AIC Rugby 2013

[Alias33]

I would agree with several posts regarding the change of attitude by school hierarchy. There is no doubt whatsoever that this makes a huge difference to the standard played in rugby, and for all sports for that matter. Whilst many people in this forum will remember the weaker SPLC teams in the last decade, many will forget they were actually a very formidable schoolboy team in the 90's and early 2000's (that 2000 all-in brawl at Peters against Ash was was one of the best schoolboy moments ever) where they won the cup a few times. In fact, a son of a former wallaby who is a Marist tragic retells me stories of how they would be most pumped for the Peters & Lauries game when he was at school in the late 80's to early 90's

The difference then was that Peters had a very very sports oriented headmaster and enjoyed his rugby, later when they had a female principal, she was also fairly sports orientated and the result reflected this. Come early 2002 or so there headmaster was from Adelaide/ Melbourne and whilst their rugby teams were getting belted their AFL teams were winning across the park and they had 5 or so kids per a year level on Brisbane Lions scholarships. Coincidence?

It really depends on the hierarchy of the school and the power brokers behind the scenes who are making the decisions. I'm sure, and I hope, that Ash and SLC pick up their program's soon because what we need is a competition that can churn out at as many Super 14 players and wallabies as the GPS comp does. There is no other way to compete with that credibility. Sooner or later, these two schools will get it sorted, I have no doubt.

 

[David Connors]

It really depends on the hierarchy of the school and the power brokers behind the scenes who are making the decisions. I'm sure, and I hope, that Ash and SLC pick up their program's soon because what we need is a competition that can churn out at as many Super 14 players and wallabies as the GPS comp does. There is no other way to compete with that credibility. Sooner or later, these two schools will get it sorted, I have no doubt.

It doesnt help that Lauries have a very anti-rugby principal.

 

[Eric Grothe Sr]

I would agree with several posts regarding the change of attitude by school hierarchy...

(This was stated by a wordly poster above)

Yes sadly, this is schools...and we are now part of the pressure...

I have met the Laurie's Principal. I am sure that I called him 'mate' which is 'not on' but Nathan Hindmarsh would have called him the same thing when he was at his school in Sydney (Parramata Marist).

However, yes, he seems to be into culture as well. You know, the love of the 'Arts' never hurt French sportsmen, or, Rugby players!

As a former League player who was next door to a rugby club whom fielded many Wallabies: we were amazed at how the 'Ruggers' could sing and play piano...The 'Reds Academy', Bronc's, Lions and others should remeber this...culture is all that matters = if ASH and SLC are down through heirarchy, work your way out of it like all others.

 

[Royalderry]

Current Rugby co-ordinator is former soccer player and coordinated soccer at SLC for a while - having a non rugby rugby coordinator can't help. Damien Reedy is an excellent coach but can only work with the cattle he's got.
Current SLC principal has taken the heart out of the school - AFAIK he lives over the border in the Tweed Heads region - more interested in building buildings than school spirit. A great shame but the Lauries boys will be back.
Padua has employed 2 full time strength and conditioning experts and a new coaching director - I predict they will be premiership contenders in 2/3 years. Iona are seeing the fruits now of the strength and conditioning program they started 3 or 4 years ago.
AIC is a great organisation and I for one think it is fantastic that it is no longer a two-horse race.

 

[Eric Grothe Sr]

Royalderry does Laurie's not use the Olympic weightlifter (can not remember his name) for S&C? If not, they are mad - teaching kids about speed and power through cleans and snatches...seems like a no-brainer to me.
I would agree with you on Padua. Now that Eddies is playing to their potential Padua will be the next awakened from hibernation. The Franciscans are usually quite humble but surely even St Francis would have enjoyed middle ages sport.
AIC is a 'real' comp now. Downlands must be ruing not joining back many years. I wonder what will happen with Nudgee Junior now becoming Ambrose Treacy (High School) - surely they will want to be part of this competition...

