Mildura tri state pics
Posted by devo on October 29, 2007
The AIS won the Mildura Grand 2007 Tri State
Championships held in Mildura this last weekend. You can check out some pictures here. Thanks to Nigel for the snaps.
(pic) Mildura Grand Hotel Marketing Manager Emily presents the winner’s trophy.
Nigel reports that it has been a very BIG 4 days for some Sunraysia Volleyballers!! He does not think the tournament could have gone any better. “It is a personal feeling of mine that these sort of events are put on for the athletes, whether they be the Captain of the AIS or one of our Spike Zone kids that has been playing for 3 months. I am sure that you have already heard from the players and know their feeling on the event (Although I am sure the Falcons boys are a little disappointed with results :-/ )
“As to where we go from here, we did this on 2 months notice. IMAGINE what we can do with some support from the sport’s governing bodies and 12 months planning. We are very open to suggestions on where to head with the tournament and there have been many suggestions already. My favourite at the moment is “State of Origin!” From a marketing point of view, I think this would be excellent AND the AIS could run as a competing State for ACT.
“As you will see from the photos, we put through about 110 kids for the 2 clinics. The first was with the AIS and our Spikezone kids; the second was the (It’s a mouthfull I know but we need to keep sponsors happy!!) Mildura Finance Ltd Sunraysia Academy of Sport Harwood Homes Volleyball program. In short MFL SAS.
“The Quality Hotel Mildura Grand MUST get the BIGGEST YAY for the day. Without their support (And we hope they are back on board for next year) the event may not have happened. Talk to the Athletes and you will no doubt hear nothing but favourable reports of this hotel.
“Numerous raffles and prizes were won over the weekend too. Game balls were signed before each match and drawn as lucky program numbers at the conclusion of each match. The major raffle prize of a 66cm LCD TV was won by Steve Benson’s parents (NO rigging I can assure you) They came to every game and I am sure bought tickets each time they walked in and every time one of our juniors went to them in the grandstand. Second prize was an Esky full of wine won by Councillor Glen Milne.”
November 1, 2007 at 7:26 am
hey hey hey - hang on a second! AIS can represent AIS if they like, but they are NOT ACT! right now we might not be as strong as we have been in recent years but only ACT can represent ACT!
November 1, 2007 at 10:41 am
I think you missed the point of that paragraph “We are very open to suggestions on where to head with the tournament and there have been many suggestions already”
NOTHING has been set in stone, and the more feedback we get such as yours the better the championships will become :-)
November 2, 2007 at 12:01 am
So if someone moves to ACT they are not considered an ACT player and cant play for ACT? Because that’s all the AIS guys are… If they live in ACT doesn’t that make them just as much a person from ACT as you? Or are you just interested in making the AIS guys feel more home sick then they probably already are? If they cant play for ACT then who can they play for? It gets a bit tiring listening to people have little stabs at the AIS guys all the time. They are a good bunch and I think that sometimes people dont understand that its hard living away from home at such a young age….
November 2, 2007 at 9:00 am
What (i belive) ACTer is saying is that ACT also has some strong club teams not to mention the Canberra Heat who are ACT’s representive in any state based/ AVL competition.
Why Not?- i would love for the AIS players to represent the ACT but that doesn’t happen at a national Junior level so No they are not considered an ACT player, they are considered an AIS player. The AIS has won the Men’s AVL for the past 4-5 yrs, they already have a club/team that they represent. If Mildura runs a competition next year state based or not it would be great if AIS and ACT/ Canberra Heat are represented.
Nige count the Canberra Heat in for next year if you expand the competition.
November 2, 2007 at 10:32 am
There is a subtle but important difference between AIS representing ACT, and AIS players playing for ACT. There has NEVER been an issue with AIS players playing for ACT. Both AIS and ACT have always bent over backwards to do the best for the athletes in these situations. You misunderstand Why Not?.
AIS guys make an enormous commitment to earn the opportunities they have. I would NEVER take a stab at them.
In answer to the question - if they can’t play for ACT then who can they play for? - well, you answer that yourself. If AIS athletes are homesick they must have a home State that they miss. If it is a State of Origin, then perhaps they can represent that State? If their State of Origin didn’t want them, then I’m sure that, as it always does, ACT would welcome them into their team.
November 3, 2007 at 10:11 am
I guess you must be right ACTer. I must not have much idea what its like to be an ais volleyball player and the relationship between ais and act. Just a quick note though. I am sure that in the State of Origin the players aren’t paying for flights to play for their home team… having to do this can make it difficult for a 17 year old ais player.. I thought it may be a good idea to call AIS the Canberra team for now so the junior players in Canberra have got some people to look up to…??
November 5, 2007 at 10:45 am
The Junior players in Canberra Look up to the Canberra Heat.
