News

In what is becoming an annual event the 2009 Guelph Gargoyles Team will be heading to Blue Mountain, Ontario to close out the playing season and put plans together for 2010.  February 26-28 has been set as the dates.  A chalet on the mountain is set to be the venue for some crazy antics, plenty of liquid to keep the players hydrated and some quality food prepared by the Gargoyles team chefs.

Skiers/Boarders are catered for with a short walk to the ski lifts.  Those that just want to wear off the haze from the night before can lounge in front of the fireplace and dream about the switch 1080 they would be perfecting if they weren’t hung over.

As was the deal last year the price will remain at $150/person and includes the Chalet for Friday & Saturday, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday as well as a gourmet meal on Saturday night.  Captain keg will be in attendance courtesy of the master brewers at Wellington’s.

A recap of the 2009 trip sees that Ed Williams has been instructed to leave his credit card at home after he almost single handedly solved Intrawest’s debt problems with his Jagerbomb bill.  Cameron Grant has promised to make it to the bar on Saturday night and not fall asleep half way through getting dressed at 9pm.  The president has made the call that he will complete more than 2 runs down the hill this year before collapsing in a heap in a hotel foyer he’s not staying in.  Greg Logel has been told to SLOW down through the kids zone on the mountain as a completely out of control boarder he almost killed some grommets last year.  Jeff Borysiewicz has been limited to 2 bottles of Jagermeister for the weekend as his alter ego just aint pretty.  Coach Lingus has advised that he will still be the largest man you’ve ever seen on skis, his parabolic’s are 210cm for Christ’s sake.  He’s also got a special order in for some gloves that have sufficient fabric to cover his larger than life hands.  James Twiss has been attending Shift Fitness sessions all of January and practicing his fence jumping technique, he simply doesn’t want to miss out on a hot tub session again!  Matt “Coppa” Newark & Loi “Money Pit” Van Leeuwen have been instructed to stay out of the sauna together as that is just “weird” guys.  Adam Millen, Travis Doyle, Matt Bannon & Jason Fox will also be attendance to keep the rest of the group sane. God only knows what new attendees Neil “Narna” LaFontaine, Mike Touhey, Carl “O.B.” O’Brien & Alex “Abs” Filipowicz have in store for us.  Watch this space for a full report with photos in early March.

Everyone involved with the Gargoyles is urged to get out to the winter fitness training at The SHIFT Fitness Facility. 

We know what this training did for everyone last year and it is an amazing way to get "footy fit" before the season begins. It is Monday nights at 8pm but be there 15 mins early. If you have any questions, contact me at chcunning@sympatico.ca or check out the SHIFT site.

www.theshift.ca 

Coach Lingus

November 21^st saw the Guelph Gargoyles hold their annual awards presentation day.  2009 had been a somewhat trying year for the club with plenty of promise on paper but failure to translate that into wins when required.  Injuries and player availability really creating havoc in the team lineup most weeks.  The Gargoyles will be intensely focused on fielding a competitive team for the 2010 season with renewed enthusiasm and an infusion of new talent into the lineup.

Some team members started their fitness regime early in 2009 beginning weekly 5km runs in January and also attending a series of fitness sessions at a new athlete-training center in Guelph called The Shift.  These sessions saw players improve their conditioning in leaps and bounds.  The vote count for this year proved that these players had indeed put their hands up for the teams’ awards.

In one of the closest counts in years it was the Kalgoorlie Kid himself, Travis Doyle beating out Matt Bannon by one (1) vote to take out the teams Danny Pellin Best & Fairest Player award.   Daniel Murray got out to an early lead in the first five rounds but both Matt & Travis then traded the lead for the final 9 rounds with Travis holding off a late challenge by Matt to take the title.  Back line players featured heavily in the points this year with Bannon proving his commitment and lead by example style of play as team captain can match it with the guys kicking goals the other end of the field.  Travis Doyle who had rotated through the ruck position and half forward line all season really making his mark on the team this year.  Congratulations Travis.

