Sport

Basketball

Co-Captains Zavier McGillivray & Tom Lynch

The Scotch Basketball season began long before the first game commenced. Thanks to Head Coach CJ and Assistant Coach Alex Wood, we played multiple scratch matches against the Perth Redbacks’ Western Australian Basketball League teams.

At this point, the team did not know each other as well and these tuneup games really allowed us to bond, getting to know our strengths and weaknesses.

By the time the first game rolled around, we had already been training for weeks. Coming up against one of the better teams in the first round, Aquinas College, was going to be tough. Although we showed effort, a lack of execution saw us defeated. On the bright side, the only way now was up. We looked around at each other after the game, and I think we all knew that the rest of the season would be different.

In the next few games, we built up momentum getting hard-earned wins against Wesley College, Christ Church Grammar School and Guildford Grammar School. In these games, we really came together – our fitness level was possibly the best in the league – and we were winning on grit and outrunning teams.

Trinity College was next, and we were ready. It was close all game, but in the last quarter, we banded together and hunted the boards, which gave us the edge in the end. Now, with a 4–1 record, we were set to play Hale School, a team with a similar record.

Hale had a tall squad which meant that our boxing out and defence was crucial. By half time it was close and emotions were running high as we began to get under their skin. An inspirational speech from CJ and Woodsy at the half gave us the drive we needed to continue to fight. A few cheeky charges taken by Maxx Della Franca saw us gain the momentum to take it home. We finished victorious 64–48 and concluded our first half of the season with a 5–1 record, giving us second place on the ladder.

After the first week was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the boys were eager to get back, having trained throughout the holidays.

The first game against Wesley saw a big win, giving us momentum to take on Aquinas, a top of the table clash, with only a two-day break.

A gruelling game against the then-undefeated Aquinas, with the season on the line, saw the Scotch boys exchange hit after hit. With Aquinas up by five points with two minutes to go after trading buckets for most of the fourth quarter, a huge three-pointer from Tim Imison (Year 12, Ross) set the scoreline to only two points. Scotch and Aquinas traded scores for the rest of the game until the buzzer, with Aquinas winning, 64–62.

As much as the loss cut deep, we were adamant that we would not drop a game for the rest of the season in hopes that some other team would knock off Aquinas. With the boys full of energy, Scotch remained undefeated with a final record of 10–2 and second place in the Blackwood Cup. While we did not get the fairy-tale ending that we would have liked, it was a great final season for all the Year 12s, leaving everything on the court.

Cricket

Captain Nicholas Paganin & Vice-Captain Alexander Melville

The 2020/21 Cricket season was another successful one, culminating in a memorable Darlot Cup win for the First Cricket team on the season’s final day.

Scotch enjoyed reasonable success throughout the Years 7, 8, and 9 teams. Scotch fielded eight teams and played a positive brand of cricket. The Year 9A team had an outstanding season, with some exceptional performances.

Congratulations to Max Hampson, Charlie Robinson, Alex Donald, Jonathan Gattorna, Gabe Reynolds, Tom Harris, Ethan Kerr and Alex Hudson, who received their respective coaches’ awards.

Senior Cricket was a rewarding one, with over 50 boys taking part. The Second, Third and Fourth teams played very competitively, with the Fourths showing significant improvement. They were led admirably by veteran Jim Allan, who received the coaches’ award for his efforts. A big thanks to Graeme Walter for ensuring these boys got the most out of their season. The Thirds built good momentum, winning their last few games. Congratulations to Oscar Bird on his coaches’ award and for the way he led the team.

Under the guidance of Steve Malaxos, the Seconds finished the season strongly, beating Guildford Grammar School and Christ Church Grammar School in their last two games. Congratulations to Banjo Harold on receiving the Seconds’ coaches’ award.

The First XI began their successful 2020/21 campaign by welcoming six new players. Scotch battled with consistency in the 50-over format of Spring Term and only managed two wins: emphatic victories

against Aquinas College and Christ Church. At the end of the term, we were in fifth position, 15 points behind leaders, Wesley College.

