Royals Newsletter Edition 4

ROYALS NEWSLETTER | 1

ROYALSNEWSLETTER

EDITION Nº 317 MAY 2013

ROYALS GRIDIRON INC.

2 | ROYALS NEWSLETTER

CONTENT

Jersey Presentation

NFL Draft Review5

3Jersey Presentation Night Review

Part 1: Winners of the Draft Rd 1-3

ContributorsWriter & Editor Donal StottSub-Editor Alex GossageMedia & Design Ahmed AraynePhotographers Barend van den Hoek Ciara Gibson Deborah Marinaro Jenny Watson Liv Rog Luke Markof Una Causevic

Upcoming Events

Around the League8

7

Scores from all the other games around the league.


JERSEY PRESENTATION 2013The Melbourne Uni Royals rolled into town last Friday (17th) for their annual jersey presentation night, hosted by the Imperial

Hotel (corner of Spring and Bourke St). With a big turnout of players and family the night will go down as a complete success.

Starting off sedately with some speeches from the coaches and the president, the night soon descended into great banter

thanks to some drinks specials on behalf of the Imperial Hotel. The night’s entertainment was topped off by a one of rap

performance by Defensive Tackle McDrewMoney as well as a team raffle. The raffle raised $330 for the club which was a

great result; players were clearly tempted by the offer of a slab of Corona or bottle of bourbon.

The winners are as follows:

1. NFL jersey of choice- Alex Gossage

2. Bottle of bourbon and Royals beanie-Dominic Young

3. Bottle of champagne-Ben Ly

4. Slab of Corona-Lan Huang

5. Royals hoodie and mini football-Alex Gossage

The biggest cheer of the night was when Donal Evan Stott didn’t win anything. The Royals would like to thank the Imperial

Hotel for being great hosts and their on-going support, as well as the players, family and friends that came down to make it a

night to remember.

The Melbourne Uni Royals welcome and thank our newest 2013 sponsor, Hydralyte Sports.

You will now not only see The Melbourne Uni Royals with the distinctive

orange Hydralyte Sports bottles at our next game onwards but Hydralyte

have also been kind enough to offer each away team we host at Walker Oval

Parkville the chance to win the “Away Team MVP award” donated by Hydralyte

Sports.



NFL DRAFT REVIEW: WINNERSOur resident NFL expert Jeremy Golden tells you how he thinks your club went in the draft.

WINNERS

Carolina PanthersStar Lotulelei, DT, UtahKawann Short, DT, PurdueAlthough the Panthers only had two picks in the early rounds, and they

used them both selecting players that play the same position, they’re

listed as winners here because their Defensive Tackle play really needed a

change. Star Lotulelei would have gone off the board sooner than this if he

had participated in the NFL combine, however medical issues which have

now been cleared, prevented Lotulelei from being involved. Kawann Short

is also a huge presence in the middle and both Defensive Tackles will be

looking to beef up the Panthers defence against the run game.

Minnesota VikingsSharrif Floyd, DT, FloridaXavier Rhodes, CB, Florida StateCordarrelle Patterson, WR, TennesseeI’m not sure there was any way the Vikings could have avoided ending up in this

section. With three picks all in the first round, the Vikings will be looking for all of

their early round selections to be big time performers in many seasons to come.

Sharrif Floyd falling to the 23rd pick was one of the biggest surprises of the first

round, with many expecting Floyd to be drafted by the Raiders at pick 5. His slide

down the ranks of the draft allows the Vikings to get the best Defensive Tackle

on the board. Xavier Rhodes plays excellent press coverage from Cornerback and

should develop into an excellent asset if he can learn to play deeper coverage off his

man. Cordarrelle Patterson gives Christian Ponder a new target to throw at now

that Percy Harvin has left town, and as one of the top Wide Receivers on the board,

this pick just makes sense for the Viking’s offense.

Houston TexansDeAndre Hopkins, WR, ClemsonD.J. Swearinger, S, South CarolinaBrennan Williams, OT, North CarolinaSam Montgomery, DE, LSUThe Texans picked up four players in the first three rounds of this years’ draft, with

D.J Swearinger to fill the hole at Safety next to veteran Ed Reed. DeAndre Hopkins

will line up at Wide Receiver opposite veteran Andre Johnson. Sam Montgomery

and Brennan Williams will also be looking to make a big impact at Defensive End

and Offensive Tackle respectively.


