Sport Bulletin – Issue 1, 26 February 2026

Round 3 reinforced the momentum building across Villa Sport. This week in our GREATS framework, the focus is Accountability. It is visible in preparation, response and representation. 

Last weekend in AFL against Padua College, 11 wins from 15 matches highlighted genuine depth across the program. Our Year 6 teams remain undefeated, the 7A team is setting a strong standard and the First XVIII responded to an early deficit with seven unanswered goals. That shift does not happen by accident. It comes from owning your role, trusting the system and staying composed when it matters most. 

Cricket recorded 12 wins from 23 matches, with multiple teams still undefeated. Three hat tricks in one round from Jack C., Harrison T. and Samuel H., reflect discipline and sustained pressure. The First XI chased 165 with composure, as Alex B. and Christian F. anchored the innings with maturity. Process. Patience. Partnership. That is accountable cricket. 

Volleyball secured five wins, with 8D remaining undefeated and 11A claiming their first victory. The First VI pushed strongly in a tight second set and continues to close the gap against quality opposition. Growth is being earned through attention to detail and responsibility to team systems. 

The pleasing part for me is that these results are not accidental. They are the product of preparation, standards and boys taking ownership of their development. That is what Accountability looks like across Villa Sport. 

Swimming continues to build toward the Tuesday, March 10 AIC Championships. Preparation remains the priority. Training standards will show up on race day. 

Congratulations to our top three Houses from the Interhouse Swimming Carnivals: 

1st – Ambrose – 1529 pts
2nd – Rita – 1469 pts
3rd – Alypius – 1351 pts 

Just as pleasing was the clear improvement in student conduct at Langlands Pool compared to last year. Respectful behaviour, clean facilities and positive support from the stands reflected genuine growth. That is maturity. That is accountability in how our students represent Villanova College. 

On Monday night, we held our Trimester 2 Sport Induction and it was extremely encouraging to see such a strong turnout of coaches. Our Coordinators and Skills Specialists showed excellent leadership and initiative in outlining clear structures and development pathways. In Football, the partnership with Pro Player strengthens alignment and raises the standard of specialist support for our boys. Importantly, as discussed on the night, Football and Rugby Union Camps are scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 to Friday, April 17. Students seeking development and identification from coordinators and coaches, internal and external, are expected to be available until midday across these days. Commitment creates opportunity. 

As we prepare for a significant round against Iona College, the message is straightforward. Prepare well. Compete fiercely. Represent Villanova College with humility. Own your role. 

 Momentum is building because standards are rising. 

 Go Villa! 💚💛 

Mr Matthew Hannan, Director of Sport 

Communications
Families should access sports information via the Villanova College website and App. The Locker Room and Villanova College phone application will be relied on to provide key updates between Villa View Newsletter issues. All training and match changes or cancellations will be communicated via the Villanova College phone application.  

No Dog Policy
A reminder that there is a NO DOG policy at all AIC sporting fixtures. Venue coordinators at and adjacent to Villanova Park have reported that some pet owners are ignoring the gate signage. Pet owners who ignore the signs will be asked to remove their pets immediately. 

Fixtures, Results and Training Information
Season Results to date: 

 Term 1 Results Tables 2026.xlsx  

 2026 AFL Round 3.pdf 

 2026 Cricket Round 3.pdf 

 2026 Volleyball Round 3.pdf 

AIC Draw 2026
Please find linked the AIC Draw for 2026.  

Training Schedules
The Term 1 Training Schedule has now been published to the Locker Room page. If any changes or cancellations occur, the Villanova College App will also be updated accordingly.
Please note also: In the event of cancelled sessions or extremely poor weather, sessions may be adjusted or rescheduled where possible. Thank you for your understanding. 

Team Lists
Team lists appear in the Parent Lounge and Student Cafe sections of the portal. Team lists will be posted by Thursday evening, prior to the round ahead. This is the earliest possible time we can post this information. 

