The SL Racing Dream
Frank Row (1)
So very much a transition year for Mick Lane
2025 schools rowing
- Thread starter Lindommer
- Start date
The SL Racing Dream
Frank Row (1)
If they want any shot someone better lock them in that new gym of theirs and not let them out until late august when they can push off in tarban creek
I wouldn't put this crew as a medal contending crew for "25, as for "26 I can see this crew challenging the podium (Year 10 VIII - 3RD HOTR 24), because of the chemistry that would evidently form over the 24/25 season and into 25/26. Ultimately not a promising crew as for the near future.
-Legs
The Challenger
Frank Row (1)
Gday fellas. Love to provide some deep insights here. As being involved in rowing for years, I would personally love to see the Paris and Frape brothers combine together and form some strong chemistry. Both the older two brothers rowed in the bow 4 of the SHORE second 8 with the younger brothers sitting in that very strong 1st Junior. Potentially maybe a fun row for these boys at nationals in a four or quad. Let’s wait and see.
The Chairman
Johnnie Wallace (23)
Chair’s Crew Review: St Joseph’s 1st VIII 2024
I’ve been looking forward to this one
Stroke - Finlay Mitchell
A very good race indeed from the Stroke Seat Mitchell at HOTR, Yates asked him to make the move and he did which put them way out front. He’s got a sound technique, with a nice catch and very good body posture at the finish. However, his inside arm being completely straight all the time may play to his disadvantage, as his shoulders are pretty much level coming into the catch. Overall however, a very talented and strong rower indeed.
7 - Sam Basha
Another vital element of this winning crew was the 7 Seat Basha. He’s got a very nice sequence coming off the back, good reach with the outside arm and has lots of power through the water in his stroke. He can however be prone to being too quick with the arms away off the back, and rushing Mitchell in the Stroke seat coming into the catch. More relaxation and taking more time off the finish would do him a world of good. Not to his disadvantage, he is a very good rower and was a critical element in St Joseph’s victory.
6 - Angus Ciesiolka
Most likely the most talented rower in the crew, Ciesiolka made the transition from Stroke to 6 seat this year seeminly flawlessly. After Stroking a very good race for a good result at HOTR 2023, hopes were high and he did not dissapoint, marking himself down as one of the premier rowers in the GPS. He has in my eyes the best sequence, with his arms away and body rock near flawless. I think it would’ve most certainly been plausible to have him in the Stroke seat again this year. He’s got good power through the water and a very good erg time. The one fault I can see is that he does lean his knees off the line of centre, which probably doesn’t help with the balancing of the boat.
5 - Tomas Moloney
Very big Tomas Moloney filled out the 5 seat, he is your typical 5 seat build. Tall, however deceivingly strong. Moloney’s technique I think has flown somewhat under the radar. Im impressed to say the least. A very crisp blade placement and good connection with the water off the front, paired with his long drive and good body position throughout the drive phase helps him utilise all of his height throughout the stroke. Very impressive technique. One thing I did notice is that he is prone to breaking the outside arm early in the drive phase, which costs him a bit of power. However, a very talented rower who I can see doing things in the future.
4 - Alex Negline
If you thought Moloney was big, wait until you see Negline. A 97kg beast of a man in the Four seat was one of the chiefs of the engine room. He has a very nice handle height especially coming into the finish, in which he draws to his reference point with relative ease. His bladework is very good, and has good efficiency throughout the stroke. He is prone however to swinging the body open too early, which costs him a touch of leg drive off the front, which you would assume is his greatest weapon.
3 - Mackenzie Dooley
Not often do you see someone do 3 years in the First Eight, but Dooley will. He’ll join the likes of Barnes and Rogers as some generational rowers for their schools, and while I doubt his ability to win next year, no doubt he will be most likely the best rower in the AAGPS. That being said, in his second year in the First VIII he has made significant strides. He has excellent long reach off the front, with the outside arm being very well set allowing for lots of drive and length. That being said, leg speed has to be the number one thing to work on. Because Negline is prone to opening the body early, it seems that often Dooley would almost hit Negline in the back with this blade. Nonetheless, a generational talent for the Cerise is in their mix and ready to fire for next year.
