Bathurst Giants Under-12s stand tall in successful season

The Bathurst Giants Under-12s side stood tall in 2021, winning the Minor Premiership before the season was abandoned. Photo: Facebook @bathurstgiantsafl

 

The Bathurst Giants Under-12s have had a season to remember, as the side only lost a single game on their way to their first minor premiership in six years.  Despite not being able to play in the AFL Central West Grand Final due to COVID restrictions, the side can still hold their heads up high as they won eight out of nine matches played in 2021.

Led by coaches Simon Kay and Scott Traves, the team enjoyed their best year in over half a decade. The Giants were able to build and grow as a team and put in consistent performances all year. Kay was especially impressed with the commitment shown from the young side.

“It was a very successful season on all fronts. We are really happy with the performance and improvement from all the players. I really enjoyed coaching them this year,” he said.

“We had a really strong foundation of players and the commitment from the players to turn up each week out was outstanding. That includes games where we would be playing away. They are all consistent and willing to turn up.”

“Our last game in Dubbo stood out to me. But our best performances were definitely at home. There was also one game in Orange where our team put their head down and really dominated across the field.”

The Giants boasted the competitions best defence, only allowing 156 points scored against them all season. This was exactly 156 points less than the next best team. Their attack was also highly impressive, with 514 points scored in nine games. Led by Connor Hobby (9), Flynn Wolfe (9), and Samuel Kay (8), the side enjoyed a lot of success kicking the ball between the sticks.

 

Despite the team’s achievements this year, most of the side actually didn’t know each other at the start of the season. According to Kay, there was a lot of work put into team building before the season started.

“Fun and leadership is the main focus for me as a coach. That includes being very supportive and focusing a lot of work into team building, especially at the start of the season. That includes learning each other’s names because a lot of them don’t know each other. That rapidly improves the cohesiveness of the team,” he said.

“There is also focus put on skill development. Its not just that though, it’s setting up the drills and knowing what they are doing. We spend a lot of time with the team teaching them how to hold a football properly. You still have some kids who still struggle to kick a football by the end of the season, but you also have some who kick it like they were born with it.”

 

For Simon Kay and Scott Traves, coaching junior footy is a tough but incredibly rewarding experience. Kay admits that it’s a big commitment, but something he is happy to do.

“This is my second year coaching the under-12s and its really enjoyable. It’s a big commitment from Scott and I to leave work to come to training but I really enjoy it,” he said.

“Me and Scott get along really well. We are good mates, so it makes things a lot easier. He does his part and I do my part. We know what each other are doing on a day-to-day basis so that makes it easy. We just gel.”

 

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