Written by Oceans (September 7th, 2013)
On a chilly, rainy Saturday morning (6:30AM to be exact) most Goannas in Japan were snoozing away snugly underneath doonas for the first time since the summer ended.  10 battle hardened lizards however defied weekend tradition and swung the playing kit over their scaly shoulders and trundled off on bus and car to the outskirts of Japan. Somewhere past Narita in the lush forests where the rain followed with little respite.
So the Japan Cup begins.
A round robin tournament featuring 6 teams- the Box Hill North Demons straight from Melbourne, four strong Japanese sides, and of course, us.
The first game saw the Goannas play a team combined with Hawks and Lions players. Now, if you remember, the Lions were the team who handed us our first  ever 100 point spanking just two weeks prior. Now bolstered by the Hawks, the Goannas tried a different pre-game warm-up to be sure humiliation would not come again.
A healthy dose of Deep Heat supplied by Simon ‘Deep Heat’ Gray.
The trusty ointment warmed up shivering muscles and all was raring to go.
I won’t bore you with details but the first game was a huge improvement on recent outings. The Goannas went down by 4 goals but was never too far behind mainly due to a back line that repelled attack after attack. Grant Wales, James Correy (in his first ever game of AFL), and Dirk van Dalen are young and new but they showed glimpses of what Goanna fans can expect in the future. A hard, dour, no-nonsense back line that just loves to smother and hit tackles hard.
Despite in the front seat for the Golden Boot, Luke Eyes planted himself in the midfield where he was needed the most. Unselfish. If Sam Mitchell and Greg Williams had babies then the product would probably be our Lukey. The extractor made sure there were no clear centre breaks and a good ol’ scrap would be had. That suited us fine as Mikey Liddell and Travis ‘Arms’ Wilson capitalised on whatever fell their way up forward. No behinds were kicked…all day.
Yes ladies and gentlemen we didn’t kick a behind all day. That’s 3 games without a miss. To be sure, we didn’t score the most goals in the world, but that’s beside the point.
The second game rolled around and it was another tough one – the undefeated Tokyo Bay Suns who sit atop the JAFL ladder. Words won’t be minced here. We were, well, not very good at all this time around. Going down by 51 points, our final score was 0.0.
Dropped marks, missed kicks, and lazy tackling made sure the boys had a bit to think about during the ensuing lunch break. Throw in the persistent rain, wet socks, and strengthening wind, the Goannas could only look at our potato sandwiches for solace.
Too cold to get up and warm up for the next game, the lads finished off the Deep Heat instead and watched as the cheerleaders on show gyrated and danced to some popular tunes. That must have touched a nerve as the fire came back just in time for the final match. The battle for 5th spot against Senshu Powers (currently 3rd on the JAFL ladder).
Perhaps it was the pom poms, maybe the unique dance moves, or it could have been too much Deep Heat kicking in, but the Goannas were inspired.
OK we didn’t win but you should have seen Stefan Aebi gut run despite having no tank left. His effort in the ruck meant Alex Wyatt had a go up forward and destroyed his opponent with 3 crucial goals. Wyatt has enjoyed  a break out season in the ruck with his behemoth sized frame and showed us he hasn’t lost any of that goal kicking touch.
Roving the packs, unperturbed with kicking off his modeling career last week, Dan Last threw himself head first into packs with reckless abandon as he and Luke paired up in the middle. That brought Dirk, Mikey and Arms into the frame as well. Truly a team effort.
For most of the game the Goannas were only a goal down until the last few minutes when Senshu kicked two goals to seal it. Although the result was heartbreaking the boys went off the field together buoyed.  It was a morale-lifting effort and it sent out an affirmation that there is light at the end of the tunnel if the players stick together. Not in a Melbourne Demons type of way, more like a Port Adelaide (from last year – hopefully).
To all the fans out there, these ten Goannas showed why we are deserving of your support despite some horrible losses this year. Growing pains but these Goannas will taste success again sooner rather than later.  There is hunger there!
Special mention goes out to Richard Binnie and David Ogilvy who came out to support with voice and water. Binnie somehow managed to hydrate 3 players at once, and Oges was never far behind instructing players on whose bum they should be patting.
All in all a fantastic day capped off with a brilliant Boat Race victory over the Box Hill North boys. With one game left in the regular season get around us all you Goannas. We’ll be good things very soon!
We’ll finish off by congratulating the combined Hawks and Lions team who took it out. Well played and we’ll get you next time!

Every once in a while the sporting Gods go shopping for human emotions, end up buying out the whole store, and then throw the entire purchase into one unsuspecting moment.
 
What you end up with is Jesse Owens debunking the Aryan myth. You might even get the Springboks doing it for Nelson in ’95. Or, closer to home, Scarlett toe-poking it to Ablett for the winner in ’09. In short, you get something made for Hollywood.
 
The latest concoction is their finest work yet. Tailor made for the silver screen.
 
Here’s the spoiler; a blow by blow of the final 3 minutes:
 
With the Goannas 3-points ahead, a desperate Dingo midfield manages to somehow get an open play and bang the ball forward about 35 meters from goal.
 
A contest ensues and Huddo (Craig Huddleston) who had been close to best on ground all day gives away an innocuous free kick to Patterson. It would take a mammoth kick from there to score against a blustery breeze.
 
