Well, it gives me great pleasure to report that Easts Celts reserves have finished the 2005 season in the same fashion they finished last year.......With a hard fought win against Shamrocks. In what could possibly be my last game in charge of the mighty Celts reserves, Easts led from start to finish against a determined Shamrocks who were desperate to save face, having lost both the Ladies and Seniors Brisbane Shield finals earlier in the night.

With the (un-official) Reserve Grade Brisbane Shield at stake, both sides ripped in early and it was obvious within minutes that neither club considered the game "friendly". With the three very skilled debutants and all players running on "fresh legs", Easts were always going to be very hard to beat for a Shamrocks side dealing with the fatigue and disappointment of the Seniors loss only minutes before.

The final scoreline of Easts 0-16 (16) to Shamrocks 2-5 (11) indicates a close game where, despite scoring with frequency the Celts never felt comfortable. With a very controversial "no goal" decision going against the Shamrocks early in the second half and several Shamrocks pushing the ball wide more often than normal, the game quite possibly could've gone either way.

Stand out performers for Easts included Eddie Burke, who was devastating in the half forward line and put a terrific six points on the scoreboard. Jeremy Thompson also played a great game, this time in the unfamiliar position of corner back. Jeremy's massive kick outs saved the day for Easts on several occasions and his defence was very sound. New recruits Helmy Souvannovong, Stephen Montieth, Kevin McClougan and Hugh McCarney all showed they are to be class players for Easts seniors in the coming months.

As with any team sport, the win could not have been achieved without the less spectacular but extremely reliable and solid club men, Celts players who have always been happy to pull on a jersey for Celts "reggies" also played a big part in the victory. First time captain, Greg Bryant, staunch club players Marc Griffiths, Adam Mellick and Matty Huggett all deserve mention.

I look forward to the day Easts are strong enough to again field a genuine reserves side. As I've no doubt said before, it's been an honour to look after the Celts mighty "reggies" and a bonus to win a few bits of silverware along the way!

Dov Hirst. Reserve grade coach.

Easts Celts mighty "B" side played their best game this season yesterday against the red-hot Souths Magpies. Despite being thrashed on the scoreboard 4-19 (31) to 1-3 (6), the Celts were courageous from start to finish and showed glimpses of attacking and defensive brilliance.

In what could be the "B" sides last appearance for the year, there was not a single Celts player who didn't give 100%. Game highlights included the performances of rookie players Jeremy Thompson and Helmy Souvannavong and experienced club men Marc Griffiths and Jamie Byrne. Jeremy's development as a player is obvious, with his skills improving weekly and his courage under the high ball a definite asset. Helmy, who was playing his first ever game of Gaelic footy displayed excellent skills, speed and fitness and an obvious "footy brain" in his anticipation of play and where the ball was going to be.

Jamie "Buddha" Byrne played his usual faultless game, attacking the ball hard and driving it out of the danger zone countless times. An injury-forced positional change saw regular goal keeper Marc Griffiths thrust into the forward line and his mobility and clever options with the ball resulted in the most spectacular of goals. Although rarely in the forwards, Marc has a good scoring record and yesterdays goal was one of his best. (The only problem is we're going to be hearing about it at training for years!!).

The injured Nathan Ram also played brilliantly in the goalies jersey and it's safe to say Rammy's play prevented Souths reaching the half century.

In closing, I'd like to stress how much I've enjoyed playing for and coaching Easts reserve grade side. It's extremely disappointing to me personally that there's no longer a reserve grade competition for us to play in. Many good players at Easts have been blooded in the "Reggies" and the lack of a second string competition will definitely have a detrimental effect on Easts Celts player recruitment and retention.

Dov Hirst, reserve grade coach.

Easts Celts "B" side finished their 2005 Brisbane Shield campaign for the year with a disappointing loss to the third placed Shamrock "A" side yesterday. Despite a big effort from the under-manned Celts, Shamrocks were able to post a dominant scoreline of 4-13(25) to Easts 1-5(8). With regular goal keeper Marc Griffiths absent and several other key players unavailable, Easts played the entire game without any fresh reserves. Stand-in goalie Brendan Riddell was Easts best player and repelled the Shamrocks relentless attack all day. Brendan's brave defensive style has been a feature of Easts games over the last few weeks.

Other notable performers were Greg Bryant and Ben Morahan. Both are regulars in the backline but in a half time re-shuffle they found themselves up in the forwards and both made the most of the opportunity. Despite carrying an injury into the game, Greg played strongly and slotted the first score of the second half, taking his season tally to an impressive 0-1 (1). Well done Greggy!! Ben also showed his versatility, beating his man regularly and putting Easts only goal into the back of the net. These two experienced players highlighted their value to the club regardless of which position they're asked to fill.

Midfielders, the Dyar brothers were also strong performers in a beaten side. Both were excellent across the park, though Joe is likely to have recurring nightmares about the point-blank shot on goal he had that hit (and nearly knocked over) the cross bar! Conan and Joe are going to be a massive loss to the team when they go home later next month.

Despite the clubs mixed results throughout the Brisbane Shield, signs are there that the team is starting to gel. Some of the new players are starting to better grasp the rules and skills of the game and many of the more experienced players, namely Nathan Ram, Adam Mellick and Greg Bryant have decided to lead by example, both on-field and at training. It is also becoming evident that the Celts are enjoying their football more, and this will definitely lead to an improvement in results.

