APS Representative Team nominations
At the start of March, we were asked to put forward our nominations for the 2025 APS vs AGSV Summer Representative Matches. This is the opportunity to celebrate those outstanding Haileybury athletes who have competed at the highest school level and now potentially earnt the honor of representing the APS in their chosen sport.
As I travelled around the fields and courts and paid particularly close attention to our competing First teams, I was taken back to my university days when my mates and I would try our hand at any range of different sports (not dissimilar to Piggy, Spud and Gazey and their Yesterdays Heroes segment on the long-running Sunday night show Bounce). We would challenge each other at different sports, no doubt somehow convincing ourselves that we could still one day make it to an Olympic Games or a World Championship. What is now plainly clear, almost thirty years later, is just how delusional we were.
As I watched these real athletes compete in their chosen sport, the skill and competitiveness required at APS / AGSV First school level is a wonder to behold. The reality is that my mates and I would barely get a racket on the shuttlecock in a match against the Haileybury First team, where all seven of our APS nominated players across boys and girls are yet to lose a match all season (Kaitlyn, Shawn, Evan, Mike, Erik, Rehan and Yunzhi). We would have struggled to get a rally going against a volleyball team that includes Zavier, Ryan, Ishan and Jonathan (all Year 12), who have each been nominated for representative honors. And on the table tennis tables, Navik (Year 10), Joshua (Year 9) and Esme (Year 9) would barely raise a sweat against us, despite the interesting fact that you can’t have air conditioning or fans operating in a table tennis hall as they could impact the flight of the ball. Even in those days when we might have been a little more agile than today, I am certain we would not have been able to get a hand on players like Emily from the touch team — a Year 11 student who also plays state U/16s and U/20s. There is also Georgia, the captain of our First softball team, who not only played in the APS softball representative team last year but also represents Haileybury in First soccer.
So, to those selectors who have the unenviable task of selecting the teams, I wish you all the best. And to my old mates, all I can say is that there might still be hope for us in lawn bowls, but to be honest, I can’t help but feel that the Haileybury team would give us a run for our money.
The APS representative fixtures take place at St Kevin’s College on Tuesday 1 April. This year we also welcome the introduction of a combined APS / AGSV Girls Cricket representative team that will compete against the Rowville Sports Academy, coached by Haileybury’s own Stef Lidstrom. The game is also happening on 1 April, at Wesley College, Glen Waverley from 10.00 am.
2025 Victorian Metropolitan State Swimming Championship
Yee from Year 6 at Newlands (coach Sarah Scott, Haileybury Swim Club) dominated the U11 category at the 2025 Victorian Metropolitan State Swimming Championship, winning three gold medals (50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m medley), one silver (200m freestyle), and one bronze (100m breaststroke). This marks Yee’s second consecutive state champion title. Well done Yee!
Beach Volleyball Schools Cup
The Beach Volleyball Schools Cup was also held over the long weekend, with Mackenzie and Jack (both Year 10) winning the boys Year 11 Pairs.
In the Girls Fours, Brianna (Year 10), Georgia (Year 9), Jasmine (Year 9) and Lily (Year 9) won the Silver medal in the Year 11 Girls. Fantastic to see both teams so successful in higher age group sections.
Matthew Dwyer
Head of Sport (One Haileybury)
