Youth-2 Boys 2025

Round 7

Fitzroy                     19     13       127

St Marys                   1       1         7

Welcome to part one of another Fitzroy Festival of the Boot, with delayed coverage from the Vic Park House of Discomfort. These back-to-back Youth Boys home games sure do bring out the best in Fitzroy’s club spirit.

The early game was our first return bout for the season against a St Marys side quite possibly hell-bent on revenge, after the Roys’ round one victory.

First day of winter. Hot start. Fitzroy’s ball movement was looking sharp. James bounced his way through traffic with line-breaking runs – fast becoming his trademark. 86 metres gained he reckons. Meanwhile, Smiddy’s lightning quick hands were carving a path through the oppo’s defence.

Lewis competed strongly when sent into the ruck. At the defensive end of the ground, nothing was about to get past Jack A-type, rebounding off half-back.

A deft tap by Dom helped Ted open the Roys account with a classy finish. Ash and Beau both grabbed chances to snap goals out of contested play. Eamonn went bang, and bang again, to give our men a commanding lead at quarter time.

Momentum continued in the second stanza. Hamish was delivering the footy with precision. Ted was running amok in the front half. And across half-forward, Henry just kept on getting hold of the pill and creating scoring opportunities. Sam Hugo presented as a strong target.

St Marys had the numbers camped deep in Roys territory, but couldn’t rebound through the great wall of Fitzroy. Clearly visible from outer space.

About now the Viggo-train hit full steam out of the stoppages, with plenty of running support from the likes of Taj and Spence, constantly on the move.

Fitzroy added three goals for the term. Henry sidestepped his man to pop one through from the goal square. Sam Healy slotted through a beautiful goal, and Max kicked his first major since obtaining his pen licence. Big celebrations. But despite the territory dominance, some nicely-crafted passages of play didn’t quite pay off. 7 behinds added for the quarter.

At the half, Coach Duke got busy on the board. No snake-break for him. Some magnet masterstrokes included bringing Captain Marcus’ running power into the midfield mix, and keeping Max smack-bang in front of the big sticks. In further shuffles, Runner Fred succumbed to a sore back-slapping hand and passed the bib over to Angus. Great job by those lads, while Luke watched on from the comfort of a dim sim.

The half-time break in teenage concentration didn’t help the Saints muchly, with their long centre clearance at the start of the third sailing the wrong way into the arms of Ted. St Marys soon corrected their compass and got on the scoreboard, but couldn’t contain Fitzroy’s scoring power.

In typically hard-running fashion, Tom repeatedly speared the footy into the Roys forward line. Sam Healy took a nice grab and kicked a major. Spence followed up with a brilliant running goal. A perfectly-executed crumbing goal to Ollie hammered home the advantage.

A loose ball was pounced on by Ted who snapped truly – and backed up minutes later to kick another major, this time courtesy of silver-service from Hamish. Eamonn marked and converted his third for the afternoon.

There was no let up from the Roys in the last quarter. Spence burst from the centre square a launched a long-bomb that got on a good roll through the big sticks.

Irrepressible Big Beau Little started a handball chain, got back involved in the middle, then ended up on the end of it to kick a major. Henry booted straight to chalk up another goal. Spring-heeled Angus took a big overhead clunk and found Tom, who kicked a wobbler right through the middle. Dom earned a free-kick right in front, and made no mistake.

The Saints kept competing, and tested our defence. Miserly to the end, Ash desperately denied the other mob on the last line. Four-quarter determination, right there.

By the final siren, Fitzroy’s fresh legs had bolted away on the scoreboard. There was plenty to like. Teamwork and confidence seem to be growing by the minute. We’ll take the break next week, and look forward to hitting the back half of the season.

Go Roys!

Round 6

Surrey Sharks      6       3       39

Fitzroy                   7     15      57

Round 6 provided another cracking day for footy, and an early game against the Surrey Sharks in hostile waters. 

There was a special reason for the Roys to dig deep for their coach today, but in true fashion, Coach Duke brought the focus back to the job at hand. ‘Never give up’ and ‘Enjoy the moment’ being the mantras for the day. Black armbands were donned, but it was all-positivity from there on in.

In bright pre-game signs, the boys were busting to get out onto the park. We welcomed back Kobe from injury, Sam cast aside his doona as a big late in, and Lewis was good to go after finding a pair of white shorts and oversized novelty sunglasses in the team dress-up box.

