllliiiiiinnnnnson’s and Trannnnnttttttteeeeerrr’s free throw shooting during this game and the week was the work which would make them honorary members at a Bricklayers Convention.... Olivia the Headbutt was all over the place putting her stamp on her game with her heart, soul and unfortunately her head hitting the floor on 2 occasions requiring diagnosis from the Team Manager of the Year and Medicine Woman. And Kanga Thommo’s response to North Melbourne’s capitulation to the Mighty Pies, she played like a Premiership Pie knocking down 8 points in the 1st half. The SABRES (Pies) ran out eventual winners 54 – 20.
Over the last 5 days, the boys team has been developed by Coach Treasure, who has also mentored the assistant coach, Alison Page. Some comparing the coaches relationship to the Mick Malthouse/Nathan Buckley situation at Collingwood. Coach Treasure is happy with his work and has given more responsibility to his apprentice over the last two days. Today’s match against the Central Coast Waves was a display of a well constructed game plan from Coach Treasure, put into play by Coach Page and the boys. The Sabres got off to a flying start leading by 10 at quarter time. Starters Jason and Tyler had a big impact early on, with steals and layups coming thick and fast. Henry continued with his ‘in your face’ defence, harassing the Waves players. Zack obviously learnt some tricks from the matchup against Coaches Tranter and Treasure (the Great one and the J-Train a.k.a. J Smooth), performing some fancy moves on his way to a game high 14 points.
Bailey knocked down a big triple in the first half, to go along with a handful of steals. Ryan delivered up some silver service to his teammates with some sweet dishes. As usual, Chris played many roles, including point guard, small forward, defence guru and scoring wiz.
Many of the girls players were adamant that Coach Page was coaching the boys and was to get credit for their performance, but Coach Treasure was the mastermind behind the team and not only produced a champion team, but an up and coming champion coach (Page).
The boys cruised to a 30 point win and capped of the tour on a high note. Their end result was 2 wins and 3 losses. They have developed their offensive structure and enjoyed playing high intensity defence. They are showing good decision making skills and it will be exciting to see what they can bring back to Melbourne and reproduce on Friday nights.
The final game of the day was between the 14-1 girls and the Waves girls who had played against Glenn’s team. These poor Waves kids looked exhausted from the start, and so Coach Burke decided that it was time to really drive for a big victory through team re-organisation. Post players, Caitlin ‘Shaq’ Farmer and Molly ‘Superman’ Cochrane threw down some huge dunks. Guards Issy ‘CP3’ Sandman, Ella ‘Daisy’ Ryan and Mia ‘Ciggers’ Cigognini were knocking down shots from three-point-land. Lulu ‘the Durant-ula’ Yee and Lucy ‘Air Jordan’ Burke glided through the key shooting lay ups and jumpers. Tea ‘the Glove’ Dodic and Courtney ‘the Munster’ Munn continually stole the ball off their opponents with lightning quick hands. The final score was us- lots, them –little.
Correction from last night’s blog- In the interests of online accuracy it is important to correct some errors from last night’s blog. The game between Coaches Tranter and Treasure and the kids was remembered somewhat differently by other members of the crowd. ‘The Great One,’ Michael Jordan was also known as ‘Air Jordan’. In contrast, Coach Tranter was known as ‘Air-Ball Tranter.’ If Coach Treasure was the J-Train, then I’m the Fat Controller (some of my girls in the 14-1 team probably call me that secretly). I’ve seen quicker and more dynamic post moves by the things on the side of the road that hold up the streetlights. We asked the Gosford people to put a curtain across the court so that the hopeless display of the two coaches did not turn prospective players away from the game for good. This was not a dreamteam, it was a nightmare. A three figure difference in scores could only be accurate if air-balls and turnovers count on the scoreboard.
Not to be outdone, the 3 Musketeers (“Masterchef” Kelly a.k.a Sweet Music, “Team Manager of the Year” Christine a.k.a. Action Jackson and “Medicine Woman” Anne a.k.a Cochranator the Prequel) were clearly inspired by the performance yesterday of the legends to stage their own Game 4 against some foolhardy players from the 14.1 and 14.2 girls. Sweet Music combined the knowledge of a veteran with delicate Masterchef skills to dance rings around the foolhardy ones to stage a scoring spree that will be talked about long into the future.
Action Jackson was true to name as a non stop basketball machine with offensive and defensive moves that were so fast some hadn’t realised what had happened. The foolhardy ones now see her as some kind of basketball demi – god.
