Match Reports
Under 12s
Justin Iaria
 Coming up against Nunawading we knew the opposition were going to put on a passing masterclass and we had to find a way to shut it down. By keeping a compact defensive line we were able to make sure no balls were leaked through in behind giving them easy goal scoring opportunities.
Now once we had that sorted we looked towards trying to shut down the opponents central midfield who seemed to be conducting the tempo of their attacking play, by doing this we were able to win the ball back and attack on the counter across the whole spread of the pitch.
After numerous attempts we were successful and were able to put one in the back of the net but shortly after our defensive line was caught out of position and that is where they seemed to be putting them away. A big improvement in both score line and effort from the away game against Nunawading and a great performance from our goalkeeper and goal scorer. Also thank you to Liam for filling in to give the squad a bit of depth.
Under 13s
Stuart Bethall
Possession, Possession, possession was the focus this week. We are becoming more competitive in games every week but we still need to improve our team time on the ball. Wednesday, this was all we did. Even though late in the session we added small goals for a short period, these were quickly taken away as the team lost focus on what we were trying to achieve.
Friday was a little more creative, working on our first touch to advantage. Instead of controlling the ball directly in front of you, we are trying to control it to the position we are going to next. This may be into space or away from an opposition player closing you down or even past a player in the attacking third.
This game was a perfect opportunity to bring up a few under 12 players for a taste of action in an older grade. We managed a fast start, scoring 2 goals very quickly giving us a comfortable advantage. From here we could blood the younger players relatively easily. A 3-0 half time lead showed our dominance all over the pitch and this was not going to change after half time.
Scoring 3 more and conceding a late, soft goal gave us a final 6-1 win. The players had done everything that was asked of them and the result showed. Although the 3, Under 12 players only got 10 minutes each, I hope they all took something from their experience that will aspire them to push themselves if given the opportunity again!
Under 14s
Sorry, no report this week.
Under 15s
Paul Nieuwenhuizen
 During the week at training we worked on denying our opponents time and space with the ball and how we transition when we have the ball and when we lose the ball.
Going into the game I focused on the 5c’s (commitment, confidence, communication, control & coordination), and reminded the players that Nunawading would look to pass the ball about and try and play between our lines.
The team worked well to deny Nunawading the chance to play their passing game by putting into practice what we worked on at training during the week. We constantly shutdown the space and pass channels causing Nunawading to turn the ball over. This enabled us to regain the ball quickly and put pressure onto their defence as we quickly transitioned into attack.
The quick transition resulted in a number of goal scoring chances throughout the game of which we managed to convert 3 times.
The highlight for me was the third goal we scored when we laid 3 strong challenges in our defence third that resulted in winning the ball back and then the quick ball movement forward to score a wonderful goal.
This effort and determination highlighted the commitment the team gave during the game and was rewarded with a win.
I would like to thank Marcus and Teng for stepping up from the under 14s. Thanks also again to Teng for putting his hand up to go in goals after the late withdrawal of James due to injury. Teng easily handled everything Nunawading threw at him.
Under 16s
Tommy Giuliani
 Sunday saw the 16 boys play Nunawading City who play a lovely possesion based style of football. Each game provides a great platform to further develop our players.
In the first half there was some really nice football played by Nuna.Fast 2 touch football as usual, good core skills and very organised. We conceded possesion to them but the boys worked hard to drop in and get compact behind the ball unlike the previous outing, however we got stuck defending on the edge of our own 18 yard box and forgot where and how to win the ball back.
Half time allowed me to address the lack of intensity,how and where to win back possession. It was a 5 minute brush up on pressing higher up the pitch.
In the 2nd half we started in a similar fashion with Nunawading dominating possession and I made the decision to become far more vocal and demonstrative from the touch line. I felt the need to become instructive and "drive" our players from the coaches box; to take away the time and space of the opposition through pressing aggressively and much higher up the pitch.
The intensity lifted from the boys,we pushed Nuna back to their half way line and pressed as a unit;We were now playing on the front foot, being pro-active not reactive, closing down spaces, anticipating, winning 50/50s and crunching into tackles. Our opponents couldn't keep the ball anymore. They looked ordinary and rattled. We were now winning the ball back and counter attacking with ease, exploiting Nuna's high defensive line. Our boys were playing great football now, releasing our attackers with through balls in behind where there was so much space. We looked so dangerous and their defenders were revealed to be so ordinary and slow. We scored 3 goals in the last 20 minutes and if the game had gone 10 minutes longer we would gave scored more!
It proves with effort, intensity, concentration and tactical organisation great things are possible. There were 5 quality players missing from our group on Sunday. This provides other players a great opportunity to grow in belief and confidence and some of theses boys have raised the bar in the second half and I couldn't be prouder of them.
Under 18s
Glen Wilson
 Firstly – Our condolences go out to Stefo and Vikki on their loss of a family loved one, our thoughts are with you.
Once again we were scrambling for players to make up the team. This tends to make it very hard on the pre-game preparations and has a massive impact as match instructions are only delivered to those in the rooms and not those who are still on the pitch with 16’s. It also means the pre-match warm up is ad-hoc and rushed.
When the game started, once again we were slow out of the blocks and conceded an early goal due to defensive error…….this seems to happen on an all too regular basis – read above! Our opposition are renowned for playing the ball around very nicely, but usually struggle to go forward ……not in this game, we allowed them all the time in the world to play through and around us –our plan was to sit back and keep a tight compact unit……unfortunately we sat right off them and allowed them to do what they wanted…..….with this, we only conceded 3 goals in the first half and had a couple of slight opportunities of our own.
At the break we spoke about this type of game plan, and how important it is to still put some pressure on the ball carrier, to take away his time, to make him rush somewhat……..how its important not to “dive in” and lose balance when defending, better to “jockey” them and try to move them one way or the other. Amazingly, the lads followed this part for the majority of the 2nd half and we fared much better – we did concede 2 more……one from a very soft (but it was there) penalty and another “howler of a swing and a miss clearing kick” by one of our defenders that let their player in 1 on 1 with the keeper.
We managed a couple goals of our own and with a bit of luck, we could’ve had a couple more……second half = 2 – 2. Overall we lost the game 5 – 2 , but we are showing some real signs and if we get it all right, we will win again.
As usual, thanks for all the lads that stepped up from 15’s & 16’s – too many to mention, it is very much appreciated.
Codes of Conduct for everyone
We want GV Suns to be a friendly and welcoming club - and we want everyone to feel comfortable being a part of our family. Our FFV approved codes of conduct for spectators, players, parents, coaches and administrators are available from our website.
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The Australian Football Skool tournament will return to Shepparton this year starting with twilight games on Friday 27 October and concluding Sunday 29 October. 
