On Friday December 11 2020, Oztag’s elite juniors attended the prestigious High Performance Academy (HPA) Camp at the NSW Academy of Sport in Narrabeen.
Selected from the NSW Junior City v Country tournament, these players were recognised as future prospects of our sport and granted the opportunity to learn from Oztag’s elite coaches.
The HPA Camp involved high level coaching of specific skill and conditioning drills, an introduction to tournament preparation and recovery to optimise performance, game analysis through an in-depth video session, and a fun games night.
The weekend culminated with 3 games against each other, allowing players to implement the principles and coaching provided throughout the training sessions into game situation.
AO National Coaching Director and HPA Supervisor, Michael Buettner was very pleased with the running of the Camp and the opportunities provided to the game’s up and coming elites.
“It was a huge success,” Buettner said.
“The 52 players were provided with some of the best coaching our game has to offer including the Australian Men’s Opens coach Jeff Coroneos, Australian Oztag Hall of Famer David Rose and our very own Mark Gasnier,” he said.
On Saturday, the players were welcomed by former Knights and Bulldogs NRL player, Jack Cogger who encouraged them to make the most of the opportunity and like a sponge, absorb all of the coaches advice.
Aged between 13 and 15, the squad have been commended for the wealth of skill and attentiveness they displayed throughout the duration of the Camp.
“The players should be very proud of the way they behaved and responded to the high expectations placed on them by the coaches,” Buettner said.
“It was great to see the talent on show and how quickly they picked up advanced coaching techniques and then were able to apply them to a game situation,” he said.
On Sunday afternoon, Brisbane Broncos NRLW Premiership winner Jayme Fressard presented the players with their trophies. She spoke of her career with the Broncos and competing at the Commonwealth Games in 2015 in Rugby 7’s and how Oztag helped her in developing the skills to compete at a professional level.
The 2020 HPA Camp ensured Oztag’s future prospects headed home with a greater understanding of game specifics that will benefit them in their future endeavors.
“From what I saw the future of Australian Oztag is looking bright and I would expect to see a large percentage of the players at the HPA represent their country in the very near future,” Buettner said.
Australian Oztag thank all the parents, players, staff and coaches for their efforts over the weekend. To the NSW Academy of Sport in Narrabeen – the facilities were ideal, and a special mention to the players from the ACT who travelled 4 hours to attend the Camp.
Australian Oztag have released details for the NSW Junior State Cup Under 12-17s (Coffs Harbour) and Under 9-11s (Sydney)to be played in February, 2021.
The current tournament restrictions are in place to comply with Government regulations and the Australian Oztag (AO) Safety Plan.
The most critical change is the maximum gathering capacity increased from 500 to 3000 persons in one area – providing it is large enough to still adhere to the one person per two square metre rule.
The implementation of zones will ensure compliance with such restrictions and allows for adequate COVID tracing requirements.
To allow parents to plan their accommodation and travel in more detail, AO have announced the allocated sessions for each age/division. See below.
The Tagger was Oztag’s official regular newsletter from 1996-2000, keeping the community up-to-date with all things Oztag.
The May, 1997 issue highlighted a ‘New Era in Oztag’, detailing the many changes within Australian Oztag – particularly Junior Oztag – while celebrating the ever-evolving Cups and Tournaments, nationwide.
According to The Tagger, 1997 saw Junior Oztag played in nine areas – Cronulla, Riverwood, Rockdale, Byron Bay, South Tweed, Liverpool, Wollongong, Canberra and Mullumbimby.
Written by Robyn Mullane, the column ‘Rob’s corner’ encouraged the launch and development of junior competitions in more areas.
Over the past 23 years, Junior Oztag has experienced an extraordinary growth in numbers with more than 60 areas now running large junior competitions across various nights and venues.
Having been associated with Oztag since 1995, Robyn Mullane has experienced the development of Oztag, but particularly juniors, firsthand.
“I ran my first comp for Cronulla juniors in 1996 after Perry asked me if I thought kids would like Oztag,” Mullane said.
“It was just obvious. While I played seniors, the kids would grab the spare tags and play against each other in the corridors between fields,” she said.
With such a demand, came many sacrifices and learning curves to ensure players kept coming back each season.
“I learnt so much along the way because every area is different,” Mullane said.
“Networking in the community played a huge part. Getting the right person to run it was absolutely critical,” she said.
From coordinating 55 teams in 1996 to a groundbreaking 707 in 2020, Mullane has had her hands full with Sutherland Shire Junior Oztag, yet has loved being part of the game’s journey.
“It’s been awesome. If I have to advocate for anything, I advocate for the grassroots more than the rep teams. I don’t think you can have a good rep team without a good domestic comp,” Mullane said.
“I have a great team of workers who do a lot of the hard yards each week. I’m just really proud of them and what we’ve achieved together,” she said.