And then there was Cochranator the Prequel who with the wisdom of Yoda took her time to assess the situation to discover her golden hand with the outcome of swish, swish, swish and more swish!!!! Like the Seinfeld episode when George Costanza was a hand model, the Cochranator wore an oven mit for the rest of the day to protect her golden shooting hand!!!!
And the score – the Foolhardy ones capitulated to the extroidonary 3 Musketeers!!!!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Blog posts may be delayed
We apologise if the updates arent coming fast enough, but we are limited by technology whilst we are on the road. We are doing our best to get everything posted as quickly as possible.
We now have 3 more days and a page of photos for you to catch up on.
Happy reading.
We now have 3 more days and a page of photos for you to catch up on.
Happy reading.
Day 4 Woolongong to Gosford
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS, YOU CAN ALSO GET THERE FROM THE MENU ON THE LEFT OF THE PAGE
The players returned from billeting at 9am at the ‘Snakepit’, one of the oldest and most historic basketball stadiums in Australia. All players and most bags were returned on time, One mistake is understandable as the unnamed player who left their bag in Canberra would agree- no names, no packdrill. But if someone makes the same mistake the next day, they deserve to be named and shamed. So Alison’s bags needed a separate car to get to Gosford. Kelly, Mike and Liz had to wait at the stadium while the bus headed to Gosford to meet the Gosford City Rebels. Approaching Gosford, we realised that the players would need a snack before they played, and with the support crew/chefs 80kms behind us, we made a quick bakery stop and filled up the hungry players.
The boys played their first game against an opponent who didn’t have any players over 6 foot, which was nice. The game started perfectly with a Henry layup 10 seconds in. Things were tight in the first half with both teams playing up tempo defence. The half time scores were locked at 14, with rookie coach Alison sweating a bit. The second half started in a blaze of glory, with the Sabres scoring 6 unanswered points as a result of their press. Jason was racking up the rebounds, timing his jumps to perfection. Tyler and Chris played with energy moving well on both offence and defence. Zack is loving his role playing big and pushing opposition players around.
The Rebels stuck with the boys, but couldn’t get back into the game. Bailey and Ryan continued their solid point guard play, pushing the ball and running the offence. Adrian was a screen machine, setting pick after pick. I think he enjoyed being the tallest and strongest player on the court for a change. Jaylen nailed some timely shots to ease Alison’s tension and give the team some breathing room.
Coach Alison redeemed herself from her morning luggage lapse and had some smart things to tell the team and the boys responded and played a smart final term, pulling away to a 10 point win, their first on tour. A rousing rendition of the Sabres’ theme song was sung later on in the spa back at the accommodation.
The 14.2 girls jumped out to an early lead against the Gosford City Rebels girls #2 team. Georgia and Steph hit the boards giving us a rebounding advantage, Alana, Kylah and Sarah gave us great drive from the wings, Mackie and Olivia controlled the backcourt and Kelsey finished off some good work by others to lead us in scoring again. It was a great effort by the girls considering we travelled 3 hours by bus from Wollongong.
We copped a couple of injuries during the game requiring Doctor Anne “Medicine Woman” to demonstrate her expertise. Quick action, ice packs in place and even having one player look like a pirate we have unexpectedly discovered one of the most creative and artistic “doctors” in her field. (Parents no need to be concerned the players in question are fine). We look forward to our final game on Sunday.
The 14-1 girls played the late game against the Gosford first team who were undefeated in the NSW Country Championship and are going to the Australian Under 14 Nationals. The girls notched their fourth win of the tour (I’m counting a win against Canberra in quarters 2.4 and 6- Can you really have six quarters?) beating a really quick and feisty Gosford team by 10. Molly Cochrane and Lucy (Lucille) Burke both continued their fine shooting from the previous two games. Issy and Ella dominated the boards at both ends and making excellent post moves. Caitlin and Tea hustled and disrupted on defense all over the court, with Caity getting us into our offense very quickly. Mia had her best game of the tournament, scoring a number of baskets when the score was close. Courtney also had a great all-round game rebounding and blocking shots. And finally, Lulu also redeemed herself from the luggage mishap in Canberra (Sorry Lulu- I forgot that i wasn’t going to mention your name), with great outside shooting and solid defense.
