ISA 2025

[WLF3]

RFG and DaS,

My uneducated guess as to why Auggies and Oakhill are strong footy schools is not only the programs at each school, but arguably as importantly, is the large catchment area that each school has to draw on. Most of the GPS and CAS schools have a number of competing schools not far around the corner. Your thoughts on this assumption?

 

[PolarBear]

Kings has at least 4 star players in the 1sts that were at Oakhill in year 7.

 

[Maul of Duty]

Yes Oakhill could attest to that.

I know that those boys chose to leave Oakhill unfortunately.

Barker will be the school to beat on the next couple of years with some very heavy investment ($$$$$) in younger age groups and those boys already playing up in older age groups and also in opens. Would not surprise me if Oakhill and Auggies lose more players to Barker in particular.

 

[LookLongPlayShort]

100%, in addition to this it makes you think how much better Auggies could of possibly been the last few years with many names including like both Dene brothers, Charlie Poynton, Beau and Tom Morrison, Tye Jecks, Tom Wheen, Will Hargreaves, Saxon Gaw, Sifa Oldfield, Teddy Wilson and Oliver Cummins are some that come to mind. To also note the Augustine’s side this year would have been helped by Tamoko Berryman and Lewis Wilson as both graduated a year young.

The same thing can be said about Oakhill, and especially this year with those like Lavercombe, Risati and Bloomfield.

In my opinion it’s a shame these schools don’t offer scholarships or some incentive to keep these boys. Would be a great display for ISA and get more recognition.

 

[rugbyfootyguy]

Hey WLF3, I couldn't agree more with this statement. But another thing that mind boggles me, is the fact Oakhill and Auggies have had strong rugby programs for YEARS. And I totally agree, the catchment area has most likely has played a significant role in that.

 

[DaSchmooze]

I think for Oakhill, you're pretty close to the mark. If you want independent boys education and you require two functioning kidneys, then Oakhill is your only option and you're drawing from the ever expanding north west of Sydney to call upon and any number of Catholic primary schools in the area. It's a massive catchment.

Auggies have a similiar geographic advantage with them being the only independent boys on the Northern Beaches.

But my feeling is that a more pressing advantage - and one that is going to increase in years to come - is that they are offer an excellent education at a price that parents can afford. Kids who come from families who may have pushed to pay for a Barker or a Kings simply can't do it anymore and so the next best option (and a pretty good one too) is to go to Oakhill or Auggies.

The GPS and CAS can only scholarship so many kids before their schools' parent body are going to ask why they are paying a quarter of a million to send their kids to the school only to subsidise other boys education. And so considering this, I feel Auggies, Oakhill, Waverley, Pats, Pius will benefit in the coming years as other GPS and CAS schools price themselves out of the market.

 

[DaSchmooze]

Oakhill have had strength for as long as I can remember and I think large cohort sizes helps with this a lot.

Auggies were a bit of an odity until John Papahatzis came to them from St. Edmunds at Canberra. Through his coaching and success, he's set up Auggies for decades to come. Great coaching, great community. It goes to show what's possible even with a realtively small cohort size.

 

[WLF3]

DaS, can't disagree with any of your points here, except I think the size of the catchment areas and surrounding populations are the no.1 factor!

The cost of living increase is clearly very real BUT I suspect all the GPS and CAS schools, regardless of expense, are pretty much full.
Happy to be corrected but suspect there is always another boy/girl ready to grab a spot at these schools, if it is available.

Then there are other variables like the coaching programs, positioning of a school eg selectively academic v an all rounded education etc. In addition, the old boy connection, type of people you like to mix with, geographical spot where you live, etc.
The size of each years cohort should also make a difference, although not always for reasons understood eg Knox, but numbers can matter.
Then there is the sporting DNA of a school, which shouldn't be underestimated.

In the specific cases of Oakhill and Auggies I do think the size of their catchment areas are their major advantage.

Haven't heard of scheduling yet for the ISA/CAS probably due to school holidays, but shouldn't be far off,

 

[DaSchmooze]

Haven't heard of scheduling yet for the ISA/CAS probably due to school holidays, but shouldn't be far off,

Yeah I want to see it too!!!