However, not happy with the umpire’s decision Huddo blows a fuse and throws the ball away angrily. Whistle. 25 meter penalty. 
 
That brings the Dingo forward to the goal line and he duly converts. Goannas suddenly behind with 2 minutes left.
 
On the boundary line the interchange bench and supporters are in despair. Hands on heads. Hoping, praying, this can’t be how it ends.
 
“EVERYONE FORWARD!!”, player rotation manager John Avent screams. Others join in to help get the message across.
 
Play restarts at the centre. Luke Eyes jumps on the ball first but is instantly besieged. A pack quickly ensues. The Dingoes are looking to close the game down. There is no space.
 
A re-bounce. This time Milts (Michael Milton) has had enough. If there isn’t any space then he’ll damn well make some.
 
On last legs, he soars over the other ruckman and thumps the ball forward clearing the pack. Luke Eyes wins the chase and scrambles a pressured kick into the forward line which bounces over the boundary. Less than a minute remains.
 
The resulting boundary throw-in favors nobody and Dan Last with his biceps already torn off the bone gives one final supreme effort and manages to keep the ball in play after being tackled. It causes a mad scramble 20 meters from goal right on the boundary line with the ball being hounded like it promised 72 virgins. 
 
30 seconds on the clock. There isn’t a spectator sitting.
 
Then, somehow, incredibly, Travis ‘Arms’ Wilson extracts a clean ball from inside the pressure cooker and loops a heavenly, rainbow-infused handball over the top of the Dingo defense to a waiting Dan McGrath on the goal line.
 
You could hear a soft choir singing while the ball was in the air. Hail Mary.
 
As McGrath assuredly latches onto the precious ball and thumps it through the goal posts the stands erupt in unison. 
 
Born thence a new legend for the bards.
 
If Bashar Assad, Kim-Jong-Il, and Vlad III the Impaler were there it would have mattered naught. They’d have been hugged and kissed nonetheless, engulfed in the euphoria that was.
 
With 10 seconds left the result was all but cast in stone. The final siren rang soon after the restart and some players collapsed, others embraced.
 
The Dingoes lay shattered, knowing they didn’t lose because of skill or endeavor. They lost because time stopped at an inconvenient moment. Yet, there was high consolation if they ever sought it. Won was an eternal admiration for their fight. A fight that only the hands of time could end.
 
‘Remember The Titans’, eat your heart out.
 
As is usually the case with legends, you may find different accounts of the final moments depending on who you speak with but the one aspect that remains unchanged are the names of the heroes involved.
 
Such high drama was the culmination of much smaller deeds starting a while back. Coach Rob Scarlett made sure he didn’t let anybody forget that either.
 
“The Goannas have come a long way since a very tough year in 2011″, he said, alluding to a second-last placing in 2011.
 
“The premiership is the result of a huge amount of work put in by the committee to turn things around and get the Goannas back to the top of the JAFL.”
 
Indeed. From the Fabrici family organizing wine night, Loz (Lorien Parker) baking lamingtons and cutting oranges for the players, Peter Apps conjuring up player videos at a moment’s notice, the groundwork for success were laid well before the first bounce.
  
And with so many people putting in the hard yards comes emotions more than just basking in premiership glory. Evidently, there were more than just triumphant responses out there after the game.
 
“Personally I am feeling relief mostly. I knew we were good enough to win it so I am just glad we were able to deliver”, an emotionally drained Scarlett told the media throng afterwards. 
 
The first half however, threatened to derail that very delivery. 
 
Missed shots from close range, passes nowhere near targets, first options not taken. It was an uncharacteristically error-riddled Goanna outfit that drew the ire of its supporters and coaching staff. Thankfully, the scoreboard didn’t reflect general play. In fact, it was all tied up 2.7 apiece.
 
If you ask Scarlett who to thank for that there would be no hesitation in his answer.
 
“Huddo and Jimmy Morvell standing tall in the backline in the first quarter”.
 
They along with the support of iron man Dan Atkins were absolutely immense. Confronting a barrage of forward thrusts and one-out contests, Morvell and Huddo channeled their obvious Spartan heritage to literally save the scales of their fellow lizards. 
 
Time after time they repelled concerted Dingo efforts to breach the red and white stronghold. Their golden fists proving a shield too great to penetrate. 
 
Asked why the rest of his team seemed uninspired before half time compared to the back line though, Scarlett would instead give praise to the opposition.
 
“I am not sure it was that we were uninspired but rather that the Dingoes’ intensity was much higher than ours. They beat us to the ball, tackled harder and basically turned the game into a scrap which didn’t suit us. 
 
“In the third we brought on some fresh legs and matched their intensity and were able to break it open a little”, he answered, no doubt pointing to the depth this team now possesses. 
 
“The boys who came on for short bursts gave us a real lift especially Mitch (Ainsworth), Mikey (Liddell) and Richard (Binnie) the Brave”.
 
He didn’t miss Luke Eyes for special mention either. “(He) just keeps getting better. His game in the middle was a highlight”.
 
It had to be as well. Especially after Scarlett, the team’s prime midfielder, went down in the very first contest of the day with two cracked ribs. 
 