St. Louis RamsTavon Austin, WR, West VirginiaAlec Ogletree, MLB, GeorgiaT.J. McDonald, S, Southern CalStedman Bailey, WR, West VirginiaTavon Austin and Stedman Bailey both played a large part in making Geno Smith the

QB that he was at West Virginia, selecting both these receivers fills a need and gives

Sam Bradford targets to make the Rams passing offense a real threat. Alec Ogletree

has proven to have some minor character issues, however if he can keep his mind on

football his athleticism could make him a star outside linebacker.

Green Bay PackersDatone Jones, DE, UCLAEddie Lacy, RB, AlabamaIf there was one thing the Packers were really missing last season, it was a solid

running back. Green Bay has filled that void with Running Back Eddie Lacy from

Alabama, who is likely to become their starting running back if his toe injury

doesn’t become a factor. The Pack also managed to snatch up Defensive End

Datone Jones, a great pass rusher that’ll make a good fit in the 3-4 defence they

run.

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5 Pilgrim CRT Ringwood VIC 3134Australia

M: 0403 011 555E: [email protected]


Upcoming Events

On the Sunday the 9th of June the Melbourne Royals take on the division one Geelong Buccaneers at home in the inaugural

annual Charity Bowl. This year the charity is beyondblue who aim to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety in the

community by raising awareness and understanding, empowering people to seek help, and supporting recovery, management

and resilience.

With much of the entertainment to be confirmed, we can still promise that the day is going to be big. Thanks to the efforts of the

Royals and Buccaneers, many businesses are donating prizes for raffles and auctions, with all proceeds going to the beyondblue

foundation. There will be a special guest appearance by NFL star running back Ricky Williams, who will toss the coin. At half

time the Outlaw cheerleading squad will entertain the crowd and ‘Kingdom in Crisis’ will perform. There will be a jumping castle

and face painting for the kids (and those kids in adult bodies). Have a read next week where we hope to confirm more details

about the day but make sure you mark this down in the calendar as a must because it will be a huge day down at Royal Park.

As always the Royals will be down at the Royals Derby Hotel after this week’s game, so make sure you come down and have a

drink with the boys who will hopefully be celebrating a win against the Falcons.

Jon watched the Falcons vs. Barbarians game last week and lets us know what he thinks the key areas for the Royals will be in

the coming round

For Round 4, the Melbourne Uni Royals (1-1) will take on the Ballarat Falcons (0-2) on Sunday afternoon at the LE Cotchin

Reserve.

The Royals are coming off a shutout win over the Bendigo Dragons, but it was a game marred with sloppy penalties and

undisciplined play. This week, against a team that will be hungry, not just for its first victory, but its first points of the season,

the Royal have to come out firing on all cylinders.

The Royals’ offense will rely heavily on the run game, which has been plagued by inconsistency. The three-headed running

attack led by Jamie Spiteri, Montel Matue, and Samuel Delai hope to find big holes against a Falcons’ defense that had trouble

stopping misdirection runs against the Barbs. The success of the running game will have a major impact on the Royals passing

game, which has seen spurts of success but is looking for more big plays and touchdowns.

Led by a hard hitting defense that has generated multiple turnovers in the first two games, as usual, the Royals will rely on

Marcus Spiteri and Ben Ly to hit hard and keep Ballarat out of the end zone for a third straight game. The Falcons’ passing

game focuses on quick reads and throws so tight man-to-man coverage from the Barber brothers will be essential.

Looking for their second straight victory and hoping to build momentum and consistency, the Royals are ready for a lively and

hard hitting game against the Falcons. Hard whistle-to-whistle play on offense and defense will be the key to another Royals’

victory.


AROUND THE LEAGUE

What a weekend of games we had in round three; three games

decided in the dying seconds and all of them tough and hard

hitting.

