Tokyo Goannas
  • Home
  • Our Club
    • Membership
  • Calendar
    • A League Fixture
    • Asian Champs
    • Japan Cup
  • News
  • Contact
  • Community
  • Historical Website
    • The History >
      • Goannas Beginning
      • AFL comes to Japan
      • Japan learns Aussie Rules
      • Mid-late 90s
      • The Mitchell Years
    • Blog Archives
    • Gallery >
      • 2011
      • 2010
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 2005
      • 2004
      • 2003
      • Pre-2003

GOANNAS NEWS

​

Tokyo Goannas Sliding Shoji: Sendai Tour Edition

15/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
​Tokyo Goannas - Sliding Shoji: Sendai Trip edition.
 
On the eve of our first footy tour in over a year we introduce to the Goannas faithful our very own Tokyo Goannas Sliding Shoji (doors) segment.

Inspired by the weekly afl.com.au version, the we at Sliding Shoji will tackle the big issues circulating Footy in Japan.

This week we take a more detailed look at the touring party heading up to Sendai. 
Picture
1 Comment

Tokyo Goannas: Back on Tour!

14/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Goannas tours, once a must in any lizard lover’s google calendar seem to have fallen by the wayside in the last few years.  With the JAFL competition now centering solely around the Tokyo metropolis, getting the overnight bus or morning shinkansen has become somewhat out of vogue for the modern day footballer in Japan.

A shame really, considering that it was on these trips away from the capital that Goannas of the past etched out their place in Footy in Japan Folklore. Goannas on tour have seen it all: a best on ground debut in Nagoya from eventual Kim Bebbington Medalist and premiership winning Captain Coach, Rob Scarlett, while another Kim Bebbington Medalist, Ev Kerr had the debut from hell on a trip to Osaka with 10 kicked on him and a concussion before he returned to the field and took the mark of the day... only to not remember it (I believe he remembers a certain Nagoya trip far more vividly, you’ll have to ask the touring party why).

There have been countless thrilling come-from-behind boat-race wins, a few trips to emergency rooms, sherrins kicked dangerously up and down the streets of Dotonbori in Osaka, impromptu dates with Hiroshima locals and plenty of sore heads and sleepy faces on the shink as the boys in Red and White would headed back to the city to get back into the 9-5 life, exhausted, yet energized by the chance to tour the Land of the Rising Sun with their mates.

The recent push to expand the game in Japan means that there are more teams in far away parts of the country than ever before. As such, tours are once again on the Goannas yearly agenda. There’s the Fukuoka Tigers in Kyushu, the newly-formed Chiba Guardians, and of course Japan’s most northern team, the Sendai Port Football Club. After their debut at the Japan Cup last year the Sendai Port Football Club have been focused on developing the game in the northern region of Japan. SPFC as they like to be called have been hitting the training track hard and are slowly but surely gaining in confidence and numbers. When asked earlier in season whether they were interested in heading north for a friendly match, training session and auskick clinic, the Goannas - now sitting atop the JAFL ladder at 4 wins from 4 outings - were quick to jump on board.

The Goannas are extremely excited to be heading up to support Footy in Tohoku! It is going to be a great chance to create more fodder for in-club banter and a few more Goannas tall-tales to be passed on to the next generation of players. More importantly though it is an opportunity to continue to grow the game in Japan. This is the first match to be held in the Tohoku region and more than 50 children are expected to attend the pre-match NAB Auskick Clinic that the Goannas will deliver. The Goannas are also planning on some volunteer work in along the coastline the that was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami five years ago. 

A big thanks to the Sendai Port Football Club for extending the invitation to us, we cannot wait to get out there and have a great day!


See you on the Shink!
1 Comment

Goannas take the honours in Top of Table Clash

12/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Saturday, July 9, 2016 
Round 4
Tokyo Goannas vs Tokyo Bay Suns
YCAC

 
A morning of rain may have kept the crowd away, but the boys from the Tokyo Goannas knew that they would have to show up to have any chance of winning the top-of-the-table clash against the Tokyo Bay Suns. At stake: bragging rights, of course—but what else? With the JAFL becoming more and more competitive each week, ladder position is everything, and a win or a loss either way could be the difference between playing deep into finals and not even playing at al all. Fielding a depleted line up, the Goannas would have to run themselves into the ground to prove that last year’s Grand Final wasn’t a miracle, that the Goannas mean business every time they don the V.
 