Looking back at ‘The Tagger’, Oztag Founder, Perry Haddock shared how pleased he is with the game’s growth since 1997.
“I was happy to just run some comps at Cronulla and St. George in the beginning,” Haddock said.
“But some people who played in Cronulla or St. George lived elsewhere and wanted to start a competition in their local area,” he said.
With other sports headed in different directions, Haddock said there was an opportunity to cater for the wider demographic.
“Oztag has grown so quickly because it’s suited to all body types and fitness levels,” he said.
“It’s amazing to think how much it has grown.”
The Tagger involved various columns from Merchandising, New Logo Competitions, Referees, School Starter Kits, Fundraising by Central Coast, Tamworth’s Annual Knockout, the Canberra Cup and the Australian National Championships.
The 1997 Australian National Championships was held on the Gold Coast and included only four divisions: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Mixed Open and Over 30’s.
Due to such growth, Australian Oztag now welcome 15 divisions to the current Senior Australian Championships, with an extra 18 divisions attending the annual Junior tournament.
Current Senior Australian Championships divisions:
Women’s 20s
Women’s Open
Women’s 30s
Women’s 40s
Mixed 20s
Mixed Open
Senior Mixed
Men’s 20s
Men’s Open
Men’s 30s
Men’s 40s
Men’s 45s
Men’s 50s
Men’s 55s
Men’s 60s
The game’s history is one deserving of recognition and will be drawn on in the coming months.
As Oztag continues to prosper on various fronts, stay up to date and subscribe to our current online Australian Oztag Newsletter HERE.
Central Coast have claimed the Club Champions title for the eighth consecutive year after dominating the 2020 NSW Senior State Cup in various divisions.
Particularly successful in the Men’s divisions, the reigning club champions declared victory in the Men’s 40s, Men’s 45s, Men’s 50s, Men’s 55s, Men’s Opens Division 2, and Women’s 30s.
Established in 1994, Central Coast Oztag first entered a team in the NSW Senior State Cup in 1996, played at Solander, Cronulla.
Australian Oztag Hall of Fame Inductee, and Central Coast legend Dave Rose said the association only had the capacity to enter a Men’s opens side, known as ‘The Stingers’.
“Tony Jamieson was the Coach at the time and the likes of Steve Lacoy and Pat Hart played,” Rose said.
Central Coast Oztag now send 16 teams away to the annual tournament across all divisions.
In the eight years as reigning club champions, the only time they shared the title was in 2013 having finished in equal first with Cronulla.
Central Coast Licensee, Charmaine Ceeney could not be prouder of the association, putting the achievement down to a combination of camaraderie, coaching and a shared love for the game.
“We’ve got the best people running the seniors and some great mentors for the juniors coming through,” Ceeney said.
“We get a lot of our senior Australian and representative players putting back into the game by coaching our junior teams,”
“A large portion of our juniors then filter through to seniors; and having received such high-quality coaching for years, they go on to become some of our elite players,” she said.
Charmaine also acknowledged how their collective common-sense approach has contributed to the club’s success.
“We don’t try to make things too complicated. We don’t have any level of hierarchy, we’re all even and part of one team,” she said.
For years, Central Coast representative sides have maintained their competitive edge due to great participation rates and a shared sense of privilege.
“Compared to other areas, we’ve got a lot to choose from and that’s a result of years of hard work from the ground roots,” Ceeney said.
“Seniors especially, consider it an honor to make the team and you can see that in their commitment – they turn up and train hard,”
“They know that there are many other people that would be there in an instant if they don’t stay on top of their game,” she said.
Charmaine gave distinct credit to the many people who have contributed to the success of Central Coast Senior Oztag over the years.
“There are a few key people over the years who have put their hand up to do the hard yards, so they’ve all played a part in the club’s success,” she said.
“The likes of Australian Oztag Hall of Famers, Dave Rose and Pat Hart, as well as Adam Carslise were in charge of Central Coast Seniors years ago and are still heavily involved,”
“Dale Berg now runs our seniors, and does an awesome job,” she said.
Special mention was also given to Rick Steedman, Reg Styles, Amanda Morrison, Lexy Hall, and Brooke Peachy.
“I think our women have been the driving force behind our success because the inclusion of girls competitions from a junior level have made our sides extremely strong,” she said.
Central Coast Oztag have been recognised by many outsiders as having an incredibly strong club culture. Charmaine confirmed how the shared respect for the club has played part in their success over the years.
“The culture in our club is second to none and it is something that I am very proud of,” Ceeney said.
“We have a ‘family feel’ where everyone knows everyone, and we make sure to take a fair and honest approach to all things Oztag,”
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have all of these great people on my team, to be perfectly honest. I’m very proud of them,” she said.
Sponsored by Masterfoods, Central Coast Oztag make a distinct effort to put everything back into the game of Oztag to ensure their players can continue down the successful path they’re on.
