Latest News | GWV Rebels - Greater Western Victoria Rebels

NEWS | 2018 TAC CUP FIXTURE RELEASED

12/22/2017

AFL Victoria have today released the 2018 TAC Cup fixture, with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels kicking off our 2018 campaign on Saturday 24th March at Mars Stadium.

The sixteen round fixture also features a Wild Card Weekend after the conclusion of the home-and-away season, giving all clubs a chance to feature in the 2018 TAC Cup Finals Series.

The Rebels fixture, which can be seen below, features seven games at Mars Stadium, including a Country Round triple header in August where all six country-based TAC Cup teams will play, along with another two home games at IKON Park in Carlton.

The fixture also provides an opportunity for the Rebels TAC Cup boys and girls teams to play together on four occasions, with the TAC Cup Girls fixture being released at 12:30pm today.

To see the full 2018 TAC Cup Fixture and AFL Victoria’s official fixture release, click here

NEWS | REBELS NAME TAC CUP GIRLS COACH

11/17/2017

The Greater Western Victoria Rebels are pleased to announce the re-appointment of Jeff Whittaker as the club’s TAC Cup Girls coach for the 2018 season.

Whittaker coached the inaugural GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls team in 2017, and has been involved with Rebels Youth Girls Academy programs since the 2013 season.

Having also had experience coaching men’s football at both senior and junior ranks, Whittaker was also an assistant coach at the Western Bulldogs for the AFL Women’s exhibition games in 2015, a precursor to the hugely successful AFL Women’s competition that commenced earlier in 2017.

GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls Coordinator Krista Woodroffe is thrilled to have Whittaker at the helm of the Rebels for the second TAC Cup Girls season in 2018.

“Jeff’s experience and passion for women’s football is second to none in our region, and we’re thrilled to have Jeff continue to coach our TAC Cup Girls team in 2018”, Woodroffe commented.

“After a successful TAC Cup Girls campaign in 2017, where every player on the GWV Rebels list played at least one game and several players played representative football, we’re confident that Jeff can continue to develop talented female footballers in the Western Region of Victoria to elite levels, especially with the expansion of the AFL Women’s competition in 2019 and beyond”.

The GWV Rebels will be holding an AFL Talent Search Program session, open to females born between 1999 and 2003 that hail from a non-footballing background, on Wednesday 22nd November at Ballarat Grammar, with pre-season training for the 2018 TAC Cup Girls season set to commence on Wednesday 29th November.

NEWS | REBELS TAC CUP GIRLS TALENT SEARCH COMING SOON

11/14/2017

With the second season of AFL Victoria’s TAC Cup Girls competition just around the corner, the Greater Western Victoria Rebels Talented AFL Player Pathway program is offering previously unidentified young female athletes a unique footballing experience to participate in their AFL Talent Search Program (TSP) for Season 2018.

The central focus of the AFL TSP is to identify potential Rebels TAC Cup Girls players who have come from a non-traditional footballing background.

Interested athletes can take part in a trial on Wednesday 22nd November at Ballarat Grammar starting at 6pm under the direction of GWV Rebels coaching staff.

At the completion of the program, athletes deemed to have met the necessary criteria will be invited to continue training with the club in the GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls squad, which will begin the following week on Wednesday 29th November.

With the successful launch of AFL women’s in 2017, this is an ideal time for talented female athletes to transition to AFL football as their sport of choice.

The Rebels are currently seeking expressions of interest from young female athletes for the TSP based on the following strict criteria:

Female and born between 1999 and 2002
Have limited or no previous experience with Australian Rules football – eg. are involved in other sports such as Netball, Basketball, Athletics, Volleyball etc.
Athletes can ONLY have been a registered player with a local football club for a maximum of one (1) season and SHOULD reside within the Rebels Talent Region of Western Victoria
Athletes SHOULD show or possess a significant level of athletic ability – eg. possess one or more of the following attributes: vertical leap, speed, power, agility, strength, hand eye coordination, aerobic endurance, etc.

To register to take part in the 2017 TSP please email krista@aflgoldfields.com.au by Monday 20th November 2017 with the following information:

Name
Date of Birth
Address
Height
Sporting Background
Contact E-mail Address

For more information please email GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls Coordinator Krista Woodroffe at krista@aflgoldfields.com.au

NEWS | GREIG TAKES ON COACHING ROLE

11/13/2017

The Greater Western Victoria Rebels and AFL Victoria are pleased to announce Marc Greig in the newly created role of Regional Coaching Director for 2018.

The full-time position will incorporate the Rebels’ TAC Cup head coaching role, with Greig taking over from Gerard FitzGerald, who had been the GWV Rebels part-time coach for the past two seasons.

Greig is a current Level 3 coach and has been the head coach of the North Ballarat Roosters in the Peter Jackson VFL for the past two years. He is also a very highly respected former Roosters VFL player having played 219 VFL Games, including being an ex-Roosters Captain (2011, 2012), a three-time premiership player (2008, 2009, 2010) and a VFL state player (2002, 2005).

