Story By Mark Jonas:

Hi Sainters

Never like to miss a milestone game for one of our players, especially when he is your step-son, so to avoid another hit around the back of the head from the wife, here it is!!.

Last Saturday, while I was away soaking up the rays in Noosa, Jake Tyler (Opray) notched up his 150th Senior game and taking his tally to just over 300 Games (including Juniors) with the mighty Saints. l do have to be honest, I was hoping he may miss a game earlier on in the season so I didn’t miss the big game having missed only around 20 games in total over his 23 years at NRFC.

Jake reached the exclusive “150 Game Club” at the Juniors in 2005 while playing Under 16, this was helped by the fact that he started playing U/10’s in 1996 and then found himself back in the U/9’s for two years when the club went straight age in 1997, finally getting back to U/10’s again in 1999.

It is fair to say that in Jake’s first 5 seasons, his size held him back but to his credit he just kept going and finally in 2002 while playing U/13’s, Jake finally started to get a bit of height to him and his footy just went to another level.

Coming off a great season in 14’s, Jake was named Captain of the 15’s, but a mishap at training while trying to take a big leap on the marking bag brought a halt to his season with a broken collarbone.

In his final year at the Junior Club in U/16’s, Jake was rewarded with both the U/16 B&F and also the Club U/16 award for the most votes at NRFC as per EFL Field Umpire Votes. Jake and his mates never played a final in their 5 years of competitive Junior football, coming close in their final game of the year but a loss had them finishing in 6th spot and missing an elimination by percentage.

In 2006, Jake made his way up Wonga Rd to play Colts along with a lot of his Junior mates.

Jake played all 18 Games in his first year of Colts (U/18’S) and was Runner Up in the B&F, finishing just one vote behind 2nd Year Colt, Nick Distefano.

In 2007 in his second year in Colts, Jake’s end to the Season was his highlight, not only did he make his Senior (2’s) debut in RD14 against Mitcham, he also played in his first ever final with the Colts the following week when we took on Montrose having a big win 13.16.94 to 10.7.67

In Round 1 2009, Jake finally made his Senior (1’s) debut, once again Mitcham at Quambee, which is still one of Jake’s biggest highlights.

Now in his 12th Year of Senior footy, Jake has been entertaining us for years now with his high leaps when marking and his very colourful boots!! His coach of 5 years now, OC, still rates Jake’s mark at East Ringwood, the highest he has seen in his playing and coaching career, but unfortunately being a 2’s game was not recorded, so we still gather at the family Christmas party each year and get OC to tell us how good the mark was and yep each year Jake gets that little higher!!

Still yet to play in a GF, like many people, Jake’s individual award shelf is full with 2 Reserves B&F and 2 Reserves Runner Up B&F.

Jake just has one more achievement he would like to get to now and that is to reach another exclusive club and that being “200 Senior Game” Club with his beloved Saints before his body gives way.

Well done again mate and we all hope you get to 200 and Congratulations on your 150 and your years of loyalty to your club.

Mark

Please see full story below on our Senior Women’s side that has been posted on EFL site, courtesy of Tash Gunawardana, who is a Senior Women’s reporter with the AFLW League.

Since this article was released our Women have gone on to make it 6 zero.

Enjoy……………………………

NORTH RINGWOOD’s inaugural women’s team has started the season 5-0 in the Deakin University Eastern Region Women’s North Division.

Senior women’s coach Joel Stephens is thrilled to be in the role after playing his junior and senior football at the Saints. Unfortunately Joel was absent when above photo was taken.

“It’s a huge privilege – I played all my junior footy at North Ringwood and I have always been into coaching from when I was little,” Stephens said.

“I was a PT for seven years as well, so I have brought a lot of knowledge and fitness and how to get the best out of each individual.

“I played high level football myself and passing on my knowledge of when I used to play.”

Stephens has been pleased with the start of the Saints’ season, particularly the make-up of the playing list.

“We have had six games and last week the other team could not fill a side in, but when I took on the role last year in November we had about 10 or 12 players and over about three or four months we have managed to get about 27 on the list,” he said.

“I took on the role more as a development coach, because a lot of the girls haven’t played before, so over that period I have just been trying to develop their skills, their knowledge of the game, (and) obviously their positioning they have got to do on the ground.

“They are a great group of girls, they are all willing to learn and have a thirst for the game, which is great.

“They have brought a lot of joy to the club as well, because it’s North Ringwood’s first women’s side, so they have added a lot of value around the club as well.

“They are quite a young group which is great, so I am sure we still have plenty of improvement to go and I couldn’t be happier with the way we have started.”

Stephens says the women are starting to form a close bond.

“I think that’s a big thing about our success (with) the coming together of us as a team and building that close bond, so when you are on the ground they can communicate better,” he said.

The perfect start to the 2019 campaign has made for a strong vibe around the club.

“The vibe couldn’t be any better I mean we are always getting good numbers to training and you know you play as you train,” Stephens said.

“Me as a coach, I am always trying to come up with new goals and challenges each week to make them improve so they don’t become complacent.

“I have had plenty of support from the club president and other people around the club, which has really helped and all of the parents are helping out each week with different duties.

“That sort of takes pressure off me and I can sort of focus on what I have to do as a coach.”

Stephens has seen North Ringwood evolve from his time as a senior player at the club.

“The girls have brought something different to the table from the moment they walked in with obviously bonding with the guys and I don’t know, it’s just sort of like the club has evolved with having the girls around as well,” he said.

“As when I played it was pretty much male-dominant and I think it’s great, (as) the energy around the club is great.”

The senior women’s mentor has also seen the transformation of the facilities at Quambee Reserve.

“From when I played it’s now a lot more professional, so we have great facilities there now with the gym and that type of thing,” Stephens said.

“In future, they are looking at building another change-room for females and toilets and stuff like that, which should be great but I am not too sure how long that will happen.”

As a coach, Stephens is all about developing his players and providing constant feedback.

“I think the biggest thing is in terms of getting the best out of each individual is listening to them and giving them feedback on what they have to improve,” he said.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so players will come up to me and say how did I go on the weekend and what do I have to do to improve and I just give them feedback.

“Whether it’s their attack on the ball or skills or positioning them where to go, so early stages we have plenty of numbers so players playing in lots of different positions and later on in the season I will set more key roles for each individual.

“We have got a big list so there will come a stage where players are going to miss out and I am going to have to unfortunately give them feedback and that type of thing to get back into the side.”

Go Saints!