Celebrating 100 years of AGSV

Ryan Broekhoff was fortunate to attend Peninsula Grammar for one year in 2007 and completed year 11 of his studies. During his time at Peninsula Grammar, Ryan was part of the boys’ basketball team who won their maiden AGSV premiership. Ryan was chosen to represent the AGSV in games against APS and BAS in which AGSV won both games.

Also during 2007, Ryan was selected to represent Victoria Metro in the Australian National Junior Championships. Vic metro would go on to win gold. During the end of 2007 Ryan was offered a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra in 2008. Ryan moved to Canberra in January of 2008 and trained at the AIS until 2009. During that time Ryan was selected to Represent Victoria again in the Australian National Junior Championships and won gold again in 2008. Ryan also received the Bob Staunton award for most outstanding player. Also, in 2008 Ryan received Basketball Australia’s International Junior Male Player of the Year award. In 2009 Ryan was selected in the Australian under 19s National team to compete at the World Junior Basketball Championships where Australia finished 4th.

After finishing his time at the AIS and completing high school Ryan accepted a scholarship to Valparaiso University in Indiana, USA. During Ryan’s time at Valparaiso university from 2009 to 2013, Ryan was named 1x Horizon League Player of the Year, 2x Horizon League First Team, 2x All Horizon League Tournament Team, 1x Honourable Mention All-American and lead Valparaiso to its first NCAA tournament in 9 years.

Ryan represented Australia at the World University games in 2011 and 2013 and in 2013 Australia won Silver. In 2012 Ryan was named as an emergency for the London Olympics. From 2013 to present Ryan has represented Australia at the 2013 and 2105 FIBA Oceania championships both times winning, 2014 World Championships and his highest achievement the 2016 Rio Olympic games finishing 4th.

After graduating from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Ryan started playing professionally in Europe. Ryan played for Besiktas Basketball club (Turkey) from 2013-2015 and then joined Lokomotiv Kuban basketball club (Russia). Ryan would be named first team all-Eurocup in 2018. Ryan earned a contract with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. Ryan spent one and a half seasons with Dallas before a short stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. Ryan recently returned home to play for the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL.

Mary’s background was in netball.  An exceptional player, she represented Victoria for twelve consecutive years before going on to become both a Victorian and an Australian selector in that sport.

Employed at Yarra Valley Grammar in Term 2 of 1981 to take charge of Girls’ Sport, Mary immediately breathed life into her field with participation, enthusiasm and results reaching new levels. The netballers were to win several premierships in the Eastern Independent Schools competition under her coaching.

But it was volleyball that was to become her main coaching focus at Yarra Valley Grammar and it soon became, in terms of results, the School’s most successful sport for both girls and boys. Between 1987 and 2000 the girls won ten EIS volleyball premierships.  When volleyball gained AGSV premiership status in 1991 Mary decided to take on coaching the boys as well as the girls. Under her coaching the boys then won no fewer than eight of the ten AGSV volleyball premierships decided between 1991 and 2000 and another five between 2001 and 2008. Girls volleyball was granted premiership status in the combined AGSV/APS competition in 2003 and the YVG girls won six of the seven premierships between 2003 and 2009 with first Mary and then Steve Holder as coach.

Already a veteran of Little Athletics competitions, David entered Grade 6 at Yarra Valley Grammar in the final term of 1978. The timing was right. Led by Olympian Allen Crawley and Commonwealth Games medallist Rob Lethbridge, Yarra Valley Grammar was about to enter into something of a “Golden Age” of athletics. David became perhaps the star performer of that Golden Age. During his six years of participation in AGSV athletics David won fourteen individual events and set four records. These wins included 100 meter and 200 metre dashes, 110 meter hurdles, Long Jumps, High Jumps and Triple Jumps. He was versatile! His winter sport was Hockey, something he also really enjoyed. In his senior years that Hockey team also included another future Olympian, Lachlan Elmer.

David, of course, went on to achieve international recognition. He reached a peak in the early 1990s during which time he won a silver medal at the Auckland Commonwealth Games, was named Australian Athlete of the Year, finished sixth at the World Championships, made an Olympic final and won another silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. After retiring in 1994 David has forged a very successful career in the media and in sports promotion and management.

