Round 7
It was a very quiet week at home, with only 3 games at Gloucester Park and 3 at Rapids! Was very strange being the only team on the ground at Noon! Anita was glad of a Saturday off after a very hectic Friday Night as we welcomed our Jillaroos back for another home Round! With Seniors at home on Sunday and Jillaroo’s on Friday, it was still a big weekend for FMR!
U7 Lightning
Everyone had their moment in one of our more evenly matched games of the season on a chilly Saturday morning in Busselton vs Mackillop Panthers, showing off more of the passing skills learnt in training was the highlight this week! POD went to Ziggy Williams for excellent sportsmanship on the pitch and growth this season. Thanks Domino’s!
U7 Shadows
Brrr! It was a super cold morning, but the Shadows brought the heat straight to the pitch! Right from the kickoff, the boys were passing the ball like absolute pros. The Huskies had a tough defense, but Teddy broke through to score an awesome goal.
The second half was a total rollercoaster. The Huskies fought back hard and scored some quick goals, but the Shadows didn't let that stop them. They stayed focused, played together, and kept smiles on their faces the whole time!
Today's Superstars:
Kai and Ted: The Dynamic Duo! They were passing the ball back and forth with brilliant "1-2" moves and finding open space everywhere.
Kayden: The Human Wall! He was an absolute rock in the defense, stopping the Huskies in their tracks.
Jimmy: The Energy Machine! He ran everywhere, put tons of pressure on the ball, and made a super passing assist to Kai.
Elkie: The Hustler! He was always exactly where the team needed him and unleashed great shots that just missed.
Harrison: The Skill Master! He showed off some amazing footwork and came this close to scoring a goal!
Player of the Match: A huge shoutout to Mika! Not only did he have an amazing shot in the first half, but he stepped up huge in defence during the second half with spectacular saves and massive kicks to send the ball flying down the field. Way to go, Mika!
It was an amazing team effort today full of awesome passes, great teamwork, and happy faces. Excellent job Shadows!
U8 Falcons
Falcons headed up to Busso to take on Mackillop Sharks this weekend. The Falcons started on fire with a blitzing first 10mins, Winston, Marco, Ashton and Marshall hitting the back of the net. But player of the day today went to Eleanor, in her first season of soccer she worked so hard to get involved in the game today. Well done Falcons, you were all on fire today!
U9 Magic
Magic faced a tough away challenge against the Dunsborough Comets, battling icy cold temperatures, strong winds and an intense contest.
The way the Magic players supported one another when the game got challenging was inspirational. Austin was rock solid in defense, shutting down attacks and driving the ball forward. Despite an early injury, Mo worked tirelessly through the middle and made several important goal saving clearances. Mason’s impressive footwork and speed in his attacking and defensive play was rewarded with an impressive first-half goal.
In goals, Mitch did a fantastic job in the first half and continued his effort providing crucial defensive back-up to Elbi when she took the gloves in the second. Elbi showed incredible courage, putting her body on the line and made back-to-back close-range saves. After a heavy knock, Savannah bravely relieved Elbi in goals without hesitation and pulled off some freakish saves of her own!
Throughout, Zephyr matched the intensity of the contest, never taking a backward step and working hard for his team to the final whistle. Oleg’s non-stop effort and determination was rewarded in the second half when he fought through multiple defenders to slot home a sensational goal that sent the Magic supporters into a frenzy.
Player of the Day went to Charlie for his outstanding effort especially when the game got tough. One of the highlights of the day came when he powered down the right wing, weaving past defenders before delivering a brilliant assist that helped create Magic’s second goal.
The way the team supported each other and kept fighting right to the end is something they should all be incredibly proud of. Well done Magic!!
Shout out to Candy Cow for sponsoring this week’s Player of the Day “Honey Crunch”voucher.
U9 Raptors
The second half was a fantastic contest, with both teams lifting the intensity and producing some terrific passages of play. The Margaret River Raptors continued to attack with confidence while the GMS Vipers refused to give an inch, making for an exciting finish.
