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Toby tops the ton

Fitzroy’s wins this season have been built on some excellent team defence, typified by a stingy backline who are keeping the opposition to an average of under 10 goals.

One of the men who has come back to Fitzroy after a two-year absence travelling overseas and slotted in like he never left, is Toby Hudson-Bevege and this week the beautifully balanced and ultra-competitive defender plays his 100th Fitzroy game.

One of his great mates – the Bonnie to his Clyde – Rory Angiolella reflected on what makes Toby such an outstanding team mate on and off field. Here are his serious (and not so serious) comments.

Toby plays his 100th Fitzroy game this Saturday.... when did you first start playing together? What have been the highlights of your playing days together?

“Toby and I started playing together in my second year of under 19’s and I don’t think I played too many games with him that year because I played mostly seniors but I remember training with him, Dom Pound and Dylan Patcas. We really formed the start of our friendship off the field, and it’s continued to grow around football. Our friendship has had so many highlights outside of footy which is why I think we are so close now.

“It’s a huge thing playing 100 games and it’s great for him to have gone away and come back and make this milestone. I’ll be a tad disappointed I won’t be out there with him*, but very happy for him to achieve this milestone.”

*(Rory is currently injured)

How did you feel when you heard Toby would be coming back this year? What special traits does he bring to the team? (on and off field)

“When I heard Toby was coming back this year I was pretty stoked; I was also a bit surprised. He was talking a big game about coming back to make Fitzroy great again and was telling me he was a shoe in for the best and fairest. When I questioned him about the league or team best and fairest he just shrugged his shoulders and said ‘either would do’...

“It’s this sort of quiet bravado that the wider community misses out on and I have great joy in exposing.

“Toby brings pride to Fitzroy, he prides himself on not being beaten and plays a humble brand of footy, much like his house mate and mentor, Max Ellis. Off the field he likes to get around the young boys and has built quite a good relationship with them, both at the club and during late night Brunswick Street sessions, where he tends to lead by example.”

After two years out of the game, have you been surprised at how well he's just picked up and fitted straight into that backline?

“I was very surprised at how seamlessly he slotted straight back into the team. It’s a credit to his talent but also to the amount of dedication he put in during preseason and he has a willingness to learn and improve, which is showing in his excellent start to the season.”

What do you think inspired him to come back to Fitzroy?

“I think Toby came back because he likes to be a part of a community and he likes to contribute to a team, and that shows in the relationships he is forming with the young guys and the strong football he is playing each week. I also think that he felt he has something to contribute to Fitzroy going back up to B grade and that probably drove his decision as well.”

Some people describe your relationship as a bromance, how do you describe it?

“I would describe our relationship as more of a Bonnie and Clyde type romance than a bromance.”

Who has more tattoos?

“Toby has more tattoos than me, but you’d have to say that mine are probably better.”

And just to finish on a typically stirring note, Rory had a message for his good friend:
“All the best on your 100 games Toby, it’s been a pleasure watching you fail, and hopefully you have a couple of shockers we can laugh about after a good win at home.”

We agree with that final bit! Congratulations Toby and here’s to a good win to celebrate your 100 games.

Brisbane Lions sponsors group of young guns in 2018

Each year the Brisbane Lions underlines its support of the Fitzroy Football Club by sponsoring a player who’s come through from the juniors.

Last season they upped the ante by nominating not just a male player of potential, but a female player as well. And this year they’ve gone one better.

“When our Board Chairman Andrew Wellington was lucky enough to catch the Roys’ brilliant win against Old Geelong earlier in the season, he was so impressed with Ted Clayton’s work in the centre that he actually mentioned it at the Western Bulldogs President’s function that night,” says Brisbane Lions Victorian Manager Sam Lord.

When advised that Ted made up one side of a dynamic duo with twin brother Bill, the Brisbane Lions’ Chairman was only too happy to take them both on in a dual-sponsorship deal.

Red Roy thinks all readers will agree that the Lions generosity has fallen on fertile ground with both boys regularly named in the best in what’s so far been a stellar run for the Roys.