A bright young talent, Sam won Yarra Valley’s batting award in their premiership year of 2010-2011 even though he was only in Year 7 when that cricket season commenced!

Sam captained the Victorian Under 13 team, both the Victorian and Australian Under 15 and Under 17 teams and then was appointed captain of the Australian Under 19 World Cup team. In 2014 Yarra Valley won another cricket premiership, this time under Sam’s captaincy. He also captained the AGSV team. Sam completed his outstanding AGSV career as Yarra Valley’s highest ever First XI run-scorer with a total of 1,123 runs.

At just 18 – while completing his VCE at Yarra Valley Grammar – Sam was rewarded for his hard work with a Victorian Bushrangers rookie contract for 2015-16.

After being upgraded from the Bushrangers rookie list for the 2017-18 cricket season, Sam Harper has become one of the most highly-rated young wicketkeepers in the Australia.

Sam is currently a member of both the Victorian Cricket Team and the Melbourne Renegades Team. He scored his maiden first class century against South Australia earlier this year.

Rob had been involved in AGSV athletics long before he arrived at Yarra Valley Grammar as a teacher in 1977. As a schoolboy in the Ringwood area he set records in Victorian and All High Schools competitions. Then, representing Camberwell Grammar, he set long jump records in his Under 15, 16 and 17 years. In 1983 that Under 17 record was beaten by one centimetre, and by Yarra Valley’s David Culbert, but the Under 16 record, set in 1968, still stands today – something quite remarkable.

He excelled in other sports also, being a member of Camberwell Grammar’s First XVIII and First XI- memorably taking a hat-trick for the First XI against Mentone Grammar.

At university and afterwards Rob made athletics his chief sport and his highly successful career was highlighted by winning a bronze medal in the decathlon at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

Rob came to Yarra Valley Grammar in 1977 and remained until 2011, becoming head of the Physical Education Department in 1986 and then taking over as Sportsmaster in 1990 (later called Boys Sport Coordinator) when Allen Crawley became AGSV Secretary. During his time at Yarra Valley Grammar he coached many teams including the First XVIII and the Second XI but surely his chief successes were with the strong athletics teams of the 1980s, teams that won premierships in both 1981 and 1985.

Rupert McCall is an Australian poet of international renown. His tributes to special events and occasions have become highly sought-after and treasured for the indelible mark they’ve left on audiences everywhere.

He is the author of six anthologies of verse that have collectively sold over 120,000 copies. Equally at home in radio or on TV, his resume features hosting roles for CH7’s The Great South East, 4BC’s Sports Today program and CH9’s Weekend Extra. Rupert’s great passion for sport was on display when he was appointed commentator for CH10 at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.

In 2005 he was awarded the honour of opening the Prelude to the Dawn Service in Gallipoli with his acclaimed and moving tribute ‘Ninety Years Ago’ and, in 2011, he recited his poem ‘A Firefighter’s Dream’at Ground Zero for the New York Fire Department on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.

Rupert has also paid tribute to heroes and legends such as Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Don Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Greg Norman, John Eales, Jonathon Thurston, Black Caviar, Winx and The Royal Flying Doctors!

His popularity transcends all demographics and ages, from the schools he visits to the corporate and sporting functions that he entertains. He is a passionate Australian and his ability to share this enthusiasm with any audience is warmly received.

In 2013 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Rupert received a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for services to the community, particularly as a poet.

Chloe was a talented basketballer while at Assumption College, representing Victoria at junior national competitions and was offered scholarships by three US colleges.

However, the bright lights of the AFLW beckoned. Following a stand-out season with the Calder Cannons in 2017, when she was named joint winner of the best and fairest award and leading goal kicker for the competition, she was drafted by Collingwood at pick three in the 2018 AFLW draft.

Chloe won AFLW and AFLPA Best First Year Player, was named in the All-Australian team, runner up in the AFLW League Best & Fairest and won Collingwood’s best and fairest award in a tremendous debut season.

In a major blow, she was sidelined for all of 2019 because of a foot injury.  She returned in 2020 and in 2021 resigned with Collingwood for a further two years.  In 2021, Chloe’s accolades included being named in the 2021 AFLW All-Australian Squad, 2021 AFLW All-Australian Team (FWD) and 2021 Collingwood AFLW Leading Goal Kicker.