The new Regional Coaching Director role is focused on educating and developing the junior coaches in the region, along with completing the administrative tasks pertaining to the function of the Talented Player Pathway program. AFL Victoria State Coaching Director, Steve Teakel said the new position has been established to work with the regional stakeholders in developing and implementing a Regional Coaching Strategy.

“We have an opportunity with this new full-time position to work in collaboration with the Goldfields Commission, our development managers, leagues and clubs to further improve the standard of junior coaching in footy,” Teakel said.

“This is essential for both the development and retention of young players in our game, ensuring consistent talent pathways.

“This will also be achieved by having Marc work closely with the Western Bulldogs and their Next Generation Academy in the region.”

Greig is no stranger to the TAC Cup competition, having played 44 games for the North Ballarat Rebels between 1995 – 97, including being part of the Rebels’ only premiership in 1997.

Rebels’ Talent Manager Phil Partington said he is looking forward to what Greig and the new role will bring to the region.

“The development of this new role will be very beneficial to the region, providing a dedicated resource to assist junior coaches from all over Western Victoria,” Partington said.

“Marc has strong personal ties to the GWV Rebels talent region of Western Victoria after growing up in Horsham and coaching successfully within the Wimmera Football League with the Warrack Eagles in 2006 & 07.

“He will bring a vast array of experience to this new role and be able to relate to and understand the needs of coaches in the region.

“Our playing group will also benefit from someone that has been involved at state-league level, and has helped develop a number of former Rebels over recent years in the VFL.”

The GWV Rebels and AFL Victoria wish Marc all the best in his new role.

NEWS | FITZGERLD WITHDRAWS FROM COACHING RACE

10/27/2017

Please find below a press release from the GWV Rebels announcing Gerard FitzGerald's withdrawal of his application for the role of GWV Rebels Head Coach/Regional Coaching Director.

GWV REBELS PRESS RELEASE - Fitzgerald withdraws application
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POSITION VACANT | GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls Head Coach

10/20/2017

Want to make your mark in footy’s fastest-growing area?

The Greater Western Victoria Rebels are seeking a Head Coach for its TAC Cup Girls program for the 2018 season.

If you’re passionate about developing talented female footballers, and maybe blooding the next AFLW superstar, then this is the job for you.

More information is in the attached Position Description.

Applications close on Friday 27th October at 5:00pm, so send your detailed CV to GWV Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington – phil.partington@afl.com.au

POSITION DESCRIPTION - GWV Rebels TAC Cup Girls Head Coach
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NEWS | WELLINGS WINS 2017 ADAM GOODES TROPHY

10/9/2017

After a fantastic 2017 season, Greater Western Victoria Rebels captain Callan Wellings has won the 2017 Adam Goodes Trophy as the Rebels Best & Fairest player at the club’s 2017 Presentation Day at St Patrick’s College on Sunday 8th October.

Wellings, who led the count for the entire day, won with 426 votes in a system which can award up to 40 votes per game, well clear of runner-up Aiden Domic (Mount Clear JFNC) on 353 votes and third place getter Flynn Appleby (Cohuna Kangas FNC) on 291 votes.

Wellings, from the Trentham Football Netball Club, polled votes in 13 of the 14 games he played for the Rebels, and was the top vote-getter in the first five games of the season and eight games overall.

Runner-up Domic polled in all bar two games for the season, and was on the vote sheet in every game from Round 7 onwards, polling top votes in five of those games, while third-place getter Appleby, who also polled votes in the North Ballarat Roosters Best & Fairest count, polled in each of the last six games of the season where he shut down some of the TAC Cup’s most prolific goalkickers.

In other awards on the day, Thomas Berry (Horsham Saints) took home the Sewell Trophy as the Rebels’ Best First Year Player, Jackson Taurau (Stawell Warriors) was awarded the Rebels Personal Growth Award, Lloyd Meek (SMW Rovers) won the Rebels “Player’s Player” Award, Meek and Trent Reed (Cobden) were awarded Coaches Trophies, Rebels Under 16 coach Damian Ross took home the Graeme Alexander Outstanding Service Award and Senior Assistant Coach Robbie Waters won the Tony Frawley Best Clubperson Award.

The top ten placegetters in the 2017 Adam Goodes Trophy were…

Callan Wellings – 426 votes
Aiden Domic – 353 votes
Flynn Appleby – 291 votes
Jordan Johnston – 283 votes
Thomas Berry – 203 votes
Trent Reed – 172 votes
Lloyd Meek – 143 votes
Naish McRoberts – 103 votes
Matty Lloyd – 86 votes
Jackson Taurau – 74 votes

REBELS COACHING ROLE RESTRUCTURE

10/3/2017

The Greater Western Victoria Rebels and AFL Victoria are very excited to announce that the role of GWV Rebels TAC CUP Head Coach will be restructured.

A new FULL TIME Regional Director Coaching / TAC CUP Head Coach position has been established which will benefit the Talent athletes and Junior Coaches across Western Victoria into the future.