Most Improved Player went to James Twiss another of the Shift Fitness and weekly 5km runners.   The award for Best Defensive player was handed to Jason Fox for the second year in a row.  Fox also had a cameo in the forward line this year during a couple of games and bagged himself a few goals so must be happy with his performance.

The 2009 Rookie of the Year was awarded to Andrew Pilkington who also took out the award for the best rookie in the Ontario Australian Football League at the leagues annual presentation night in September.  Congratulations Pilks!

Gargoyles Heart award went to Matt Bannon who led by example all year displaying the qualities that the team prides itself upon.  Getting to the ball first, putting his body on the line all day and never, ever throwing in the towel.  Matt would never admit this but he was given probably his biggest compliment of the year by the best full forward in the competition who personally told him he was his best competition the whole year.  Speaks volumes of Matt’s talent and tenacity.

The teams leading goal kicker is yet to be clarified by the league, as the count looks very close.

tThe Guelph Gargoyles need players for the upcoming footy season. We are looking for men, ladies and junior players, experienced footy players or not. It doesn't matter, as long as you want to have fun, get fit, and learn a new, exciting sport that is sweeping the country by storm.

 If you are under the age of 16, it is a good chance to help out with the club in many different ways while learning the sport of Australian Rules Football and possibly earning volunteer hours in the best way possible: through sports! You also have the opportunity to get noticed by our national junior team, the Wolfpack, and earn a chance to travel and represent Canada.

Ladies can be involved in the start-up womens league and can play something other than soccer or ultimate frisbee while still competing at a high level of play. You also can earn the chance to represent Canada at the US Nationals, held every year in the States. Making new friends, expanding your social circle and having a great time are just some of the side effects of playing footy!!!

Over the age of 16 means you can compete in the illustrious Ontario Australian Football League and gives you a chance at winning the coveted "Conacher Cup" as a Gargoyle. This trophy has been around for over 20 years and is waiting for your name to be inscribed on it! If you have a knack for Aussie Rules, you can try out for the Northwind, Canada's National Senior Team, and possibly travel to Australia in 2011 as the team battles for the International Cup.

The opportunities offered by being involved with footy are endless and the friends you make will last for a lifetime.  Why don't you give Aussie Rules a try? You won't be disappointed!!!

Guelph won the final game of the 2009 season against the Toronto Rebels on Saturday.  The Gargoyles ran out winners 12.17.89 to 6.1.31 in a fairly convincing display.  The game was follwed by the Ontario Australian Football Awards night where Guelph Gargoyles rookie Andrew Pilkington was named the OAFL Rookie of the Year beating out his opponents at all the other clubs int he league.  "Pilks" has had an outstanding year taking to the game like a veteran and the club congratulates him on his win.  Zack Macdonald was named to the OAFL All-Star team in the half forward position and is to be congratulated on his performance playing half the season with a severly injured foot.  Full details to follow.

A very determined Guelph outfit traveled to Humber North College in Toronto for round 13 of the Ontario Australian Football League season.  The Gargoyles were facing the Central Blues from Toronto for the second time this season after losing the first match-up in Round 1 by a few points.

Round 13 was to be assistant coach Bradley Slingo’s last game for the club before he returns to Australia.  Slingo has been at the core of the team for a number of years and has showed incredible dedication to the football club.  Players were going to accept nothing less than a win for his final game for the club.

With both Guelph ruckmen out for the game it was coach Chris “Lingus” Cunning that filled the ranks to help out Nathan Millar take on the rucking duties in the engine room.  Guelph finally managing to field a team that resembled something looking like the roster the club has had for the season although still missing some key players .

The game was underway at 2:00pm and Guelph immediately asserted themselves on the game.  The midfield owning the ball and keeping the Central Blues defence very busy for the latter half of the first quarter.  The Gargoyles went into the first break with a few points separating the teams although looking like they were getting on top of their opponents.  With the second quarter underway Guelph started to really turn up the heat and most of the quarter was played in the Blues backline with James Twiss bagging himself a nice goal from a set shot about 40 metres out &  Jeff Borysiewicz kicking 2 very nice goals to take the lead.  The Gargoyles missed a number of shots on goal from inside the 50 metre mark due to both inaccuracy and a stiff breeze that was creating issues.  Coming into the half time break the Gargoyles again held a small lead but were controlling the majority of play.