Bo was simply outstanding after coming back onto the field. He was everywhere – applying pressure, winning the ball and finishing brilliantly in front of goal. Bo added multiple goals in the second half and was rewarded with plenty of celebrations from teammates and supporters alike after a dominant display.
Ezra continued his tireless work rate, constantly driving the ball forward and taking on defenders. He created several chances, battled through heavy pressure and was unlucky not to score after some determined runs towards goal.
Lochie never stopped working. His pressure around the ball was exceptional, chasing down opponents and forcing mistakes. Time and again he won possession back for the Raptors and helped keep the Vipers pinned in their defensive half.
Ollie put in one of his grittiest performances of the season. He threw himself into contests, chased every loose ball and repeatedly put his body on the line for the team. His effort and determination were impossible to miss and inspired those around him.
Eddie kept the pressure on all half, making strong runs and creating opportunities whenever he got near the ball. Alongside him, Leo worked hard up the field, finding space and supporting the attack whenever the Raptors surged forward.
Aston and Will were rock solid, helping shut down Vipers attacks and keeping the pressure on whenever the opposition looked dangerous. Their defensive efforts gave the Raptors plenty of opportunities to launch attacks of their own.
In goals, Isaac stayed composed under pressure and made some important plays, while also encouraging his teammates and helping organise the defence.
The Vipers deserve plenty of credit as well. They kept fighting right to the final whistle, applying strong pressure and scoring some excellent goals of their own. It was a terrific display of junior football from both sides.
This was a brilliant team performance from the Margaret River Raptors. The boys played with energy, shared the ball, supported each other and never stopped competing. There were goals, great defensive efforts, courageous moments and plenty of smiles along the way.
Most importantly, the Raptors showed what makes this team special – teamwork, determination and a willingness to back each other up no matter the score.
A fantastic game of football and another great step forward for this young Raptors side. Go Raptors! 🦖⚽
U10 Raptors
Great performances by both teams, even though the Raptors won on the day. Congratulations to Jed Naylor who got player of the day, backing up the team by playing goalie both halves. Special mention to Arlo also, for his goalscoring.
U10 Mavericks
It was a frosty morning at Churchill Park on Saturday but the Mavericks were on fire! Harry Dorman was (as always) fabulous, earning one of our POD vouchers. A guest appearance by Zephyr ‘the golden boot’ Dodd (playing a grade above mind you), helped the team to victory with a classy left footer straight into the net, earning himself a POD voucher also.
U11 Hornets
The Hornets put in a fantastic team performance on Saturday, earning a hard-fought 3-3 draw against Storm in Dunsborough.
The first half was full of action, with Arlo outstanding in goal. Despite Storm opening the scoring, the Hornets responded well. Dylan made a great intercept to stop an attack, while Leo and Sam worked tirelessly in defence. Leo also produced a massive header to clear the danger and keep the Hornets in the game.
The attacking pressure paid off when Deccy had a shot on goal which rebounded to Harvey and he scored. Chase, Mateo and Sam all worked hard around the field, and Chase was unlucky not to score after a strong shot was saved by the Storm goalkeeper. Storm managed another goal before half-time, leaving the game finely balanced.
The second half continued at a fast pace. Dylan tested the keeper with a shot on goal, while Leo and Jake were solid in defence. Storm had chances of their own, but Arlo was again great with another important save.
Deccy was a constant threat going forward, resulting in a great goal. Later, Woody had a penalty shot which was stopped by storms goalkeeper, Harvey was quickest to react and scored from the rebound. Chase continued to create opportunities with another shot on goal as the Hornets pushed hard until the final whistle.
It was a terrific team effort from everyone, with strong defending, great saves and plenty of attacking chances. A special mention goes to Harvey, who was named Player of the Day after scoring two important goals.
U11 Dragons
The Dragons travelled to Dunsborough this weekend for their second meeting with Dunsborough Fire, and what an intense match it was. The game was fiercely competitive from start to finish, with both teams keeping the pressure on throughout. It was the closest match we’ve played all season and called for focus, determination and teamwork from every player on the pitch.