The Regional Coaching Director / TAC Cup Head Coach is charged with the responsibility of improving coaching standards across the region with particular emphasis at Junior level. This includes overseeing and supporting Coach Education within the region. An emphasis is on the talent pathways which includes working with the Western Bulldogs Next Generation Academies across Western Victoria.

The role will also include the TAC Cup Head Coaches position which has the responsibility of overseeing the coaching of the boys and girls that are participants in the GWV Rebels TAC Program. This includes the primary responsibility of coaching the region’s TAC Cup team, along with administrative tasks pertaining to the function of the Talent Player Pathway program.

This new role is advertised on the AFL Careers website, which can be accessed by clicking here, and applications will close on Wednesday 11th October at 5pm.

For more information on this new exciting role please contact Greater Western Victoria Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington by email at Phil.Partington@afl.com.au

GRAND FINAL REBELS | DAY 6 - DANIEL RIOLI

9/30/2017

In this special “Grand Final Rebels” series, we’ll profile the six former Rebels players set to take part in the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, looking back at the path that has led them to that One Day In September. Today in our Grand Final Day profile, we look back on the pathway of Richmond’s Daniel Rioli.

The name Rioli is synonymous with the AFL Grand Final. Maurice Rioli won the Norm Smith Medal in 1982 for Richmond, and Cyril Rioli won the same award in 2015 in his fourth premiership win. Former Rebel Daniel Rioli is hoping that, in his 43rd AFL game since being drafted as the 15th pick in the 2015 NAB AFL National Draft, he can earn the same honours as his uncle and cousin.

After coming down to Ballarat from the Tiwi Islands as a 16 year old, Daniel took some time to find his feet but, much in the same vein as his AFL career, once he did he impressed everyone, including Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington.

“[Daniel] came to Rebels training two or three times as a 16 year old but decided it wasn’t for him”, recalled Partington on Rioli’s early days in Ballarat.

“He played for Newlyn as a 17 year old, then we invited him back in [to the Rebels]”.

“He didn’t play football for St Patrick’s College in Year 11 either, so we watched him [the next year] when he transferred to East Point in the Ballarat Football League and invited him in after a phone call to Daniel that I made personally, and he went from strength to strength when he committed to a full-time program, and you can see the rewards now”.

No matter which side is victorious in today’s 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, the Greater Western Victoria Rebels will be adding names to our honour roll of AFL premiership players, and if another premiership medal ends up in the Rioli family, there’ll be four more names in the Rebels AFL premiership Hall of Fame.

Our Grand Final Rebels schedule for the week looked like this, click on the name for past articles…
Monday – Shaun Grigg
Tuesday – David Astbury
Wednesday – Brad Crouch
Thursday – Matt Crouch
Friday – Dan Butler
Grand Final Day – Daniel Rioli

GRAND FINAL REBELS | DAY 5 - DAN BUTLER

9/29/2017

In this special “Grand Final Rebels” series, we’ll profile the six former Rebels players set to take part in the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, looking back at the path that has led them to that One Day In September. Today in our fifth of six profiles, we take a look back at the pathway of Richmond’s Dan Butler.

This time last year, Dan Butler’s career was at a crossroads. A litany of injuries meant that he had spent three years on Richmond’s list without having played a senior game, and the worry was that his chance had passed him by.

But the Tigers persisted, and Butler got his chance in Round 1 of this season against Carlton. 22 games, 29 goals and a NAB Rising Star Nomination later, and Butler was one of the first names that Richmond coach Damien Hardwick would have read out when naming the Tigers’ Grand Final side, their first since 1982.

Taken with the 67th pick in the 2014 AFL National Draft after a standout top-age year with the Rebels in 2014, which included Vic Country selection for the NAB Under 18 National Championships and a VFL game with the North Ballarat Roosters, the boy from Lake Wendouree is finally showing the talent that impressed so many at the Rebels, including Talent Manager Phil Partington.

“As a 16 & 17 year old, he probably didn’t know how good he was going to be”, recounted Partington when asked about Butler earlier this week.

“He didn’t yet have the confidence in his body or his ability, but he was always a quick lateral mover and the signs were there”.

“To see him excel as an 18 year old with the Rebels was exciting, and he also played well for Vic Country”.

Much like his TAC Cup career, now that Dan Butler has worked into his AFL career he is starting to shine, and in 24 hours time, he could be shining a lot brighter as a Richmond premiership player.

Our Grand Final Rebels schedule for the week looks like this, click on the name for past articles…
Monday – Shaun Grigg
Tuesday – David Astbury
Wednesday – Brad Crouch
Thursday – Matt Crouch
TODAY – Dan Butler
Grand Final Day – Daniel Rioli

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Greater Western Victoria Rebels Football Club
Mars Stadium, Creswick Road, Ballarat North 3350

Phil.Partington@afl.com.au
Phone number: (03) 5339 0915
Postal Address: PO Box 151N, Ballarat North 3350

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