His absence was a daunting void filled by the determination of a few. Lukey, Arms Wilson, Dan Last, Alex ‘Tex’ Niebruegge, and the ferocious Milts combined to break even in the middle.
 
“It is fair to say Osaka dominated the ruck contests, but I think we were able to pick off a few of their taps and win a few clearances”, Scarlett explained. 
 
“The windy conditions and scrappy game didn’t suit the Goannas… but we got the job done”. Just.
 
The third quarter was pivotal for both sides. With the Dingoes trying in earnest to gain an advantage with the wind, the Goannas on the other hand threw flesh and bone at them to make sure it didn’t happen.
 
It was a bruising encounter with more than a few niggles breaking out. Bash (James Dennier) himself felt the brunt snapping his back in half after a pack fell on top of him. His much awaited rematch with Jon Cooper lasting all of 90 seconds.
 
After all the gun smoke and dust settled, Osaka could only manage to squeak out a 2-point advantage.
 
It was a spine tingling taste of what was to come.
 
Those moments leading up to the final minutes saw the Goannas experiment with the forward line desperate for a winning score. The Behemoth (Alex Wyatt) was isolated deep to start. Rob Scarlett was thrown down there for the first time all season. In the end, the stage was perfectly set for a hero to steal the show.
 
How apt it was then that it was the old stalwarts of the club who combined for the winning goal.
 
Yes, that handball from Trav to McGrath. Was it a handball from God?
 
It certainly was what the Goannas were praying for.
 
 
6 Grand Final Mentions
 
1.　Whoever it was that showed Rob Scarlett an old 1989 tape of Dermott Brereton being run over by Yeates is a genius. 
 
Breaking two ribs early, Scarlett gutted out the game and ended up scoring a high-pressure goal in the final moments of the match.
 
“Jono (Osaka coach) got me with a solid but fair bump in the first 30 seconds of the game. It wasn’t until quarter time when I cooled down a little that I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t play much of the second or third quarters but got back on in the last”. 
 
Just as Brereton inspired the Hawks by marking strongly and scoring after that incident, Scarlett found himself in a position to give the Goannas a 9-point lead with 7 minutes to go in the final quarter. 
 
“When lining up for goal I was mainly thinking of how much my ribs were hurting… but it seemed to straighten up my goal kicking”.  
 
Which was a good thing after coming into the game having missed his past 6 shots on goal. What a way to break the streak.
 
 
2. Not having to worry about inaccuracy is the man that dragged this team to victory by the scruff of the neck. 6 goals from a team total of 7 will win you ‘Best On Ground’ honors any day of the week. 
 
And who else could it be but Dan McGrath? 
 
Danno capped off a fairy tale comeback by doing it all this year. His 2012 consists of a premiership medal, Golden boot award, Norm Smith (best player in a Grand Final) medal, coached a Boat Race win in Osaka, won an abs-off with a salary man at a ramen stand, awarded Life Membership, and may yet include the competitions Brownlow equivalent. 
 
A feat Tony Lockett could only dream of.
 
 
3. An improbable starter only a few weeks ago, Mikey Liddell got himself up in time for the big one. Word was the nuggety forward flanker duped the coaching staff by hiding his crutches every time he walked by their office. He was seen cheerfully jogging by whilst greeting John Avent only to limp off after the rotation manager looked away.
 
The ploy worked as he was given the go ahead and he made sure he wasn’t there only for the drinks. Mikey gave the forward half a much needed spark coming on after half time. “(Liddell’s) impact in the third quarter was a highlight”, Scarlett said after the game.
 
 
4. The entire Goanna contingent put the Barmy Army to shame. As one player put it after the game, “I thought Ann-Marie was actually out there playing at one stage. It sounded like she was but a meter away”.
 
They say lamingtons are earned, not merely given away. So it was that those tasty Aussie treats (courtesy of Loz) were finally made known when the trophy returned home. A homely award for a hard years work.
 
The members and supporters have done an absolutely amazing job this year.
 
 
5. Boy, Milts was angry at half time. Livid. Whilst warming up before the restart the aggressive midfielder turned to face his troops and delivered a spray not oft heard around these parts.
 
“What are we (expletive) doing boys? We’re not going in hard enough. We’re (expletive) just waiting for somebody else to do the work for us. Just (expletive) standing around. Get in there! This is a (expletive) Grand Final!”
 
He certainly didn’t mince words and tried to inspire the troops by taking responsibility upon himself.
 
“I’m to blame as well”, he continued. “So I’m going to play on Snowy (Dingo star Snowden) and make sure he (expletive) doesn’t get another touch! What are you going to do? (Expletive). Come on boys!”
 
It was an ‘Al Pacino from Any Given Sunday’ moment.
 
 
6. In other news, the Dingoes may have won the Boat Race. I’m not sure. Did anyone notice?
 
All jest aside, the Osaka boys have been partner to what has evidently grown to be the fiercest rivalry in the JAFL. Both battles this year have been bruising and fairly fought out – in a way that Aussie rules should be played.
 
It bodes for some exciting matches in 2013 and beyond. Best of luck to the Dingoes.
 
Congratulations Tokyo Goannas. 2012 Premiers!

