AGSV: How Yarra Valley Grammar can complete a famous 2023

From “mediocre achievements” to conquering some of the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria (AGSV) giants, Yarra Valley gets its opportunity to complete a mesmeric 2023 with the ultimate if it’s to defeat Ivanhoe Grammar in Saturday’s grand final.

Director of Sport Andrew Parkes said this season has been in the making since the school appointed Hawthorn 1991 premiership player Paul Hudson as its football coach.

“Yarra footy has been at a low-end for a while, our achievements have been mediocre, mid, lower half of the table for 10 years,” he said.

“What the school decided to do from about 2020 onwards was to change the set up; we invested a bit of time in coaching, Paul Hudson came in, we engaged in three line coaches to support him.

“We just felt the secret to building a good sport program was to get the very best coaches we could to engage the kids, not only that they have to understand how schools work.

“Paul has been really good, he is obviously a high-level player and has been around that sort of environment in the AFL.

“He also understands that the kids have a lot going on; they have band, drama, music and studies, but they’ve also got footy, that’s been really good for us.

“It means the academic part of the school has a really good respect for the sport department which is really good for the kids.”

Parkes hopes the new-found appetite for sporting success can create a “loop” that makes Yarra Valley Grammar a destination school.

“I think long-term we’re looking at that success at Yarra Valley Grammar could potentially see kids from other schools want to come to Yarra to experience it as well,” he said.

“That would give us depth and more success, then we end up in a bit of a success loop.

‘That’s kind our mantra in the sports department, that’s in all sports, it just seems that footy has evolved really, really quickly.

“It just ticks all the boxes for us.”

After a dream run, which could be capped off in Saturday’s grand final, Parkes says the cultural shift around the school from the sporting success is noticeable.

“It’s actually one our key words here,” he said.

“The positive culture of sport here has been raised heaps from the fact that we’re doing well.

“I think the other thing that other thing take seriously is how they present, they roll up to games in full uniform, they’re conscious of how they appear to younger kids.

“Our firsts footballer go down to the junior kids and do some football stuff with them and they’re in awe of these big boys in their blazers.

“It just says a bit for the school when people respect sport here, the teachers understand how important it is for the kids to run around and be active because we know it helps their brains and learning.

“I think there is a real synergy between what they do out on the sporting field and what they do in the classroom.”

Yarra Valley Grammar has no doubts in its opposition in Ivanhoe as it too has defeated some of the competitions giants.

But Parkes has confidence in his group, which has built its season on a fundamental of football.

“We play Ivanhoe who are in a slightly similar position, albeit a bit of an older team,” he said.

More Coverage

The players who stood up on the APS’ biggest stage

Tyler Lewis

MPFNL-keen clubs set for chance to present case

Tyler Lewis

“We are a young team that prides itself on bringing pressure, our game plan is bringing pressure to the opposition.

“We’re up against teams that are bigger, stronger and more talented but we believe we will beat teams because we’re really well structured, even and we bring pressure to the game.

“Ivanhoe are a similar team, they have won their way through, it’s going to be a highly contested game and we’re hoping to come away with the win.”

Originally published as AGSV: How Yarra Valley Grammar can complete a famous 2023