Wests Ashfield Leagues proudly supports the Wests Magpies in all junior and senior levels. To track the progress of the Magpies, read all news and information, view the latest photos visit the OFFICIAL MAGPIES WEBSITE.

Shown below are a few photos of the boys doing what they do best in
trial games early in the 2010 season.

Congratulations and best wishes to the Western Suburbs Magpies for the upcoming NSW Cup Finals Series.

Scroll down to view the most recent Magpies report by Magpies Acting General Manager Andrew Waite!
 
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Western Suburbs Magpies Report – August 2010.

Dear Wests Family Member,

As you may be aware, long time Wests Ashfield Leagues Club Director and Western Suburbs Chairman, Kevin Hammond retired from his position of Executive Chairman of the Magpies effective from 30 April 2010. Kevin has for the past decade been the public face and advocate of the Club and his service to Wests will not soon be forgotten.

To maintain stability and ensure a smooth transition the Board has appointed me as Acting General Manager for a period of three to six months during which time the Board will consider all options available for the permanent filling of the position. Long serving Wests Ashfield Leagues Club and Wests Magpies Director Ron Powell is serving as Acting Chairman of the Club at this time.

Whilst off the field it has been a time of transition, on the field the Magpies have built on their successes of the past two seasons and are performing strongly.

Already this season we have seen our junior representative sides excel with our Harold Matthews side making the finals series and the SG Ball side desperately unlucky to miss out on a well deserved Grand Final appearance. The talent on show in the Magpies SG Ball side has been widely noted and three of that side, Matthew Groat, James Tedesco and David Nofoaluma were recently selected in the Australian Schoolboys side. Groat and Nofoaluma were also selected in the NSW U18s. (see page 4)

Wests NSW Cup side is currently sitting in 5th spot on the ladder and enjoying solid recent form with only a single loss by 2 points to the competition leading Tigers and two wins over Shellharbour and Norths in the past month.

One aspect of the side’s season so far that is very pleasing is that we have the best defence in the competition. It’s been a long time since Wests have been able to make such a boast. With just a little bit of luck the Magpies could be sitting much higher on the ladder. 5 of our 7 losses this season have been by 6 points or less. In the remaining
competition matches Wests will be looking to climb up into the top 4 and secure a home final.

Thanks to the refurbishment works at Campbelltown Sports Ground, Western Suburbs enjoy the best facilities of any side in the NSW Cup competition. Why not come along and support your team at our remaining matches in 2010. At our home games it costs only $5 for adults and $2 for concessions. Children under 16 are free.

One of the personal highlights of the season so far was seeing our stalwart Club Captain Nathan Waters make his long overdue First Grade debut with Wests Tigers. “Magic” is the epitome of what makes Western Suburbs great. His debut came 8 years after winning the SG Ball Premiership alongside Bryce Gibbs, Liam Fulton and Ryan Hoffman. Nathan has worked harder than anyone else to achieve his goal of making the top grade. In the years he has played in our NSW Cup side, he has seen more than his fair share of tough times, but he has persevered and developed into a fine player, leader and person. Let’s hope that, that NRL game was just the first of many to follow. Nathan also made selection as the halfback of the NSW Residents side that showed the Blues how to beat Qld in the curtain raiser to State of Origin game 3.

I have also had the pleasure of contracting my first player to the Magpies. This player was club Life Member John Skandalis making it a very memorable occasion indeed. John’s combined career with the Magpies and Wests Tigers sees him with clearly, the most First Grade games for Wests. It is wonderful that this great servant of the Club continues to play an active role. John’s experience and ability will give the NSW Cup side an added dimension as they seek to secure the Premiership. We expect him to be a very important part of our side for the rest of 2010 unless Tim Sheens needs him in the Wests Tigers pack. And don’t discount seeing Skando go around in 2011either. John is in great shape and he’s back mainly because he just loves playing for Wests.


Junior Magpies Display the Pride of the Magpie

The Western Suburbs Junior Magpies Program is an elite player development program for U13, U14, and U15 players from the Western Suburbs Junior League. The program looks to hone the fundamental skills of the players and help them develop the attitude to training and discipline that will be crucial to continuing on the development path to one day becoming a professional footballer. It also seeks to introduce these talented young players to Western Suburbs, familiarise them with the culture of the Club, and hopefully get them excited about the playing for the Magpies into the future.

For the first time this year the players were provided with personalised jerseys. Featuring the traditional Magpies double V design and the players name on the back, the jerseys also showed the Magpies appreciation of our support from Wests Ashfield Leagues Club with the League Club logo taking pride of place on the front. The players were presented with their jerseys at Concord Oval by Wests Tigers players Robert Lui and Tim Moltzen prior to their matches against the Balmain development squads. The players looked fantastic in their uniforms and many there to watch commented that they looked like a "real" Western Suburbs side in the strip.

As well as the games against Balmain the Junior Magpies played Group 6, Penrith and Souths during the recent school holidays with strong results recorded. At the end of the day however the match results were secondary to the main aims of the program. We were pleased to see how the players responded to the coaching they had received and the pride they displayed in playing in the Black and White. You'll be seeing many of these boys coming through our Harold Matthews and SG Ball sides in the coming years.

Wests Ashfield Leagues Club has been a vital supporter of Western Suburbs Rugby League for 6 decades. I was recently lucky enough to be at the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club for an event that epitomised the close bond between the Leagues Club and the Magpies with the opening of Keato’s. Keato’s Pizza and Grill is Wests Ashfield Leagues’ newest dining option. Located on Level 2 and offering an array of wood fired pizzas, succulent steaks, fresh fish, sides, snacks and specials, I can heartily recommend all Magpies fans to visit the next chance they get. Named after the Magpies oldest surviving First Grade player and club legend Bill Keato, the new Pizza & Grill acknowledges the shared history of the Magpies and Wests Ashfield and provides a great casual dining experience. It was wonderful to again catch up with Billy and so many other members of the Magpies family whilst enjoying a delicious burger at Keato’s.

Also coming soon to Wests Ashfield Leagues is the Magpies Hall of Fame evening on Thursday 23rd September. This great evening will feature the announcement of three new inductees into the Magpies Hall of Fame. The Western Suburbs Magpies Team of the Eighties will also be announced. A great night is assured. All of the details for securing your place at this, our major event for 2010 are included in this magazine.

I trust that this has been a comprehensive overview of what is happening at the Magpies. To keep up to date with all of the latest news throughout the year please regularly visit the Magpies website www.westsmagpies.net . You can also follow the latest Wests news through our Facebook (www.facebook.com/westsmagpies) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/westsmagpies) presences on the internet.

I look forward to seeing you at a game or event soon.

Regards

Andrew Waite
Acting General Manager