 THE GOANNAS HIT ISHINOMAKI – With a Vengeance thatonly a Footy Team could have!!There was no better a way to start a trip than to rock up to the Fab Backpackers and have a Barbie,watch the footy
and get a half hours sleep. The crew assembled as the Hawks escaped the bullet and made Andy Lav a very
sad boy.  The crew included John, Mel, Dan, his father (Alan), Andy P, Hiroe,Annmaree, Andy Lav and
Appsy.  After dinner everyone slowly drifted off to sleep ready for the big day.
The crew woke up early 2-3 ish and we were off on the road north. On the way we met up with Shep, Nick
and Lisaand by four o’clock we had a full crew and the convoy well on the way. The cars were quiet except
poor Andy P.with somebody in his ear the whole time.
We finally got to Ishinomaki by eight o’clock and the crew was ready for anything!  The Nadia  headquarters
was an eye opener, but we thought being five floors up at least we would be safe from another tsunami!
As we gathered there were people from all countries and walks of life – all very friendly and of course the
one thing in common – very eager to help. The meeting was led by Christineand Rika  who assembled the
groups with great skill and were probably the most fashionable NGO leaders in Ishinomaki or even
in the whole of Tohoko! The Goanna group was broken into those who were scared of spiders and those
who were not!  The spider people were to tackle Mr. Kimura’s garden who needed it cleared of sediment
and mud, and the others headed to the Tafukuin Temple to re-floor the tea room in time for a local
meeting on Monday.
The garden crew team leader Gi, otherwise known as the Orange French Bloke, led us to our job and  – My God!!! Visions of the movie Arachnophobia went through our minds. The garden was a mixture of debris, train sets, black stuff and of course, BIG @#$% spiders.  Thank goodness for Annmaree, the true ‘Spiderwoman’, who was more than happy to have them dropping from their webs, while she merrily ‘disposed’ of them…. The Goannas attacked the garden with a savage endeavor and soon the spiders were gone, the rubbish was gone and the place was looking a real treat. The next crew will be able to get the house in order with no fear of these eight legged wonders. John the eternal fisherman managed to snare himself one and he would have made Rex proud with his kiss and release!
                                                        Saturday Fixing Another House – Annmaree
On Saturday afternoon, Appsy, Andy Lav and Annmaree worked at a house next to an Ishinomaki Elementary School, where hundreds of Ishinomaki residents continue to live five months after the tsunami destroyed or damaged their homes. The car park of the school was completely full. Students of the school now commute by bus to a nearby school as they cannot use their classrooms.
There were many volunteers at the 2-storey house, where the first floor was being pulled up. Appsy leapt to work using a crow-bar and teamed up with two other volunteers using crow-bars. As the wood was still damp, it often broke up and crumbled, making the work slow and laborious. Andy Lav was put to work using an electric cutter, cutting up the floor. Annmaree helped carry the bits of wood, insulation foam and heavy bags of black mud that had been dumped on the floors by the tsunami, carrying them to the area in front of the house where a huge garbage pile continued to grow. We continued to rip up the floor for a couple of hours.
The family looked on as the volunteers worked, helping as much as they could, as the group pulled up all the flooring. At the end of the work day at 4pm, we packed up the Nadia tools and said our good-byes to the family. The tools were wheeled back to Nadia headquarters in a wheelbarrow, where they were washed, before being put away to use another day.
A team of  five Goannas, (Nick, Lisa, Shep, Allan A and Dan A) and their Nadia leader Guy (pronounced Gii) headed to the local temple to prepare and re-lay a wooden floor that was ruined by the Tsunami. The water level reached the roof of the 250 y.o. structure however it was strong enough to stay standing, even with cars trucks and other debris slamming into it as the wave hit.
The morning was spent removing nails and the remaining boards to ready the two rooms for the new floor boards.  During the afternoon session the pace really picked up and like all great footy sides ran the job out well with the final piece of flooring laid by 6pm, much to the joy of the **** family, the head monk and the whole Goanna team in attendance.
On the Sunday, The Temple group was run by Guy from Nadia, and Lisa our Goanna Team Leader, translator and newfound film star. In the group were Andy P, Hiroe & Appsy. The job was to rip down the walls that had been damaged by the water and to replace the tatami mats that had floated out during the tsunami. While working we found out that the temple had an average of three funerals a day since the earthquake and so this particular room would be used for a cup of tea after a funeral.
The walls were easy to remove once we had learnt the technique but the clean up was never easy. Hiroe led the cleaning and reception duties for the temple. Guy and Andy P. did a great job preparing the floor for the tatami laying and by lunch the first part of the job was finished.
Just as we were heading off for lunch a crew from NHK, the National Japanese broadcaster arrived. They had come to interview Christine from Nadia but once they saw Lisa they had to interview her as well. Lisa answered their difficult Japanese questions with the skill of a Japanese Prime Minister, but she was a little embarrassed being in front of the camera so she found it hard to hide the ‘huzakushii blush’.
By mid afternoon we had most of the tatami in place with Guy cutting a couple of tatamis to finish the job. The final piece of the puzzle was a rather large and bloody heavy altar cabinet that had to be installed into its original position. Just as we were about to start, Shep – our in house Samson – turned up and with the help of Andy, Appsy and Guy it was installed in no time. The matron of the temple mentioned that most of the Japanese boys in the area had tried but to no avail. But they didn’t have Shep! After all the work, we all had a well deserved cup of tea and headed to the barber shop to help the rest of the Goannas.On Sunday Andy Peyton, the Goannas President, presented to Nadia and OGA a cash donation of close to half a million yen.  Andy was the driving force behind the appeal and worked tirelessly to get the money together. Without Andy this weekend would not have been successful. The money will be used in helping many families get their lives back on track.John, Annmaree, Shep, Lavs, & Mel all hit the Suzuki household under the watchful eye of our “Guru Goanna leader” , Nick. The Mission – to build a new floor for Grandma who is still stuck in a hospital following the tragedy that hit five months ago.  The Suzuki’s have been living in their son’s house since March 11th, and running their Barber Shop business out of the flood damaged ground floor of his modern, two story home.
Their own 100 year old traditional home in front of the property lays skew whiff, broken and uninhabitable, physically lifted and then dropped by the wave that consumed so much of the neighborhood around them.
High in spirits we madly measured, sawed, nailed and hammered away in the rain.  While Annmaree kept us in tune with the Suzuki families stories of survival and triumph while we worked hard into the day.  It was a big change from the mucking out, digging and bag filling we had done the day before and we all learnt so much about building things!  Thanks Nick!!
We surprised the Suzuki’s with our results, not only by having the floor ready for tatami mats to be laid, but also having built temporary doors so that the house can now be closed up, and is clean enough for Grandma to come home from hospital.
The small gesture of a few hours, half a dozen mates and a couple of hundred bucks made the biggest impact on these beautiful people’s lives. Their gestures of kindness and thanks were heartfelt and real.  When we came to the photographs, their tears of joy were moved us and I’m sure they won’t forget us in a hurry!!  Or our red Goanna shirts.  Shep. wants to go back for a hair cut, so it will be great to catch up with them again soon.