Captain Dom led from the front in the first quarter, giving the Roys first use in the centre square.

Our men cracked in with hard nuts Angus, Tom, Spencer K and Jack all contesting fiercely at ground level. While Ollie, Austin and Hamish provided the outside run.

In the skies, Viggo swallowed up just about everything that reached half back, while ever-reliable Marcus intercepted strongly on the last line. However it was the Sharks that managed to draw first blood in the majors column.

The Roys responded with Ted taking a superbly judged mark and kicking his set-shot truly. Eamonn brilliantly mopped up his own marking attempt to slam through another. By the end of the first, the sharp-shooting oppo had three straight on the board to hold a narrow lead. Game on.

Over the next 20 minutes, the Roys unleashed some sublime kicking skills. Hard running, team-first footy resulted in space opening up for Sam to burst into the game up forward. Elliot and Henry dominated proceedings across the backline, quickly turning defence into attack and helping to hold Surrey scoreless for the quarter. Our back six were outstanding, all game.

Taj was quick and precise with his ball use in the forward half. Ash propelled the pill into good scoring spots for the Roys, and once again, Ted and Eamonn seized opportunities to kick important goals. Four eight played three straight at the snakes.

With the game up for grabs in the premiership quarter, the Roys set out to make like Fonzie and jump the Sharks early. Equally, Surrey came out ready to raise the pressure.

Viggo cleverly gained yards on his opponent by hiding in the dug out. Fitzroy looked even more dangerous once we got all 18 on the park. 

The Roy Boys kept their cool under pressure, with Jack selling some candy to drive Fitzroy into attack. Kobe was lively across half-forward, and Spencer B emerged as the Roys power-forward. 

Two superb goals from Spence allowed Fitzroy to maintain breathing space on the scoreboard.

Our lads continued to bring the heat in the final quarter. A couple of ferocious tackles by Tom typified the team’s spirit. 

Beau took a vice-like grab and put his name in the scorebook. And Fitzroy’s rebound play kept the ball in our attacking zone, but the Glad Wrap between the big sticks continued to bother us a bit.  

At the final air-horn, Fitzroy ran out winners in a hard-fought contest. A memorable day, made all the more satisfying by a huge all-round team effort.

Go Roys!

Round 5 - Sir Doug Nicholls Round

Fitzroy                      5     3     33

Macleod/Preston   0     7      7

Grading over, we entered the meat’n’potatoes phase of the season with a Youth Boys double-header celebrating Sir Doug Nicholls round. Our men burst onto Vic Park looking magnificent in their indigenous guernseys, co-designed by Fitzroy junior players. 

The Roys were primed for Henry’s 100th game. The way the milestone-man ripped through the banner, you’d never know it was made from corrugated iron. 

Today’s rivals were a lethal combination forged from Macleod and Preston. Undaunted, we stood ready to take on any number of clubs simultaneously thrown at us. Bruce Lee-like. 

The game got off to a free-flowing start. Both sides created chances, but it was Fitzroy that lowered the eyes and hit targets up forward. 

Jack centred the ball with precision for hard-running Tom to kick the first. Soon after, Taj made a strong lead and calmly converted his opportunity. Ted started a chain of possession that ended up with the ever-dangerous Spencer snaring the Roys’ third for the quarter.

In defence, Isaiah boldly intercepted multiple forward entries to repel the oppo. Desperate acts by Patrick left him with a dodgy paw, but helped hold the other mob goalless.

Enter the second quarter, and the conglomerate started to find their form. The Roys were met with strong pressure right across the ground.

Our big men in Viggo and Dom took up the fight, competing strongly at every contest. The Roys running brigade got us moving with Aussie, Hamish E, Taj and Tom linking-up beautifully. Captain Hamish W ran tirelessly through the middle to provide an outlet.

Despite Beau’s high flying heroics, the goal face proved hard to penetrate, with just two points a piece added in the second quarter.

After the citrus, MacPreso continued where they left off… testing the Roys with their physicality and endeavour. With both teams digging in, it became more about being gritty than pretty.

The Roys defence was rock solid. Max took front position away from his opponent, Marcus held the ball up superbly despite being outnumbered, and Henry wasn’t about to let his man get a sniff, either.

