Wednesday, 7 November saw the annual Harbour Waitakere junior boys AFL tournament take place. AFL, or Aussie Rules/Australian Football  is a fast-paced game in which the players attempt to score as many points as possible by kicking the ball through one of three goals made up of four posts. Scoring through the middle goal is called a ‘goal’ and awards 6 points, resetting the game back to the center of the field, scoring through either of the side posts is called a ‘behind’ and awards 1 point, the ball is then kicked upfield by the conceding team from the post. The game is divided into four quarters.

Rutherford entered this year with a team of 15 eager boys headed by the amazing Mr Silby and Mr Dunn, Rutherford’s first game was a bye which allowed the boys to get in some much needed training and warm up. The first actual game was against Northcote. The first quarter saw the boys struggle to keep Northcote out, conceding numerous goals and behinds while the attack made several runs but to little avail. The second quarter saw the Rutherford boys score a few and make a few cheeky goal line saves, however, Northcote still managed to get past the boys a couple of times. The third quarter saw the Rutherford team concede much less while the attackers executed many more successful attacking plays, scoring many ‘behinds’ but few ‘goals’. As Rutherford entered the final quarter against Northcote it appeared the boys were making a comeback, keeping out the opposition and scoring goals, however it was not enough, the full time whistle blew giving Northcote the win.

The Rutherford team entered their second game against Albany A with heads held high. The first quarter was fairly even, Rutherford’s performance improving by the second. The second quarter saw the battle continue with Albany gaining an edge over the team due to their strategic placement of several slippery, agile players, nevertheless, the Rutherford team persevered despite the scoreline. The third quarter had Albany tighten their defense, keeping the boys on edge while the Albany team managed to score several more goals; Rutherford managed to return some of the conceded points but still lagged behind the Albany scoreline. Albany kept up the intensity throughout the fourth quarter, as did Rutherford, with the team scoring a couple. The final whistle blew with Rutherford keeping their heads high as Albany A were awarded the win.

The third and final game had Rutherford play a physically smaller team: Kingsway, while being graced by a wild Kotuku frolicking in the bushes. The Rutherford team played respectively in the first quarter and managed to score numerous goals, setting the bar high early in the game. The second quarter featured the Rutherford boys continue their onslaught as more and more goals were scored, much to the dismay of the Kingsway players. The third quarter saw the Rutherford boys keep up much of the intensity while still playing with integrity and honesty. The fourth quarter had the boys tired, but in good spirits as Kingsway were kept out of the goals and the Rutherford boys kept themselves in. As the final whistle blew the team enjoyed a well earned victory amid the heat of the long day.

The Rutherford boys played valiantly for the duration of the tournament, despite limited training, with Brad Atwell taking out a well deserved MVP (Most Valuable Player) award whilst everyone received a St Kilda bag and cap before enjoying a fun van-ride back to school.

Special thanks to Mr Silby and Mr Dunn for being our patient coaches and drivers, Year 11 students Mitchell Callaghan and TJ Devery for giving up their time to come train and support us and Sports Coordinator Jill Edgar for coming along to watch the team in the blistering heat.