No write up would be complete without a few words about our Shep. A man with such endless energy, Shep was the man who documented most of the trip with his camera & was also the gopher on all of the jobs, whether it was picking up the hammer or saw, providing a bit of muscle and generally keeping spirits high.  The video will be shown on Brownlow night in Australia. It will show the jobs football teams can do in the community. The Goannas are lucky to have him!
Finishing UpAfter the barber shop was finished and the congratulatory slaps on the back were shared, we all headed back to Nadia to prepare for the trip home.  Tired but still not done most of us headed off for another onsen – if we hadn’t we would have had a smell in the car that would have woken the dead (to steal from Kenny the Movie) but there wasn’t the crowd as the night before and the cleaning time was short and dinner was down in no time. The crews headed home tired but with that funny feeling that something special had been accomplished.
The Goannas would like to thank NADIA for their efforts in helping the people of Ishinomaki, the drivers Andy, Shep and John. And of course our leader Andy P. for leading the money making for the tsunami cause.  Without that money we could not have finished half the jobs we tackled.
Stay tuned for our next trip, and get on board!  It truly was an amazing and inspiring experience for us that we hope to share again very soon.

​Goannas at Nojiriko  The Goanna camping weekend was a great weekend for a number of goannas. The crew was Lukey, Hitomi , Sebastian (first time camper), Los, Dan , Kayo, appsy, and on the Saturday Rob and emm. We all headed to Nojiriko which is a beautiful lake in the middle of picturesque Nagano.

Every day was cooking reading sleeping, swimming and pasing seb who is only five months old! On Friday appsy and Kayo turned up early about 12ish and set up their tent which was an experience for Kayo as it was her first experience. Lukey and his team came at 4ish and they were lucky to have appsy and Kayo to help and hinder them. After that we all started the fire and got the lamb roast into the webber. Once everyone had a well deserved swim and a few beers. After the swim and beers the night started and more beer. Everyone had a great night with beers and chat.
The next day Los was up early and doing work and the boys slowly with dan and hey you sleeping most of morning. The next night Rob and em arrived and there were mori beers & stories. The next day the boys and girlshad fun on the wake boards and

more of the same that night. the drive back to Tokyo was slow but everyone was satisfied that ad had a good weekend away
Always remember the goannas are the team that are always doing something!

