TSS launch 2020 GPS football season as clash with rugby looms

The Southport School’s footballers don’t know when they will next take the field but that hasn’t stopped the school community from coming together to launch the 2020 season.

Damian Mednis (right) with student Ewan MacLeod, captain of firsts soccer team, taking the TSS students through a training routine via video. Picture: Supplied.

The Southport School’s footballers don’t know when they will next take the field but that hasn’t stopped the school community from coming together to launch the 2020 season.

First XI captain Ewan MacLeod, director of football Joe Dolan and director of sport Bryan Hain hosted a livestream of the season launch on Tuesday night for students, parents and teachers.

Dolan, a 49-game veteran of the famous Millwall Football Club in the UK, said uncertainty around the football season’s start-date had not marred proceedings.

“We felt it would be a good way to reconnect with the boys,” Dolan said of the decision to launch via social media.

“We had boys in other countries online, from Papua New Guinea, Dubai, Fiji, Hong Kong, all able to log on and see their mates and teachers and get a feel for being at school.

“We had over 280 views of the live stream and it was a nice way to say this is where we are at, what we’re doing and what our online training program would be like for the next five weeks.”

Damian Mednis (right) with student Ewan MacLeod, captain of firsts soccer team, taking the TSS students through a training routine via video. Picture: Supplied.

Far from sitting on their heels, TSS has developed a training regimen focused on honing individual skills to get players prepared to resume competition, from the heights of the First XI to the junior sides.

Dolan said the school was optimistic that seniors would have the chance to pull on their jerseys for the final time in 2020, with a range of options for delayed starts including moving the calendar into Term 3.

Football had traditionally shared facilities with the school rugby teams in Term 2, until a change in 2013.