Shamrocks News

The Gaelic Book Store

E-mail Shamrocks

Shamrocks win heroic Anzac clash

26 April 2004 - Shamrocks secured a heroic win amid amazing circumstances in their Anzac Day clash against Sarsfields in the Gaelic Football�s Brisbane Shield at Gaelic Park, Willawong, over the weekend.

Playing a man down with just 14 players, coach James Marshall filling-in at goalkeeper, and committee Nicholas Carpenter filling-in after a decade of retirement, Shamrocks prevailed by three points.

�That this was one of the best team efforts that I've seen,� coach Marshall said.

The 1-10-13 to 0-10-10 win snapped a three-game losing streak against Sarsfields, and importantly secured a likely berth in the Brisbane Shield final under lights on June 11.

Last week�s record-breaker Brad Kennedy added to his tally over the weekend with 1 goal 4 points, with Mark Curry kicking 3 points.

Best players for Shamrocks were Dave O'Malley, Brendan Devaney, and Kennedy

Full scores:

Shamrocks 1-10 (Brad Kennedy 1-4, Mark Curry 0-3, Paul Rice 0-1, Ray Concar 0-1, Martin Kavanagh 0-1) def Sarsfields 0-10

Captain claims a record for grandad

20 April 2004 - The new Shamrocks captain celebrated his appointment with a record goal tally in Gaelic Football�s Brisbane Shield over the weekend.

Brad Kennedy was appointed Shamrocks senior mens captain during the week, and over the weekend scored four goals to equal the record set by Australasian all-star Peadar McCaffrey in 2001.

But the game meant far more than just keeping Shamrocks in contention for the Brisbane Shield final, for both Kennedy and his teammates.

"The team... played in honour of my grandfather and Matt Walsh's uncle who passed away on Easter weekend," Kennedy said.

With Kennedy leading the scoring, Shamrocks beat the reigning Queensland Championship holders Souths by 10 points, 6-5-23 to 2-7-13.

Brendan Devaney also contributed 2 goals to be best on field, well supported by Kennedy and David O�Malley.

The four goal haul was Kennedy's second scoring record for the club. Two years ago he claimed the record for most points in a game with nine, eclipsing the record perviously held by Tyrone's All-Ireland senior champion Eoin Mulligan.

Last year, Kennedy led the Shamrocks scoring for the second time, won the club's best and fairest award, and was named the most consistant player in the Queensland competition.

On the reserves match over the weekend, Shamrocks went down to Easts Celts 2-6-12 to 6-7-25 with Michael Joyce and Harold Peacock providing the goals.

Best players were Geoff Lambert, John Carpenter, and Lee Kemp.

In the ladies, Shamrocks 1-6 lost to Souths 13-17, with Louise O�Neill 1-3 and Renee Moynihan 0-3 providing the scoring.

Carol Welsh, O'Neill and Moynihan were best players for Shamrocks.

Full scores:

Reserves � Easts 6-7 def Shamrocks 2-6 (Mick Joyce 1-0, Harold Peacock 1-0, Marc Howard 0-3, Adam Bosch 0-1, Darren McDonnell 0-1, Scott Ingram 0-1)

Ladies � Souths 13-17 def Shamrocks 1-6 (Louise O'Neill 1-3, Renee Moynihan 0-3)

Seniors � Shamrocks 6-5 (Brad Kennedy 4-0, Brendan Devaney 2-0, Paul Rice 0-2, James Quinn 0-1, Wayne Gallagher 0-1, Kevin Dooley 10-1) def Souths 2-7

Related links:

Scoring records

Award winners

Bulldog returns to Shamrocks

19 April 2004 - Star-spotters were out in force at Willawong over the weekend with the return, albeit temporarily, of at least one big name to Gaelic Park.

Behind the goals for the Shamrocks ladies match was former Shamrocks player Sam Porter, now with the AFL�s Western Bulldogs.

Porter was club treasurer in 1999 when the club�s financial affairs needed tight control, and he delivered. Shamrocks grabbed history that year with the reserves team winning an unprecedented clean-sweep of the competition, and all three Shamrocks teams winning the Brisbane Shield on the same day. Porter was named most improved player.

Over the ensuing two seasons, after Porter had transferred his services to Chelsea FC in the English Premiership, Shamrocks won the senior Queensland Championship and then the ladies Queensland Championship for the first time.

These days, Porter is seen at most Western Bulldogs in Melbourne were he is a club accountant. He is also sometimes Woofer the club mascot � generally it�s him tripping over just as the team run through the banner.

Related links:

Queensland title winners

Overtime semi final to be avenged

29 March 2004 - Shamrocks hope to avenge an overtime defeat when they play John Mitchels under lights in week three of Gaelic Football�s Brisbane Shield at Willawong this Saturday night.

The last time the two sides met in senior mens level was in August last year, and Shamrocks were stung by a two point overtime defeat in the semi final of the Queensland Championship.

The western suburbs club will want to turn the tables this Saturday in a bid to keep their defense of the Brisbane Shield alive, after extending their win-loss record to 1-1 over the weekend.

In results over the weekend, Shamrocks recorded wins in the senior mens over Harps, and over John Mitchels in the reserves.

In the ladies match, Leissa Bain and Bronwyn Bassett were best players for Shamrocks in their defeat by Harps.

Full scores:

Ladies - Harps 3-28 def Shamrocks 0-0

Reserves - Shamrocks def John Mitchels on forfeit

Seniors - Shamrocks def Harps on forfeit

Gaelic Football starts with a thriller

21 March 2004 - Shamrocks started their defence of the Brisbane Shield with a heart-breaking one-point loss in the opening round of Gaelic Football at Willawong over the weekend.

The western suburbs senior mens team lost 1-6-9 to Easts Celts 1-7-10 despite outstanding debut performances from Indooroopilly�s Matt Mayo at full back, and James Quinn from County Tyrone, Ireland.

Another local rookie David McNelly also shone by leading the scoring with 1 goal 1 point.

Brad Kennedy � last year�s leading scorer and best and fairest winner � was again amongst the best, kicking four points.

In the reserves Shamrock went down to Souths 1-2 to Souths 1-9, and again the new recruits showed loads of promise.

David McNelly again confirmed his potential with another 1 goal 1 point haul, joining fellow rookies Luke Simmons (one point) and Matt Mayo (goal keeper), as the best players for Shamrocks.

In the ladies match, Shamrocks 1-3 were beaten by Easts Celts 4-8, with Tammy Wawrzyniak scoring one goal for Shamrocks, supported by Australasian all-stars Renee Moynihan (2 points) and Louise O�Neill (1 point).

Full scores:

Mens Seniors: Easts 1-7 def Shamrocks 1-6 (Brad Kennedy 0-4, David McNelly 1-1, Paul Rice 0-1, James Quinn 0-1)

Mens Reserves: Souths 1-9 def Shamrocks 1-2 (David McNelly 1-1, Luke Simmons 0-1)

Ladies: Easts 4-8 def Shamrocks 1-3 (Tammy Wawrzyniak 1-0, Renee Moynihan 0-2, Louise O'Neill 0-1)

MORE NEWS