A big crowd assembled at the Yokohama Country & Athletics Club (YCAC) for the 2010 Japan AFL grand final. In perfect Autumn weather the players and administrators (thanks Loz) from the Tokyo Goannas and the Nagoya Redbacks arrived early for match preparation. Festivities kicked off at5pm with an exhibition match between the Japanese stars under lights. Then at 6pm the grand final teams lined up while the Australian National Anthem was played. The atmosphere was electric and the Redbacks, playing in their first JAFL grand final, and travelling with a touring squad of 16 expats, looked sharp in the warm up. The Goannss, led by Wilson in his 100th game for the club, were quietly confident of defending their JAFL premierships over the past 4 years and were primed for a big match in spite of the late withdrawals of some of their prime movers.
Q1
After some marshalling by Ritchie and Sullivan, who shared game day coaching duties, the Goannas got off to a flyer with Lavender in the ruck winning a quick tap to McGee who booted it forward onto the chest of Mitchell who nailed the first major from 40m to give the Goannas the lead within 30 seconds. Richardson, playing in the midfield, was another early ball winner and he combined well with Wilson, playing off the half back line, who played a blinder in his 100th game leading by example and continually winning contested ball. The Goannas forwards looked dangerous and when Sullivan and Mitchell goaled with right and left foot snaps respectively the Goannas were away. Huddleston and Peyton down back were on fire, racking up several strong marks to constantly repel the Redback’s forays forward. The Redbacks pulled back with a late goal but at qtr time it was the Goannas by a couple.
Q2
The Goannas started strongly with Komiyama playing well off a wing and kicking an early goal after marking strongly. Ogilvy made immediate impact down back and solid field kicking by himself and Huddleston kept the Redback forwards at bay. Lavender continued his strong game with superb ruck, and ground level, work all over the pitch. McGrath, coming off his 6th dislocated shoulder injury only 4 weeks ago, marked strongly late in the quarter and threaded it truly from tight on the boundary. Cole and Atkins ignited the Goannas team with strong running and smart ball use and when Atkins goaled the Goannas had a commanding lead. Furness, in only his second game for the club, was instrumental when rotated through the midfield and his tenacity was Tony Liberatore like. Wilson’s attempted mark of the year was a highlight and Woods’ showed glimpses of his rugby past with strong dash by bursting through a web of Redbacks and pumping the ball forward with a spectacular left foot. Goannas by 4 goals at half time.
Q3
After some inspirational speeches at half time and quenching of the Goannas thirst via oranges provided by Scanlan the Goannas were keen to press on and break the game open. The young Fabrici brothers, Ryan (18) and Nick (15), quite possibly the youngest lads ever to pull on a Goannas jumper were game breakers – their dash was reminiscent of Peter Matera in his glory days. Ryan’s strong lead up mark and goal followed by a marvelous snap and goal by Anderson, our gateway to future tours of the USS George Washington, were inspirational and the defence continued their superb match with Huddleston, Peyton and Ogilvy firing on all cylinders. The Redbacks did manage a couple of late goals through Jenkins and Dowey, the 2009 and 2010 JAFL MVPs, but couldn’t sustain the pressure. Goannas by four majors going into the final change.
Q4
The supporters could sense it and Apps, Eyes, and Whyte provided some encouragement at the final team huddle of the year as the Goannas eyed victory. The key message of the coaches at the last change was to maintain the pressure to ensure we end the year on a high by playing consistent 4 qtr football. Lavender, quite possibly the fittest 40 year old with a PhD, responded in the middle with some athletic ruck work and McGee again set up another attacking move leading to a goal to McGrath after a juggled goal square mark. Richardson’s aggression at the ball were rewarded with constant possession and when Wilson kicked to a contest at half forward, Peyton released a bullet handball to Mitchell, who snapped a left foot team goal to push the margin out to beyond 6 goals. The goals kept coming and when Lavender kicked a ripper from the boundary the celebrations started. The Goannas ran out winners by 49 pts to capture their 5th straight Japan AFL Top League Premiership by defeating their Nagoya based ex-pat brethren.
Congratulations
Well done to Lavender who took out the Grand Final MVP award and to Wilson in captaining a winning grand final side in his 100th Goanna appearance. Congratulations lads on a magnificent year and many thanks to all the Club’s supporters & sponsors and special thanks to the Club’s committee, led by Dave Ogilvy, who did an outstanding job in ensuring 2010 on and off field success.
Thanks to all the players and especially the Nagoya Redbacks for a great season!

Tokyo Goannas and Eastern Hawks players after the 2009 JAFL Grand Final 
Ron Mitchell
Fri 04 December, 2009
 
Tokyo Goannas 3.2, 7.6, 12.8, 13.10(88) defeated
Eastern Hawks 2.2, 2.8, 2.9, 6.14(50)
 
 
AFTER making their way through tough semi finals in the preceding weeks, the Tokyo Goannas and Eastern Hawks came together at the YCAC venue in Yokohama to clash in the 2009 Japan AFL Grand Final.  After playing the national anthems of Japan and Australia, the teams moved into their respective positions and the atmosphere was tense as supporters from both teams looked on.
 
The game kicked off at a frenetic pace as each team jostled for the first inside 50. After a brilliant start in the ruck by Matt Edmonds, Dan McGrath and Josh Pearce combined in the centre to score the first goal for the Goannas. Moments later, following a sensational clearance and a strong mark, Patrick Sullivan kicked another goal for the Goannas. However the Hawks quickly settled and managed to break the lines to score their first major via Toshihiro Wakasawa’s boot. The Goannas backline, brilliantly led by Dave Ogilvy, Nick Utting and Craig Huddleston, repelled several inside 50s. Travis Wilson on the wing was welcomed back to the Goannas after missing several games through injury, and helped set up the Goannas third goal for the quarter. The Hawks managed to get the last of the quarter with seconds to go and it was the Goannas by a single goal at the first change.
 