The traditional two-day Darlot format of Summer Term gave us an opportunity to get back in the hunt. Scotch was solid in the batting department, with significant scores of 300 and 355. A crucial clash with Wesley was vital, however, Scotch lost this fixture, which severely dented our Darlot aspirations.

The following week against a strong Hale team, the boys defied expectations and put on a terrific bowling display to defend 170. This victory instilled confidence, and we won our next two games against Trinity College and Guildford.

Heading into the final round against Christ Church, Scotch needed an outright victory and for Wesley and Hale to lose to have a chance of winning the Darlot. A near-impossible task.

As fate would have it, everything went Scotch’s way; we defeated Christ Church by an innings and eight runs and Wesley and Hale both lost. The outright victory gave Scotch a total of 23.21 match points, moving us ahead of Wesley by a mere 0.04 points – a terrific achievement and the closest finish to a Darlot season in recent memory.

Congratulations to the First’s Benjamin Melville who received the best and fairest award and Alexander Melville who received the coaches’ award.

We would like to thank all coaches and parents for their unwavering support during the season. To all the boys, well done on a great season and for showing outstanding commitment and an exemplary attitude. Scotch Cricket is in good hands, and we wish you all the best for the future.

Rowing

Captain Ben Scott

This year the Boat Club took home the Challenge Cup, with the First VIII winning the annual Public Schools Association Head of the River.

Pre-season training kicked off in late August, and while the October camp in Albany saw great technical progression from all crews, Spring Term presented many challenges. Numbers were slim, and results were not ideal, but the seniors went off to the December camp in Ravenswood hungry for improvement. The momentum found here was carried over the summer, and all crews entered the January camp intending to make big strides in their performance.

The cancellation of the first regatta and the week-long lockdown at the beginning of Summer Term was not an interruption as much as it was an opportunity. Keen on getting that extra edge over our competitors, the seniors engaged in virtual training, joining live streams to complete sessions at home that otherwise would have been done in the boat. Empty sidelines and different racing times created an unusual atmosphere for the following regatta. The rowers were quick to adapt, and the First VIII moved from the back of the field in Spring Term to winning by 0.46 seconds at the second regatta.

For the next three regattas, spectators witnessed some of the closest racing in the history of the PSA First VIII competition. The Firsts continued to get out of the blocks quicker than the competition but were unable to come away with another win before the big day.

Speaking with the crew on the night before the Head of the River, Coach Bill Hutton predicted how the race would be won: “us by a boat length and a half”. How the crew managed to win by two will be discussed for years to come, but the boys got the job done, and it was truly memorable.

The success of the First VIII was a testament to the hard work of all the Rowing staff and the tough competition from the Second VIII every training session. What was particularly inspiring was seeing how the younger boys embraced the many challenges thrown at them. Being right on the numbers in the Year 9 and 10 divisions, Year 8s were called on to step up to fill places in the Year 9 division, and the Year 10s demonstrated their own ability to stick with the front runners. These signs are indicative of a promising future for the Boat Club.

Sailing

Captain Harry Williams

The Scotch College Sailing Team trained well throughout the season with numerous new team members improving each week. Leading into the States, the team were one of the favourites to take out the trophy in 2021, as the event was cancelled the previous year. Scotch entered two teams into the 2021 Secondary Schools Team Sailing State Championships.

The regatta started slowly with a delay, while the wind was yet to be seen on the course, leaving the sailors frustrated on the shore and keen to get racing. After the first day of qualifying for the finals, the First VII secured the top spot, leading into the second day with six wins out of our seven races, while the Second VII remained in eighth position.

The second morning of the regatta brought some stronger winds, in which the Scotch teams thrived, with both teams managing to secure more race wins. As the qualifying round came to an end on the second day, the First VII extended the lead on top ready for finals, while the Second VII climbed their way up into seventh place, unfortunately missing out on the final’s series.

Unfortunately, the Firsts struggled in the light winds of the afternoon finals, racing against Christ Church Grammar School in the grand final, and came home with the silver medal. The Scotch teams finished second and seventh overall in a great regatta done by the boys. We have lots of new talent in the squad, which will be great to see in the coming years of the programme.