For the fourth game of the day (unscheduled), Coaches Tranter and Treasure turned back the clock to teach the players a lesson in ol’ skool basketball. The dynamic duo took on 10-12 players in a half court display that resembled the USA dream team. Stellar defence and mesmerising shooting from all angles allowed the coaches the chance to give these young players a lesson they will never forget. Tranter (a.k.a. The Great One) was a dominant presence in the paint and deadly from downtown. Treasure (a.k.a. The J-Train) was like lightning with the ball, cutting through the defence like a hot knife through butter. Kylah and Steph attempted to put the all stars off with some serious trash talking, but nothing could stop these two legends of the game. In order not to embarrass the youngsters, scores were not officially kept, but rumour has it, the margin was close to triple figures in favour of the coaches.
Upon arriving at the Avoca Palms, the players quickly found their way to the pool/spa area. The deal is that you can’t enter the hot spa until you jump into the unheated pool. All players followed this code except for Sarah, who I will find a punishment for before the end of tour.
The performance of the day has to go to Kelly Cigognini. To cook up 35 serves of a great meal, after having survived disruption all day was amazing. If she continues this form, we will allow her to be the Masterchef of the roadtrip every year. Kelly and her crew prepared an excellent dinner of spag bol, which was well received by all. Her crew included junior master chefs Tea and Lulu- still think that she is trying to get brownie points for the Canberra luggage debacle. Following the banquet, Tea, Lulu and Ella cleaned all the dishes- Lulu- enough is enough, you are forgiven for the Canberra luggage fiasco. Great job girls.
The players returned from billeting at 9am at the ‘Snakepit’, one of the oldest and most historic basketball stadiums in Australia. All players and most bags were returned on time, One mistake is understandable as the unnamed player who left their bag in Canberra would agree- no names, no packdrill. But if someone makes the same mistake the next day, they deserve to be named and shamed. So Alison’s bags needed a separate car to get to Gosford. Kelly, Mike and Liz had to wait at the stadium while the bus headed to Gosford to meet the Gosford City Rebels. Approaching Gosford, we realised that the players would need a snack before they played, and with the support crew/chefs 80kms behind us, we made a quick bakery stop and filled up the hungry players.
The boys played their first game against an opponent who didn’t have any players over 6 foot, which was nice. The game started perfectly with a Henry layup 10 seconds in. Things were tight in the first half with both teams playing up tempo defence. The half time scores were locked at 14, with rookie coach Alison sweating a bit. The second half started in a blaze of glory, with the Sabres scoring 6 unanswered points as a result of their press. Jason was racking up the rebounds, timing his jumps to perfection. Tyler and Chris played with energy moving well on both offence and defence. Zack is loving his role playing big and pushing opposition players around.
The Rebels stuck with the boys, but couldn’t get back into the game. Bailey and Ryan continued their solid point guard play, pushing the ball and running the offence. Adrian was a screen machine, setting pick after pick. I think he enjoyed being the tallest and strongest player on the court for a change. Jaylen nailed some timely shots to ease Alison’s tension and give the team some breathing room.
Coach Alison redeemed herself from her morning luggage lapse and had some smart things to tell the team and the boys responded and played a smart final term, pulling away to a 10 point win, their first on tour. A rousing rendition of the Sabres’ theme song was sung later on in the spa back at the accommodation.
The 14.2 girls jumped out to an early lead against the Gosford City Rebels girls #2 team. Georgia and Steph hit the boards giving us a rebounding advantage, Alana, Kylah and Sarah gave us great drive from the wings, Mackie and Olivia controlled the backcourt and Kelsey finished off some good work by others to lead us in scoring again. It was a great effort by the girls considering we travelled 3 hours by bus from Wollongong.
We copped a couple of injuries during the game requiring Doctor Anne “Medicine Woman” to demonstrate her expertise. Quick action, ice packs in place and even having one player look like a pirate we have unexpectedly discovered one of the most creative and artistic “doctors” in her field. (Parents no need to be concerned the players in question are fine). We look forward to our final game on Sunday.
The 14-1 girls played the late game against the Gosford first team who were undefeated in the NSW Country Championship and are going to the Australian Under 14 Nationals. The girls notched their fourth win of the tour (I’m counting a win against Canberra in quarters 2.4 and 6- Can you really have six quarters?) beating a really quick and feisty Gosford team by 10. Molly Cochrane and Lucy (Lucille) Burke both continued their fine shooting from the previous two games. Issy and Ella dominated the boards at both ends and making excellent post moves. Caitlin and Tea hustled and disrupted on defense all over the court, with Caity getting us into our offense very quickly. Mia had her best game of the tournament, scoring a number of baskets when the score was close. Courtney also had a great all-round game rebounding and blocking shots. And finally, Lulu also redeemed herself from the luggage mishap in Canberra (Sorry Lulu- I forgot that i wasn’t going to mention your name), with great outside shooting and solid defense.