Simon Cumming came into the ruck for the Goannas at the start of the second quarter and had an immediate impact with his awareness at ground level, providing excellent support for the midfield. Ronnie Mitchell confused the Hawks by running forward off the wing and goaled early in the second quarter following a fine pass by Travis Wilson. Dan Atkins and Liddell were proving lively up forward and the Goannas game began to click into gear as they brilliantly executed a dominant hand ball game. Pearce continued his fine game with a long raking goal which sent the supporters into overdrive. Matt Ritchie enjoyed a run up forward and provided some excellent contested work against a tough defensive pack. Ogilvy was on fire down back and provided a memorable moment after an umpiring decision went against him. Andy Peyton and Nick Utting also provided strong contributions which resulted in the Hawks being held goal-less in the second quarter whilst the Goannas piled on four majors.
 
The Goannas went to the long break full of confidence but with plenty of work still ahead of them. The third quarter, which has long been a strong one for the Goannas, provided one of the finest displays of team footy for the year and it was clear the boys in red and white were switched on. They continued to split packs and attack the football with a hunger rarely witnessed on Japanese soil. After a dominant game at full back with wonderfully accurate clearance kicking, Huddleston went down with a groin injury early in the third quarter. Such was the quality of the Goannas bench, however, it hardly made a difference. Jim Cole finished off a consistent season with a running goal up forward – one of his few in eight long years at lizard land and when Kris Bayne chipped in with a right foot snap, it was evident theGoannas had won. With McGrath, Mitchell, Wilson and Sullivan marking at all ends of the park and with a brilliant defensive structure, the Hawks were again held goal-less – a rare feat against a super fit team. Amazingly the Goannas had opened up a 10-goal lead in the space of 15 minutes.
 
It was clear to all that the Goannas had secured their fourth successive Japan AFL premiership by the final change, but the Hawks continued their run and piled on four unanswered goals which momentarily sent a ruffle through the Goannas camp. Wilson and the Goannas responded by taking a screamer on the supporters wing and then chipped to Sullivan who kicked his sixth major of the game. With the ring of the final siren the two teams came together for congratulations on a wonderful year of footy in Japan in what is a rapidly expanding and improving competition.

2008 JAFL Grand Final – Tokyo Goannas vs Eastern HawksFull Score – 26.11 vs 9.11
Q1 7.3 vs 3.1
Q2 11.6 vs 6.7
Q3 18.9 vs 8.9
Q4 26.11 vs 9.11
Goal Scorers 
Goannas: Sullivan 7, Mitchell 6, McGrath 4, Bedi 3, Stones 2, Wilson 2, Phillips 1, Huberts 1
Hawks: Shiba 4, Tanaka 2, James 2, Seto 1


That one day in November for the Japan AFL Top League had finally arrived and the stage was set for a classic contest. The JAFL grand final for 2008 was upon us and at first glance it looked to be an interesting match up on paper. The mighty Tokyo Goannas, a team of burly Aussie expats, were set to take on the Eastern Hawks, a spirited team full of Japanese University old boys. Both teams enjoyed convincing semi-finals victories and football lovers in Japan were expecting a beauty. Tokyo awoke on Sunday morning to the pleasant sound of rain. One area that the Goannas possess a huge advantage is in aerial contests. Maybe the rain would nullify this advantage somewhat and turn the game into a scrap, which would suit the Hawks. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the rain cleared up before lunch and the ground was in perfect condition in readiness for bounce down. The crowd slowly built up through the pre-match entertainment and by 2pm all was in readiness for the big event. Before the match commenced each team lined up for their respective national anthems and the obligatory photographs. T


The first quarter was all Goannas. Huberts’ dominated the ruck and provided some easy tap ball to McGrath, who then deployed the simple game plan of kicking high and long to Sullivan and Mitchell in the forward line, who were easily out marking the Hawks defenders. In the blink of an eye, the Goannas had banged on 3 goals and the ball was yet to enter the Hawks forward line. Is it possible for the fat lady to sing this early in a Grand Final? The Hawks moved fast and put 2 defenders on Sullivan with some effect. Kase started winning the ball from the centre and Shiba awoke from his slumber up forward. The Hawks were good in the second half of the 1st quarter but were let down by some costly turnovers and a late goal after the siren by Mitchell punished the Hawks poor start. The Goannas led by 26 points at quarter time. After a rev up by Coach Tanaka at quarter time, the Hawks came out in the second quarter as a different unit. They attacked the ball harder and started to put some pressure on the Goannas. Tanaka kicked an early goal but missed a couple of others and the Hawks failed to capitalize in gaining any score board pressure. Phillips and Ogilvy in defense were miserly in their containment of the Hawks forwards, along with Wilson through the midfield who provided lots of forward thrust. Pinch hitter Valentine had good impact when rotated in various half back positions and Bayne, possibly the oldest Goannas ever to pull on the boots was used to good effect on a wing. The Goannas were able to convert their opportunities through Sullivan and despite having less scoring shots than the Hawks in the quarter, managed to stretch the half time lead to 31 points. One highlight of the second quarter was the marking in defense by Hill, who had previously come under criticism for his pressure and rebound skills. Hill, along with many of the Goannas players, lifted on the day for his best performance to date for the club. The Hawks were going to have to improve dramatically in the second half to turn this one around. In a word, the 3rd quarter performance by the Goannas was simply dominating. They saved their best performance to the end of the season and there was none better than Huberts in the ruck. He punched the ball aggressively and at times used a poise to palm the ball, pollyeske, a skills never before seen in Japanese football. Edmonds was used as a steamrolling pinch hitter and smashed open several packs to allow the Goannas prime movers easy access and ball delivery into the forward line. Another highlight was a late qtr goal from Goannas stalwart Mick Stones. He had flown in from Singapore especially for the game and while starting the game on the bench, his presence was felt immediately after sliding across the interchange line and onto the field. The half Aussie/ Japanese James kicked a goal after the siren in the 3rd quarter to the delight of the pro-Hawks crowd but the lead had blown out to 60 points and the Goannas came into the 3 Qtr time huddle a pumped unit. The Goannas started the last quarter where they left off in the 3rd. As the game was firmly in the bag, the Goannas coach substituted his senior players with some of the reserves who must have been extremely happy with their performances. One highlight was a superb tackle by Shepherd, who is more renown for his surfing and rugby prowess. The poor little Hawks player was bear hugged and grinded into the Narita turf and Shepherd was rewarded with a well deserved free kick. Bedi and Utting provided valuable contributions with their raking left foots in the form of 6 pointers and when combined with the hard running efforts of Cole and Rowe through the middle it was a champagne finish to a dominant year of Goannas football. The score card at the end of the game portrayed a convincing victory to the Goannas by the tune of 102 points. Commiserations to the Hawks but I am sure they will work hard over the off season and return in the 2009 season a better football side. This was a well deserved victory to the Goannas, who progressed through the season undefeated to take out the Narita Cup and JAFL Top League premiership double, for only for the second time in their proud, 21 year history. For those who follow Japan AFL, the standard and popularity of the game has grown rapidly here over the past few years. I look forward to the day when the first Japanese national lines up with an AFL side………based on some of the talent emerging in Japan this is surely just around the corner! ​