All players are urged to make the effort to attend training. You can be certain our opposition are.

Dov Hirst.

Easts reserve grade side slumped to their third loss for the season on Sunday against a much fitter and more determined Shamrocks "B". Having all but two players backing up from the Senior fixture Easts were always going to struggle against the Shamrocks, who look like being the only club in the competition who can lay claim to being able to field a genuine reserves or "B" side this season.

In a game that was played at a far slower pace than most, Shamrocks outplayed Easts in most areas. Easts were exposed in the midfield and out-enthused in many contests for the ball. Shamrocks forward line were allowed far too much possession and converted the majority of chances. Billy Rockett and Harold Peacock were faultless for the opposition, whilst Shamrocks "minor" players also continue to improve.

For the Celts, all tried hard but were truly fatigued from the previous game and simply didn't have the legs to make the game competitive. Eddie Burke and John Ryan were stand-out players in a well beaten team. In a rare positional change, Marc Griffiths swapped the goalies jersey with usual backline player Brendan Riddell. Both players showed their class in unfamiliar positions and neither stopped trying. Jamie "Buddha" Byrne played his usual solid game.

The guts shown by the Celts to keep trying even when the game was out of reach was very refreshing to see. With nothing to prove, all Easts players were willing to keep going until the final whistle. Well done, sometimes that's what playing a team sport is all about.

On behalf of all Easts players I would like to wish Martin Cunningham a speedy recovery from the serious hip injury he received in the Seniors game against the Shamrocks. Martin's injury is expected to take several months to heal and the side will definitely miss Martin's solid defence and clever ball skills. Get well Martin!

Dov Hirst. Reserves coach.

Our first game against John Mitchels was a truly a forgettable one. Not to take anything away from John Mitchels as they were the much better side on the day, but we just didn’t come to play. We were a team of individuals who didn’t play the style of football our club and supporters expect from us. I could come up with a number of clichés about why this happened but the team doesn’t need me stating the obvious.

Quote of the day goes to Marc Griffiths who was asked to move back to the 6 yard line to take the free kick “sorry, I’m just used to kicking it from the 21 yard line”.

Neville Whiteley

In what could be described as their toughest hit-out of the season so far, Easts reserve grade side defeated an under-strength Sarsfields in the Brisbane Shield yesterday.

Led by first time captain Shane Verity, the Celts started slowly and didn't put a score on the board until almost ten minutes into the game. Although both sides moved the ball freely from end to end, the benefit of an Easts three-pointer in the first half meant the Celts were comfortably in front for the majority of the game.

Positional changes by the opposition in the second half made for a more competitive game, with Sarsfield putting two in the back of the net to stage a "mini-comeback". With many Easts players required for the Seniors game, Celts coaching staff took several players from the field before the game was completed. This aided Sarsfields to make the scoreline look a lot closer than the game actually was. Highlight of the second half was Matt Huggetts goal that took an absolute eternity to get from his foot to the open net. Those on the sideline thought it might actually pull up short for a second!

Star performers for Easts included Jamie "Buddha" Byrne, who covered a hell of a lot of ground, Shane Verity who captained the side and lifted his performance accordingly. Shane went on to play seniors later in the afternoon and registered what is most likely his best performance to date. Irish newcomers Padriag Neylon and Mick McMahon showed their class in unfamiliar and hot conditions. First season player John Ryan showed enough class to suggest he'll be playing a lot of Senior football this year. Watching John play, one would think he'd been playing for years. None of the Gaelic footy skills appear to bother him.

Well done to all new players and also the couple of players who were happy enough to have a run for the under-manned opposition. Well done to the whole team for being at the ground and ready to play nice and early. It makes the coaching side of things so much easier! Next weeks game is against the newly formed Wynnum side, containing several ex-Easts players. Let's put in a big effort for this one and make 'em wish they'd never heard of Easts!!

Dov Hirst, Reserve grade coach.

Easts seconds put one in the win column with a good performance today. Right from the ball up Easts took control of the game with a few quick scores over the bar and one hitting the back of the net for which Harps never recovered from. I have to say with a lot of new faces in the team this year and also some new players to the sport, it is looking good for the Seconds once the combinations get going.

Marc had a great day in the nets stopping two goals that not many keepers would have stopped, one of which was from point blank range. Also his pin point kick outs hitting Easts jerseys nearly every time. And Angus at the Back stopping a lot of Harps raids towards our nets dead in their tracks, Great game Angus.

Overall I think we have a great platform to work with and things will only get better for Easts from here - Up The Celts

Brendon Riddell

In extremely disappointing circumstances, Easts Celts Reserves forfeited its Brisbane Shield clash against Souths yesterday. With only ten players, minutes before the start of play Easts forfeited the game and accepted the offer of four Irish visa players from the opposition in order to play a "scratch" game.

Despite a spirited display by all players, Souths easily won the match, with the majority of Easts points being scored by the players "on loan" from the Magpies.

All players are reminded that it is a requirement that they be at the ground, fully kitted-out at least half an hour before the start of play. Those players who turn up at the last minute or fail to turn up at all are letting the side down. Players running late or unable to play can contact the coach on 0408 458 939 or 0419 777 812.

Dov Hirst.