For the fourth game of the day (unscheduled), Coaches Tranter and Treasure turned back the clock to teach the players a lesson in ol’ skool basketball. The dynamic duo took on 10-12 players in a half court display that resembled the USA dream team. Stellar defence and mesmerising shooting from all angles allowed the coaches the chance to give these young players a lesson they will never forget. Tranter (a.k.a. The Great One) was a dominant presence in the paint and deadly from downtown. Treasure (a.k.a. The J-Train) was like lightning with the ball, cutting through the defence like a hot knife through butter. Kylah and Steph attempted to put the all stars off with some serious trash talking, but nothing could stop these two legends of the game. In order not to embarrass the youngsters, scores were not officially kept, but rumour has it, the margin was close to triple figures in favour of the coaches.
Upon arriving at the Avoca Palms, the players quickly found their way to the pool/spa area. The deal is that you can’t enter the hot spa until you jump into the unheated pool. All players followed this code except for Sarah, who I will find a punishment for before the end of tour.
The performance of the day has to go to Kelly Cigognini. To cook up 35 serves of a great meal, after having survived disruption all day was amazing. If she continues this form, we will allow her to be the Masterchef of the roadtrip every year. Kelly and her crew prepared an excellent dinner of spag bol, which was well received by all. Her crew included junior master chefs Tea and Lulu- still think that she is trying to get brownie points for the Canberra luggage debacle. Following the banquet, Tea, Lulu and Ella cleaned all the dishes- Lulu- enough is enough, you are forgiven for the Canberra luggage fiasco. Great job girls.
Day 3 Canberra to Woolongong
We arose to -5 degrees and made our way to the stadium to collect the players after billeting. Still had some players in their shorts. All players came back with positive feedback and were happy with the delicious meals they had received. One player liked it so much that she left a bag at her billet’s house. A number of the adults on tour opted to be billeted the next night! We went down to the AIS to have a tour of the magnificent facility and spend up big in the gift shop. After testing our skills in rowing, cycling, jumping and many other Olympic events, we made our way to Illawarra for a visit to the infamous ‘Snakepit’.
Both girls teams had big wins, with the first team playing against Shoalhaven Tigers coming away with a 30 point win. Ella and Izzy were solid around the basket scoring with ease. Tea played her best game so far after recovering from an ACL operation- scoring six points. Her smile after her first score lit up the stadium. The Sabres girls got out to a fast start, leading 16-4 early on, but the Tigers came back to within 4 late in the first. Superior talent on the court and coaching from Coach Burke allowed the girls to push ahead and open up a 20 point half time lead. The second half, the team from Sandringham cruised ahead and ran smart offence to dominate the game.
By the time the 14.2 Girls arrived in Illawarra they were very tired to say the least with one player having a 15 minute power nap being woken up 40 minutes before the game. It was looking that it would be a tough night at the office. With true SABRES spirit the girls quickly woke up during the warm-up starting the game on fire leading 21-2 at quarter time. Realising we were going to be billeted by our opposition we tried different things for the rest of the game (including the green light for 3 pointers during the latter part of the 3rd Quarter which were attempted by Steph, Mackie and Olivia) before winning 53 – 16. With all players hitting the score sheet Kylah led us in scoring, Alana provided great hustle and Sarah chipped in with 6 points. We look forward to tomorrow’s game at Gosford.
The boys had been given a 37 point start in the race to retain the Sabres/Hawks Trophy, by the girls second team. The boys went into the game with confidence after a great effort the previous night. Illawarra, NSW country’s number 1 ranked team, were slick and strong and didn’t miss a shot all night. Their big guy (6’2” and solid as a rock) scored at will, with our guys throwing everything at him, but to no avail. Chris had a very impressive game with his attack on the ball and mature play, controlling the tempo in offence. Jason has improved his confidence and it showed with a great slashing drive to the basket for two, and a number of strongly contested rebounds. Adrian had his best game on tour, battling the Illawarra giants all night and being aggressive with the ball in his hands. Bailey also played a solid game using his speed to his advantage. Ryan had another consistent game, working hard on ‘D’ and making some nice moves to the ring. Although the score was one sided, the boys knew they were improving each night and were learning a lot about themselves.
