Issue 9 - The WA Scoop - October 2012

THE WA SCOOP

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Western Tigers at the National Youth

Championships – Full Review

Super League Series - Full Preview

Property Industry Touch

Awards of Excellence

Around the Grounds

Meet Our Sponsors Is

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www.touchwest.com

WA Operations Manager’s Report From the Desk of Sophie Maguire

September has seen the start of the events season kick off in WA with the Boy’s and Girl’s Under 18 Western

Tigers Teams heading east for the National Youth Championships in Port Macquarie. Both teams performed

extremely well and should be commended on their efforts throughout the week. Touch Football WA also

delivered the Property Industry Touch tournament which ran extremely well.

This month also saw the successful delivery of our final Affiliate Development Conference for the year in the

South Metro region. In the coming months the office will undergo some staffing changes. We are sad to

announce that we will be losing Tim Heathcote at the end of October as he pursues a job opportunity with

Cricket in Melbourne. Tim has been a fantastic asset to our team and will be greatly missed. We will set our

focus to ensure that the appropriate and timely succession planning takes place for the WA Sport Operations

Coordinator role.

We are looking forward to the upcoming summer of Touch in WA and hope to see you on a field sometime

soon

Kind Regards,

Sophie Maguire – WA Operations Manager

DATES FOR THE DIARY

26th October: Super League Series Week 1

28th October – 2nd November: School Sport

Australian National Touch Football

Championships

31st October: Awards of Excellence

Nominations Close

2nd November: Super League Series Week 2

9th November: Super League Series Week 3

THE WA SCOOP

Western Tigers at the National Youth Championships

In 2012 Touch Football WA were very pleased to announce that we

were sending both an Under 18’s Girls and Boy’s side to the National

Youth Championships being held in Port Macquarie. Our two teams put

in the hard yards at training prior to getting on the plane to head over

to meet the best of the best from both Australia and New Zealand at

the National Youth Championships.

After arriving in Port Macquarie, after a red eye flight out of Perth and a

six hour drive from Sydney to Port, the teams were more than ready to

get out and stretch their legs. Some evening training sessions got the

blood circulating again and the intensity of their focus shifted to what

was ahead of them over the coming days.

The Boy’s kicked things off with a pre-tournament scratch match

against the Northern Territory. Both teams seemed to be testing the

waters while not giving too much away – knowing that they would be

facing each other in their Pool games in a few days’ time. The girls also

have a hit out against a very strong South Australian girls side. Both

teams benefited greatly from these warm up games and got them in

the right frame of mind for Day One of the tournament.

The Western Tigers Girls were the first to get into the action on Day One. In their first game, the girls were put

under some serious pressure in the first five minutes of the game from the Gold Coast Suns but the Girls

overcame their nerves and came back to keep the scoring on par for the second half. The final score in this

game was Suns 5, Tigers 3. A great first effort from the Girls.

Not long after, the Boys also hit the field for their first game coming up against the Tasmanian side. The entire

team showed great discipline on the field which was an area that they had committed to be strong in

throughout the tournament. The Tassie side fought hard, but the Tigers had the winning edge taking the game

out 9 touchdowns to 6.

With a heavy first day fixture the Girls had their second game not long after their first against the New Zealand

under 15’s side. After a superb opening touchdown to number five from the Tigers, Chook, the game opened

right up. At half time the Girls were holding the lead at five touchdowns to four but a few small lapses in

concentration saw the New Zealand side take the game out six touchdowns to five.

In the Boys second game at the National Youth Championships they came up against the Northern Territory.

After a shaky first half the Tigers were down 6 touchdowns to 4 meaning that a huge effort was required in the

second if they wanted to get back into the game. The Boys fought hard, but the damage done in the first half

was a little too much to recover from. The final score for this game was Tigers 6, Northern Territory 7.

As the girls took to the field for their third and final game for the day, they looked ready and determined to

really give it their all. Coming up against an inform NSWCIS side meant that they knew it wasn’t going to be

easy. The first half saw NSWCIS get a couple of early touchdowns on the board, but the Tigers snuck one across

the line right before the half time siren making the score Tigers 1, NSWCIS 3.