A stand out was how cleverly the Dragons played. There was plenty of looking up, scanning for options and thinking ahead before making decisions. The Dragons showed great composure, making smart passes and well considered plays as they worked together to move the ball around the pitch.
A big thank you to Arlo and Leo from the FMR Hornets for filling in for us today. Their willingness to help out was a great example of the positive club spirit we have at Football Margaret River, and they fitted seamlessly into our team. Well done Dragons on another strong performance and on continuing to show just how much your game awareness and decision making are developing each week.
Our player of the day today was awarded to Arlo. We really appreciated him standing in as keeper as we were short, it was a big effort after playing for his own team and then going on to attend Country Week trials later in the day too. Arlo made some truly outstanding saves - you’re welcome to play with us again any time! Thanks to Candy Cow for the voucher.
U11 Serpents
The Serpents put in a strong performance in Vasse against the Adders, showing great teamwork and clear improvement in their play. The team moved the ball well across the pitch, with sharp passing and consistent pressure. Jayden was the standout, earning Player of the Day with a brilliant goal and an impressive effort leading the attack. Well done, Jayden! Thank you to the Margaret River Bookshop for the POD voucher.
U12 Storm
What a cracking game U12 Storm played this week against Vasse Venom! While the scoreboard didn't fall our way, you'd never have known it from the way our kids took to the pitch.
The standout this week was the teamwork. Storm served up some truly splendid tiki-taka football, passing the ball around the field to one another with real confidence and finding space beautifully. Watching them link up, cover the ground and back each other up was a joy to watch. They are growing as a team and you can see it happening week by week. Vasse may have snuck through some lucky goals, but the way our Storm played together, with patience and purpose, was the real story of the day. Wonderful effort, Storm we're so proud of you all! But special congratulations goes to our POD (thanks to Burger Baby) Daisy Lane for a consistently great effort all season.
U13 All Stars
The All Stars played a fantastic game against GMAS on Saturday morning despite the freezing temperatures, winning 9 to 3 goals.
Due to absent players on GMAS’s team we all only had 8 players a side which opened up the game and had all players covering more ground than usual. Some standout corner kicks from Zoe, side line runs from Flyn, great saves in the goals from Reef and Kai. It was a great all round competition from all players.
Special mentions to our goal kickers, Zoe who kicked 5, Hugo 3, and Kai.
Awesome team effort! Congratulating the players of the match Flyn and Keeva for awesome efforts!
U13 Breakers
There was a sharp chill in the air as the two Margaret River Teams found their positions on the pitch. The Legends found some form early and shot the first goal. The Breakers played a strong defensive game to deny the Legends many scoring opportunities. Drayke pulled off some show stopping saves to score POD along with Isaac who consistently creates dangerous opportunities but must develop his passing accuracy to bring teammates into the play. Special mention to Lennox who shot an incredible goal, to Mireya who is developing the ability to read the play and to Fynn who ran consistently to help the team in defense and attack. Thanks to the soccer club canteen for prizes.
U13 Legends
We had the Veo camera set up for the first time, giving our U13 players the opportunity to be recorded and experience a more professional game environment.
The Legends started strongly with excellent ball possession and great focus from every player. Communication was much better today, players respected their positions, and everyone worked together as one team. The effort and teamwork were there from the first whistle. The Legends opened the scoring early and went into halftime leading 4-0.
The Breakers came out fighting in the second half and managed to score, but the Legends stayed focused and added two more goals to finish the game with a convincing 7-1 win.
Player of the game today was Ziggy. Great focus and energy throughout the match. You were involved in every ball, every throw-in, and your presence in defence made things easier for everyone around you.
A great performance from the whole team today. You can all be proud of yourselves and the way you played together. Well done Legends.
U14 Stingrays
The Stingrays this week faced Busselton. For the most part Stingrays had the upper hand but only went into half time one nil up thanks to another goal from inform Bobby Atkins. Despite a lot of pressure from the Stingrays, Busselton were still holding on until right towards the end, when a goal from Alby Blakemore sealed the victory and put the Stingrays into second place on the ladder. A great effort all round.