1991 Junior Boys Football

Our first Football team to make it to a State Final (the VSSSA only started the State competitions in 1988, 3 years before).

Earlier in the campaign, they had a 43 point win (65-22) over Seymour High School, a 72 point win (90-18) against Tallangatta at Sandy Creek, and a 105 point win (116-11) thumping of Shepparton High School in the Eastern Zone Country Final at the Barr Reserve.

In the Eastern Zone Final, they had dominated Glen Waverley Secondary College at the Barr Reserve, winning by 89 points (16.8.104 – 2.3.15). 

And then the State Semi, they fought out a tough win over Kingsbury College by 9 points in Melbourne.

However in the Final, despite running through a banner reading “Good Luck Wang High School” held up by Sport Coordinator Bruce Revell and Vice Principal Brian O’Flynn, they lost to Wonthaggi Secondary College at Albert Park.

A glance at the Team Photo shows massive units for Year 7 and 8 boys (teams were combined from 1988 to 1994). Players remember about 80 boys turning for the tryouts.

Although no future AFL players, the team had significant talent.

Year 8 Rohan Graham would in the following two years play in the Under 15 Ovens & Murray Schoolboys (today known as the NEB V-Line Cup Division 1 team) – 1992 as a bottom aged Year 9, and 1993 as a Year 10. He would later play 40 TAC Cup games (at that stage a club record) over 3 seasons for the Under 18 Murray Bushrangers, leading their Goalkicking one season.

Graham also played for Vic Country in the Under 17 Teal Cup National Championships, not once but twice – first in 1995 as a bottom-aged Year 11, then 1996 at Year 12, when he was Vice Captain. He did a preseason with Footscray (now Western Bulldogs), spent time at Williamstown in the VFL, and returned home as a key backman for the Rovers.

The other to play Murray Bushrangers was classy midfielder Mark Goodey, who played about 25-30 games over 2 seasons alongside his great mate Graham. He later played 48 Senior VFL games for Werribee, and was good enough to be named in the Top 40 players of the decade.

Outside the Bushrangers and Vic Country talent, there was John Paola, our long-time Vice Principal. Paola would play 200+ Senior Ovens & Murray games for Lavington, Wodonga Raiders and Myrtleford. He also won a Barton Medal (League Best & Fairest) in the TDFL for Yackandandah, and later coached Moyhu, Glenrowan and North Wangaratta.