THE WA SCOOP

The girls were not done with yet. They came back in the second half keeping pace with the NSWCIS girls and

really throwing down the challenge. Unfortunately, the NSWCIS team were just that little bit stronger and took the

game out 5 touchdowns to 4 in what was a really solid effort from the Tigers Girls.

The Boys also came up against one of the powerhouses in Touch Football in their last game for the day –

NSWCHS. With a handful of injuries already plaguing the team, they were up against it from the beginning. The

Boys stuck to their game plan and worked tirelessly to keep NSWCHS from running away from them. The final

score for the game was a very respectable 6 touchdowns to NSWCHS 10.

Day Two of the tournament kicked off with the boys stepping out onto the showcase field for the first time against

NSWTA. In the first half, the two sides went toe to toe with the half time score sitting at Tigers 3, NSWTA 4. We were

then treated to a thrilling second half with both sides fighting to stay alive. After a huge effort from the boys they

managed to hold NSW to a 5 all draw at the end of the game.

After some strategic negations from the girls coach, they were treated to a special run on tunnel from the New

Zealand Boys teams. Also getting a run on the stadium field, the girls were up against the might of South West

Queensland. In a stellar performance from the girls the entire match was a fierce contest. The final scores were

Tigers 4, SWQ 5. After four rounds the Boys were sitting in fourth place on the ladder and the Girls were in sixth.

As we looked towards Round Five, we saw the Western Tigers Boys taking on the team from ACT on the

showcase field and the Girls up against the power of NSWCHS. In this round of matches, both teams seemed to

struggle to find their feet in the first halves with the Boys going into the break 3 (Tigers) touchdowns to 4 (ACT).

However, the Boys were not done with yet and on the big stage they showed great courage and fought back to

take out the game 8 touchdowns to 7.

The girls had their toughest contest of the tournament and a few

lapses in concentration saw them on the back foot from the word

go. The Western Tigers Girls Captain, Shanaaz Te Ahuru, had the

following comments to make on the game “Considering we only had

three substitutes, the girls really dug deep and battled hard for the full

40 minutes. I was really proud that we got at least one score down

against them”. Final score in this game was Tigers 1, NSWCHS 18.

Even after their loss to NSWCHS, the girls stuck around to cheer on the

boys as they prepared to go up against the boys from New Zealand.

The Tigers put in a really solid first half leaving the scores all tied up at

half time two touchdowns a piece. The Kiwi’s really dug deep in the

second half and showed their level of experience taking the game

out 6 touchdowns to 4.

Day Three of the tournament was make or break for both teams. The

Tigers Boys had their first game for the day against the undefeated

side from NSWCCC. This was a huge game for the boys as the looked

to stay in finals contention. The Boys had the perfect start through a

great opening touchdown scored by number 3 from the Tigers,

Jayden Love. At half time the boys were well and truly still in the

game with the scores at Tigers 2, NSWCCC 5. They continued to push

into the second half but the NSWCCC boys were just too strong at

the end of the day, taking the game out 13 touchdowns to 8.

THE WA SCOOP

As the girls took to the showcase field in their first game for the day, they came up

against the team from Victoria. A committed first 20 minutes saw the girls take the

lead at half time 2 touchdowns to 1. They continued their outstanding performance in

the second half notching up their first win for the tournament! Final score was Tigers 5,

Victoria 4.

After this round of matches it appeared that both our boys and girls teams had

slipped just below the line for finals. However, after a protest on one of the NSW’s

teams was upheld by Tournament Management the Western Tigers Boys were back in

contention. The boys were up against the might of Queensland in their quarter final

and after a long week, filled with injuries, the Tigers gave it their all but they just didn’t

have what was needed to bring down the Queenslanders. The final score was 14

touchdowns to 2. This meant that the Tigers finished a very respectable eighth overall.

The teams had the opportunity to take some time out on the Friday night as the State

of Origin Series got under way with teams from Queensland and New South Wales. The

best of the best from around the country were on show and they did not disappoint.