 

[Royalderry]

Damon Kelly used to run the weightlifting group over at SLC not sure if he still does. I know that former Downlands headmaster Doug McIntyre was offered a place in TAS many years ago before the stronger TAS schools formed AIC. He knocked it back in the futile hope/belief that one day Downlands would be admitted into the GPS. Downlands would undoubtedly strengthen the AIC comp - it is a fine school with a strong rugby pedigree and in any given year they beat a few of the GPS schools which ungraciously dismiss it as a just a trial/ we didnt field our best side etc - Nudgee even stopped playing Downlands for a period due to Nudgee being beaten for a few consecutive years.
biggest hurdle is some of the schools don't like the travel - I believe Downlands may have even offered to subsidise bus travel for the Brisbane schools for the first couple of years but the offer fell on deaf ears. To be fair a lot of parents would resent the trip to the top of the Range and you would have lots of sides playing short due to no shows.

 

[Eric Grothe Sr]

Damon Kelly used to run the weightlifting group over at SLC not sure if he still does. I know that former Downlands headmaster Doug McIntyre was offered a place in TAS many years ago before the stronger TAS schools formed AIC. He knocked it back in the futile hope/belief that one day Downlands would be admitted into the GPS. Downlands would undoubtedly strengthen the AIC comp - it is a fine school with a strong rugby pedigree and in any given year they beat a few of the GPS schools which ungraciously dismiss it as a just a trial/ we didnt field our best side etc - Nudgee even stopped playing Downlands for a period due to Nudgee being beaten for a few consecutive years.
biggest hurdle is some of the schools don't like the travel - I believe Downlands may have even offered to subsidise bus travel for the Brisbane schools for the first couple of years but the offer fell on deaf ears. To be fair a lot of parents would resent the trip to the top of the Range and you would have lots of sides playing short due to no shows.

Yes Damon Kelly - that's him thanks.
GPS is definitely a closed shop. As a kid I loved the trek up the range to play them. Once talked to a Priest/Brother in Downlands whom I was coaching against whose 13As killed my mob: he said that they only had 75 kids in year 8 and 4 rugby teams - pretty impressive!
Once again, curious about Nudgee Junior/Ambrose Treacy at Indooroopilly. Michael Senior is Principal whom coached Nudgee's 1986-7 GPS championship 1st XV. He was a great maths teacher, bloke and rugby man. I reckon the trip to Indooroopilly would be better received then, than the previous negatives mentioned by yourself.

 

[bsparx]

Ashgoves has hired a Strenght and Conditioning company called Acceleration Australia to help them out over the past years for all their sports. Each boy at the school has a particular program set out for the sport they play. ie swimming boys get their own, rugby gets their own...

Someone mentioned that the ASH concentrates more on academic work than sports. Ashgrove has won the Chess aggregate again with across the board premierships for the second year in a row. This states something as they didn't come in the top two for soccer and rugby. This does say something but overall a school is more over a place to learn than play sports.

 

[Jenkins9876]

Damon Kelly used to run the weightlifting group over at SLC not sure if he still does. I know that former Downlands headmaster Doug McIntyre was offered a place in TAS many years ago before the stronger TAS schools formed AIC. He knocked it back in the futile hope/belief that one day Downlands would be admitted into the GPS. Downlands would undoubtedly strengthen the AIC comp - it is a fine school with a strong rugby pedigree and in any given year they beat a few of the GPS schools which ungraciously dismiss it as a just a trial/ we didnt field our best side etc - Nudgee even stopped playing Downlands for a period due to Nudgee being beaten for a few consecutive years.
biggest hurdle is some of the schools don't like the travel - I believe Downlands may have even offered to subsidise bus travel for the Brisbane schools for the first couple of years but the offer fell on deaf ears. To be fair a lot of parents would resent the trip to the top of the Range and you would have lots of sides playing short due to no shows.

Have heard quite recently that they have been knocked back from AIC due to the fact that they do not play all of the sports, I think cricket and rugby would be strong for them but sports like tennis, basketball, swimming, cross country and athletics could be another story. Until they prove themselves in all these sports it could be a while before Downlands find themselves in a legitimate competition.

