2004 Intermediate Boys Football

A team that went within a goal of being our 4th Intermediate team to win it all.

Sadly there appears to only be 1 Korrumbeia article about this team that went so close. We’re still searching for offical write-ups to ascertain scores and best players throughout this campaign.

The one article details huge wins at the Eastern Zone Carnival against Mitchell Secondary College by 120 points (124-4) and Wodonga High School by 78 (78-0).

Players recall playing the State Final at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval in Sandringham, and going down by about a goal to Lilydale High School. Year 10 Tyson Hartwig was Captain and won the BOG Medal in the losing side.

The Year 10s in the is group won the Year 8 State Title two years prior. Those from that team named in the 2004 article include Hartwig, Luke Morgan, Shane Gaston, Brent Newton, Cade McDonald, Nick Hill, Tom Sorrahgan, Tim Aumann. 

If they’d won this one to make it 2 Titles in 3 years, they would have a strong claim as our 2nd best cohort of all time, behind the Class of 2004 who, led by Steve Johnson and Karl Norman, won 3 Titles in 4 year between 1996 and 1999. They may still take the Number 2 Spot.

Coming in to join that strong cohort, was a crew of Year 9s including 2 that played in the Vic Country Under 15 team at the National Championships in Perth – Daniel Boyle and Casey McDonald. That gave the team 3 boys in that one Vic Country team, as Year 10 Morgan was also a member. We believe it’s the most players the school has ever had in the one Vic Country team. 

On top of that, Morgan won the Vic Country Best & Fairest (34 votes), with Boyle 3rd (27 votes). Again, the best year on record for our school at the U15 National Carnival.

Boyle would go on to star with the Bushrangers, get Rookie Drafted to Port Adelaide for 1 season, and then spend many years in the SANFL and VFL, before returning to a Premiership with the Wangaratta Magpies, where his dad David won one in 1976.

Morgan would go on to Captain the U18 Murray Bushrangers two years later, play 50+ VFL matches for the Northern Bullants, playing-coach Benalla to a GVFL Premiership, and almost play-coach Wangaratta Magpies to a Premiership (raging favourites, only to have future Geelong player Shaun Mannaugh snatch the game from them).

The team boasted serious talent outside of those 3 Vic Country lads.

Tyson Hartwig would the following year play Murray Bushranger and debut in the Seniors for the Wangaratta Rovers, for whom his famous dad Leigh had played in 5 Senior Premierships. Tys would soon become one of the premier backmen in the Ovens & Murray, play Interleague 5 times, and represent Vic Country (and win an All Australian jumper) after a National Country Carnival at 24. He would also win 2 Rovers B&Fs, Captain them for 3 years in his 150+ Rovers games, and be name in the O&M Team Of The Year. He also represented the strong EDFL in Interleague.

Brent Newton would also play Murray Bushrangers, spend some time in the VFL at both Sandringham and there Northern Bullants (now Blues), before starring in Premierships for Milawa, playing Seniors for Wangaratta Magpies, and coaching Chiltern in the Tallangatta FL.

Shane Gaston would play 241 games for the Rovers, including a Best & Fairest (2014), 2-time Interleague representation (2015, 2016), 2-time O&M Team Of The Year (2014, 2016) and a Premiership (2024). He also played a few SANFL Reserves games for South Adelaide.