Key Links 

AIC Sport Results – Associated Independent Colleges 

Term 1 Sport Uniforms
Families are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Villanova College Uniform Look Book. This information is found on the College website Uniform Shop page. Opening hours for the Uniform Shop can also be found here. All students selected in AIC teams are expected to wear the correct uniform for AIC fixtures each week. 

Sport Specific Updates
AIC Sport Contact List
For information about a specific sport, please first visit the Locker Room page on our website. If you require further clarification, please contact the relevant Sport Coordinator, listed below. Until coach contacts become available online, please report training or game absences directly to the Sport Coordinator and relevant coach; available on Parent Lounge and Student Café. 

Trimester 1 Sports Coordinators
AFL Coordinator (Monday to Friday) – Brendon Brauer (brendon.brauer@vnc.qld.edu.au)
AFL Coordinator (Saturday) – Chris Paterson (cpaterson@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Cricket Coordinator – Nathan Dufty (ndufty@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Swimming Coordinators – Julie Colbert (jcolbert@vnc.qld.edu.au) & Lauren Robinson (lauren.robinson@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Volleyball Coordinator – Todd Kropp (tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au) 

Sport Office Administration
Sports Administrators – Nathan Dufty (ndufty@vnc.qld.edu.au) and Maria Mascadri (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) only: mmascadri@vnc.qld.edu.au)
AIC Sports Leader – Todd Kropp (tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au) 
Central Sharks District Sport – Todd Kropp (tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au) and Anthony Kemp (AKemp@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Assistant Director of Sport – Anthony Kemp (AKemp@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Director of Sport – Matthew Hannan (matthew.hannan@vnc.qld.edu.au)  

Trimester 2 Sports Coordinators
Chess Coordinator – Kath Underhill (kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Cross Country Coordinator – Brian Pascoe (bpascoe@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Football Coordinator – Nathan Dufty (ndufty@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Rugby Union Coordinator – Chris Everding (ceverding@vnc.qld.edu.au) 

Trimester 3 Sports Coordinators
Basketball Coordinator – Sharon Casey (sharon.casey@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Golf Coordinator – Todd Kropp (tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Rugby League Coordinator – Todd Kropp (tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Tennis Coordinator – Nathan Dufty (ndufty@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Track & Field Coordinator – Andrew Lund (andrew.lund@vnc.qld.edu.au) 

Term 4
Touch Football Coordinator – Sports Office staff – (SportsOffice@vnc.qld.edu.au)
Water Polo Coordinator – Lauren Robinson (lauren.robinson@vnc.qld.edu.au) 

AFL Report – Round 3 Results and Round 4 Preview
The Villanova College AFL teams hit the ground running in Round 3, delivering an impressive 11 wins out of 15 matches. The boys showcased great skill, determination, and the true Villanova spirit across all age groups. Here are the standout results from the weekend: 

– Year 6 Teams: All Year 6 teams extended their undefeated streaks, dominating their opposition with flair and consistency. Their teamwork and precision continue to set the benchmark.  
– 7A Team: The 7A side remains in red-hot form, staying unbeaten and proving to be a formidable force this season.  
– First XVIII: After a slow start that saw them trailing early in the second quarter, the First XVIII stormed back into the match with a sensational seven-goal blitz to power ahead and claim a well-deserved victory. Both Opens teams put on a clinic, securing strong wins to build momentum for the season.  
– 9A Team: A special mention to the 9A team for notching their first win of the season. Their gritty performance and relentless pressure on the ball were key to their success.   

Round 4 Preview – Villanova vs Iona  
Villanova College is gearing up for an epic showdown against our long-time rivals, Iona College, in Round 4. This is sure to be one of the marquee fixtures of the season, promising high-intensity contests across all year levels. 

Key Fixture
The First XVIII and Second XVIII will take the field at Coorparoo AFL Grounds on Friday, February 27 at 4:45pm. This twilight clash is set to be a thriller, and we’re calling on the Villanova community to pack the ground/stands and get behind the boys as they take on a strong Iona outfit.   