Just 3 points were added to the scoreboard in the third – all to the other mob. The scoreboard attendant was seen ducking off for a jam donut at one stage, while keeping half-an-eye on proceedings. 

The game was well and truly up for grabs in the final quarter, and the Roys rose to the challenge.

Eamonn cleverly found Beau, who slammed through a vital major to break the stalemate. At the defensive end, steely Sam Healy marshalled the troops superbly to keep the opposition at bay. 

After his hard work in the midfield, Hamish E drifted forward to eventually kick the sealer in a hard-fought win. 

The Joe Johnson medals went to a couple of fearless competitors from both sides. Congrats to Zach D’Onofrio from Preston and our own Elliot Hannan, who attacked the footy relentlessly all day.

Another great team effort to build on!

Go Roys!

Round 3

Templestowe   1     7      13

Fitzroy            18    14     122

In our third hit-out for the season, the Roys headed out to Templestowe for a clash with the Dockers. It was set to be an unseasonal sun’s-out-guns-out type of affair, with every Fitzroy player opting for the sleeveless guernsey.  

In this Pat Cronin Foundation round, we reflected on the coward punch and the fact it has no place in society or footy. With this in mind, we aimed to play typically hard but fair. 

Must be said though, the one-size-fits-all yellow armbands struggled to match the circumference on many of the Fitzroy biceps. Sure, we looked strong in the sheds… but would the boys bring it when it mattered? Still mildly-smarting from last week’s result, Coach Duke demanded a fast start.

The work rate across the ground was high in the opening minutes. Jeri was looking dangerous around the big sticks, hitting the scoreboard early with a left-foot cannon.

Sam found Big Beau Little in the square, and Eamonn made no mistake from his hard-earned free kick.

The balance of power continued to swing Fitzroy’s way in the second quarter. 

Ash provided an attacking target, clunking overheads and polishing off his work with a major. Henry stood up bravely in the contest, and our one-percenters were creating opportunities.  

Beau was strong in the air, and even better off the grass, kicking a couple more with the most lethal big toe we’ve seen since Matty Scarlett circa 2009.

Eamonn was in electric form, whether it was finding space or putting his head over the footy in the forward line. 

By the half, the Roys had piled on 8 democracy sausages without conceding the other way. Credit to the Roys defence, who were disciplined when they needed to be, and launched counter-attacks at every opportunity. Viggo was proving hard to get past and Isaiah was repelling the purples with poise.

The Roys continued to apply the pressure in the third quarter. Some of our handball chains were poetry in motion, with the likes of Spencer K, Jimmy and the Hamishes repeatedly cutting a swathe through the corridor.

A brilliant smother from hard-running Hamish W turned the ball over, with Ted on the end of the chain to kick the goal.

Playing his first game in colts-colours, Lewis gave the mids good service in the ruck. Hamish E complemented his tough stoppage work with a superb crumbing goal, and Eamonn chimed in once again for his fourth.

After some fits’n’spurts output last week, today at the snakes, the boys pledged to run out a four-quarter effort. And that they did.

James lit up the member’s wing with a couple of devastating forward surges. More bounces than Clive Palmer’s chequebook.

Captain Dylan swooped on everything in the forward 50, and slammed through a couple of classy goals. Taj covered the ground superbly to find space, and convert the opportunity. 

Elliot bravely chose to smother with his sourdough-basket, and tells us he won’t be trying it again in a hurry. Bounced back quickly.

Henry snapped truly under pressure, Ollie marked and calmly slotted one through, and Jeri added another to his tally.

At the end of the day, the Roys ran out big winners on the scoreboard, but more importantly continued to develop their confidence and teamwork. We’re looking forward to next week’s challenge.

Go Roys!

Anzac Round 2

Fitzroy     4     4      28

Banyule   16   10    106

The Anzac round is a much-anticipated day on our match calendar, where we look to play in a way befitting of this important occasion.

Before the bounce, Scott Hamilton conducted a stirring ceremony, reflecting on the courage and all-important mateship that typifies the Anzac spirit. A wonderful way to set the scene, with both sides lined-up in front of the old Vic Park grandstand.

We entered this round 2 clash with the Banyule Bears, full of confidence. After a fortnight break spent developing game plans, studying the tapes, and pottering around home landscaping projects, the coaching panel felt as prepared as they could be. 

