Match Report

Round 16

Saturday 9 August 2025

AJAX v Old Carey

That’s a wrap …

A year that started off on a beautiful sunny day at the start of April finished this weekend on another beautiful sunny day in August

A year that started of with victories against Old Scotch, Old Camberwell, a little slip up against Old Ivanhoe and then another win against Glen Eira saw us off to a great start

But then the VAFA dropped the big boys from Division One and, well, for all the rest of the Division Two teams, that was the beginning of the end

But what is success and how is it measured?

Is it only something that the scoreboard or a ladder can tell us? Or is there something more out there that just the simplest of indices we mark our achievements against?

This year was a hard year, much harder than the previous two years, but by the end I think we had achieved much of what I spoke off on day one in the change rooms in Camberwell.

My own journey at AJAX started as a 17 year old playing with men 10 years older than me and by the time I finished I was the old man playing with young boys who were 10 years younger than me. Over those years I met, became friends with, and played with many people from many different schools and backgrounds – and that was just at AJAX. There were also many tough years in the years I played as well. But somehow we endured, we bonded, we stood proud, we succeeded

So what is success?

As I look around, so many of the fathers (and mothers) whose sons and daughters proudly wear the AJAX kit each weekend I played with. They form the rich fabric of the community of people who not only support their children but also the AJAX football club. We celebrate through shared experiences, not just W’s and L’s

This year 107 players represented the Saturday thirds over 15 games. That’s an incredible number of people showing their love and respect for each other, many (if not most) I never knew existed. Whether they came just for one game or all of them, I have been truly humbled and blown away by the willingness to risk all to put on the jumper and take the field as an AJAX player. If you ever needed evidence of the strength and wonder of our community all you needed to do was see the number of young men who registered to play to fill in when the rest had taken off overseas in the depths of winter. To those incredible young men, the whole club owes you a debt of gratitude for helping us field teams over those weeks and doing so with great gusto

There were many highlights, many amazing individual performances. Success is seeing players like Fibi and the Kav, Logan and Vogel all doing so well in the seniors. Their journeys all started in the Saturday Thirds. Then there has been those like Lachie Mitsel who have become regular players in the Reserves this year. With that also came the low points with season ending ACL injuries to Charlie Klein, Matt Hendel, Jarrod Waislitz, Jeremy Klooger and Dion Klooger. Succes, we that was seeing all their team mates get around them and supporting them through those most difficult of times culminating in a coaching triumph against Masala where the Crutchless Coaches steered the team to a very famous victory.

A special mention of Alon Fink who was given a category A international rookie contract at the start of the season. Success is when the most wonderful of young men come to AJAX having only played 9s football in Isreal comes to our club and is made to feel like he has been there for many years. Success is not only the progress he made from the thirds to being a regular reserves player, but the manner in which the whole club embraced him. He has now left to rejoin his family and friends in Israel and with that it is us who are the richer for having had him with us, his amazing positive attitude, his friendly demeanour and his unwavering commitment to getting the best out of himself

My personal heartfelt thanks to all of the parents and players who helped each week as volunteers whether it be in either on-field or off-field roles. Success is the willingness of all of those who came to be part of our journey this year did so with a smile on their face. Thirds footy only happens because when their moment arrives, everyone chips in and does their bit to make it happen

My worthy co-coach, Antony “Cookie” Klooger who backed up again this year continued to provide his inciteful guidance and words of wisdom each week. We have once again be blessed to have him with us this year and look forward to having him around for many more. Success is knowing how blessed we are to have him with us, fit and able and creating his regular commotion each and every week

The family, my children Noah, Jonah, Sofia and Manny along with the other ‘alf Dana, I thank you for your patience and support and everything you have to put up with each week especially each Friday pre game and Sunday post-game with all the washing and everything that goes with it. If only the washing machine could talk! My own success is having the most supportive and caring people to love and call my own

And finally, to the whole of the AJAX Football Club community, the committee and especially to Alida Lipton and Andrew Shenker. Andrew, first, for the time and energy you have put in to each game with ground allocations, umpires, commencement times, refixturing, rescheduling, pre-match, post-match and everything else. Without you it would have made playing each week that much more difficult. Alida, for all your support and for filling whatever role you could every game, everywhere, any time. You lead by example. And of course to the rest of the committee + Nathan as well. The players who wear the AJAX jumper each week are blessed to have such a committed group of people running this club, even if at times it seems like its running them!

So that was season 2025 told through the eyes of someone who feels so fortunate to get to do this for fun each week. W’s are nice, but not the be all and end all. L’s hurt, but they’re not the end of the universe either. Success – well that’s just how happy it makes me, the smiles I see on the players faces, the laughter, the camaraderie and their improvement. Most of all, the respect they show me, their kindness, their warmth and their willingness to help me. That’s success right there.

That’s a wrap 

Coach A

Goals: E Mills 1 
Bests: T Grodski, D Alter, D Feldman, A Sakajiou, E Mills