This was a fantastic opportunity for some of our youth players to get to sit back and

watch the best in the business doing their thing.

On the Final Day of competition, the Western Tigers Girls were in action first thing against the team from South

Australia. A win in this game would have seen the Girls progress to the Developing State playoff final against the

ACT. The girls gave it everything they had knowing that this would be the end of their tournament if they couldn’t

get up. Unfortunately, the team from SA had answers to all the questions asked by the Tigers and took out the

game 5 touchdowns to 3.

In their last game of the tournament, the Boys took to the field in the Developing State Final against the Northern

Territory. Having already played these boys in the round games and in the pre-tournament scratch match, the

Tigers were ready for the challenge. A tightly contested first half saw the Tigers go into the break down by one.

However, the Boys were not ready to throw in the towel just yet. With seven minutes of play remaining, the Tigers

went up by two touchdowns to keep the game alive. With another quick score on the board, the boys could taste

the win and they played out the game in style. The Western Tigers Boys won the game 10 touchdowns to 7 and

were crowned the Developing State Champions for 2012.

Both teams put in the hard work to get to the tournament and then had to work even harder once they arrived.

They were pushed, they were challenged and they were tested by some of the best but they never let their heads

drop and they most definitely did WA proud. We must also acknowledge the Coaches and Managers that

travelled with the teams this year. It’s never an easy job but our team pulled together and helped each other out

throughout the entire week. The Boys were lead by their Coach: Chance Antonievic-Bunce, Assistant Coach:

Teava Terangi and Team Manager: Matthew Leddy. The girls were led by Coach: Youseff Radwan and Team

Manager: Tiffany Tamati. Both teams were also supported by Sports Trainer Mason throughout the week who did a

sensational job to keep as many players on the field as he could. The Tour Managers for this event were Karon

Boston, who was assisted by Sophie Maguire.

Massive thanks must also go to the WA Referees that attended the National Youth Championships this year. We

would also like to congratulate those referees that were awarded finals appointments: Justin Parsons (NYC),

Richard McIlroy (SOO) and Chris Murray (SOO). Without our dedicated team of referees travelling to these events,

our teams would not be able to compete.

Overall, it was a highly successful tournament for all those involved and we look forward to going further in 2013.

THE WA SCOOP

2012 Be Active Super League Series

The ‘2012 Be Active Super League Series’ (SLS) kicked off on the 26th of October at

South Oval, Curtin University. Despite some initial issues with lines the entire first night

went off without a hitch. This year’s SLS has been revamped to give all affiliates a

longer run in to the 2013 Be Active State Championships. Touch Football WA holds this

event annually with the aim of providing an elite level competition in the lead-in to

the Be Active State Touch Football Championships. This event has proven to be a

highlight for this aim and every year shows further development of the ‘game’. All

participants who attend the tournament are offered challenging levels of competition

and experience in their chosen field. All participants, where ever they come from and

for whatever purpose, play a role to grow and develop the sport of Touch Football.

There will be eight weeks of matches beginning on the 26th of October with all matches to be played on Friday

nights. Semi Finals will occur on the 7th of December with all Grand Finals to be held on the 14th of October. For all

essential information, including the most recent Fixtures and Results, please visit

www.superleagueseries.mytouchfooty.com

This year Touch Football WA (TFWA) introduced Online Registration for the first time for the SLS. The Online

Registration process was specifically designed to save all participants valuable time. As this was a completely new

process for some affiliates there were some minor teething issues, however overall the new system was very well

received and meant that TFWA’s database was complete with correct information. All referees also registered

online including completing their Participant Declaration while also being able to order any required uniform. Also

new for Super League this year was the idea of creating a ‘home’ for the SLS. After considering numerous options

TFWA decided to host the 2012 SLS at Curtin University’s ‘South Oval’ in Bentley. This venue, despite some minor

issues over Round 1, has proved itself as a perfect venue for players and spectators. With friends and family

packing the hill in front of the main pavilion TFWA were extremely happy with how Curtin University has welcomed

the 2012 Be Active Super League Series. This year there are three active divisions for the SLS. These are Men’s

Open, Women’s Open and a very well received Mixed Open division. The affiliates which are competing in each

division are outlined below:

MEN’S OPEN

Southern Stars

Perth Brothers

Wanneroo Lions

Tompkins Park Sharks

Fremantle Rebels

Northern Spirit

Touch Football WA wish all teams the best of luck

for the 2012 Be Active Super League Series and we

look forward to a very successful competition.