 

[ruggasXV]

I think the addition of Downlands in the AIC would be a fantastic idea, I certainly wouldn't mind taking the trip to watch what would undoubtedly be some good footy. The addition of Ambrose Treacy would even up either the GPS or the AIC in terms of numbers.

 

[Royalderry]

Are tours supposed to improve a side's rugby? Or is it a status thing? The Padua boys travelled the world went to France, England and Ireland and played against sides with a completely different game-plan/mindset than the Ionas and Ashgroves. A great holiday but not really a suitable prep for AIC - New Zealand would be a different story. Big tours can also burn sides out - SLC 2/3 years ago - Padua got beaten 97-3 last week - tackle practice is in order, not a tour. If I was in charge of a pretty good side I'd tee up a tour to Japan - weaker opposition but a good chance to tune-up the side before AIC. YMMV

 

[Eric Grothe Sr]

Eagle, I am old-fashioned but reckon even if Jack Gibson was an old boy parent and had T. Raudonikis, Bob Dwyer, Allan Jones, Leigh Matthews, Sir Alex Fergurson, Pat Cash and Grant Kenny as mates willing to help, you are right in suggesting that the teaching staff need to be involved to improve SLC Rugby. I talked to a former Q schoolboy in their teaching staff last weekend who seems more keen than ever - their culture will change if they have a long term plan and everybody supports it.
As far as touring goes: it is much better value taking the 16s away is my thought, as the grandiose affairs just perpetuate elitism found in other comp’s . Having said this, and considering I am coming from a League background, where clubmate colts have 'fist fights' with reserve graders after games (late 80s/early90s) - let alone considering, what other blokes think of 'me missus' - the traditional Captains' and Coaches' speeches, tie and plaque swapping, and, tour dinners, introduce young men (or women) to all that is important in sport. It is indeed a shame that billeting is not as easy as it once was though.
If you want AIC type teams, why not get in a bus, stop at Downlands, then St George U/18s, over to Armidale School and spend the rest of the time on the coast?

 

[macdaddy]

After taking a hiatus from the AIC threads for a few years I decided to look over this years forum and after reading the last few pages of posts, it seems to me that predictions made a few years ago weren't too far off.

After reading posts from 2011 the general consensus then was that the 2011 season was an anomaly. Remember 2011 was the year where Padua and Eddies enjoyed there first premiership success (to the shear disbelief of many) and the wheels of the Lauries train started to fall off with them only winning two games that season. Now smart people then started to notice the changing culture in Padua, Peters and Eddies while you also had the fiercely proud alma mater of ASH and SLC trying to come to terms with what was happening with their former powerhouses. 2 years on, the thoughts and notions then seem to be the blunt reality now.

First and foremost, while the hierachy of a school plays a huge role in the success of a rugby program and the headmaster must decide on how resources must be used it is not the penultimate factor in the schools rugby success. Claiming there is more of an academic focus (whilst may be true) does not diminish the success of a rugby program. You can do both and both ASH and SLC have done well academically for a long time. So thats not the issue and if your using that as the excuse for recent results your delusional or out of the loop.

Realistically, Ashgrove and SLC do not enjoy the same talent pool they once did. The Australian school reps that used to fill Ashgrove/SLC teams are now in the GPS. With just about every GPS school recruiting, players that used to attend Ashgrove/SLC for rugby purposes are no longer doing so and if they are, that number is not as high as it used to be.

Now when you look at the previous decade, where largely ASH and SLC dominated. Both schools had fantastic coaching and structures from the ground up and across all levels. There teams were meticulous, structured, disciplined, could overcome size and athleticism and carried a belief that they were simply not going to be beaten. A lot of the boys from the A teams in those years also played club rugby (at a high level) all year round. The Padua, Eddies and Peters teams of those days simply could not compete. if they had the talent, they didn't have the coaching or players who could adjust to the rules. If they had good players, they didnt have depth. There were too many variables that worked against those schools that often resulted in quite lopsided victories and seasons for the likes of ASH and SLC.