November 6, 2007 at 12:06 am
If it’s a State of Origin tournament, then wouldn’t all players play for their state… of… origin… Make it just like the rugby league, where you play for the state where you played your first senior game. For a few of the AIS guys that may mean playing for ACT, and I’d be going back to QLD. I reckon it’d be a fairly interesting tournament.
November 6, 2007 at 11:24 am
Okay, now we’ve established the bona fides of the AIS and Canberra Heat and what a State of Origen is …
Mildura is still looking for suggestions for this tournament for next year. Is a State of Origin what every one wants? Is there an alternative structure that you would prefer. Mildura has done a great job this year and it would be a pity not to build on this. What sort of a tournament would you support?
November 6, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Very simple Devo…Good old fashioned National Titles.
It’s like the state of origin in the footy, we haven’t had it for nearly a decade now and there are players who are screaming out for it. Similarly there are top notch senior Volleyball players out there that have NEVER played a senior national titles - Its a pity. The last senior nationals was in (I think) 1997 at springers in Victoria. Senior nationals is a big event, has a totally different feel to junior nationals, much more intense and spirited. State rivarly is really strong. With all respect to AVL the standard is much, much higher and and putting on the state guernsey really brings out the best in the senior players. Also only the best dozen from each state can get to play, you really have to earn your spot on the team.
From what I could work out over the years is that the National seniors was taken off the calendar by the AVF because they didn’t want to jepodise the AVL (they won’t admit that but that could be the only reason!). Thinking players won’t be able to afford both.
Well (on the mens side of things) 1)at the moment there is no AVL and who knows if there will be and 2) Mildura will go a long way to fixing the cost problem if they are involved.
Don’t care who people play for, if they are a good player they just have to play - However, if any young player is worth their salt there is only ONE team they will consider playing for….the place they call home! PRIDE is a big factor of Senior nationals.
Most important thing is timing. Need to ensure best players are there, it must be a showcase-the standard must be high…we even need as many OS players as possible. Maybe Easter holidays? Can’t do July holidays as Junior nationals. Have OS players gone back by Sept holidays??
That’s the thoughts of an old dinosaur like me.
Rex.
November 6, 2007 at 9:28 pm
As one old fart to one old dinosaur, senior nationals with the AIS playing state of origin - that would be a tournament worth seeing. And if the guys from OS had the time to be involved … pure luxury
November 7, 2007 at 12:56 am
I’m old too but my memory of national championships was wishing we could play more often. In my playing time the best situation we had, BY FAR, was the national series format where we played 5 or so weekend tournaments followed by a week long tournament with all tournaments counting towards a national title. One year I actually got to play 34!!!!!!!!!!!!! matches.
A national championships gets you 6 matches?
November 7, 2007 at 6:28 am
We are not talking about an AVL replacement here, but a weekend tournament - unless you are suggesting that Mildura be one week of a series? All in country regions?
November 7, 2007 at 9:01 am
Well the current suggestion is that there is no Men’s National Club based comp next year. So I guess the senior men’s fraternity have to work out what they want!
I believe that there is more than enough talent and wealth to support National Seniors and National Club Champs, so long as the AVF don’t seek to turn it into a money maker.
Throw in the European player cap, and we could have some fantastic volleyball to watch in 2008 & 2009.
Given the response, places like Mildura, Shoalhaven (in NSW) and Bendigo have really shown they deserve a look in for the plans.
Hopefully they might get some reps to come along to the National Men’s Review in Melbourne in Dec.
November 8, 2007 at 8:03 am
Interesting thought by Dinosaur regarding OS players. Do you think it would be possible to have a weekend ‘State of Origin’ when most of the overseas players are back in Australia? It would have to be flexible due to National team commitments, but ideally it would be the weekend before or after National Juniors?
November 8, 2007 at 5:20 pm
We could play more weekends like Mark suggests, but it is about costs for the players. If there are 3 or 4 places that can cover all costs like Mildura can then lets have a 3 or 4 weekends in a series.
Better off running 1 or 2 weekends or weeks really professionally and looking after the players than stretching out to 5 weekends and it just becoming another cost fest just like AVL turned into. That is when you won’t get the professionalism out of the players and the standard drops.
If we want OS players to play we must have no costs and there is more chance of that if there are less weekends.
For the record, alittle birdy told me that Mildura are 90% ready to go with a week long sponsored tournament next year for 6 teams. But are prepared to be part of a mini series of weekends if they are all going to be professionally run.
November 8, 2007 at 8:08 pm
That little birdy brings great news.
November 12, 2007 at 7:13 pm
I hope the AVF are reading about this issue Devo!
April 29, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Hi there Devo.
Is there going to be a 2008 tournament in Mildura?
If so I would love to feature it on our Mildura Events Website @ http://www.milduravictoria.com.au/attractions/events.html
Please get in touch and let us know the details.
Michael