2 - Matias Moloney
Brother of Tomas, Moloney was another rower that made significant strides this year. Very clean bladework stood out to me, with good swing of the body after the pushing of the legs. A few observations especially regarding seat slip must’ve been made however. It seems that Moloney is losing a large of his drive phase because his seat is moving from under him. Another thing is a bit more rock of the body would do him a world of good. Nonetheless, good drive and a good role player for the boat most certainly helped with their victory.
Bow - Darcy Williams
Williams made the move from the Second VIII in January and he did not dissapoint. He was critical in their victory allowing for a good boat feel to be passed down from the bow seat. Williams however most certainly needs to work on his sequencing off the finish, as he often shoots the legs up before the outside arm is fully set let alone the body starts rocking over. It seems also that in more low rate rowing that St Joseph’s do not have the most stable boat, which ultimately falls on the bow pair the most. However, a very good change from the Second VIII allowed St Joseph’s to take the cake.
I’ve been looking forward to this one
Stroke - Finlay Mitchell
A very good race indeed from the Stroke Seat Mitchell at HOTR, Yates asked him to make the move and he did which put them way out front. He’s got a sound technique, with a nice catch and very good body posture at the finish. However, his inside arm being completely straight all the time may play to his disadvantage, as his shoulders are pretty much level coming into the catch. Overall however, a very talented and strong rower indeed.
7 - Sam Basha
Another vital element of this winning crew was the 7 Seat Basha. He’s got a very nice sequence coming off the back, good reach with the outside arm and has lots of power through the water in his stroke. He can however be prone to being too quick with the arms away off the back, and rushing Mitchell in the Stroke seat coming into the catch. More relaxation and taking more time off the finish would do him a world of good. Not to his disadvantage, he is a very good rower and was a critical element in St Joseph’s victory.
6 - Angus Ciesiolka
Most likely the most talented rower in the crew, Ciesiolka made the transition from Stroke to 6 seat this year seeminly flawlessly. After Stroking a very good race for a good result at HOTR 2023, hopes were high and he did not dissapoint, marking himself down as one of the premier rowers in the GPS. He has in my eyes the best sequence, with his arms away and body rock near flawless. I think it would’ve most certainly been plausible to have him in the Stroke seat again this year. He’s got good power through the water and a very good erg time. The one fault I can see is that he does lean his knees off the line of centre, which probably doesn’t help with the balancing of the boat.
5 - Tomas Moloney
Very big Tomas Moloney filled out the 5 seat, he is your typical 5 seat build. Tall, however deceivingly strong. Moloney’s technique I think has flown somewhat under the radar. Im impressed to say the least. A very crisp blade placement and good connection with the water off the front, paired with his long drive and good body position throughout the drive phase helps him utilise all of his height throughout the stroke. Very impressive technique. One thing I did notice is that he is prone to breaking the outside arm early in the drive phase, which costs him a bit of power. However, a very talented rower who I can see doing things in the future.
4 - Alex Negline
If you thought Moloney was big, wait until you see Negline. A 97kg beast of a man in the Four seat was one of the chiefs of the engine room. He has a very nice handle height especially coming into the finish, in which he draws to his reference point with relative ease. His bladework is very good, and has good efficiency throughout the stroke. He is prone however to swinging the body open too early, which costs him a touch of leg drive off the front, which you would assume is his greatest weapon.
3 - Mackenzie Dooley
Not often do you see someone do 3 years in the First Eight, but Dooley will. He’ll join the likes of Barnes and Rogers as some generational rowers for their schools, and while I doubt his ability to win next year, no doubt he will be most likely the best rower in the AAGPS. That being said, in his second year in the First VIII he has made significant strides. He has excellent long reach off the front, with the outside arm being very well set allowing for lots of drive and length. That being said, leg speed has to be the number one thing to work on. Because Negline is prone to opening the body early, it seems that often Dooley would almost hit Negline in the back with this blade. Nonetheless, a generational talent for the Cerise is in their mix and ready to fire for next year.
