Premiership History Chapter 3: 2001 Men’s Third Grade Premiership

The journey through our Premiership History in the lead up to the 2026 Past Players and Club Legends Day continues, with Chapter 3: 2001 Men's Third Grade Premiership.

2001 Third Grade - 2001 Coaches Report 

Season 2001 saw the continuation of the Sydney Football Association Division 2 competition, with Pennant Hills looking to go one further than the runner's up position of 2000. This goal was achieved on Saturday, September 22nd when the Demons 13.12.90 defeated St. Clair 6.7.43 by 47 points. The win was set up by a sensational first half, with the side kicking 11 goals to one to go in at half time 61 points clear. Although we were outscored in the second half, the win was never in doubt.

The first round of the year saw us take on Sydney University in the wet. With only 17 players (minus the coach, last years B&F, and last years leading goal kicker) the boys pulled together to win by a point. It was a great start to the season for the side, winning the first game for the club in 2001. This was the pattern for the season, with the Thirds leading the way for the club each week. Similar to last season, the Thirds was used in many cases by the higher grades to give players an opportunity to return from injury or to find some lost form. This and other factors resulted in 53 players having a run for the side, of which 22 played two games or less. This season also saw 16 new faces to the club, of which four were new to the game of Australian Football. Injury problems in the Seniors and Reserves at various times of the season put great strain on the Thirds with regard to numbers, meaning that in some cases we played matches without a bench or even one or two short. However, the guys did not let this bother them as we went on to lose only one game during the entire season. To illustrate our dominance on only one occasion did we have more than six goals kicked against us for the year, when we lost by only two points in what was our worst performance of the year.

John Rakic had a sensational year on the field. While work commitments restricted his appearances on the training track, this did not detract from his form on the ground. Hound kicked a massive 93 goals for the season to easily be the leading goal kicker for the club, as well as the league. This form in front of goals obviously caught the eyes of the umpires as Hound took out the 2001 Armstrong Medal for the leagues best and fairest player. This was also a great result for the club; it kept the medal "in house" after Frank Piccolo's victory in 2000. To top this off, he also won the Third Grade Best and Fairest in a thrilling count.

Cameron Hathaway, who comes from a rugby background, had an excellent debut season. After taking a few games to find his feet (and learn the rules) he became an important part of our attacking half back line. Cam was easily our most consistent player of the season.

Another new face at the club was James Tesoriero. James was also a consistent performer on the ball for the side and had it not been for a number of games lost to injury, he may have taken out the B&F. James unfortunately missed the Grand Final due to other commitments, however he has vowed to return next season. Hopefully he can improve on his one Reserve grade game from this season and be a vital contributor for the higher grades.

Our most improved player for this year was undoubtedly Tim Young, evidenced by the fact he played eight games in reserve grade. Tim should look forward to increasing this tally next season. Craig Jack, returning to the club after a year off, was also an important attacking player for the side. Along with Darren Mitchell and Cameron Hathaway, he formed a part of our attacking half back line, which played such an important role in our success this season. Craig's form was fantastic in the finals series and along with Craig Hartley, was the joint player of the finals. Once again, Frank Piccolo was an important part of our side. Frank was rewarded for his efforts pre-season with the captaincy, a job that he performed admirably. Although he did not recapture his form of the previous year, Frank was a consistent performer over the course of 2001. Once again his teammates showed how valuable he is for the side by voting him the Players' Player.

Finally, to all the players I have not mentioned here, congratulations on an outstanding season. Make sure that you all return next year ready to show to all that Pennant Hills is the best side in the competition. I would like to thank Danny Ryan for his input and assistance this year. lan Parker and Alan Brawn were also great help off the field. Once again Donna has been of great assistance as team manager making sure that things happen on match day, as they should. Finally, I would like to thank Peter Jack for his assistance on the bench for the later part of the season. It was great to finally have another set of eyes watching the game for me!

On a final note, for those of you who are unaware, this has been my last season with Pennant Hills. Donna and I are off to Jakarta in January to take up a new career opportunity. I have enjoyed the four seasons I have played with the club, and wish everyone involved the best success in future seasons.

Craig Telfer - 2001 Third Division Premiership Coach