How Sweet it is for Olivia Honey

To make one state team in a year is an amazing feat for most junior athletes, but to make two teams in different sports in one month is a pretty damn good effort, and that’s exactly what year 11 Academy student athlete Olivia Honey has done.

This weekend Olivia will represent Victoria in the 100m and 4 x 100 relay at the All Schools championships in Cairns,  while in April, Olivia will head to Brisbane to represent Victoria in the under 19s National Netball Championships.

“It has been quite a surreal couple of weeks.” Says Olivia on her duel state selection. “ I have been trying to make a state Netball team since under 12’s and to finally be named for Victoria is great. My athletics career is only a year old, so to win selection for the Victorian team at my very first State Championships was a real shock.”

“I knew I was a fairly quick runner, but to run the time I did at the State Championship made me feel like I could have a future in the sport, and had I not have made the Victorian U19 netball team, I may have pursued Athletics as my preferred sport.”

Maribyrnong Sports Academy head netball coach and former Australian Captain Eloise Southby says Olivia’s selection for Victoria is a culmination of a lot of hard work. “  It was a remarkable achievement for Liv to make two state teams in a 30 day period. I think Liv has really been trying hard for State selection for the last few years in the 17 and under level, but I think has really grown in maturity, not only in the program here at Maribyrnong but working in specialist sessions, working with her Club team at the Geelong Cougars in the VNL and really trying to Develop her game.  The thing that has really impressed me with Liv is her work ethic, she really use every single session to her benefit and works at maximum capacity.  Liv has proven that if you continue to train at that rate selectors will take notice and opportunities will present.”

“Liv is a dynamic Wing Attack and Centre.  At Wing Attack she is a really zippy and nimble player around the court with great vision into the goalers and is able to put that right feed in to get the goalers into the right shooting position. The think Liv has really developed in her game is her defensive work in the Centre.  Her greatest asset is when the ball is turned over, and given the fact she can run a 12.05 in the 100m she is able to whip down into defense that fast, it become a real bonus for her team both in attack and defense.  I really look forward to seeing how Liv’s Netball and Athletics career work out in the future.”

Liv’s sporting DNA definitely comes from family with her dad Neil who was a Commonwealth Games Pole Vaulter while mum Di was a former Australian Netball.  Olivia’s sister Tayla plays for the Melbourne Vixen’s and her brother Josh is in the AFL AIS Academy and plays for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup.  Olivia’s uncle Gary was a Silver medalist in the Long Jump at the 2004 Los Angeles Olympics.

Ryan O'Keefe appointed MSA AFL Head Coach

Dual AFL premiership Sydney Swans player Ryan O’Keefe has been announced as the new Western Jets under 18 coach and Head Coach of the Maribyrnong Sports Academy AFL Program.

The full-time position will see the 2012 Norm Smith Medal winner incorporate the Jets’ under 18 head coaching role with a football academy program role at Maribyrnong. 

After his 286 game AFL career ended in 2014, O’Keefe has spent the last four seasons in coaching roles at Adelaide FC, joining the Crows as a midfield development coach, before spending the last two seasons as the clubs’ SANFL coach. O’Keefe replaces Torin Baker at the Western Jets and Sports Academy, after he accepted a development coaching role at Hawthorn FC.

In what is becoming a trend over recent years in the under 18 coaching ranks, O’Keefe will join the likes of Daniel O’Keefe (Geelong Falcons), Craig Black (Dandenong Stingrays), Marc Greig (GWV Rebels) and Leigh Clarke (Oakleigh Chargers) as former TAC Cup players who have returned to coach in the competition.

“Ryan O’Keefe will be making a return to the competition he was drafted from close to 20 years ago at the Calder Cannons and will bring a unique mindset of being able to relate to and understand the needs of players at this level, and what will be required of them at that next level as they progress,” AFL Victoria State Talent Manager Paul Hamilton said.

“The players at both the Western Jets and Maribyrnong Sports Academy will benefit from having such an experienced person at the helm, who will be able to utilise his knowledge of playing at the highest level, and coaching at state level in the SANFL.