We unfortunately had to hand the Sabres/Hawks trophy back to Illawarra but hopefully we can win it back again next year. The highlight of the night was the girls cheer squad who supported the boys all the way through their tough game. During the last quarter, Coach called a special timeout to allow the Sabres Cheerleaders onto the court to perform. Their chant was topped off by a lap of the court from Tea and Lulu.
Both girls teams had big wins, with the first team playing against Shoalhaven Tigers coming away with a 30 point win. Ella and Izzy were solid around the basket scoring with ease. Tea played her best game so far after recovering from an ACL operation- scoring six points. Her smile after her first score lit up the stadium. The Sabres girls got out to a fast start, leading 16-4 early on, but the Tigers came back to within 4 late in the first. Superior talent on the court and coaching from Coach Burke allowed the girls to push ahead and open up a 20 point half time lead. The second half, the team from Sandringham cruised ahead and ran smart offence to dominate the game.
By the time the 14.2 Girls arrived in Illawarra they were very tired to say the least with one player having a 15 minute power nap being woken up 40 minutes before the game. It was looking that it would be a tough night at the office. With true SABRES spirit the girls quickly woke up during the warm-up starting the game on fire leading 21-2 at quarter time. Realising we were going to be billeted by our opposition we tried different things for the rest of the game (including the green light for 3 pointers during the latter part of the 3rd Quarter which were attempted by Steph, Mackie and Olivia) before winning 53 – 16. With all players hitting the score sheet Kylah led us in scoring, Alana provided great hustle and Sarah chipped in with 6 points. We look forward to tomorrow’s game at Gosford.
The boys had been given a 37 point start in the race to retain the Sabres/Hawks Trophy, by the girls second team. The boys went into the game with confidence after a great effort the previous night. Illawarra, NSW country’s number 1 ranked team, were slick and strong and didn’t miss a shot all night. Their big guy (6’2” and solid as a rock) scored at will, with our guys throwing everything at him, but to no avail. Chris had a very impressive game with his attack on the ball and mature play, controlling the tempo in offence. Jason has improved his confidence and it showed with a great slashing drive to the basket for two, and a number of strongly contested rebounds. Adrian had his best game on tour, battling the Illawarra giants all night and being aggressive with the ball in his hands. Bailey also played a solid game using his speed to his advantage. Ryan had another consistent game, working hard on ‘D’ and making some nice moves to the ring. Although the score was one sided, the boys knew they were improving each night and were learning a lot about themselves.
We unfortunately had to hand the Sabres/Hawks trophy back to Illawarra but hopefully we can win it back again next year. The highlight of the night was the girls cheer squad who supported the boys all the way through their tough game. During the last quarter, Coach called a special timeout to allow the Sabres Cheerleaders onto the court to perform. Their chant was topped off by a lap of the court from Tea and Lulu.
Day 2 Albury to Canberra
The day began with an early start and a yummy breakfast. We were off to Canberra, the Nation’s capital. Temperature in Canberra felt around zero. We arrived early to visit Parliament House and had a fantastic lunch in the underground carpark. It’s not as bad as it sounds- we made sure the boys gave up their football. We eventually found our way into Parliament House. Security was tight with Liz ‘Osama’ Heath being swarmed by officers and sniffer dogs as she put her handbag through the scanner. She was believed to be carrying a knife, but was later released without a charge. We then tried to make our way to the War Memorial, with the bus following the support car, driven by Mr Magoo (Coach Mike) and navigated by the wrong way pair of Kellie and Glenn. After three loops past the Chinese embassy and the big lake, with our bus driver Rebecca now regretting ever taking on the job, we eventually made it to the War memorial. Thank God the ‘wrong ways’ weren’t in charge of the Allied War effort- we would have invaded Tasmania. It should be noted that one of the “wrong way” pair (Glenn) was struggling and not on top of his game after only 3 hours sleep due to “Chainsaw” Burke’s snoring!!!!
