Melbourne Falcons Volleyball Club

2009 started early for the Women’s program, in particular the Honours team, Monday 12th January with outdoor preseason fitness training !!!  We hit the indoor boards the first week of February.

A combined honours and div 1 team headed off to Warrnambool with only 2 honours players from 2008, plus our new signing Jess Lampe from Mornington.  We played div 1 and took out the title, 3-1 against Austral from SA, felt even better as ex falcon, Jason Potts (if he ever comes back to Victoria he will become a falcon again), is the head coach for the Austral women’s program.

The new VVL State League tournament was our first opportunity to get our entire honours team together (minus Skip overseas & Erica injured).
This was a successful tournament coming second to Renegades.

So to the actual season………

In 2008 the honours team finished 5th.  2009 saw the blooding of some youth with Jaimee-Lee, Monique, and Jacinta joining the Honours team.

The actual round robin phase of the season was very up and down, players injured or away at times, we started off like a house on fire, had a lull in the middle, and then came home with 3 straight wins.  We played 12 matches, 7 wins and 5 losses.

Our semi final was against Heidelberg, and this turned out to be our best performance of the season.  Tactical serving and dominant blocking saw us 3-1 victors.

Now onto the preliminary final against Yarra Ranges, the only team in the competition we hadn’t beaten in 2009.  From two nil down, we came back to take it to the 5th, where we went down 15-8.

While we know we could have won the premiership, the fact is we weren’t good enough on the day BUT the future is very bright…… bring on 2010 !!!

Finally, I would like to say a special thank you to Grace, who is there all the time when I need her, no matter how big or small the task is, and I did enjoy the coaches meeting every Saturday at the Dandy Club.

Thank you to all those who attended the 2009 Awards Presentation Night. Following is a list of the awards that were given out this year:

Mens Program
Honours MVP:  Steve Brooks
Honours MVP:  Sam Brisbane
Coaches Award:  Victor Andonopoulos
Rising Star:  David Fletcher
Best Clubman:  Elliot Winfield
Most Improved:  Ramsay Willmott
Most Committed:  Liam Sketcher

Womens Honours
MVP:  Laura Simpson
Coaches Award:  Jaimee-Lee Morrow
Rising Star:  Monique Stojanovic

Womens Div 1
MVP:  Hayley Pringle
Coaches Award:  Sabrina Bondini
Rising Star:  Alice Ritchie

Womens Div 2 Navy
MVP:  Elsie Rodgers
Coaches Award:  Sarah Teklenberg
Rising Star:  Caitlin Miller

Womens Div 2 Gold
MVP:  Grace Harries
Coaches Award:  Zoe Scanlon

Outstanding Club Service
Cathy Doulgeris
Michael Robertson

The Falcons Mens Honours team has made it into the Grand Final for the 2009 season. They will come up against long time rivals Heidelberg. This game is sure to provide all fans with an epic and hard fought match. The match will be played at the State Volleyball Centre in Dandenong at 4PM.

So every past and present Falcon (and family and friends) should be there to support the boys to take home the title. So get down there in your colours and make plenty of noise to get them across the line!!!

See you all there!!!

The 2009 Falcons Presentation Night will be held on Monday the 14th of September at the Coach & Horses Hotel (33 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood).

The night will start with dinner and mingling at 7pm onwards (individuals pay), and this will be followed with the presentations at 8:30. All players, family and friends are invited. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating 2 State League Titles as well

Any questions, please contact Robbo or Bill.

 Well the season is over and now comes the time to shine! Both Mens and Womens Honours team are competing for the title this year and will be playing against Heidleberg this Saturday. The games are at the State Volleyball centre at the following times:

• Women Honours – Falcons vs Heidelberg – 12PM
• Mens Honours – Falcons vs Heidelberg – 2PM

The Womens team is fighting it out in the elimination final for a spot in next weeks Prelims, while the Mens team will be fighting for a direct path into the Grand Final in 2 weeks time, with a second chance in the Prelims next week if needed.

