2 ROYALS NEWSLETTER : EDITION 15

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Melbourne Royals American Football Club are currently taking expressions of interest for all coaching positions for season 2013.

We are currently seeking offers of interest for Head Coach, Offensive and Defence Co-Coordinators, Special Teams coaching Staff as well as specific positional staff for QB, RB, WR ,OL, DL, LB & DB’s as well as preseason fitness and medical staff.

If you would enjoy the challenge of improving our player base or are looking to improve your own leadership skills, we are the team for you. We have had great success throughout the year and are looking for motivated and committed individuals to assist the Melbourne Royals to greater achievements.

All applicants please forward your coaching CV to president@mroyals.com Att Bryce Cilia.

We look forward to hearing from you and feel free to contact Bryce for any additional information.

CONTRIBUTORS

Writer Jeremy EdwardsEditor Jeremy EdwardsDesigner Ahmed Arayne Photographers Luke Markof, Jenny Watson, Barend van den Hoek

Email contact@mroyals.com

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Vic Bowl 2012: Melbourne Royals vs Monash Barbarians

The division-two Vic Bowl was finally here. The Melbourne Royals had become regular season champions in 2012, asserting themselves as favorites in their automatic berth into the 2012 TGI Friday’s Vic Bowl. The Royals had only dropped one game during the year in their division, against their final opponents the Monash Barbarians. The Royals lost 6-8 in their last encounter with the Barbarians, as the offense struggled to move the ball without any of its top three running backs. Words had been exchanged over Gridiron Victoria Television (GVTV) between the teams, the start of a rivalry. Neither the Royals nor Barbarians had made it to the playoffs in their 2011 debut seasons, however had turned the tables around in 2012.

The field at Moorabbin oval was in sensational condition, prime for speedy receivers, running backs and even quarterbacks. The crowd slowly entered as the teams warmed up, including special guests Jack and Nick Riewoldt from the Richmond Tigers and St Kilda Saints respectively. The teams were introduced, the captains shook hands and it was time to get underway.

The Barbarians came out offensively to begin the game. After seeing Barbarians running back James Pho make some dangerous plays, the Royals defense made sure to protect the screen pass after being burnt in their previous matchup. The Barbarians put the ball on the ground but were promptly stuffed and at third and ten. Monash took to the air to try and pick up the first down, but with pressure coming from the defensive line threw an inaccurate ball that was picked off by strong safety Michael van Gessel. Van Gessel returned the ball for 10 yards before being brought to the ground.

The Royals offense came out led by Detroit raised quarterback Blair Black, fired up to win the Vic Bowl for his club. The Royals looked unstoppable, running backs Robbie Hanrahan and Frank Matue picking up yards on the ground while QB Blair Black hit targets at will. The first drive for the Royals was finished up with a tight pass to star receiver Adam Watson, bringing in what would be his first score of the game. The Royals took the lead 6-0, but were not happy with the one point and QB Blair Black took the ball himself in Michael Vick-esque style and put the ball in the endzone for two points. Only a few minutes into the game and the Royals were up by eight.

The Barbarians returned but a sharp defense led by linebackers Floyd Baragwanath and Andrew Rowse proved too strong once more. The Barbarians were unable to move the ball sufficiently and turned the ball back over. The Royals would return with good results, QB Black hitting Chris Tuohy and Darcy Muller on passes before capping it off again with a beautiful pass into the endzone to favorite target Adam Watson. The Royals again went for two points, QB Black once again targeting receiver Watson for another score.

The Royals were picking up momentum and it even looked like they would put another score on the board, with a deep ball sent to Chris Tuohy who was just pushed out of bounds. Had Tuohy not being pushed out he would have burnt his way up field with his unique speed to the end zone. The Royals with little time left went to the air again, hitting Darcy Muller who was unfortunately stopped on the two yard line as time expired. The Royals entered halftime with a 16-0 lead, Blair Black having thrown 14 points and rushed two himself, Adam Watson with over 50 yards receiving, two touchdowns and a two-point PAT.

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The second half came out different for the Royals however. The Barbarians returned in a different formation with a new game plan focused on moving QB Kieran Dwyer on a scramble when available and an aerial attack. The Royals defense managed to hold despite multiple third and long situations that were completed by the Barbarians QB. Dwyer eventually found his target, scoring six points close to the endzone, missing the two-point however, giving the Royals some breathing room.

The offense picked up some successful plays, both from QB Black scrambling and some nice passes to Bill Chislett and Adam Watson. The running backs had some success but ultimately were pushed out in the second half. The Royals came close to scoring but couldn’t make it and the defense spent much of the time on field.