Touch Trivia

1) Who did the Western Tigers defeat to be crowned the

Developing State Champions at the 2012 NYC?

2) Who was the Western Tiger’s Men’s Coach at the 2012

NYC?

3) Who was the Western Tiger’s Women’s Manager at the

2012 NYC?

4) What is the date of the 2012 Super League Series Grand

Finals?

Answers can be found on our Sponsors page

THE WA SCOOP

Property Industry Touch

Touch Football WA hosted this year’s Property Industry Touch tournament at Langley Park on Friday, 12 October

2012. With 23 teams registered to take part this year, the event looked set to be another great success.

We were supported in hosting this tournament by a number of our Touch Football Referees. We would like to take

the opportunity to thank those referees that provided their services on the day.

The games themselves were short and sweet, with the team networking session at the end of the afternoon really

what was on everybody’s minds. The team from Pindan Pumas were crowned the champions for the day and

having two ex-Western Force players in their team probably didn’t hurt!

Touch Football WA will be looking into the potential of hosting more corporate events in the coming year.

Awards of Excellence

The 2012 Awards of Excellence Dinner will be taking place on Saturday, 15 December at the Boulevard Centre in

Floreat.

The nomination criteria are available on the TouchWest website www.touchwest.com under the events section.

All nominations will be due by 5pm Wednesday, 31 October 2012. This will also be the final date to purchase early

bird tickets to the dinner. The prices for tickets are listed below;

- Individual Early Bird Ticket $95.00

- Table of 10 Early Bird Ticket $900.00

- Individual Ticket $105.00

- Table of 10 $1000.00

The following award categories are now open for nominations;

- Touch Football Western Australia Volunteer of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Member of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Affiliate of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Athlete of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Coach of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Referee of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Administrator of the Year

- Touch Football Western Australia Hall of Fame Induction

- Touch Football Western Australia Life Membership Induction

If you know somebody who you think would be a deserving recipient of any of these awards, please don’t delay in

getting your nominations in!

Please contact [email protected] for the ticket request form or any further information you may require.

THE WA SCOOP

Around the Grounds

Summer season is here at Fremantle Rebels! This week sees the start of our Mixed

competition on Monday nights and Men's and Women's on Wednesday nights. It's been

great to see so many family teams playing in the mixed competition this year. A huge

thank you to all the referees who come down each week we couldn't do it without you!

Juniors starts on the 24th October and all 5-17 year olds are welcome to come down and

learn to play or improve their skills. Lastly all the Fremantle Family would like to wish our

Men's Open, Women's Open and Mixed Open teams the very best of luck in the Super

League Series. Go Freo!

Perth Brothers has commenced our biggest season ever with over 20 teams in the Senior

Mixed Competition and 20 teams in the Junior Mixed Competition. We are really grateful for the

support from our members. We are introducing a new Under 6’s mini competition to cater for the

kids on the sidelines wanting to join in. Importantly we will host a memorial tournament for Farrah

Broadbridge (nee Morehu) on 5th January 2013. Farrah, cherished mother of 8 wonderful children

(2 have represented the State in Touch football) was a much loved member of her family and the

Perth Brothers touch community. All funds raised through this tournament will support the children. A

flyer will circulate shortly.

If you would like to keep the Touch WA Football community updated on your Affiliate please email

Touch Football WA with a short paragraph

In Issue 10, November 2012 we: Provide continuous updates regarding the 2012 Be Active Super League Series and

preview the upcoming Summer

THE WA SCOOP

Touch Trivia Answers

1) Northern Territory

2) Chance Antonievic-Bunce

3) Tiffany Tamati

4) 14 December

Meet our Sponsors