OUR HISTORY - YEAR BY YEAR
2000 - 2009
2004
A Section
President: Alan Burrows
Secretary: Ian Jervis
Treasurer: Ron Hine
Firsts coaches: Leigh Carlson & Phil Gaut
Reserves coach: Dale Bower
U19s coach (Section 2): Dean Peters
3rds coach (Section 3): Ed Best
TEAM LEADERS
Firsts captain: Andrew Ramsden
Firsts vice-captains: Lincoln Reynolds & David Burrows
Reserves captain: Sam van der Venne
Reserves vice-captain: Trent Morpeth
U19s captains: Justin Kenna & James Webster
U19s vice-captain: Anthony Dickenson
3rds captains: Craig Heaven & Chris Stebbins
3rds vice-captain: not recorded
Phil Gaut was elevated from assistant coach to become joint coach with Leigh Carlson.
2004 was definitely different! Slow starts in the previous three seasons had been very costly but thumping practice match wins against Old Xaverians and Old Scotch indicated we were ready to go and we were. Despite a mid-season lapse, we snared fourth spot despite giving bottom side De La Salle a 23 point start at three quarter time in the last home-and-away game. Thank God for Lachlan Kennedy and Andy Cultrera who was recruited from Aquinas OC (Division 1) in 2003, courtesy of Dave Rogers. Despite the assurances of others, Cultrera was not entirely confident he could play at the top level. And how misguided was he? In seven years, he amassed 365 goals, represented the state in six of those years, won the A Section goalkicking in 2006 and 2007, was club captain in 2008 and four times leading club goalkicker!
Andrew Ramsden was again appointed captain of the VAFA state team. This year he was named All Australian Amateur Captain after being named All Australian for the past three seasons.
Alister Neville, Andy Cultera & Brent Walsh were also selected in the VAFA state team, and Alister Neville in the VAFA U23 team and the All-Australian Amateur team.
Kristian Butler, despite going surfing in WA or thereabouts for the last month of the season, was the joint Under 19 Section 2 best and fairest winner, and Jed Burgess won the competition’s 3rds Section 3 best and fairest.
After 9 rounds the Firsts sat 4th (6-3) and the Reserves also 4th (5-4). The U19s were 5th (5-4) and the 3rds 2nd with 7-2. After 18 rounds the Firsts had held on to 4th by half a game winning 10, losing 7 and drawing 1. The Reserves were also 4th on percentage with 10-8, the U19s 7th (8-10). The 3rds finished a strong 2nd with 12 wins and 3 losses.
A first ever appearance for our Firsts in A Section finals awaited.
But, alas, things went a bit awry before we got started. Best and fairest winner Abe Williams, far and away the competition’s best centreman, injured his knee in a snowboarding accident before the first semi. And Paul Gnatt, the best rover in the competition had already buggered his knee at Elsternwick Park near season’s end against Old Haileybury.
Despite these setbacks, and a dreadful win/loss record against them, we belted Marcellin in the first semi at Sandringham with a ten goals to two second half.
FIRSTS FIRST SEMI-FINAL:
Old Trinity: 2.3 7.5 12.10 17.14.116
Marcellin 4.4 5.8 6.8 7.14.56
Goals: Cultrera 3, A. Ramsden 3, L. Kennedy 2, Krakouer 2, T. van der Venne 2, L. Deane-Johns, Hillas, Hine, Neville, Reynolds
Best: A. Ramsden, T. van der Venne, S. Kennedy, L. Kennedy, Neville, L. Deane-Johns
Trinity people came from far and wide for the preliminary final, which happens when you smell success. Despite leading St Bernards at half time, several of our wretched long-time nemeses, notably Daniel Byrne and Dan Jordan, went mad in Q3. Anyone who was at our three-quarter time huddle that day will never forget a very hoarse Carlson (then Deputy Principal of Marcellin College) extolling us to bury them. We lost but were extraordinarily gallant, reducing the deficit to 13 points at the halfway mark of Q4 but a few things went against us in the last ten minutes and that was that.
FIRSTS PRELIMINARY FINAL:
St Bernards: 4.1 7.5 13.9 20.12.132
Old Trinity: 3.2 7.7 8.10 13.12.90
Goals: Walsh 4, Andrews 2, T. van der Venne 2, Cultrera, L. Kennedy, Krakouer, Pretty, Reynolds
Best: T. van der Venne, Buttler, D. Burrows, Neville, R. Burrows, Walsh
Sadly, the Reserves fell at the first hurdle in their 1st semi-final
RESERVES FIRST SEMI-FINAL:
Old Scotch: 5.6 10.10 13.15 20.20.140
Old Trinity: 4.1 5.4 7.7 13.10.88
Goals: Kenna 5, Williams 2, Burgess, Christopherson, McKinnon, Petdro, R. Ramsden, Troon
Best: Aitken, Christopherson, Burgess, Petdro, Bladeni, Donahoo
Could the 3rds go the whole way? Their start wasn’t promising when they lost the 2nd semi-final to Uni Blues.
THIRDS SECOND SEMI-FINAL:
University Blues: 4.5 5.11 9.11 13.12.90
Old Trinity: 0.0 2.0 2.1 5.2.32
Goals: GoIdenberg 2, Arrowsmith, Barr, Hill
Best: J Burgess, Christopherson, O'Shea, McCutcheon, Gamble, Heaven
However, they redeemed themselves strongly to beat North Old Boys in the preliminary final.
THIRDS PRELIMINARY FINAL:
Old Trinity: 2.2 4.6 6.8 7.9.51
North Old Boys: 2.1 3.2 3.3 4.4.28
Goals: M. Pawsey 2, E. McDonald, G. Barr, N. Stebbins, C. Taylor, J. Arrowsmith
Best: Taylor, J. Cade, Christopherson, N. Stebbins, J. Burgess, J. Arrowsmith
But, alas, University Blues showed in the grand final why they had gone through the season undefeated, with a percentage of 398.27!
THIRDS GRAND FINAL:
University Blues: 1.3 4.10 8.11 13.12.90
Old Trinity: 1.2 1.2 3.2 4.4.28
Goals: Taylor 2, Barr, Arrowsmith
Best: Burgess, Christopherson, Taylor, Pawsey, Heaven, Stebbins
Although the Reserves lost their first semi to Old Scotch and our 3rds were runners-up to an undefeated Uni Blues, both reinforced the historical truth of the need for depth in A Section.
AWARD WINNERS 2004
Firsts best & fairest (E.J. Weatherson Trophy): Abe Williams
Runner-up: Andrew Ramsden
Firsts coach’s award (Trevor Norman Trophy): Clint Hillas
Firsts goalkicking: Brent Walsh (54)
Reserves best & fairest: Steve Bladeni
Runner-up: Richard Troon
Reserves coach’s award (Michael Frost Trophy): Michael Donahoo
U19s best & fairest: Andrew Hore-Lacy
Runner-up: Kristian Butler
U19s coach’s award: Anthony Dickenson
U19s award for endeavour & commitment (John & Peter Quarterman Trophy): Justin Kenna
3rds best & fairest: Jed Burgess
Runner-up: Jay Arrowsmith
Best first year player: Alastair Neville
Best Club person (Tony Lyons Trophy): Ivan Tudor
Life member: Ian Jervis
200 games (Life Membership): Fraser Cameron
200 games (Life Membership): Andrew Ramsden
150 games: Jono Cade
100 games: Cam Barr
100 games: David Burrows
100 games: Tim Cade
100 games: Lachlan Kennedy