All
Stars shine for Anzacs
The best of ADF Aussie Rules defeat Emergency Services
in Challenge Cup clash at SCG
Volume
48, No. 7, May 04, 2006
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An
ADF All Stars player takes charge at the centre bounce during
the Services’ Challenge Cup against the National Emergency
Services team at the SCG.
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Photo by Phil Barling
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ADF
Aussie Rules All Stars coach SGT Paul James invoked the Anzac
spirit to inspire his team to victory over the National Emergency
Services team at the SCG on April 22.
The ADF team put aside any inter-Service rivalries to trounce
Emergency Services 21.13 (139) to 11.9 (75).
Although the match hung in the balance at half-time, the All Stars
dominated in the third term to run up an unassailable 10-goal
lead.
SGT James said he had deliberately kept the game plan simple and
relied on his players’ professionalism and fitness to carry
the day.
But he invoked the Anzac spirit in his pre-match talk to give
his team that extra edge.
“We usually play the game as the curtain-raiser to the AFL
match on the Anzac weekend, but that didn’t happen because
of TV rights,” SGT James explained.
“So even though there wasn’t the same atmosphere before
the game, we did remind them that it was the Anzac weekend, and
to keep that in mind out on the field.
“They were pretty happy after the game that they had managed
to uphold that spirit.”
The All Stars managed just three training sessions together after
the side was selected following the conclusion of the national
championships in Canberra.
Although players from Army and Navy dominated the side, SGT James
said the 64-point win had truly been a “team effort”.
“There is always that inter-Service rivalry, but the players
are professional enough and good enough to get on the paddock
and play well,” he said.
“The way that we played that morning, it was as if we had
been playing together for a long time.
“It was a team effort. I don’t think there was anyone
out there who didn’t do a job and wasn’t a part of it.
“We were just a little bit quicker and a little bit fitter
and our ball skills were a lot more polished.”
Four other All Stars from Air Force were SQNLDR Shane Calliess,
SGT Lance Purdon, CPL Nigel Peacock and LAC Joshua Barton, who
kicked four goals during the game. Their selection followed Air
Force’s disappointing showing at the recent national championships
held from April 7-11.
Army beat Air Force’s men’s and women’s sides and
two days later, Navy followed suit to clinch the series.
Men’s team captain LAC Glenn Noye said they had only come
together at the training camp a fortnight before.
“We had a solid two week’s training,” he said,
“but we didn’t bring our game out on the day.
“We were looking for a combination of runs from the midfield
and targeting identified key opposition players. We rotated our
midfield a bit, but the other teams ran the ball well, ran hard
and were tough. That proved the difference between the sides as
some of our guys didn’t play to their full potential.”
Meanwhile, despite their high morale, the women had to overcome
lack of experience in the inter-Service arena, a deficit of numbers
and training problems to confront Army and Navy.
Speaking after the game against Army, team captain FLGOFF Claire
Hill said, “We stuck to our game play and were all over them
except during the third quarter when they got away from us and
got most of their points.
Their fitness was superb and ultimately they just out-ran us.”
