Boasting a team of talented AFL players combined with “AFL rookies”, our St Edward’s team looked to achieve a magical “three-peat” in the local competition. Senior football brings out the bigger bodies and each of our competing schools were certainly sizeable, with some even having junior Sydney Swans on their rosters.
Our first game resulted in a decisive 25-8 victory over Kincumber High School. It was great to get moving early, which helped our new players learn some of the more intricate rules of the game.
In Round Two, we faced a Terrigal team, eager to secure their first win. Despite trailing 12-0 at half-time, a spirited assessment of our team’s capabilities led to a remarkable comeback. Our Eddies team dominated the second half, ultimately winning 24-16.
In our final round, we faced off against our longstanding DET rivals, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College. Over the years, our matches have been fiercely contested. Embracing the mantra “there’s no ‘I’ in team,” we collaborated effectively to challenge our opponents, who anticipated an easy victory with their Sydney Swans players. The final score was 36-18.
Semi Final football awaited where we encountered a very enthusiastic Wadalba High School. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm didn’t equate to points, and our team coasted to a 47-2 win.
The Central Coast final was a replay of 2023 against St Peter’s Catholic College, Tuggerah. In their earlier three round games, St Peter’s had outscored their opponents by over 200+ points. They were certainly the team to beat on the day. A very tight tussle ensued, and the effects of having played almost two full games of senior football was certainly taking its toll on battered and bruised players. The scoreline flipped and flopped and come full time, confusion all round! St Edward’s thought we had lost by a goal. St Peter’s thought it was a draw. The umpires couldn’t agree having thought they missed a goal. End result. Let’s go play another full half of extra time footy!!
St Peter’s took an early lead, which ultimately made the difference. Our team struggled to convert their opportunities, and by the final siren, we lost by just a single kick. It was a fantastic display of AFL football and a credit to our young men who held their own against a stronger opponent.
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