AIC First XV rugby Team of the Season
Who has made our white hot AIC First XV rugby Team of the Season? All is revealed here.
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The AIC First XV premiership race has been run and won - again by St Laurence’s after a gripping grand final win over St Edmund’s College on Saturday.
Laurie’s won 18-13, sparking scenes of unrestrained joy which, in all honesty, were a complement to the gallent Eddies’ challenge on the day.
So who were the best players this season?
Here we name our Team of the Season, with at least one player from every school represented in our squad.
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TEAM OF THE SEASON
Fullback: Kadin Pritchard (St Peters)
In his third and final year in the First XV, Kadin Pritchard steered his team to their best season since 2016 when they won the premiership.
With a big bang to send Pritchard and the other seniors off, Peters beat Iona 38-7 in the last game to finish third on the ladder.
Pritchard’s phenomenal kicking game, calming presence at the back, playmaking ability and individual brilliance when threatening the line allowed his team to beat teams they would not normally beat.
Pritchard was the best fullback in the competition, with the likes of Villas’ Joey Wilson and Iona’s Jeremy Trapett arguably up there too.
Wing: Tom Howard (Marist College Ashgrove)
Reminiscent of some of the raw talent Ashgrove has been able to produce in their rich rugby history, this Year 10 was one of the competitions most exciting with ball in hand.
Howard stood out more and more every game as he began to find his feet.
At just 15 years of age, he was the shining light in a forgettable Ashgrove season, juking the opposition on his wing and stepping the first defender every time without question.
With a year of First XV rugby under his belt, Howard will be taking his knowledge and hunger from the 2022 season into the years to come. Watch out.
Outside centre: Mitch Rogers
Rogers was one of the most gifted players in the competition who had the distinction of scoring arguably the try of the season against Iona with a double kick and chase.
He also fired Padua to a come-from-behind victory over St Peters and was simply one of the best.
Rogers played mainly inside centre, but he could play outside centre, fly half or halfback with ease, such is his ability.
Inside centre: Mikaeel Ibrahim (St Laurence’s)
For the second season in succession, Ibrahim resembled a Sherman Tank with his crashing edge running.
There were times when Ibrahim looked like a man among boys, and his forward pack would have chased after him knowing quality ball would be coming back their way - that is if anyone could tackle Ibrahim.
Appropriately he crashed over to score in Saturday’s grand final.
Wing: Joey Wilson (Villanova)
Wilson was magnificent at the back for Villa, with his clearing kicks keeping his team in the territorial battles while also displaying tremendous courage, particularly after the Big Wet when fields resembled New Zealand sheep paddocks.
He was also a lovely contributor to the Villa attack. He named him on the wing to get him into the side.
Fly half: Darcy Rowan (St Laurence’s)
Rowan channelled former Queensland and Wallaby half Paul Kahl, such was the way he steered his team around with his kicking game.
Someone who’d make a great chess play, he was unhurried, kept things simple and ensured St Laurence’s the best possible chance of success by booting to the corners.
Halfback: Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki (St Edmund’s College)
Ah-Ki was a mighty mite whose skill and poise was largely responsible for Eddie’s dramatic rise to last Saturday’s grand final.
His blindside runs, deft kicking and passing gave St Edmund’s every chance of success in 2022 and although St Laurence’s blockaded him in the decider, Eddies would not have got within cooee of the big dance without their wonderful No.9.
No.8. Joe Nadenic (St Laurence’s)
St Laurence’s Everywhere Man was both a No.8 and flanker, such was his work rate.
A baby of the squad in 2021, he stood tall this season as a forward leader, carrying the ball strongly via pick and drive and in rolling maul, while also defending his tryline like his life depended on it.
Flanker: Jack Leo (Iona College)
Leo played largely No.8 but made our side as blindside flanker, so well did he play.
He carried the ball with gusto, no doubt inspiring teammates while also contributing to the set piece.
Flanker: Lachlan Rolls (St Laurence’s)
Rolls was a terrier in the true tradition of an open side flanker, with his wild hair a flash back to the 1980s when a wonderful Queensland open side breakaway called Chris Roche ruled the roost.
Rolls was here, there and everywhere on grand final day.