So every Falcon (and family and friends) needs to get down there in their colours and make plenty of noise for both these teams to get them across the line!!!

See you all there!!!

Yering Farm Wines, a local boutique Yarra Valley winery, has kindly offered to support Falcons Volleyball Club through the sale of their exclusive range of wines. The estate is a family owned and operated enterprise with an impressive portfolio of fine new world wines. Please click on the link below to open the information/order sheet.

Falcons will receive a 30% rebate from the sales.

Distribution if the range is select, you won’t find these wines in your local bottle-shop. You will find them prominently listed at Taxi, Flowerdrum, Chateau Yering, Attica, Kootz, Mini, Pearl and number other prestigious restaurants.

This offer is open to all your family, friends and aquaintances so please publicise this unique opportunity as widely as possible. The fundraiser will be ongoing so please encourage them to order as many times as they like.

Simply fill out the Falcons Order Form and post, fax or email it direct to Yerring Farm Wines. The wines will be despatched via Australia Post directly to you.

 Click here to download the Falcons Volleyball Wine Fundraiser Information and Order sheet

Well the 2009 Victorian State League season has now finished and we are all ready for the Semi-Finals next week. It has been known since early in the season that the top two spots in the Mens Honours competition would be taken by Heidelberg and Falcons, so they will fight it out in the first Semi-Final next week, while the Womens Honours team came just outside the top two, missing out on the double chance. They will take on Heidelberg in the second Semi-Final. The Div 1 boys showed some promise in their last game, taking the first set off the 2nd-placed Southern Cross, but could not finsh it off. Some great signs for the upcoming Bendigo tournament and next year though, with 13-year old Luke “Reno” Brisbane having a great performance on his debut. The Womens Div 1 team fought hard but lost in 4, leaving them just outside of finals contention. Both Div 2 Womens teams had great wins yesterday but finished mid-table in their 13-team division.

Mens Honours def Southern Cross Fairhills 3-1 (29-27 18-25   25-19 25-18)

Mens Div 1 def by Southern Cross Fairhills 1-3 (23-25   25-17 25-16 25-17)

Womens Honours def Camberwell Cobras 3-0 (25-17 25-19 25-21)

Womens Div 1 def by Camberwell Cobras 1-3 (25-15 20-25   25-22 25-15)

Womens Div 2 Navy def West Vic Phantoms 3-1 (26-24 18-25   25-23 25-13)

Womens Div 2 Gold def Latrobe Valley 3-0 (25-11 25-20 25-15)

Mens Honours def by Heidelberg 2-3 (23-25   22-25   25-23   25-17   15-11)

Mens Div 1 def Heidelberg 3-0 (25-22   25-21   25-23)

Womens Honours def Heidelberg 3-0 (25-20   25-18   25-21)

Womens Div 1 def Heidelberg 3-1 (25-23   26-24   16-25   25-16)

Womens Div 2 Navy def by Melbourne Uni Renegades 0-3 (25-18   25-11   25-11)

Womens Div 2 Gold def Mornington 3-1 (25-21   25-12   21-25   25-9)

Mens Honours def Yarra Ranges 3-0 (25-22   25-23   25-20)

Mens Div 1 def by Yarra Ranges 2-3 (25-16   25-23   18-25   25-27   15-12)

Womens Honours def by Yarra Ranges 1-3 (25-15   25-23   24-26   25-21)

Womens Div 1 def Yarra Ranges 3-2 (25-20   25-21   10-25   22-25   18-16)

Womens Div 2 Navy def Mornington 3-2 (22-25   25-19   16-25   25-9   15-5)

Womens Div 2 Gold def by Melbourne Uni Renegades 2-3 (21-25   25-10   25-19   17-25   16-14)

Just a reminder that the Honours Mens game this week has been moved to 2:45pm from 4pm on the 1st of August.

See you there!