Coming off her three-goal haul and second best afield last week, Ruby McDermott is the female player nominated for 2018 sponsorship by the Brisbane Lions.

With characteristic enthusiasm displayed by so many of our female footballers, Ruby was ecstatic about the honour. “Wow,” she said. “That’s awesome!”

For Ted, the fact that the sponsorship is coming from outside Fitzroy, and from an AFL club at that, means a lot. Bill agrees, echoing his brother’s sentiment and saying “getting some recognition for outside the club is really gratifying. And it’s really nice being able to share this with Ted.”

Although the Claytons support Collingwood, they have two strong links with the Lions. Their junior coach from under 13s to under 17s was Paul Broderick who played over 100 games for Fitzroy, and family friend Hugh McCluggage currently plays for Brisbane.

Bill and Ted are also renowned at the Club and wider afield for achieving near-perfect ATAR scores. Indeed, they attribute some of this success to the fact that they trained and played while studying for year 12 at Northcote High School.

“Footy worked perfectly with school,” says Ted. “It gave me a way to forget about study without demanding too much time.

“It also gave a good structure to my weekends. I'd stay in on Friday nights to study and prepare for the game, and then go out and have fun after the game each Saturday.”

The year 12/footy mix wasn’t an issue for Bill either. “The only time there was really a clash was when I had an English SAC the day after Silly Sunday,” he says. “Needless to say I took the morning off so that I was in prime condition for the afternoon SAC.

“In all seriousness though, I thought that footy was very beneficial for my studies.”

For Ruby, being supported by an AFL Club only reinforces her idea that the recognition and opportunity for women will only grow.

“Being able to play footy at the senior level is a dream come true,” says Ruby. “This sponsorship inspires me even more to show the world what women can do.”

Captions for the photos above:
Top: Ruby McDermott (centre) with teammates from the Roy Women’s senior squad.
Centre left: Ruby McDermott always finds a way to break through and score.
Centre right: Ted Clayton, always cool under pressure, gets his handball out.
Bottom left: Ted and Bill Clayton (front) sporting the famous Fitzroy Football Club player beanies.
Bottom right: Bill Clayton shows his classic technique from the 50 metre mark.

Knocked off the perch

After two strong performances at home to take top spot, Fitzroy’s Senior Men’s side came crashing back down to earth with a flat performance, struggling with the tactics and the pressure of an impressive PEGS side.

The home team cemented its spot in the top four of Premier C with a 10.12.72 to 7.14.56 victory over Fitzroy.

It was a day for the Maxes with Max Philpot the standout player for PEGS, whilst Max Davie and Max Ellis fought hard for Fitzroy, as did Nathan Ligris. Nino Lazzaro kicked two goals and was also named in the best players on a ground which proved tricky for goal kicking.

Tomorrow’s opponent is Old Camberwell who are just outside of the four and really need the win to stay close to the leaders. Tom Biscaro and Aidan Lambert will be back in the side having recovered from injuries and Will Zahgis and Jacob Long come in for their first senior games in 2018. This is great reward for their consistently strong performances in the undefeated Reserves side.

The big out is Nino Lazzaro, but more on that later…

King George had his own way of making the most of a flat day…. here’s the start of his piece for the Footy Almanac:

‘Pegs hang lion cubs out to dry’, ‘Pride bombed’, ‘Lay down lions’, ‘Seagulls squawk’ yada, yada, yada we copped it all.

‘Used to be, 50 years ago in 1968, a score of 7.14.56 was enough to win a Grand Final against the Bombers 8.5.53 in the now Alternative Football League. Not anymore it seems.

‘PEG’s champion Andrew Frazer playing his 300th game was given a rousing welcome to the match by his whole club community from just before beginning of play when rushing through his banner and ‘on the day’ it was enough for his team to carry him over the line and then shoulder high off the ground through the avenue of both sides in what appeared a genuine and authentic humble gratitude, flowing both ways, between he and his admirers. Well done to Andrew, his family and the Bombers entourage.’