2 - Matias Moloney
Brother of Tomas, Moloney was another rower that made significant strides this year. Very clean bladework stood out to me, with good swing of the body after the pushing of the legs. A few observations especially regarding seat slip must’ve been made however. It seems that Moloney is losing a large of his drive phase because his seat is moving from under him. Another thing is a bit more rock of the body would do him a world of good. Nonetheless, good drive and a good role player for the boat most certainly helped with their victory.
Bow - Darcy Williams
Williams made the move from the Second VIII in January and he did not dissapoint. He was critical in their victory allowing for a good boat feel to be passed down from the bow seat. Williams however most certainly needs to work on his sequencing off the finish, as he often shoots the legs up before the outside arm is fully set let alone the body starts rocking over. It seems also that in more low rate rowing that St Joseph’s do not have the most stable boat, which ultimately falls on the bow pair the most. However, a very good change from the Second VIII allowed St Joseph’s to take the cake.
Backintheolddays
Bill Watson (15)
Respect, great write up. Hope you can cover a few other schools as well. You’ve given good constructive feedback without denigrating the rower.
Well beyond my technical analysis capabilities for this sport.
The President
Peter Burge (5)
@The Chairman Would you be able to make one of these for each of the other podium schools (Shore and Kings)? It would be great to have some further knowledge into the review of each rower.
Glory to the wyvern
Stan Wickham (3)
I disagree. They earnt the Chairman's review - Shore and Kings didn't win the Rennie...
The Chairman
Johnnie Wallace (23)
6 seat of the 2nd VIII
The Chairman
Johnnie Wallace (23)
Chairman’s Crew Review: 2024 Shore First VIII
Bit of a preface here; as a Shore man myself I was very proud of how the lads went about it. Hopes werent high but they delivered.
Bow - Oliver Edwards
Moving from the First IV to the First VIII is no mean feat in one season. Edwards accomplished this, and he should be proud of it. Obviously rowing in the Four would’ve had an impact on his technique, especially towards the start of his stint. He is a compact rower, and has crisp bladework, and is able to connect with the water quickly and efficiency. However, he could improve to become an absolutely premier rower in the AAGPS if he draws up more at the finish, and is quicker with the legs upon entry of the blade. A very naturally talented rower and hard worker is within Shore’s midst it seems.
2 - Alex Smith
Smith has one of the best height-to-power ratio’s in the AAGPS. He stands at less than 6 foot, but has a very good erg time, and a sound technique. Having to make the transition from the Stroke seat earlier in the season would’ve been challenging, but it seems that he did well to adjust to life in the bow pair. Boat seemed set, if i’m being a bit picky it may be a bit down on Stroke side, but nonetheless a job well done in the bow pair. He has a very good body position off the front of the stroke, and his length of the outside arm through the front of the stroke is noticable. However, he can be prone to tapping down too much especially at high rate pieces, making himself work too hard to put the blade in and get connected with the water.
3 - Rory Hall
One of the most powerful rowers in the AAGPS, there is no doubt that Hall was critical to Shore’s success at HOTR. He has one of the best amounts of power in the competition, and was one of the chief boat movers of the Shore eight. He could further this with a more stable body position especially towards the front of the stroke, and either extending the outside arm to lock it out (which the rest of stroke side seems to do) or hold a bent position, not jolting the inside arm throughout the stroke. That being said, when you are as powerful as Hall it may not matter.
4 - Ben Muffet
The 2nd best sculler in the AAGPS, Muffet is no doubt the best rower in the Shore boat this year. He has a phenomenal sequence off the recovery and maintains his length when he comes to the front of the stroke. His leg speed is very good, with a good spring like drive at the catch. Most notably is his body rock, in which he maintains the correct angle of the body but adds about another half a foot of length with his outside arm being set admirably. The only point of contention I could find is that in high-rate pieces he can be prone to harbour bridging and drawing too low.