The  Goannas made solid ground in their quest to make the grand final today with a clinical 68 point thrashing of the Gokongs at the Komaba Dustbowl-cum-Mudbowl. Despite a relatively competitive first quarter the Goannas proceeded to show their opponents how the game is really played with three quarters of group running, effective shepherding and strong marks. The final score was a resounding 116-48.The Dustbowl massacre of the Goannas by the Samurais in May was made a distant memory on Sunday as the Goannas made their intentions clear that it was not to happen again. To the Gokongs the Goannas opened a can of Wupp-Ass and can now claim the Mudbowl of 2003. The Goannas display in Narita was pleasing but the effort shown in the mud on the weekend was the best game the team has put together this year. This could have been a danger game for the boys as the Gokong had players capable of running away from the Goannas, however the Red and Whites had a job to do and they did it very well. The first quarter was tight, it was extremely difficult to hold your feet, as a few of the boys took some Nancy Kerrigan like slides across the ice, oh Mud!!!!! Big Rich opened the account for the goannas, and Brett at full forward stamped his mark early and put through his first of many. We held a good lead at half time, however it was the third quarter where the Goannas really took charge, Brett was a menace in the air for the Gokongs and he was only too happy to finish off the hard work of all the midfielders who just kept pushing the ball forward quickly. Travis took charge all across the ground , first gamer Ryan was fantastic on his skates, slipping and sliding everywhere, and did a fantastic job as the team chameleon, (the lad was just covered by mud, we couldn’t see him at times). The Cap’n Pete had a good game and put some sausage rolls (3) on the board, one in particular where he was buried from behind then jumped up took the free kick and secured the goal from a missable angle. Another first gamer, Derek (Kiwi) used some of his All-Black blood with some good runs, and teamed well with Rob in the backline. Luke did a great job on the wing, Deadman put one through, Nick H didn’t get dirty but was solid in the centre and the Kyoto connection put his body on the line, well done Aussie! Callum in short bursts was strong continuing with his strong tackling that downed many a foe at Narita. Now if he could get them in a half second earlier…. The team used their bodies well, sheparding and bumping to make position, It was great to see. All over the ground we had winners, the centres just didn’t stop running and throwing themselves over the ball, Goals were methodical and skilful, except for the Sav Rocca I missed. Running around with Brett ( 6 goals) up forward gave me the chance to see first hand just how much effort everyone put in, His and other goals were due to the hard work put in further up the field. The Gokong proved to be no easy beats, and we had to work hard, we played with some pride in difficult conditions throughout the game to come away with the MudBowl 2003 with 11 goal margin, 116 to 48. and a chance for the club song to echo around the ground for the first time in the competition.Best players: Ryan, Travis, Pete, Rich, Brett.
Goals: Brett, etc.
Report by Coach Cam

There was also a two quarter mix game between a combined GoKong/Goannas team and the Samurais after the main game. Good run for the Sam’s before they go to Australia next month with a fairly even contest. Thanks to all the guys who madfe the effort to play a second a game (hurting as we were) and best of luck to the Samurais. The Samurais were taking a lot of their shots at goal at around the 30 meter mark which was a good thing to see as they will need to adjust to the bigger grounds in Oz. Have a good trip and bring back some scalps! And some cordial, Tim-Tams would be nice, Rexona deoderant getting low, Deep Heat, 4n20’s, Tosca leather goods, Pelaco shirts, Patra, if you can find a plate with Captain Blood’s face on it….
Rambling Prez – Smokin Peter