Away from the football field Chloe has graduated from a Bachelor of Sports Media and is a current employee of Fox Sports News.

John Peers attended Mentone Grammar from 2001-2006. During his time at Mentone he played First Tennis from Year 7 through to Year 12, winning 5 (out of a possible 6!) AGSV Tennis Premierships including captaining the team in 2006. John also represented the AGSV against the APS in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (Co-Captain in 2006).

Following graduation at Mentone, John had an opportunity to play and study finance in the American College system and he started his College career at Middle Tennessee State University where he stayed for three years before transferring to Baylor University for his final year.

In 2011, John turned professional, specialising in doubles. He won his first Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open, where he and Henri Kontinen won the men’s doubles event. John also finished runner up at the Wimbledon Championships and US Open in 2015 alongside Jamie Murray, and at the 2019 Australian Open with Kontinen. He is also a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist in mixed doubles.

John reached his career-high ATP doubles ranking of world No. 2 in April 2017 and is currently ranked No. 13.  John has won 25 doubles titles, most recently winning the 2021 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Sunday!

He has represented Australia in the Davis Cup since 2016, and also competed at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020 (though taking place this year), when John and Ashleigh Barty won the bronze medal in mixed doubles.

Liz commenced at PEGS in Year 9 and participated in the Netball Firsts Team and Athletics team in her first year. She continued with Netball and Athletics in Year 10 and 11 and played Touch Football as a summer sport.
In Year 12, Liz had a big year Captaining the PEGS Firsts Netball Team and also Captaining the AGSV Representative team against the APS. Liz also continued to play Touch Football in Year 12.

Following her graduation from PEGS, Liz made her professional netball debut in 2014 for the Melbourne Vixens, a team where she continues to play to this day. Liz made an immediate impact for the Vixens being named as their Rookie of the Year in her debut season and was a part of their 2014 premiership defeating the Queensland Firebirds. As a centre and wing attack, Liz is a creative player who is renowned for her outstanding running efforts. Liz’s rise has been extremely quick since her Vixens debut, being selected in the Australian squad that same year. However, she had to wait until 2016 for her first appearance on the court, coming up against England. Since making her debut, Liz has become a regular for the Diamonds and remains in the current Australian squad as an instrumental player and has recently been named the 25th Captain of the Australian Netball Team. In 2017, after the inaugural Suncorp Super Netball competition, Liz was the recipient of the Young Star Award, an honour given to the most impressive netballer under the age of 23.

Throughout the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons Liz has been very consistent leading the entire competition for goal assists and feeds. Liz has been rewarded for her spectacular seasons with the Suncorp Super Netball Wing Attack of the year (2020) and the Sharelle McMahon Medal in 2018, awarded to the most valuable player of the year for the Melbourne Vixens. In 2019, Liz was a member of Australia’s silver medal team in the World Cup. In 2020, Liz continued her outstanding form and was acknowledged by her peers, as she was named Co-Captain of the Melbourne Vixens whilst also taking out the 2020 SSN Premiership. Away from the court, Liz is very passionate about working with young people and as a result, is currently completing a Bachelor of Education in Primary Teaching.

David Zaharakis attended Marcellin College from Year 7 to Year 12, graduating in 2008. David was heavily involved in the Marcellin sport program, playing both Basketball and Football at First Level. He also represented the AGSV in Football in 2007. In his final year of school in 2008, David captained the Marcellin First Basketball team and played First XVII football. He gained all Australian selection following a successful series with Vic Metro.

Later in 2008, David was drafted by Essendon with pick 23 in the National Draft, whom he supported growing up. He made his debut against Fremantle in round 2, 2009, and earned the Rising Star nomination on debut. In round 5, 2009 against Collingwood at the tender age of 19, he kicked the match-winning goal during the final seconds of the Anzac Day match to help the Bombers win by five points.

During 2011, he was able to make the most of his opportunity in the midfield, with the ability to move forward and kick over 30 goals for the season, winning the W.S. Crichton Medal in the process.

In round 5, 2013, he won the Anzac Day Medal, where he recorded 34 disposals and kicked four goals.

After 13 years and 226 games with the Essendon FC, David retired from AFL Football in 2021 signing with a local club for 2022. He continues to study a Bachelor of Property and Real Estate at Deakin University.