Coach Lingus reminded everyone on the team how important today was for the club at the half time break and the players responded in the 3^rd quarter.  The beginning of the quarter was all Guelph with the team running out to a nice lead and dominating the Blues who were getting frustrated at the attack on ball.  Adam Millen was having a great game showing no respect for his body throwing himself into contests and coming away with the ball.  Slingo in his swansong match was also racking up possessions and making some of the younger Blues players look slow as he wove his way through the crowd to dispose of the ball into the Guelph forward line.

The Gargoyles knew that 20 minutes of football was all that remained after the end of the 3^rd quarter.  The team determined not to let a repeat of the round 1 game happen where the Blues fought back from a 2 goal deficit to take the lead and the match away from the Gargoyles.  The final period was underway and some silly penalties led to a situation that almost let the Blues back in the game but they failed to convert.  The Gargoyles maintained pressure and held onto the lead until the final siren winning the game by 6 points.

Slingo was carried from the ground in honour of his final match for the Gargoyles.  His enthusiasm, committed play, coaching and motivational words will be missed by the Gargoyles who wish he and his family all the best upon their return to Bendigo, Victoria.

Goals: Jeff Borysiewicz 2, Greg Logel 1, Zack MacDonald 1, James Twiss 1, Andrew Pilkington 1

Best Players: Adam Millen, James Twiss, Brad Slingo, Matt Bannon, Dave Maurer, Dan Murray.

Round 12 of the OAFL competition saw the Guelph Gargoyles taking on the Hamilton Wildcats for the second time in 2009.  Guelph had handed the Steeltown boys a loss in round 8 leading the game from the outset.  Hamilton has had a great season this year and is currently sitting in 3^rd place in the OAFL standings behind the big guns of Etobicoke and the Toronto Eagles.

An again undermanned Guelph side (have we finished with the weddings this year or what?) took to the field and managed to run with the Cats for the first quarter keeping things looking pretty even.  A determined Wildcats side awoke in the second quarter and ran over the Gargoyles for the remaining 3 quarters playing some very skilled football and converting opportunities where they counted kicking 16 goals and only 6 behinds for a great conversion rate.  Guelph on the other hand managed only 4 goals and 7 behinds in a disappointing loss.

The final 2 rounds of football remaining for 2009 take place against the Central Blues and the Toronto Rebels.  Player availability that has plagued the team this year appears to be on the mend so both management and coaching staff are hoping to finish on a high note with 2 wins.  The club can concentrate on having fun and enjoying their games as they are out of finals contention and can likely play the spoiler  role against the Blues this coming weekend.

A review of this season will likely show that although much work was done in the off-season it comes down to having 24 guys each and every week to field that makes the difference.  Injuries although nothing major have impacted the team all year with hamstring, shoulder, foot and rib injuries keeping the club from fielding their best team the entire season.  Something to think about for 2010 is keeping everyone healthy and available.

Lets keep the Blues honest on Saturday and show them that although we sit out of the finals race the Guelph Gargoyles can never be taken lightly on game day.

The Guelph Gargoyles were defeated by the Etobicoke Kangaroos who remain undefeated for the 2009 season to date.  Guelph has struggled of late to get a full strength team on the ground due to numerous injuries social/work schedule conflicts for players.  The Etobicoke team should be commended for their sporting gesture in playing equal numbers on an under manned Guelph squad.  Guelph battled hard but missing forepower up front and an empty bench were not able to match the skill level of the Kangaroos.  Etobicoke ran our victors 16.12.108 to 3.2.20.   Carl O'Brien the loan goal kicker for Guelph with 3.   Next week sees some players returning to the ranks for the game against Hamilton.  Game time has been revised to 11:00am start in Gueph.