On Saturday the round opened with a big matchup between

the Western Crusaders and the Croydon Rangers, the game

was hard fought all day and as time ran out the scores were

level. The last play saw the Crusaders attempting a field goal

which was blocked by the Rangers. An attempted return on

the block saw a fumble by the Rangers and a recovery by the

Crusaders in the end zone. It was a nail biting finish and a

great game, Crusaders winning out 19 – 12.

The afternoon game saw the much fancied Northern Raiders

take on the Gippsland Gladiators. The game was a battle of the

defences with neither side’s offense managing to score until

the final two minutes of the game. Two safeties by the Raiders

defence was the only thing splitting the teams at the two

minute mark of the fourth quarter. A last minute touchdown

by the Raiders sealed the win 10 – 0.

On Sunday after the Barbarians defeated the Falcons 44

– 0, old rivals the Monash Warriors took on the Geelong

Buccaneers in the 2012 Division One Vic Bowl rematch. Both

sides came into this game ready to play with high intensity

from the start. The Warrior’s defence appeared to have the

edge over the Buccaneers’ offense for most of the day but

the Buccaneer’s smash mouth defence kept them within a

touchdown all game. With 49 seconds left on the clock the

Buccaneers were down by five points as their offence came

onto the field. A spectacular drive and a catch in the end zone

on the final play of the game saw the Buccaneer’s take the win

19 – 18.

During the bye week some of the Royals enjoyed the

weekend off and scoped out the competition Drew Taylor fills

us in on what he saw.

Game 2 for each team and it was clear from the outset

that the Falcons had a long day ahead of them. The 50+

Barbarians standing shoulder to shoulder by the side line

looked imposing compared to the Falcons, all 20 or so of

them, huddled in a group.

The Barbarians came out strong, scoring on both their first

drives, to quickly go up 16-0. The Falcons, however, managed

to bring their defense up to a higher level for the rest of

the first quarter. In the second quarter the Barbs again

capitalised on good field position and the inability for the

Falcons to gain ground, by scoring a few times again. At half

time the score was 30-0 in favour of Monash.

After half time it appeared the Barbarians brought in their

second string players and the Falcons stepped up on both

sides of the ball, making for much more intense action.

Ballarat managed to put a few drives together but were

unable to score and turned the ball over on 4th down quite a

few times.

In the end the Monash Barbarians were the superior team,

but the Falcons (who are a young, regional team) showed lots

of fight and determination. Great game by both teams.

Final score: 44-0


With all teams except the Buccaneers playing this round there’s enough football for even the most demanding of fans.

On Saturday you’ll be able to see all of the Division One action with two games being held at Sydney Pargeter Reserve in

Berwick.

At 11:30am the big bodies of the Western Crusaders take on the Monash Warriors, with the Warriors suffering a heart

breaking final play loss to the Buccaneers last week you can guarantee they’ll be coming out hard this week. The Crusaders

are attempting to continue their unbeaten start to the season and join the Buccaneers at 3 – 0, so both teams have a lot to play

for.

At 3.30pm, the two teams in Division One without a win for the season, theBerwick Miners and the Croydon Rangers go head

to head. Both teams will be desperate to get the first win on the board especially the Rangers who could fall to 0 – 4 making

the play offs almost impossible to reach.

Over to LE Cotchin Reserve in Reservoir on Sunday where the 10:30am game features two teams that always play in tough

contests, the Northern Raiders and the Monash Barbarians. With both teams unbeaten this game will decide top spot of

Division Two, so don’t expect any team to give this one up lightly.

At 1:30pm the Melbourne University Royals take on the Ballarat Falcons for the first time. The Royals need this win to stay in

contact with the division leaders and the Falcons are looking for their first win, should be a cracker of a match.

Also on Sunday at Maryvale Reserve in Morwell at 1.30pm the Gippsland Gladiators take on the Bendigo Dragons in what

promises to be a hard fought contest. The Gladiators are hoping to move to 2 -1 while the Dragons are looking for that elusive

first win, should be a great game.


Royals Newsletter Edition 4

Documents

royals gridiron

royals hoodie

melbourne uni royals

royals beaniedominic

nfl jersey of choice

great result players

draft rd

nfl combine