A big thank you goes out to our Team Manager Mr Watson for organising all the training and events and to coaches Andrew Briggs and Adam Brenz-Verca for all the work they put into the team throughout the season, helping the boys’ progress.

Swimming

Co-Captains Ruan Van der Riet & Nicolas Le Page

Scotch’s path to success in the Public Schools Association Swimming Competition has continued into the 2021 season. The depth of this team has grown exponentially over the past few years, a continuation of Jesse’s strong leadership.

The boys’ commitment was their greatest attribute and led to our success. To see countless boys turning up to train, in addition to the hard effort and focus that accompanied their loyalty to the team, was truly inspirational.

In the end, the enormous number of boys training led to the formation of our strongest team in recent decades. And it showed on the night, not just in swimming, but the leadership demonstrated by the entirety of the Year 12 group. Due to COVID-19 regulations, we were unable to have a cheer squad present, so certain students took it upon themselves to form a cheer squad and really get around the boys racing; the other schools quickly followed suit.

What really stood out to me was not the winning, but the determination of every boy in every race. One memorable moment was watching the Under 15 division’s two-medley relay when this Scotch boy swam his heart out to just touch out the Hale School boy next to him. These are the moments which differentiate us, Scotch boys, from the rest: the determination and,

I paraphrase Mr Doney when I say this, the “guts” of the boys to put themselves out there and compete proudly for the College.

On the behalf of the Year 12s in the team, we can definitely say that the 2021 PSA Senior Swimming Carnival was a night that will not be forgotten. We were extremely impressed by the sheer volume of cheering emitted, even with no assigned cheer squad. It is a testament to the team’s culture and attitude that, despite coming short of the win, we still cheered and celebrated the loudest and proudest of all.

Thank you, particularly to the staff and parents for this season. It is no coincidence that since Ryan Steenkamp began as the Head of Swimming last year, the team has improved significantly. Although he is an incredibly humble individual, he deserves recognition and praise for the excellent job he has done in the last two years. Thank you to the assistant coaches Thurston, Bella and Jesse for helping out Ryan, and ourselves, in managing such a big team of boys. A big thank you to the parents as well, they really stepped up to the challenge this year in supporting the boys. Although they could not be at the venue to cheer us on, none of our success would be possible without your support.

Finally, to the swim team of 2021, we cannot thank you enough for making it such a memorable year for all the Year 12s. We are sure that the College’s Swimming success will continue under the leadership of Ryan and the assistant coaches far into the future. We look forward to seeing what is to come for the team.

Tennis

Captain Ryan McConkey

With a strong team full of talent and tremendous depth, the boys knew our potential and were eager to make their mark as one of the top teams in the Public Schools Association, continuing Scotch’s rich history as a successful tennis school.

The season commenced with the appointment of Mr Matt Bradley as the new manager of the First VIII and the addition of another highly skilled coach, Scott Webster (OSC 2013), working alongside Jack Dowland (OSC 2013) in his final year as coach. This created a fresh and competitive environment at training leading up to the season, fueling the boys’ hunger for victory.

The team’s strength was evident early on with 24–0 victories against Aquinas College and Wesley College in our first two fixtures. Round 3 came around quickly with a home game against Christ Church Grammar School – a clear threat to us. To everyone’s surprise, Scotch thundered over Christ Church with ease, taking out the fixture 23–1, with a display of quality tennis and great performances from the whole team. The remainder of the Spring Term fixtures were convincing clean sweeps, winning all and losing no more than three sets to any school.

At the commencement of this year, Scotch was the team to beat. The fixtures were announced, and the Christ Church game was set for

the final round, meaning the boys had to continue to work hard, test each other and sharpen their skills. Subsequently, the team enjoyed dominant performances against Aquinas, Wesley, Trinity College, Guildford Grammar School and Hale School.

Coming into the last round, Scotch had already secured the Corr Cup, but we were determined to complete the season in a proper fashion. We knew it was going to be tough, and Christ Church put up a tremendous fight. However, we proved our strength, taking out the day 16–8 and claiming the Corr Cup in great style with an undefeated season that was one to remember.