Saturday Fixtures
The remaining matches will be contested on Saturday, February 28, at various venues. Check the schedule and get along to cheer for your team!   

In round 4, the 5D team will take on Marist College Ashgrove at Yeronga AFL.
Let’s make this a significant weekend for Villa. Bring your voices, your Villanova spirit, and your passion for the game. Together, we can drive our teams to success and show Iona that Villanova is a force to be reckoned with on and off the field.  
Let’s bring home the wins!   

Mr Brendon Brauer, Mr Chris Paterson and Mr Hershelle Classen, AFL Coordinators (Monday to Friday and Saturday, respectively) and Y5-8 Jnr AFL Coordinator 

The AIC cricket season has well and truly gotten underway with some exciting clashes across the first three rounds against SLC, SEC and Padua. Thanks again to all our coaches for their hard work during the pre-season training and across the first three rounds of fixtures, it has been very pleasing to see all our 24 cricket teams out on the field playing some fun and exciting cricket, whilst having plenty of fun with their mates. While overall participation numbers have been impacted by growth in other AIC sports, I am extremely proud of the enthusiasm and standards shown across our cricket program. Whilst plenty of great team results have been shown across our various venues, I would like to highlight the following individual achievements across the first 3 rounds of AIC Cricket. 

• Koshal M (5 wickets including hat-trick) 1st XI Cricket  

• Lachlan S (5 wickets) 9B Cricket  

• Paddy M (hat-trick) 9A Cricket 

• Ben H (5 wickets) 7A Cricket 

• Jack C (hat-trick) 5A Cricket 

• Harrison T (hat-trick) 3rd XI Cricket  

• Samuel H (hat-trick) 2nd XI Cricket 

Can I please ask all students and parents to make sure that they carefully check the weekly draw and updated team lists, last week we had several students turn up to the venue either just before or after the match had started, which then left some of our teams starting the match short of players. Both the draw and team lists will be updated weekly in ‘Parent Lounge’ and on the ‘Locker Room’ section of the website by no later than Thursday afternoon. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind players and parents that cricketers need to wear the appropriate cricket uniform to all AIC games. The uniform consists of the Villanova cricket shirt, Villanova hat or cap and white pants for all players. It is not acceptable for any player to wear any club cricket shirt or hat when representing Villanova. The green College academic hat, Villa sports cap or a white wide brimmed hat can be worn. Warm up clothing consists of the Villanova squad shirt and the green PE shorts. 

Some teams will be fortunate enough to wear coloured clothing on Saturdays, this will be for selected teams only and those selected teams will be notified directly from their team coaches.   

This week, Villanova faces IONA College who typically have a strong cricket program. For the teams that are playing at either VP or KP venues, teams’ photos will be taken this weekend before your matches at Villanova Park underneath the Andrew Slack Scoreboard.  

Mr Nathan Dufty, Cricket Coordinator 

This week we will be having our last preparation meet and the final chance for swimmers to secure a place in the AIC team. The Chandler meet will begin at 4:30 and conclude between 6:45pm and 7:00pm. It is expected that all swimmers attend on this evening so that coaches and managers are able to finalise team selection. There will be relays scheduled for Thursday and coaches have requested that all swimmers make themselves available for those. It will be the first opportunity to practice our relays which are double points on race day! The event schedule for this meet is attached.  

As usual the bus will leave from the front of the school as close as possible to 3pm. Parents are welcome to collect the boys from the venue, but please inform the teacher supervisor when they are leaving. There is a bus that will return to Villa at the end of the meet. It should return to school before 7:30pm. We ask that parents waiting at the school are there by 7:15pm to collect the boys. Any boys not collected by parents at Chandler by the time the bus leaves, will be required to return to school with the teachers on the bus. We cannot leave any swimmer unsupervised at the pool once we leave.  

