LEFT : THE OLD SCOTCH MEN ’ S UNDER 19 PREMIER TEAM AT MCQUEEN PARK AFTER DEFEATING BEAUMARIS IN ROUND 12 . BELOW : THE OLD SCOTCH STARS GATHER BEFORE THEIR ROUND ONE VICTORY . RIGHT : THE OLD SCOTCH MEN ’ S 1ST XVIII .
Football
A PARTIAL SEASON CLEARLY BEATS NO SEASON AT ALL
While the Old Scotch Football Club ’ s centenary year has had to endure at least four COVID-19 enforced breaks , we should be grateful that we have been able to play and operate under COVID-19 normal conditions for at least part of the season . It certainly has been better than 2020 – the season that wasn ’ t !
The Men ’ s 1st XVIII had a mixed year , with some outstanding performances counterbalanced by some awful ones . This probably goes with the territory , with a young playing group at the top level of the Victorian Amateur Football Association ( VAFA ) competition . The good news is that we finished eighth , and we will be in the Men ’ s Premier A section for the third year running in 2022 !
The club is committed to its course of recruiting and developing home-grown talent , and competing within the rules of the VAFA . We are delighted to announce that Football Director Donald McDonald and Men ’ s and Women ’ s 1st XVIII coaches , Mark Gnatt and Chris Goldstraw , have been reappointed for the 2022 season . They exemplify and deliver our club ’ s mission of creating an inspirational environment for the development of young people , and are strongly aligned to the club ’ s values .
The Old Scotch Stars women ’ s team ended on top of the Women ’ s Division 1 ladder undefeated with a percentage of 492.1 . At the time of writing this article , the Stars had conclusively won the second semi-final and were still hoping to play the grand final . They approach the match with justified confidence , aware that the hard work is still ahead of them . The Old Scotch Sharks , our second women ’ s team , well coached by Josh Richards , acquitted itself magnificently in its first year , ending in fourth place , and narrowly losing the first semi-final by four points .
The Men ’ s 2nd XVIII finished fifth , two games out of finals action , however the team was very competitive in the top section under the experienced leadership of coach , Andrew Toop . We eagerly anticipate skipper Henry Dick ’ s (’ 09 ) 200th game , which will now have to happen in 2022 .
The Men ’ s 3rd XVIII , under the tutelage of Dimi Panotis (’ 14 ), had a stellar season and finished third , confident of further success and hoping to play finals football , subject to COVID-19 lockdowns .
The Men ’ s Under 23s , coached by Brendan White in his first year at the club , had a solid year in an ever-changing landscape for that competition , only in its second year . At the time of writing they had finished fourth and were also hoping to play finals .
The Men ’ s Under 19 Premier team unfortunately fell out of the top four just prior to COVID-19 hitting again and missed out on finals – the first time for a few years . The team was well coached by Bryce McGain and his lieutenant , Craig Lovett . We are pleased to announce both men have been reappointed for 2022 .
The Men ’ s Under 19 Reserve team found the going hard in the Division 2 section , winning just one game ; however the boys stuck at the task manfully . We are grateful to Matt Blake and Seb Fernandez for their commitment to coaching this team .
The club hopes to celebrate the season by holding our Best and Fairest / Gala Ball at the Park in Albert Park on Friday 1 October , subject of course to COVID-19 lockdowns .
Our Centenary Dinner is scheduled for Friday 5 November in the Members ’ Dining Room at the MCG . The evening promises to be a special celebration of the club ’ s first 100 years , where the Team of the Century will be announced . Club legend Laurie Aghan will announce a new club medal honouring former Club Captain John Anderson (’ 65 ). Four club Life Memberships will also be presented on the night .
The dinner will be the major centenary event for the year , and we hope that as many past players , officials , volunteers and supporters as possible will be in attendance . If you are interested in attending or assisting with preparations for the dinner , please contact Sandra Dick via email : sandra . dick @ scotch . vic . edu . au .
TIM SHEARER (' 85 ) – PRESIDENT , OLD SCOTCH FOOTBALL CLUB
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 87