We headed to Belconnen for the girls game against the ACT team, who are heading to the Nationals in September. Temperature has now dropped to 2 below. We played a split game with the second team playing quarters 1 and 3, and the first team playing quarters 2 and 4. The 14.2 girls did really well providing quite a competitive effort with Mackie, Olivia and Sarah providing quite a bit of drive from the backcourt. The 14.1 girls all contributed, with Lucy and Molly both hitting some nice outside shots and Mia dominating with steals to fight back in an excellent last quarter effort to eventually fall two points short after a dubious hometown call near the end of the game. What helped the girls get back so close was the magnificent cheering efforts of the Under 14 boys- ‘well done number 10- what’s her name. I don’t know. Look up the book.’ But the highlight of the night was the superb dancing and chanting of our Canberra hosts after the game. Whether they win or lose at Nationals, they will be the most entertaining team.
The boys then moved on to Radford College to play ACT’s team who would also be heading to the Nationals. Temperature was now about minus 10. The standout for ACT was their 6’2” centre and their swarming defence. Our boys were shell shocked to begin with, but managed to steady themselves and started playing some smart basketball. The standout performance of the night was Henry’s attack on their talls and his smart and tenacious defence. His effort lifted the intensity of the team and the other boys followed suit. Tyler also performed with confidence driving hard to the rack. Jaylen had a great 3rd quarter where he took the older, taller Canberrans to the hoop on a number of occasions. His slick ball handling was appreciated by his team mates. The end result was heavily in favour of ACT, but Coach Treasure was impressed with the effort and the ‘never say die’ attitude of his troops. By the end of our game, the temperature had dropped below zero, the boys were billeted and the adults went in search of some much needed hot food.
We headed to Belconnen for the girls game against the ACT team, who are heading to the Nationals in September. Temperature has now dropped to 2 below. We played a split game with the second team playing quarters 1 and 3, and the first team playing quarters 2 and 4. The 14.2 girls did really well providing quite a competitive effort with Mackie, Olivia and Sarah providing quite a bit of drive from the backcourt. The 14.1 girls all contributed, with Lucy and Molly both hitting some nice outside shots and Mia dominating with steals to fight back in an excellent last quarter effort to eventually fall two points short after a dubious hometown call near the end of the game. What helped the girls get back so close was the magnificent cheering efforts of the Under 14 boys- ‘well done number 10- what’s her name. I don’t know. Look up the book.’ But the highlight of the night was the superb dancing and chanting of our Canberra hosts after the game. Whether they win or lose at Nationals, they will be the most entertaining team.
The boys then moved on to Radford College to play ACT’s team who would also be heading to the Nationals. Temperature was now about minus 10. The standout for ACT was their 6’2” centre and their swarming defence. Our boys were shell shocked to begin with, but managed to steady themselves and started playing some smart basketball. The standout performance of the night was Henry’s attack on their talls and his smart and tenacious defence. His effort lifted the intensity of the team and the other boys followed suit. Tyler also performed with confidence driving hard to the rack. Jaylen had a great 3rd quarter where he took the older, taller Canberrans to the hoop on a number of occasions. His slick ball handling was appreciated by his team mates. The end result was heavily in favour of ACT, but Coach Treasure was impressed with the effort and the ‘never say die’ attitude of his troops. By the end of our game, the temperature had dropped below zero, the boys were billeted and the adults went in search of some much needed hot food.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Day 1 - Melbourne to Albury
The day started with a prompt departure from the King Club right on 10.30am. After a brief stop at Euroa, we made our way to Albury. We arrived at our accommodation and were allocated rooms. Ryan lost his cabin’s key within 5 minutes of being there. After some yummy soup and toasted sandwiches prepared by Kelly and her crew, we were ready to play.
We headed to the Albury basketball stadium for a 6pm start. The girls and boys 2nd teams played first, followed by the girls 1sts.
The boys played Albury’s 1st team, who have just come back from playing the Southern NSW junior championships. Albury had two very tall players who were hard to stop. Zack had a great defensive game giving up at least 6 inches of height on his matchup. He used his feet to perfection and got plenty of stops. Bailey knocked down some impressive long range shots to keep us in the game and Ryan lead the team, controlling the offence. The game was tight for 3 quarters, but Albury’s height and some tired Sabres’ legs, allowed Albury to pull away to a 43-27 win.
The Albury 2 team have been quite successful in their section at the Southern NSW junior championships. While our Road Trip girls 2 team consists of players from SABRES teams 2, 3 and 5 so we expected it might take a couple of games for the girls to get used to playing together. Well that theory was quickly thrown out the window with girls playing a fantastic team game offensively and defensively winning 34 – 18. Georgia stepped out of the car to meet us just before the game and didn’t miss a beat after driving 6.5 hours from a holiday in the Grampians, Steph had a great defensive game shutting down their best player, while Kelsey lead us in scoring from a variety of offensive moves. A great effort by the girls with all players making good contributions to the win.