5 - Charlie Galligan
Brother of former First VIII member Tom, Charlie is another rower that has made significant strides technically this year. He has very good length and knows how to use it, with good bladework allowing him to use the most of his height through the drive phase and then the length of his arms towards the back end of the stroke. He’s well sequenced off the back, and has a nice arm extension coming into the front. One thing I could see him needing to work on is making sure that his shoulders remain a little bit more level, allowing for more balance of the boat in the middle.
6 - Liam Macfarlane
Macfarlane is a very talented rower, having one of the best erg times in the AAGPS. I like his patience off the back, he is one of the best in the competition at controlling his slide and being patient with the Stern pair. That being said, he could transform into one of the better on-water rowers if he was quicker with his catch. It seems that he may be lagging behind with the entry, which ultimately costs him some leg drive, which would be his greatest asset being in the 6 seat. Don’t get me wrong he is a fantastic rower, he just needs to ensure a more speedy entry of the blade and connection with the water more efficiently.
7 - Preston Scott
Having experienced very unfortunate circumstances last year, Scott came back to the 1st VIII this year and was one of the most critical rowers in the boat. He has a very good rhythm and is competent at following the Strokeman Harvey off the back. He also is one of the cleaner rowers with his bladework, with a very nice entry and connection allowing him to transfer the tempo back very nicely. He can however be prone to slouching into the catch, which tells me he would most likely experience problems with his back, and sometimes his knees do split off the line of centre, which is not ideal for the balance of the boat.
Stroke - Oliver Harvey
Its quite rare you see a Year 11 Stroke in the AAGPS, let alone at Shore. But Harvey went above and beyond with his development as a rower this season. It is clear he will be one of the premiere rowers in the AAGPS next year, and I am especially impressed by his bravery to go off that cliff at what seemed like 600 left. Technically, he has a very good body position with the back staying at a very nice angle, as well as good control of the seat. He’s efficient through the recovery phase and draws up to a good height. The one thing that I see that may need tweaking is how quickly he sets the hands (especially the straightening of the outside arm) off the finish. An exciting talent no doubt for Shore in their title charge next year.
Bit of a preface here; as a Shore man myself I was very proud of how the lads went about it. Hopes werent high but they delivered.
Bow - Oliver Edwards
Moving from the First IV to the First VIII is no mean feat in one season. Edwards accomplished this, and he should be proud of it. Obviously rowing in the Four would’ve had an impact on his technique, especially towards the start of his stint. He is a compact rower, and has crisp bladework, and is able to connect with the water quickly and efficiency. However, he could improve to become an absolutely premier rower in the AAGPS if he draws up more at the finish, and is quicker with the legs upon entry of the blade. A very naturally talented rower and hard worker is within Shore’s midst it seems.
2 - Alex Smith
Smith has one of the best height-to-power ratio’s in the AAGPS. He stands at less than 6 foot, but has a very good erg time, and a sound technique. Having to make the transition from the Stroke seat earlier in the season would’ve been challenging, but it seems that he did well to adjust to life in the bow pair. Boat seemed set, if i’m being a bit picky it may be a bit down on Stroke side, but nonetheless a job well done in the bow pair. He has a very good body position off the front of the stroke, and his length of the outside arm through the front of the stroke is noticable. However, he can be prone to tapping down too much especially at high rate pieces, making himself work too hard to put the blade in and get connected with the water.
3 - Rory Hall
One of the most powerful rowers in the AAGPS, there is no doubt that Hall was critical to Shore’s success at HOTR. He has one of the best amounts of power in the competition, and was one of the chief boat movers of the Shore eight. He could further this with a more stable body position especially towards the front of the stroke, and either extending the outside arm to lock it out (which the rest of stroke side seems to do) or hold a bent position, not jolting the inside arm throughout the stroke. That being said, when you are as powerful as Hall it may not matter.
4 - Ben Muffet
The 2nd best sculler in the AAGPS, Muffet is no doubt the best rower in the Shore boat this year. He has a phenomenal sequence off the recovery and maintains his length when he comes to the front of the stroke. His leg speed is very good, with a good spring like drive at the catch. Most notably is his body rock, in which he maintains the correct angle of the body but adds about another half a foot of length with his outside arm being set admirably. The only point of contention I could find is that in high-rate pieces he can be prone to harbour bridging and drawing too low.
