Colts Camp Wrap Up

On Friday the 26^th of January, our Colts players set off on their annual camp to Geraldton. After the 5 and a half hour bus trip the squad arrived at Geraldton Camp School and were straight into finding the best bed arrangement and then whatever activity they could find around the site.

After settling in, the boy’s relished the opportunity to stretch the legs and have a kick at Railways Football Club. It did take some time for the Perth boys to adjust to the customary Geraldton breeze but the Midwest Academy players wasted no time in showing them it didn’t affect tackling. Following training, the players were hosted upstairs in the Railways clubroom where they fuelled up on pizza and pasta while participating in an East Fremantle game style presentation.

Saturday morning brought the eagerly anticipated game in god’s country, Northampton. The squad, with selected Midwest Academy players, were split into two teams and even though it was an intraclub game, the boy’s wanted to win. Conditions were hot and blustery, but it didn’t seem to affect the quality of the game. It was fast paced and physical with some big contests testing the courage of the players. It was a tight affair with the lead changing several times and the game resulting in an overtime golden point because no one likes a draw. The game was an important gauge for both players and coaches to see progression of our now 2 month preseason. The way the game was played indicates we are moving in the right direction in terms of execution of roles and game style.

The squad boarded the bus and returned to Geraldton where they cooled off at Champion beach and ventured into town for lunch and costume shopping. Resuming after the break, the boys arrived at Nagle Catholic College with renewed energy and some questionable “NBA pregame” attire. With no signs of fatigue from the mornings game, the players resumed hostilities in a rookies v vets tournament. Games of Basketball, Soccer and Cricket saw the players showcase their skills (or at least enthusiasm) for other sports.

Saturday night brought a new set of team games, this time to test the boy’s in other forms. From deal or no deal where the players showed they should not be trusted with money making decisions, to a spicks and specks lyric game that saw players test their vocal range when singing back to their team. It was impressive to see some of the “quiet” players come out of their shell. At the completion of the games, players were able to have some downtime, but it was apparent the boy’s wanted to continue the rivalry through the night.

 

Returning to the Midwest each year for this camp has provided the club a valuable opportunity to showcase the region to our young players. It is important our squad understands what has made the connection between the Midwest and East Fremantle so strong and to ensure we continue this through future senior players of the club.

Football is a small component of this camp. The bus ride, training, game, exploring the town and team building activities are all opportunities to invest in relationships which is an important catalyst for building our season. Many external comments were made about the groups behaviour and willingness to help out behind the scenes. We have a great group of young men whom we look forward to developing both on and off the field.

Special thanks to the following people for making this camp a memorable experience for players and staff:

Casey Tours
Railways Football Club
Northampton Football Club
Nagle Catholic College
Beau Walker
Harry Taylor
Gerard Marquis
Grant Russell

Graeme Harris
Mitch Boyle