The girls 1st team played a combination of U/14 and U/16 players. The U/16 girls we strong and tall, but it didn’t phase the Sabres girls, who matched their strength all night. The Sabres were lead early by Lulu with some nice shots from down town and Caitlin who controlled the possession and was all over the opposition guards defensively. The girls lead for most of the game and worked well as a team. Well done to Tea who played confidently after coming back from a knee reconstruction. The 47-32 win was capped off by Courtney who took a charge, which was met by thunderous applause from the boys on the side.
The players supported each other and started learning some chants which will used throughout the rest of the tour. Day 2 we are off to Canberra.
We headed to the Albury basketball stadium for a 6pm start. The girls and boys 2nd teams played first, followed by the girls 1sts.
The boys played Albury’s 1st team, who have just come back from playing the Southern NSW junior championships. Albury had two very tall players who were hard to stop. Zack had a great defensive game giving up at least 6 inches of height on his matchup. He used his feet to perfection and got plenty of stops. Bailey knocked down some impressive long range shots to keep us in the game and Ryan lead the team, controlling the offence. The game was tight for 3 quarters, but Albury’s height and some tired Sabres’ legs, allowed Albury to pull away to a 43-27 win.
The Albury 2 team have been quite successful in their section at the Southern NSW junior championships. While our Road Trip girls 2 team consists of players from SABRES teams 2, 3 and 5 so we expected it might take a couple of games for the girls to get used to playing together. Well that theory was quickly thrown out the window with girls playing a fantastic team game offensively and defensively winning 34 – 18. Georgia stepped out of the car to meet us just before the game and didn’t miss a beat after driving 6.5 hours from a holiday in the Grampians, Steph had a great defensive game shutting down their best player, while Kelsey lead us in scoring from a variety of offensive moves. A great effort by the girls with all players making good contributions to the win.
The girls 1st team played a combination of U/14 and U/16 players. The U/16 girls we strong and tall, but it didn’t phase the Sabres girls, who matched their strength all night. The Sabres were lead early by Lulu with some nice shots from down town and Caitlin who controlled the possession and was all over the opposition guards defensively. The girls lead for most of the game and worked well as a team. Well done to Tea who played confidently after coming back from a knee reconstruction. The 47-32 win was capped off by Courtney who took a charge, which was met by thunderous applause from the boys on the side.
The players supported each other and started learning some chants which will used throughout the rest of the tour. Day 2 we are off to Canberra.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Tomorrow is Departure day so.......
Be at Tulip street by 10.00am, dont forget your lunch and warm warm jacket for the lunch stop at Euroa.
It helps to make a good impression on the first day, you make sure you offer to carry the Trip Managers (Jamie Treasure) bags when possible, remember these people are using there own annual leave to volunteer, they deserve a small "Holiday" too.
It helps to make a good impression on the first day, you make sure you offer to carry the Trip Managers (Jamie Treasure) bags when possible, remember these people are using there own annual leave to volunteer, they deserve a small "Holiday" too.
A Night of Trivia! – Sabres Annual Road Trip Trivia Night
By: The Trivia Night Committee
The annual Road Trip Trivia Night was held on Saturday 25th June at Rossdale Golf Club, Aspendale. The night was a buzz with 150 people in attendance all ready for an evening of tough questions (for some!) and tough rules (NO Google on phones) which was hosted by Leon the Trivia ‘extraordinaire’.
The night was filled with Trivia, laughter and good times amongst all that attended. There were the brave who got up in front of the crowd to prove their knowledge and those who sat back and relaxed to enjoy the entertainment. The Cigognini table were the lucky Trivia winners of the evening and obviously proved to be the clueyest with Jamie Treasure saying, “It was a fantastic night, even though my table came last!”
The evening was highlighted with the arrival of Vince and the SEABL men’s team around 10.30pm. The team was in high spirits after a win against Canberra and it was great to see all of the team represented. The boys were introduced and then auctioned off live for individual training sessions, which caused a bit of a stir, before socialising with the parents and friends at the tables. The contribution from the Southern Basketball Association (individual training sessions and signed basketballs) raised approx. $1,100 towards the evening.