2020 NSW Senior State Cup Club Championship Points:
1. Central Coast – 88 points
2. Penrith – 56 points
3. Souths – 52 points
4. Tamworth – 32 points
5. Parramatta – 25 points
Men’s 40s
Men’s 45s
Men’s 50s
Men’s 55s
Men’s Opens Div 2
Women’s 30s
Central Coast Champions from the 2020 NSW Senior State Cup
Australian Oztag is proud to announce the players selected for the 2020 High Performance Academy, a prestigious opportunity that see’s the development of Oztag’s junior elites.
Selected from the NSW Junior City v Country Tournament held last weekend in Wollongong, these players have been identified as having the potential to be the next generation of superstars.
The High Performance Academy (HPA) targets the 14 and 15 year-old age groups, providing them the opportunity to be coached by some of Oztag’s elite coaches.
The following players will attend the HPA Camp which will take place at the NSW Academy of Sport in Narrabeen from December 11 to December 13, 2020.
Introduced in 2019, the inaugural HPA was deemed a major success. Players came from across the nation to learn from the best and enhance their game.
HPA Coach, Stephen Butler
Due to Covid-19, Australian Oztag (AO) unfortunately could not invite QLD players to this year’s HPA Camp. ACT’s players were however nominated by the association, with a few extra talents selected at this year’s Junior City v Country.
Oztag Founder, Perry Haddock gave insight into his confidence in the program and is eager to work with this selected squad of elite juniors.
“We’ve compiled some great coaches to work at the elite Oztag High Performance Academy and we have no doubt that the players will have a lot of fun and improve their Oztag skills,” Haddock said.
“Congratulations to each and every one of the players on their selection and we look forward to welcoming you to the Narrabeen Sports Academy in December,” he said.
From outlining the specifics of player roles and positions, to maximizing athletic performance and partaking in a variety of skill and conditioning drills, the squad will be treated like elite athletes.
The focus of the camp is to encourage the transfer of knowledge into game situations among the future prospects of our sport.
All players selected will receive full HPA kit allocation, accommodation and meals, covered by Australian Oztag for the duration of the camp.
AO congratulate all 52 players on their selection in 2020’s eminent HPA squad.
2019 HPA Camp at the NSW Academy of Sport, Narrabeen
The 2020 NSW Junior City v Country ended in a seven-title draw after a neck and neck event, both City and Country teams to be congratulated on their efforts.
Held on Sunday November 15, this year’s City v Country was the first Junior tournament of its kind amidst strict regulations. Originally set to be held in June, players were undeterred by the tournament being postponed twice – simply eager to get on the field.
Despite little opportunity to train, players from across the state came together to play some quality Oztag, with a great level of speed, versatility and skill on show.
Southern Country Pride were the most successful of the tournament after claiming five Grand Final wins. They dominated both the Boys and Girls 15s division, whilst also taking out the Girls 12s, 14s and 16s.
Also contributing to Country’s seven titles was the Northern Country Knights, who were named champions in the Boys 16s and Girls 17s divisions.
City’s success was off the back of the Southern City Seahawks dominating both the Boys and Girls 11s division, while also claiming victory in the Boys 14s and 17s.
Extra mention is to be given to the Western City Scorpions after qualifying for 12 of the 14 Grand Finals on Sunday. Of those, they took home gold in the Boys 12s, Boys 13s and Girls 13s divisions.
2020 NSW Junior City v Country Grand Final Results:
Boys 11s: Seahawks 7 – 2 Knights
Girls 11s: Seahawks 2 – 1 Scorpions
Boys 12s: Scorpions 6 – 5 Knights
Girls 12s: Pride 2 – 1 Scorpions
Boys 13s: Scorpions 5 – 4 Seahawks
Girls 13s: Scorpions 3 – 0 Pride
Boys 14s: Seahawks 5 – 4 Scorpions
Girls 14s: Pride 5 – 2 Scorpions
Boys 15s: Pride 3 – 1 Scorpions
Girls 15s: Pride 5 – 0 Scorpions
Boys 16s: Knights 4 – 3 Scorpions
Girls 16s: Pride 7 – 1 Scorpions
Boys 17s: Seahawks 4 – 3 Scorpions
Girls 17s: Knights 4 – 0 Seahawks
For all tournament fixtures and results, please visit the Sportfix app or click here.
Once again, selectors were actively present at the City v Country tournament, with eyes peeled for Oztag’s rising stars. Impressed with the standard of talent, selections have been made from the 14 and 15-year-old age groups for the inaugural 2020 High Performance Academy (HPA).
Player selection is set to be announced tomorrow, November 19, 2020.
Credit is to be given to the Tournament officials for persevering to get the annual City v Country up and running, whilst coaches, managers and players are to be commended for their compliance with the regulations in place.
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