Yass Bulls team after their win in Griffith.
First established in 1975, the Yass Bulls have taken out a win in an age group for the “first time [we] can remember for a very long time”. Hitting the training field twice a week on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, the boys’ U18 team has just taken out the top spot for the Rod Wise Suns Junior Championships, held this year in Griffith.
Taking out a 9-8 Grand Final win over Orange, the boys bounced back after an initial setback in their opening game. Yass Touch Football Association President, Tim Collins, says the win has boosted morale within the group, highlighting the hard work that had been put in behind the scenes in the leadup to the championships.
“It was a good acknowledgement and good indication of teamwork versus individual play,” he says.
“The team played together really nicely, they worked well together, followed the guidance and the structure given to them by the new coach.”
For the last few years, Tim says the club has been investing in coaching clinics and has seen a further investment into their referees. Which, he says, has already shown considerable impact.
Homegrown, and a former Yass touch football player himself, Doug Witt is the man behind the success after recently putting his hand up to coach the U18 boys’ team.
“I didn’t know any of them until I got there, so it was all a brand-new adventure for us,” says Doug. “They didn’t know me and I didn’t know them.” Initially “sounding each other out”, Doug says he took the boys through some tough sessions which they responded well to.
Their first test came when they played in Canberra at the Canberra Territory Cup. Although the boys did well, Doug says they hadn’t quite reached their potential.
“We went back and we worked hard again,” he says. By the time the Suns Regional Championships came around, the boys had put the blood, sweat and tears appropriate to take out the win.
“They started the day with a loss, but they improved over the day and eventually they got the win,” says Doug. It was such a reward for the boys for all their hard work and the amount of effort they put in.
“They bought into the notion of working hard at training, getting fit and understanding some of the finer technical points of the game. “It was really pleasing to see them get up on that day. They deserved it and they played really well.”
Relatively young for their age, most of the team has only just recently come up from the UI6s team, which means they will be sticking to the same team for a while before moving to a higher age group.
“What we’ve done is set them up nicely for the next couple of years and to be one of the sides that will always come out competitive and compete to the end,” says Doug.
“The dedication of all the coaches and volunteers has been a real highlight and emphasises that the positivity and willingness to train hard and learn, mixed with some fun, has been the backbone of this success.”
Although he says he is proud of the whole team, Doug says some standouts this season have been Chase Collins, Tray Souter and Cody Diamond. These players, he says, have worked hard over the entire campaign with no signs of stopping. While the team has taken a moment to celebrate their win, Doug says it doesn’t end there, with lots of work to be done ahead of more tournaments.
– Elizabeth Kovacs
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