The night would not have been a success without the generous donations and contributions from the families of Sabres. With over 50 silent auction items donated, a BIG thank-you to all the families and businesses that contributed. Also, thank you to everyone who attended the evening and to the successful bidders who supported the night.
In total, approximately $6,000 was raised for the U14 Road Trip.
The evening also supported Ian Leckie’s U18 Sabres boy’s team for their Tasmanian Trip. Special thanks goes to the families of the U18 boys who attended and to Sandringham Sports Medicine, Hops Sportswear and the Hyde, Pentifallo and Strong families for their donations which helped raise $600 for the trip.
We would like to recognise the businesses that contributed to evening:
Bitutec Pty Ltd Biz-eNet Pty Ltd To-Tuscany
Rossdale Golf Club The Emerald Noosa Mentone Bowls
Sandringham Sports Medicine Brendan Buck & Associates Vere Apothecary
Retmark Property Investments AAT Kings Bus Tours Dulux Paints
Serendipity Jewellery Step into Life Beaumaris Asics
Bees Knees Brownies Credit Training Services Hops Sportswear
Donavan’s Restuarant EFPI Hair Salon Celebrity Publishing
Aspendale Medical Clinic
Finally, a special mention to Bitutec Pty Ltd (Cigognini Family), who generously donated $500 cash as a raffle prize. This raised a huge contribution for the U18 boys Tasmania Trip and U14 Road Trip. The lucky raffle winner was Izydorzyk family (U18 boys).
The night would not of happened without the fantastic effort of the Trivia Night Committee who worked so well together to organise the evening. Thank you to Sam Tranter, Maria Munn, Karen Street, Linda Page, Jenny Boyd and Sandra Hilford.
The annual Road Trip Trivia Night was held on Saturday 25th June at Rossdale Golf Club, Aspendale. The night was a buzz with 150 people in attendance all ready for an evening of tough questions (for some!) and tough rules (NO Google on phones) which was hosted by Leon the Trivia ‘extraordinaire’.
The night was filled with Trivia, laughter and good times amongst all that attended. There were the brave who got up in front of the crowd to prove their knowledge and those who sat back and relaxed to enjoy the entertainment. The Cigognini table were the lucky Trivia winners of the evening and obviously proved to be the clueyest with Jamie Treasure saying, “It was a fantastic night, even though my table came last!”
The evening was highlighted with the arrival of Vince and the SEABL men’s team around 10.30pm. The team was in high spirits after a win against Canberra and it was great to see all of the team represented. The boys were introduced and then auctioned off live for individual training sessions, which caused a bit of a stir, before socialising with the parents and friends at the tables. The contribution from the Southern Basketball Association (individual training sessions and signed basketballs) raised approx. $1,100 towards the evening.
The night would not have been a success without the generous donations and contributions from the families of Sabres. With over 50 silent auction items donated, a BIG thank-you to all the families and businesses that contributed. Also, thank you to everyone who attended the evening and to the successful bidders who supported the night.
In total, approximately $6,000 was raised for the U14 Road Trip.
The evening also supported Ian Leckie’s U18 Sabres boy’s team for their Tasmanian Trip. Special thanks goes to the families of the U18 boys who attended and to Sandringham Sports Medicine, Hops Sportswear and the Hyde, Pentifallo and Strong families for their donations which helped raise $600 for the trip.
We would like to recognise the businesses that contributed to evening:
Bitutec Pty Ltd Biz-eNet Pty Ltd To-Tuscany
Rossdale Golf Club The Emerald Noosa Mentone Bowls
Sandringham Sports Medicine Brendan Buck & Associates Vere Apothecary
Retmark Property Investments AAT Kings Bus Tours Dulux Paints
Serendipity Jewellery Step into Life Beaumaris Asics
Bees Knees Brownies Credit Training Services Hops Sportswear
Donavan’s Restuarant EFPI Hair Salon Celebrity Publishing
Aspendale Medical Clinic
Finally, a special mention to Bitutec Pty Ltd (Cigognini Family), who generously donated $500 cash as a raffle prize. This raised a huge contribution for the U18 boys Tasmania Trip and U14 Road Trip. The lucky raffle winner was Izydorzyk family (U18 boys).
The night would not of happened without the fantastic effort of the Trivia Night Committee who worked so well together to organise the evening. Thank you to Sam Tranter, Maria Munn, Karen Street, Linda Page, Jenny Boyd and Sandra Hilford.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
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