5 - Charlie Galligan
Brother of former First VIII member Tom, Charlie is another rower that has made significant strides technically this year. He has very good length and knows how to use it, with good bladework allowing him to use the most of his height through the drive phase and then the length of his arms towards the back end of the stroke. He’s well sequenced off the back, and has a nice arm extension coming into the front. One thing I could see him needing to work on is making sure that his shoulders remain a little bit more level, allowing for more balance of the boat in the middle.
6 - Liam Macfarlane
Macfarlane is a very talented rower, having one of the best erg times in the AAGPS. I like his patience off the back, he is one of the best in the competition at controlling his slide and being patient with the Stern pair. That being said, he could transform into one of the better on-water rowers if he was quicker with his catch. It seems that he may be lagging behind with the entry, which ultimately costs him some leg drive, which would be his greatest asset being in the 6 seat. Don’t get me wrong he is a fantastic rower, he just needs to ensure a more speedy entry of the blade and connection with the water more efficiently.
7 - Preston Scott
Having experienced very unfortunate circumstances last year, Scott came back to the 1st VIII this year and was one of the most critical rowers in the boat. He has a very good rhythm and is competent at following the Strokeman Harvey off the back. He also is one of the cleaner rowers with his bladework, with a very nice entry and connection allowing him to transfer the tempo back very nicely. He can however be prone to slouching into the catch, which tells me he would most likely experience problems with his back, and sometimes his knees do split off the line of centre, which is not ideal for the balance of the boat.
Stroke - Oliver Harvey
Its quite rare you see a Year 11 Stroke in the AAGPS, let alone at Shore. But Harvey went above and beyond with his development as a rower this season. It is clear he will be one of the premiere rowers in the AAGPS next year, and I am especially impressed by his bravery to go off that cliff at what seemed like 600 left. Technically, he has a very good body position with the back staying at a very nice angle, as well as good control of the seat. He’s efficient through the recovery phase and draws up to a good height. The one thing that I see that may need tweaking is how quickly he sets the hands (especially the straightening of the outside arm) off the finish. An exciting talent no doubt for Shore in their title charge next year.
it's_marvellous2024
Frank Row (1)
The racing between Scots, Grammar and Newington will be very exciting next year. Grammar has over half of their 1st VIII boat returning for 2025, and a few stand outs in the Year 10 VIII. While they may not have the depth of the other programs, they certainly can building on beating Scots and Newington in 2024 under the new director
EmpacherEnthusiast
Banned
Are the rumours going around that they may send a GPS 8 to Junior Worlds? I've heard they have tried this in the past but has not qualified. Could this year be a different story considering the outburst of talent from around the board??
The President
Peter Burge (5)
Very valuable insights @The Chairman . The returning boys of Harvey, Galligan and Edwards will be very instrumental in the crews title shot next year.
- The President
The President
Peter Burge (5)
I've heard that certain boys decided they did not want to race in the AAGPS 8 due to there being a large influx of Newington rowers. There has been news that instead, they are making a combined 8 with rowers from Kings, Ignatius and St Josephs and attempting to try out for junior worlds
- The President
Someone previously said on this forum that W. Rogers (K) is competing in Canada later this year?
-Legs
Professor62
Ted Fahey (11)
Seems to be every school has 3+ returning first VII rowers!
-Professor
EmpacherEnthusiast
Banned
Is there no selection process? Surely it would just be the best 8 available rowers
Techgod
Stan Wickham (3)
The problem with the best 8 rowers is, that you would have to consider the side the athlete rows on and if they are willing to put the time in for a shot at worlds.
The President
Peter Burge (5)
I agree but there would have to be some sort of selection process if they are considering rowing in a sweep boat. Seat racing in the 4 and seeing who moves the 4 the fastest would be a fair way to decide this crew in my opinion
- The President
OnTheGunnel
Frank Row (1)
Any reason for the exclusion of Shore and Sydney Grammar? Quality rowers in both.