But the boys were on the back foot from the first bounce. The Suns took control through the midfield early, setting up their forwards with four quick goals. Slow to man up and displaying none of the aggression that resulted in a famous two-point victory nine months ago, last year’s Premiers were unable to work themselves into the game. Captain Daniel Last had a chance to steady the ship running into space 25 metres out, directly in front, but his shot on goal sailed wide, an important lesson for kids not to change their ball drop mid ball drop. It was only through a late goal to Alex Wyatt that the ’Annas were finally able to hit the scoreboard in a major way.
 
This was the situation at the quarter-time huddle: undermanned, 18 points down, players muddied and bloodied. It would take a huge effort for Tokyo’s favourite footy club to finish top of the table at the final siren.
 
Make that a Yooj effort.
 
Yuji Yamamoto’s steamrolling attack out of the last line of defence gave the Goannas the confidence they needed to take the game on. One play in particular from Yuji left half the Suns flat on the floor like bowling pins. Working in perfect unison alongside him was speedy defender Andrew Last, whose ability to read the play resulted in multiple intercept possessions and a goal from the wing.
 
At the other end of the field, strength was another telling difference between the sides, with the bigger Goannas pushing their weight around: Travis Wilson won the hard balls, Alex out-muscled his opponents, Doug Bonham shepherded through goal after goal, and Steven Palmer kicked a big sausage in his John Farnham farewell tour.
 
Importantly, the Goannas were accountable in defence, denying the Suns any momentum. Not only talking the talk but walking the walk, the boys in red and white were able to kick one goal ahead late in the half. Not even a Jason Fan midfield snap in 100% the wrong direction could stop the Goannas from believing that they could and would win.
 
Scores were level 36-36 heading into the big break.
 
The third quarter showcased Goannas footy to a T: 15 minutes of non-stop head over the ball. Coach Sam Ghirardello was the stand-out player, going back with courage time after time and backing up his bravery with repeated hit-outs to advantage. It was the gut running of the boys in the guts that kept the ball rolling, with Jason and Dan at the bottom of the pack every time, while Owen Kearney, Jarrod Woodward and Daud Hegarty were the clearance kings, orchestrating open space up and down the ground and transitioning the ball beautifully into the now-dominating forward line. Yuji and Andrew didn’t relent in defence either, choking the Suns’ attack and keeping them scoreless in a quarter for the first time this season.
 
The Suns’ fourth quarter revival was short lived, with the opponents kicking three easy goals only to have the wind taken out of their sails with late Goannas goals setting up a famous 31-point win against the odds. It was all about effort, and there wasn’t a single player who didn’t having blood flowing at the end of the game. KC Imai typified the spirit of the footy club when he took a big hit on the sideline but bounced back to run out the game battered and bruised.
 
Alex was the man of the moment with five goals on his fifth wedding anniversary, while Sam, Andrew and Yuji where voted first-, second- and third-best on ground, respectively.
 
The Goannas are now sitting pretty on the top of the table, with games against the Hawks and Lions to come after a long break. Saturday’s game has shown that Goannas footy, at its best, is the best footy in Japan, and it will be through the same spirit and support that the boys come away sipping from the Premiership Cup two seasons in a row.
 
Goannas        1.3       5.6       11.9     13.11   (89)
Suns               4.3       5.6       5.6       8.10     (58)
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

    Goannas News

    Keep up to date with all the goings on of the Goannas!

    Archives

    April 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Our Club
    • Membership
  • Calendar
    • A League Fixture
    • Asian Champs
    • Japan Cup
  • News
  • Contact
  • Community
  • Historical Website
    • The History >
      • Goannas Beginning
      • AFL comes to Japan
      • Japan learns Aussie Rules
      • Mid-late 90s
      • The Mitchell Years
    • Blog Archives
    • Gallery >
      • 2011
      • 2010
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 2005
      • 2004
      • 2003
      • Pre-2003