But in a hot start to the game, it was Banyule that took the ascendancy. We struggled to halt the other mob’s forward momentum, and some precise ball movement saw the Bears pierce our defence to put 5 goals on the scoreboard.

On the counterpunch, Crashin’-Cashen got the footy moving through the corridor for the Roys. Spencer K got on the end of it, and seized the opportunity to unveil the googly-doosra-bamboozla-punt he’s been developing over the off-season. 6 points never in doubt.

The physicality was taking a toll. Just as Fred was getting into the play, he suffered an unfortunate double-knee injury. Sam headed to the bench with a case of snoz-claret. Yet the Roys refused to take a backward step.

The second quarter didn’t get any easier. Our defence, led by Will Mac battled manfully, but weight of forward entries saw the oppo continue to mount scoreboard pressure.

On our highlight reel, Jericho dished out a double-don’t-argue in the centre, then followed-up the contest superbly to snare a long range goal before half-time.

With only one team representing the Youth Roys this week, the YB2 support team was brimming with 11 emergencies, 3 statisticians, 2 grappling coaches and a boot studder. At the oranges, we called upon every dollar of our soft-cap to find a way out of this first-half hole. 

The resulting lift in intensity was evident from the start of the third quarter. Dylan was winning plenty of contested footy and driving the Roys forward. Jack began to dominate aerial contests around the ground. Viggo was throwing his weight around to repel the opposition attack.

Pin-point passing repeatedly found Beau on strong leads, who was our ball magnet up forward. Sam turned on a dime at centre half forward, and kicked a great goal. Take that, Bad-hair Bears.

Fitzroy were determined to finish off strongly in the last. Strong contests typified the Roys resilience. In a couple of goal-saving efforts, James pinned his opponent in a crunching tackle, and Ash monstered his man for well-earned kicks. Captain Elliot showed desperation in defence when called upon.

Banyule’s pressure didn’t let up in the last, and they somehow managed to sneak through another few majors. 

Our men responded when Jeri used his strong presence to slot through his second goal for the afternoon.

At the end of the day, despite not getting the 4 points, Fitzroy honoured the occasion with teamwork and tenacity, in a match played in good spirit. Thanks for the strong showing of squad support!

We’ll take a bit out of this, and be raring to go next week.

Go Roys!

Round 1

St Marys (2)   4   5    29

Fitzroy (2)     10  11   71

We’re on the board! After a strong pre-season campaign, the Youth Boys squad has kicked off the season-proper in fine style.

The YB2s headed to Whatmough Park to tackle an unsaintly St Marys outfit. Despite all the pre-season blood, sweat and thinking time, Will Mac left a sock in the dryer and Rocco arrived minus a mouthguard. Fortunately, Chemist Warehouse was just around the corner, providing DIY fang-protectors and the unexpected bonus of 2-for-1 conditioner.

Things settled down somewhat from there.

Capt’n Angus Mac pointed decisively to the Chemist Warehouse end, and the Roys took advantage of the breeze and downhill slope. The boys slammed on 4 majors in the first, courtesy of Dylan’s deadly left foot, Roc’s hard-fought goal, a magnificent long range goal from Spence, and a first-for-the-Roys goal by Austin. Blistering start.

In quarter 2, the Sainters had their turn kicking towards the pharmacy – but Fitzroy held the momentum. Jack was winning the ruck battle and following up strongly at ground level, Leo burst through traffic to snag a classy goal, and Angus D chimed in with a major. Aussie hit up strong leads from forwards Eamonn and Isaiah with pinpoint accuracy. And at the defensive end, Will Mac, Marcus and Patrick were rock-solid on the last line. At half time the Roys held a comfortable lead.

In a challenging third quarter, we lost a couple of our ball-winners. Angus D copped a badly-fankle… Kobe wore one on the jaw… and we were suddenly looking crook as a chook. The Saints seized the opportunity to peg a few back. Ollie single-handedly stemmed the tide with a desperate goal-saving tackle. Beau snapped truly to claw one back for the Roys.

At the snakes, Coach Richard challenged the boys to win the last quarter. Fitzroy responded. Henry typified the lift in intensity with a crunching tackle. Will Cashen was a driving force through the corridor. The handball chains really started to click, and Spencer and Dylan finished the job to became multiple goal scorers for the day. With a true team effort, the Roys ran out 42 point winners.

Go Roys!