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.
RedRoy 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
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).
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.
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.