 

[macdaddy]

After taking a hiatus from the AIC threads for a few years I decided to look over this years forum and after reading the last few pages of posts, it seems to me that predictions made a few years ago weren't too far off.

After reading posts from 2011 the general consensus then was that the 2011 season was an anomaly. Remember 2011 was the year where Padua and Eddies enjoyed there first premiership success (to the shear disbelief of many) and the wheels of the Lauries train started to fall off with them only winning two games that season. Now smart people then started to notice the changing culture in Padua, Peters and Eddies while you also had the fiercely proud alma mater of ASH and SLC trying to come to terms with what was happening with their former powerhouses. 2 years on, the thoughts and notions then seem to be the blunt reality now.

First and foremost, while the hierachy of a school plays a huge role in the success of a rugby program and the headmaster must decide on how resources must be used it is not the penultimate factor in the schools rugby success. Claiming there is more of an academic focus (whilst may be true) does not diminish the success of a rugby program. You can do both and both ASH and SLC have done well academically for a long time. So thats not the issue and if your using that as the excuse for recent results your delusional or out of the loop.

Realistically, Ashgrove and SLC do not enjoy the same talent pool they once did. The Australian school reps that used to fill Ashgrove/SLC teams are now in the GPS. With just about every GPS school recruiting, players that used to attend Ashgrove/SLC for rugby purposes are no longer doing so and if they are, that number is not as high as it used to be.

Now when you look at the previous decade, where largely ASH and SLC dominated. Both schools had fantastic coaching and structures from the ground up and across all levels. There teams were meticulous, structured, disciplined, could overcome size and athleticism and carried a belief that they were simply not going to be beaten. A lot of the boys from the A teams in those years also played club rugby (at a high level) all year round. The Padua, Eddies and Peters teams of those days simply could not compete. if they had the talent, they didn't have the coaching or players who could adjust to the rules. If they had good players, they didnt have depth. There were too many variables that worked against those schools that often resulted in quite lopsided victories and seasons for the likes of ASH and SLC.

Fast-forward to this decade. The groundwork put in by the likes of an Eddies, Padua and Peters are paying dividends now. They are proactive as opposed to reactive. For a longtime these schools were minnows until they completely revamped the whole setup of there programs. All these schools now have dedicated gym staff, full time access, set up clinics for players of all ages, Queensland Rugby consultations, revamp of coaching setup, getting their top players involved in Reds development and Gold programs. The Gap has closed and for the forseeable future, I see the competition being close and remaining highly competitive amongst all schools for the next few years.

Finally, the general perception for an upcoming 1st xv season that a teams projected performance is in accordance with the schools tradition and history. For certain schools over the past this may have be true but with the current landscape of the competition it is not safe to do so anymore. With every year providing so many examples.
VIlla - 2010
Padua/Eddies/Ashgrove - 2011
2012 - St Peters
2013- Iona

How many could truly predict those outcomes prior to their respective seasons. With the exception of St Peters, All of those teams had been strong in their respective age groups for years and when it came to their premiership year, a lot of the time they were able to add pieces from the year below or the year above to polish off what was already a very strong team. You have got to look at the AIC realistically now, those days of a 2-3 horse race are gone and ther enot coming back anytime soon

 

[erossi93]

Fast-forward to this decade. The groundwork put in by the likes of an Eddies, Padua and Peters are paying dividends now. They are proactive as opposed to reactive. For a longtime these schools were minnows until they completely revamped the whole setup of there programs. All these schools now have dedicated gym staff, full time access, set up clinics for players of all ages, Queensland Rugby consultations, revamp of coaching setup, getting their top players involved in Reds development and Gold programs. The Gap has closed and for the forseeable future, I see the competition being close and remaining highly competitive amongst all schools for the next few years.