This fantastic season was the product of a great Year 12 leadership group with Will Hudson as Vice-Captain, ably supported by Max Weir, Sam Gray and Wesley Huang, who effectively strengthened the culture for the younger boys: Jacques Creighton, Austin Prendiville, Jurie Terblanche, Ben Walsh and Oscar Warner. As a team, we must extend our gratitude to the coaches Jack and Scott and the manager, Mr Bradley, for their support and commitment towards the team, which played a vital role in our success.

Scotch’s successful Tennis season was seen not only at the First VIII level but throughout the lower teams. Both the Second VIII and Third VIII teams were able to finish the season in a convincing manner, only losing a total of two fixtures. With very strong performances across all levels of Tennis, it is clear that the College can look forward to building upon the success experienced during the 2021 season.

Volleyball

Co-Captains Bailey Thomson & Cody Price

With an extraordinarily close Western Australian Schools Cup victory to kick off the pre-season, spirit and morale were high from the group coming into the opening games of the Public Schools Association season.

The season started with the introduction of many new boys to the First’s team, coming from other divisions or returning to Volleyball after some time. With the team not having played many games together, and thus lacking some team chemistry, we found it a bit challenging to get started. After a few close losses to some impressive teams from Aquinas College, Hale School and Wesley College, we found our foothold with our game against Guildford Grammar School, showing off our significantly improved skills and game sense, along with the chemistry we had built.

Throughout the Summer Term, after some progressive holiday training, we put up more of a fight to the other schools. We managed to get to five sets against Christ Church and maintained parity with the top team, Hale, for the sets, only losing grasp in the final moments. I must thank both our Manage Oscar Burke and Coach Matt Hennig for holding us together through the tough season, and both being the first down at training and the last to leave. They both dedicated considerable hours to helping us improve as a team, from individual skills to team cohesion.

To the parents, thank you for the arvo pick-ups, watching a few games and overall support. It was very much appreciated. Looking back on the season, from our first scratch match against Hale (our first game as a team) to our final game against Christ Church, or our last game against Hale, it is really quite impressive to see how far we have come as a team. We look forward to seeing the coming Scotch team grow and put up a fight to the top schools.

Water Polo

Captain Will Marshall

This year, Scotch Water Polo experienced different measures of success, with the major improvement being the camaraderie amongst the team and players.

Having come off a Dickinson Cup-winning season, many of the older boys were determined to go back-to-back, with the team embracing the difficult challenge ahead. With an abundance of experience both in school and club water polo amongst the players, we knew that we were in with a good chance.

First up was the hardest game of the season: taking on the renowned Aquinas College. After our brief one-week period of pre-season training, we were in the pool once again. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, our excitement got the best of us, with the team falling short by four goals due to lack of composure and poor defence.

Despite losing this first match, the boys held their heads up high and continued to train and play in a manner which represented the school proudly. The next two weeks saw Scotch win two games by just one goal each, thanks to grizzly veteran Fraser Davis scoring a last-second goal against Wesley College and star player, Tom Simich, scoring a cross-cage shot in the dying minutes of the Christ Church Grammar School game to get the team over the line.

The remainder of Spring Term saw Scotch defeat Trinity College, Hale School and Guildford Grammar School, with the team going into the break with just one loss.

Due to our best friend COVID-19, the team could not reunite until the second week of Summer Term, where we played Aquinas College first up once again. In what was the best game of the season, Scotch narrowly lost, with Sam Lodge being an unstoppable force in goals and Rory White displaying an array of difficult shots in attack.

In the same fashion as the previous term, Scotch finished off the season with just two losses to Aquinas, ending up in a healthy second place.

Despite not having won the cup, this season displayed what we were really trying to achieve as a team. As consistently referenced by our coach, it did not matter whether we won games or not, what mattered was that we walked away from every game proud of our efforts. And, as a player of this team, I can say that we achieved that together.

A large thank you must go out to Mr Tresise, who coached and managed us throughout the season, as well as Mr Foster who put our fixtures together and Dr O’Connell who came down to just about every second game.