If you want to read more about the game and outstanding performance of Keith Dimech and the Ramsden Street Specialists at the Fitzroy Trivia Night, you can check it out in the Footy Almanac

Check out the Risk Care Roundup and look out for a great running goal – one of three - for Ruby McDermott: https://www.facebook.com/fitzroyfc/videos/1882624928449042/

See Nino fly up, up!

Congratulations to Nino Lazzaro who plays his first senior game with the Essendon VFL side this weekend. On the back of his strong form with Fitzroy he has been named to play in the Bombers’ game against Footscray tomorrow night.

Go for it Nino!

Ressies quietly go about their business

The Fitzroy Reserves continue quietly going about their business, maintaining top spot on the ladder with their 8th win in a row.

The change of start time and ground didn’t have any impact on the Fitzroy side, who perhaps benefited from the sleep in and built their win of the back of a nine goal to one first quarter against PEGS.

The Seniors coach would have been eyeing off the form of Josh Robson, who kicked four goals and that of Lachie Henderson, who continued to add to his goal kicking tally with another three.
Will Zaghis was again best on ground, with Drew Olarenshaw and Shae Skipper not far behind.

The final margin was 18.7.115 to 5.5.35.

For the trivia buffs, they currently have a percentage of 275.17 (too late, she cried!).

Getting a taste for victory

The Fitzroy Under 19 side liked its first win so much, it went for a second and got the job done against Old Melburnians.

This week it was the turn of John Jorgenson to kick a bag of five and between he and Rory Patterson, they are certainly proving to be a potent forward duo particularly on a day when goal kick accuracy proved the difference. Patterson kicked two goals as did Miles Nielson, who was best on ground in the 10-point win.

The final score at Ramsden Street was 12.9.81 to 10.11.71

The two wins in a row haven’t really come out of the blue, says coach Greg Coleman. “We’ve been in all of our games for long periods but lapses have proved extremely costly, with teams spreading too easily outside the contest and piling on quick goals. We’ve just stayed positive and the improvement has come on the back of more sustained concentration and effort.

“We looked at what the opposition was doing to us and turned it around. Particularly with a focus on defence. We needed to make it more difficult for them to score and we did that.
“We could also see that when we had the ball we were too stagnant and kicking to congestion, which is playing into the hands of the opposition. We focused on getting out of congestion, finding space and delivering to the forwards more cleanly so they could used their talents.

“Essentially we’re just doing the right things more often.
“We are about to face a very testing month after the bye and that will be a really great chance to test ourselves and see if we can sustain the improvement,” Greg said.

Game plans and better execution aside, apparently the new Dusty-inspired hair stylings of one Ethan Carswell is also proving a winner.

Fitzroy-ACU Ressies build momentum

A big win over Old Xaverians highlighted some of the strong improvements the Fitzroy-ACU Reserves have been making over recent weeks in their first season in the Premier Reserve competition.

The Roy Girls won 9.20.74 to two goals and now sit in the top four, aiming for three wins in a row to consolidate that spot before the bye.

Coach Simon Jackson says he’s seen some big improvements in ball movement, tackling pressure, handball receives and the ability to score during the season, but knows they also need to keep improving.
Tomorrow Fitzroy-ACU is up against Kew AFC, a side they defeated when they last met and the Roy Girls Reserves have the chance to be clear in the top four before coming up against a strong Caufield outfit post-bye.

But Simon says they will not be taking it easy against Kew and continual improvement is the only way to go.

“We will keep working on our quick ball movement and handball receives, but we also need to focus on our talking, which is a skill too. A lot of the girls are still learning how to use their voice and it can make a huge difference because talking out on the field denotes confidence.

“We also need to keep improving our attack on the footy – sometimes things can be a bit timid and in self preservation mode.” Along with that comes getting better at protecting the ball carrier, Simon says.
All in all, it seems his outstanding breakfast tips are just the start of what Jacko is bringing to the team.
On Saturday Emily Aitkin and Sophie James kicked two goals each with Freya Shearer and Bridie Murphy named as the best players.

It was a case of oh so close for the Fitzroy-ACU Seniors who celebrated their 50 gamers in style but couldn’t quite hang on for a win over Old Xavs.