Finally, the general perception for an upcoming 1st xv season that a teams projected performance is in accordance with the schools tradition and history. For certain schools over the past this may have be true but with the current landscape of the competition it is not safe to do so anymore. With every year providing so many examples.
VIlla - 2010
Padua/Eddies/Ashgrove - 2011
2012 - St Peters
2013- Iona

How many could truly predict those outcomes prior to their respective seasons. With the exception of St Peters, All of those teams had been strong in their respective age groups for years and when it came to their premiership year, a lot of the time they were able to add pieces from the year below or the year above to polish off what was already a very strong team. You have got to look at the AIC realistically now, those days of a 2-3 horse race are gone and ther enot coming back anytime soon

I'm a bit of a late bird to this years AIC rugby forum, however I will do my best to gather what the general topic of discussion is and expand on it. First of all, congratulations to Iona College on a superb undefeated premiership. I strongly think any school can now win the AIC competition which makes it more exciting. Secondly, do we know what the overall aggregate standings are? From what I've heard it is a different picture this year. I believe the top 3 schools are 1st. Marist, 2nd. Iona, 3rd. Padua. Can someone correct me if I'm wrong? Also, next years competition I think will be a very close one with the likes of Iona backing up from this year and Padua with very strong 16's and 15's (Undefeated 15A premiership) coming through. Lauries look like in all sorts of trouble, slipping down the aggregate and their first xv teams aren't displaying the quality that we all have been used to in the past.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

I think the addition of Downlands in the AIC would be a fantastic idea, I certainly wouldn't mind taking the trip to watch what would undoubtedly be some good footy. The addition of Ambrose Treacy would even up either the GPS or the AIC in terms of numbers.

downlands will never be allowed in to AIC.

AIC was established by the current schools as when they were involved in TAS they would be perenially propping up the competition through participation other schools would not alway field teams while schools like SEC, SLC and Padua would field 3 in the one comp.

Hence they broke away to create AIC, membership was under the proviso that a certain quota of teams would be entered each age group for each sport. Originally downlands tried to come to the party, however refused to guarantee that they could field teams in sport such as basketball and volleyball. Hence where refused entry.

I imagine this is still the problem.

 

[ruggasXV]

Lauries look like in all sorts of trouble, slipping down the aggregate and their first xv teams aren't displaying the quality that we all have been used to in the past.

The SLC 16A's this year won the premiership with one loss and I'm quite sure that this age group has won a few more in the past. Don't write them off for next year as you can expect a top three finish from them.

 

[Saecom]

downlands will never be allowed in to AIC.

AIC was established by the current schools as when they were involved in TAS they would be perenially propping up the competition through participation other schools would not alway field teams while schools like SEC, SLC and Padua would field 3 in the one comp.

Hence they broke away to create AIC, membership was under the proviso that a certain quota of teams would be entered each age group for each sport. Originally downlands tried to come to the party, however refused to guarantee that they could field teams in sport such as basketball and volleyball. Hence where refused entry.

I imagine this is still the problem.

I am sorry but this is not entirely accurate. If you refer back to my entries in the 2012 AIC Forum you can read the exact story on Downlands and AIC entry.

I can guarantee this to be 100% accurate.

I will write a longer response at another time to the theme of the threads here about the AIC competition improving however in a nutshell

• Yes overall the comp is improving but not as much as some think
• Most of the schools mentioned are working hard and have improved significantly
• SLC and ASH have dropped off
• the number of players making QLD and AUST teams from AIC schools has not risen as though the overall standard has risen there are probably less "special" players overall

 

[mates95]

A 2013 signed iona college 1s XV premiership Jersey was auctioned at the Iona College Dinner tonight for $4000. Which is more than the signed state of origin jersey has sold for or wallabies jersey. Fair to say this Iona team will be remembered for a long time.

 

[rugbywatch]

A 2013 signed iona college 1s XV premiership Jersey was auctioned at the Iona College Dinner tonight for $4000. Which is more than any signed state of origin jersey has sold for. Fair to say this Iona team will be remembered for a long time.

Didn't get to see Iona play this year, and yes an undefeated premierships speaks for itself. Where they really that good? How would they compare to last couple of years first fifteens in your 2010 villa or 2011 Padua or eddies or 2012 peters?