“O’Keefe – as a level four coach - will play an important role in helping further develop players in our under 18 system, but also those who are aspiring to take their game further with the Sports Academy, spending time on their skills on and off the field.

Hamilton said the under 18 competition is providing a strong pathway for coaches to develop their skills.

“The pleasing aspect is our competition is creating a talent pathway for not only players, but also coaches with Craig Black (Collingwood), Jeremy Barnard (East Perth – WAFL) Daniel O’Keefe (Geelong VFL) and Torin Baker (Hawthorn) all progressing to state-league or AFL coaching roles at the end of the 2018 season.

“We will continue to provide these opportunities for our coaches, with recent appointments Nick Cox (Dandenong), Josh Bourke (Sandringham Dragons), Mark Brown (Murray Bushrangers) and Rhett McLennan (Gippsland Power) all having fulfilled assistant or development coaching roles in the under 18 or 16 system before being appointed head coaches.”

Three Maribyrnong Sports Academy students were drafted at the recent NAB AFL Draft, with Calder Cannons Jack Bytel (St Kilda) joined by Western Jets pair Zak Butters (Port Adelaide) and Buku Khamis (Western Bulldogs) on AFL lists. The trio continue the links to the College in the AFL, with former students such as Kayne Turner (North Melbourne), Peter Wright (Gold Coast Suns) and Touk Miller (Gold Coast Suns) also having been drafted from the school / TAC Cup in the past, while former cricketer Guy Walker has joined the Melbourne FC this year as a Category B rookie.

Maribyrnong Sports Academy Director Mark McAllion says Ryan brings a wealth of experience into the program.

“It's very exciting to partner with AFL Victoria and the Western Jets to have someone with Ryan’s experience both as a player and a coach join the Academy’s coaching ranks,” McAllion said.  

“Torin Baker did a fantastic job in developing the program over recent years and we now look forward to Ryan taking it to an even higher level, in conjunction with Assistant Coaches Scott Lucas, Leon Harris, Martin Walsh and AFLW head coach Bree White

“The Academy’s AFL student-athletes are definitely very fortunate to be coached and mentored by such high quality individuals.”

Listen to Ryan’s interview with Andy Maher on SEN.

Boots and Balls arrive in the Tiwi Islands.

The delivery of Footy Boots and Balls was completed last week to the kids of Xavier College on Bathurst Island in the Tiwi’s. The delivery was made possible with the help of Downer Group Indigenous , Diversity and Inclusion specialist Moana Matthews and the AFLNT.

Moana has provided us with this report on the day…

Good morning all,

Greg Farmilo and myself completed the delivery of the boots and balls to Xavier College on Friday.  Lance (Tess’s husband amongst many other hats he wears) kindly picked us up in the school bus after landing in a rather small plane.

We went on to the school with the boxes of goods where we were greeted by the warm and welcoming staff at Xavier Catholic College. We were taken on a tour of the college which was very impressive and met some of the students and more teachers along the way.

School assembly was called for 10am where the kids and a few camp dogs gathered in the gymnasium. Sadly due to Sorry Business, many of the students were away due to a death in the community the day before.  Tess addressed the students in supplying the beautiful back story as to how this initiative all came about and passed over to Greg and myself to share a little about Downer and how/why we came on board. 

We then got to the fun part of ripping boxes open to see who could fit what, it really was first in best dressed…..but there was certainly no shortage of Downer socks, with 100 pairs in supply….socks for everyone!! We pumped up the balls (electric pump thankfully) and before we knew it, footy’s were flying off the end of footy boots and red socks everywhere, the kids loved it. 

We had great media coverage on the Thursday with the publication in the NT News and the story was in the news reel every hour on the hour throughout the day over the 2 main radio stations.  I am still receiving messages from the public asking if I need any more boots!!!

On behalf of Greg and myself, a big thank you to all of you who made this happen – we were simply the lucky ones who got to see the kids faces on the receiving end for all of your hard work and big hearts.  Tess had asked me to ensure we pass a very appreciated thank you to the staff and parents of Maribyrnong Sport Academy, but most of all to the students – outstanding young sportspeople and leaders.   

What a beautiful way to close out 2018 😊

To read the NT News Story, Click here