Lock: Jake Kurbatoff (St Laurence’s, captain)
Kurbatoff makes our side not only as lock but also captain, after leading St Laurence’s to a third successive AIC premiership.
Workhorse best describes Kurbatoff who must be a coaches’ dream.
He was a “follow me’’ type skipper who led by example, getting down and dirty.
Lock: Tom Jago (St Laurence’s)
Jago was a throwback to great Queensland Reds No.2 line out jumper Rod McCall who was aptly nicknamed The Postman because he always delivered.
Jago is the apprentice Postman who, benefiting from hooker Bailey Cotelli’s pin point throwing, always delivered line out balls to Laurie’s with sure, safe hands, setting in motion the team’s lethal rollicking maul or pick and drive attacks.
Prop: Hugh Smith (St Laurence’s)
The big bloke was a thumping contributor to St Laurence’s lethal rolling maul and pick and drive which could not be matched in the competition.
He also joined his front eight in fortifying the Laurie’s scrum from which the school’s footballing empire was constructed around
Hooker: Daniel Mavunda (St Edmund’s)
Captain Marvel led Eddies through a remarkable season. Such was his energy, he at times resembled an extra loose forward, yet he never shirked his responsibilities in the tight stuff.
When the full time whistle sounded on Saturday, he collapsed onto the ground, physically and emotionally exhausted after leading his school team from the wilderness.
Prop: Bailey Wood (St Edmund’s)
The big unit had a huge season in the set piece and around the ground for Eddies, with his effort typifying the fight and desire of his teammates.
His ragdoll tackle on a wayward Laurie’s runner last Saturday, when he hurled his opponent over the sideline in front of Eddies’ passionate cheer squad, was one of the highlights of the match.
Reserves:
Bailey Cotelli (St Laurence’s)
Cotelli was first man onto the reserves bench and an unlucky omission from our First XV.
A wonderful line our thrower and general rouseabout who could turn his hand to anything on the field - including scoring a try in a grand final which he did on Saturday.
Jeremy Trappett (Iona)
Trappett was an unlucky omission from the First XV but was never in danger of not making our squad.
The Iona fullback, he displayed class touches with the ball and was Mr Reliable at the back mopping up high ball or a break from the opposition.
Zane Kaatz (St Edmund’s)
Kaatz was to Eddies what Darcy Rowan was to St Laurence’s, with an astute kicking game that meant the world to his hard working forward pack.
Having done the hard yards in the previous two First XV seasons, no one would have cherished run of six successive wins more than Kaatz.
Special mention to Iona’s Ayden Hood, but Kaatz and Darcy Rowan were the main men in this competition.
Dean Laws (St Patrick’s)
Laws was a magnificent performer for Paddies this season from flanker.
He was like a Toyota Landcrusiers - indestructible in a side which battled to find consistency across the 70 minutes.
Jackson Moloney (Villanova College) was another eye-catching flanker this season.
Larry Siala (St Edmund’s College)
Siala was Eddies prime mover, a lock powerhouse with the run of a rampaging No.8.
His ball carry gave Eddies momentum and no one deserved to score a try in Saturday’s decider more than Siala, such was his effort and work rate.
Ben Murphy (St Patrick’s College)
Murphy makes our squad for his work off the ball as much as his work on the ball.
He was a 110 per cent committed to the cause, the ultimate teammate who thoroughly deserved his place in this hotly contested squad.
Alex Mantiet (Iona hooker)
Mantiet was a busy bee hooker for Iona, a tremendous helper for Jack Leo who played with the energy of a loose forward.
James Mason (Padua)
Second rower Mason had a whale of a season in a battling outfit, leading his forwards alongside the talent prop Andrew De Jager.
Andrew De Jager
De Jager made his debut last season as a rookie and grew big, taller, stronger as the season progressed.
The front rower also displayed sure hands and it was through no fault of his that Padua did not hit the bullseye this season.
Moe Koroi, Hassan Sheriff and Vice Latu (St Peters):
These three worked hard all season to delvier St Peters best season since 2016. Latu was a trysooring machine while Sheriff and Koroi were staples in the front row who overpowered their opposition every week. These three with the help of Barney Radel made for one of the best forward packs in the competition.
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