Things were looking tense in the fourth quarter as the Barbarians picked up momentum looking very dan-gerous. The Barbarians made it into the red zone before being stuffed with just over seven minutes to go by some great plays by linebacker Alex Strickland and defensive end Aaron Mapstone. The Royals returned, and despite some strong offensive protection from the boys on the line, QB Black made a poor decision throwing the ball and being picked off. The Royals defense returned with less than five minutes to go and the Barbarians needing a couple of scores.

The Royals dominated the line, allowing nothing to come through the middle, however Kieran Dwyer looked to run to the sides for a QB run. Subbed in linebacker, playing nose-tackle Josh Vakapuna however showed off his athletic ability, running down Dwyer in the final two defensive stands and giving the ball back to the offense. The Royals ran the ball before kneeling the ball out and becoming the 2012 Vic Bowl Champions!

Gatorade was dumped on departing Head Coach Dan Levin’s head as the Royals celebrated their hard work during the season finally paying off. A special thanks to the coaching staff including Dan Levin, Offensive Coordinator Trevor Flory and Assistant Coach Dom Malacuso. Another big thank you to medic Courtney Farley for all her work and putting up with the Royals all year!

VIC BOWL!

Around the League: Vic Bowl

A big congratulations to the Monash Warriors on winning yet another division-one Vic Bowl. The Warriors and Buccaneers game went to overtime as each team turned the ball over and made big plays during the day. The Warriors QB looked especially dangerous, with sharp accurate passes, while the Buccaneers looks their usual strong self. In the end it came down to a field goal that could have been kicked with two seconds left on the clock, however the Warriors sent everything and got the block.

The match went to overtime and the Warriors won the game in the second overtime with a very nicely slotted ball into the corner of the endzone to wide receiver Heath Decker. The Buccaneers played fantastic football all day as usual and were unlucky to miss out on a back to back Vic Bowl Victory.

Congratulations to Division-Two Vic Bowl MVP Blair Black and Division-One Vic Bowl MVP Heath Decker.

Thanks again to the Barbarians, who played tough football all day and made the Royals work hard all day. We hope to see you next year in the 2013 Vic Bowl!

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Gridiron Victoria League Presentation Night

Just under a week after the Melbourne Royals won their first ever Vic Bowl, the league presentation night was held to honour all teams and those players who had stood out. The event was hosted by the Gippsland Gladiators this year, holding the event in Warragul. The Royals did fantastically in 2012 with numerous honours for the Division-Two All Victoria squad and also winning the overall MVP, offensive MVP and defensive MVP for the division-two league.

The Division-Two All Victorian Squad 2012 included;

QB: Blair Black CB: Derrick TugionoWR & R: Chris Tuohy SS: Michael van GesselDT: Jeremy Edwards

A big congratulations to all the boys who made the squad.

The Royals also performed exceedingly in the major awards for the night, winning all MVP awards.

Overall MVP: Blair BlackOffensive MVP: Blair BlackDefensive MVP: Jeremy Edwards

Deserving of a mention, Chris Tuohy also ranked in tied for third in the overall MVP category.

A fantastic effort by the Royals to achieve multiple commendations on the night. 2013 goal will be for all players to return and more!

Melbourne Royals 2012 Presentation Night

The Melbourne Royals finished their season up with a presentation night for players as well as a farewell for head coach Dan Levin.

Dan has been with the Royals since their inception in early 2011 and had turned a bunch of people looking to play football into a real team. Dan’s contribution to the Royals has been essential to the success of the club and we thank him once more for all his efforts over the past two years.

A big thanks to Trevor Flory and Dom Macaluso for their efforts in the 2012 season also. Trevor was offensive coordinator for 2012 and Dom assistant. Their efforts in conjunction with Dan’s made the learning process for new and old players alike much faster and more enjoyable. We hope to see you back in 2013.

Another thank you to James Pow-Blacklock for all his work during 2011 and early 2012 before having to return to Canada. He was there for all the tough losses for the team and missed out on the most successful time for Royals. The team wouldn’t be what it is today without his help. Thanks also to Justin ‘Juice’ Glover for his work whilst in Australia, helping the defensive line especially.

The Royals kicked off the night with some words from club president Bryce Cilia. Bryce has done a stellar job all year long in organising the team, its sponsors and events with the help of the Royals committee. Some gag awards were given out and highlights played as well as a team message to Dan Levin. The Royals also gave out raffle prizes including a Playstation 3, a framed and signed team photo of the Essendon football club and a framed and signed piece of limited edition Black Caviar racing memorabilia.

Finally, the major awards were given out. A big congratulations to all the boys who picked up awards on a great season.

Overall MVP: Blair Black Offensive MVP: Chris TuohyDefensive MVP: Ben Ly Lineman Award: Jeremy EdwardsRookie Award: Adam Watson Coaches Award: Daniel GriffinClubman Award: Michael van Gessel

Congratulations to the Melbourne Royals again, as Gridiron Victoria 2012 Division-Two Vic Bowl Champions. Let’s make it happen again in 2013!