Ruby McDermott again found plenty of avenues to goal, kicking all three of Fitzroy’s goals, but with scoreless first and third quarters, Fitzroy-ACU just couldn’t find a way to win.

The final margin was just two points and with a draw and a couple of close losses, the team needs to find some magic quickly to stay in touch with the competition leaders. The task doesn’t get any easier as they find themselves up against a strong Kew outfit tomorrow.

The inclusion of VFL-listed players Tori Tonin (Richmond) and Lexa Madden (Essendon) tomorrow will certainly give Fitzroy-ACU a lift.

For a look at how Mick and the milestone women Gemma Minuz and Liz Olney saw last week’s game, check out the post-match interview:

Gemma and Liz run through their banner for 50 Fitzroy games

The Footy Lady set for a visit - 16 June

Join the first lady of football for a very special pre-game lunch on Saturday 16 June, before Fitzroy takes on St Mary’s Salesian in this year's FitzroyIT game.

Dr Susan Alberti AC, will head to Brunswick Street Oval to tell her story with a particular emphasis on the meteoric growth of women's football.

Author of a new book, The Footy Lady, her extensive involvement in football – as former Vice President of the Western Bulldogs and Director of the AFL National Women’s League Advisory Group – is just one part of Susan Alberti's fascinating personal story.

Susan is one of Australia’s pre-eminent philanthropists, having donated millions of dollars to medical research and other charitable causes over her successful business career.

As well as launching her book, 2017 saw Susan crowned Melburnian of the Year and presented with a leadership award at the AIS Sport Performance Awards for her vision and influence in driving the launch of the inaugural AFL Women’s competition.

Many of us know the highlights of Susan't fascinating story, but you won't beat hearing it in her own words. She will bring a strong focus on women's football and the current state of play with the AFLW too.

Susan will have copies of her new book, The Footy Lady available for purchase and autographs.

This lunch will sell out fast so don't delay! (Ticket price $45).

Book here now.

BSO specialists?

The Fitzroy Thirds were winners on and off the field last weekend.

They showed no mercy in a 90-point victory over the Monash Blues at Brunswick Street Oval, on the back of some outstanding goal kicking by Chris Brown and captain Tim Denatris.

That is three wins in a row for the Thirds and after a slow start to the season they are hitting their straps and keeping the pressure on Williamstown CYMS for a crack at fourth spot.

In a scoreline of 20.14.134 to 6.8.44, they shared the goal kicking spoils around and in the best player department, Trent Coleman gave the nod to Keith Mckenzie, Milos Zika and Ezra Darby.

After the game, the team kept the winning form going with a last-minute victory at the Fitzroy Trivia Night.
This week’s game will prove a stern test as the team travels to the Paterson Street Reserve to take on second side Beaumaris.

SOS – water carriers needed (somebody bring me some water)

It’s fair to say when they can’t get out and play, our players like nothing better than to don the orange tops and get amongst the action.

At almost the midway point of the season however, we’re running short of volunteers and putting out the call to those who’d like to stay fit in the winter and get up close and personal with our players. You need to be able to run in short bursts to reach the players and then off again as needed.

Water carriers are needed for all grades, but particularly the seniors and reserves. You need to be free on Saturday afternoons and if possible, be prepared to travel to away games also. Someone at the club can always give you a lift.

If you have a passion to get involved, we have lots of opportunities; please contact Director Volunteers, Gabrielle Murphy or Director Football Ops, Sharon Torney.

Sir Doug Nicholls Round

It is a wonderful thing to see the growing recognition and celebration of the Indigenous contribution to the game of football during Reconciliation Week.

Over this week you’ll hear plenty of things about Sir Doug Nicholls and of course we like to remind people he played for Fitzroy. But the man was so much more than a footballer; he was a brave and incredible leader who did so much for his people.

For an insight into his history, take a look and this piece from Amnesty International and the documentary by Peter Dickson: https://vimeo.com/168125126

The Brisbane Lions have a quiz about the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round on their website and there are a few good Fitzroy questions in it. See how you go out of 10: http://www.lions.com.au/news/2018-05-31/quiz-sir-doug-nicholls-round

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