Please note that Chandler requires all spectators to be ticketed. They are free but should be available either printed or on phone/electronic at arrival to the pool. Students and staff are not required to have tickets. The link is below:  

Chandler tickets for Thursday 27th February  

The AIC Championship event is rapidly approaching and will be held at Chandler on Tuesday March 10. It is a full day event, starting with the squad photo in the morning. Due to the size of the squad, not all boys will get to swim on the day. 

Team selection is based on the fastest qualifiers for each event during these preparation meets and other qualifying events for club swimmers. While many boys have trained for the season, they may not qualify for a race on the day at AIC. They are still valued members of our squad and are encouraged to continue to participate each and every year as they improve and to challenge for a place in the team in the future.   

We are also in need of reserve swimmers for each event. All members of the squad are invited to attend the AIC championships and to celebrate our teams’ successes. All boys have been given a squad cap which must also be worn on the day.  

In preparation for the AIC Championships, you may like to consider ensuring that you have plain black racing togs for the day.   

On Monday 9th March, we will finish our training session early so that the whole squad can meet at school at 7:45 for a BBQ breakfast. At this time, we will also be thanking all our coaches and managers. If parents are able to assist with the preparation of the BBQ, please let Julie Colbert know and I will pass your name onto the sports office. Parents are welcome to join us for breakfast as well, but please let Julie know for catering purposes.  

As the season begins to draw to a close (two weeks away) the process of collating Age champion points for the 2026 season will begin. This is calculated by a points system, based on Personal Best times during the season from October to March 11 for 100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly and 50m Breaststroke. These events are open to all swimmers at our AIC carnival preparation meets and ensures that everyone is able to secure Age Championship points during the season.  

For boys who are participating across other co-curricular activities, we do encourage you to please prioritise swimming practice in the final two weeks of the season. This is where we will focus on starts, dives, finishes and relay change overs. We need you in the water and participating as much as possible. Other coaches and staff are aware of this additional request on you, so please speak to us at the sports office or email me if you have any questions.   

Thank you for your support of the season so far and best wishes to our swimmers at Met East and Lytton in the coming weeks.  

Ms Julie Colbert (Communication and Administration) & Ms Lauren Robinson (Training and Performance), Swimming Coordinators 

It has been an exciting few weeks on the court for our volleyball players taking on St Edmunds and Padua College. With some mixed results, the coaching team are still happy to see the progression of our players and our teams. Our program is focused on creating and maintaining the Villanova style of volleyball – fighting for every point or rally, aggressive in all of our skills and not being intimidated by our opponent, the match or ourselves. 

A special mention to our 11A team, coached by Mr Begg, who took their match in 3 sets against Padua College. After a tough first set, the team fought back in the deciding set with the support of the Villanova supporters. We acknowledge our First VI team for their effort around the court during our first home game. 

First VI Volleyball 
For our First team, it has been a tough start to the season. Whilst still searching for their first win, the improvement of the team in their structure and skill execution has kept us competing. With our First team no exemption to the Villa style of play, we look forward to seeing them compete against Premiership favourites in Iona College this weekend.  

Finally, best wishes to all teams for round 4 v Iona.  

Mr Todd Kropp, Volleyball Coordinator 

Wet Weather Cancellations
If there is any reason to cancel training sessions or weekend games, this information will be posted to the Villanova College phone application in the Notices section. Please ensure you have downloaded the Villanova College Application and updated your preferences and settings. 

Regional Sport 

In 2026, there have been some updates made to the School Sport Representative pathway. Villanova College now joins the Central Sharks district (former Composite & Lytton) for 10-19 Years Sport.
Further information can be found on the Locker Room page including a current list of eligible sports. At the end of week 2, eligible sports will be communicated via the College Newsletter and Morning Notices only. 

Central Sharks trial information (former Met East/Central): Paperwork for the following sports is now available from the Sports Office (located in Goold Hall). Nominations returned after the due date will not be submitted.