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Kia Ora, Team Western! The winter season is in full swing, and what a brilliant few weeks it’s been! It’s been awesome watching our young players hit the pitch with passion, teamwork, and some seriously impressive footwork. Whether it’s rain or shine, the energy out there is unmatched. This newsletter brings you all the key updates—from club news and matchday magic to player spotlights and upcoming events. Let’s get into it! 🌟 Weekend Wrap-Up: Junior Magic on the Field Our tamariki were on fire this weekend! Standout Moments: Community Shout-Out: ⭐ Players of the Week: 👕 Western Hoodie Takeover! Have you spotted our juniors rocking their slick new Western hoodies? They look awesome—and the feedback’s been even better! Got a great photo? We’d love to see it! 📸 Send your hoodie pics to westernafc@gmail.com- we may feature them in our next issue or socials! A huge thank you to VIP Trade for making this happen. Your support means more than you know. These hoodies aren’t just about staying warm—they’re about pride, belonging, and building memories that last. 🏆 Player of the Month Celebration – You’re Invited! Mark your calendars! 📅 Sunday 8th June We’ve got a fun afternoon lined up—free sausages, a classic lolly scramble, spot prizes, and of course, the legendary Kids vs Adults Match. Think you’ve still got it, grown-ups? Come ready to play (or cheer)! Location and time still to be confirmed – we are working on a couple of things! Let’s celebrate the efforts, energy, and achievements of our awesome juniors—you won’t want to miss it. 🥇 Weekend Highlights: Our Juniors in Action Western FIRST KICKS Another very fun session team, the squad did so well learning some new games and drills and it was a lot of fun. Well done to: Player of the Day (POD): Krue Newsome-Miller - who in his usual style gave everything his all and showed a great amount of skill and getting stuck in with slide tackles, runs up the field and supporting his team mates. Moment of the Day (MOD): Lockie Begley - who was very present and involved all session and who made a fantastic and calm tackle from a breakaway run from the opposition which stopped his team from conceding a goal. FUN FOOTBALL ⚡ Western LIGHTNING Western Lightning’s Amazing Comeback! Wow, what a match! Even after being 2-0 down, the Lightning Squad never gave up, showing incredible teamwork and determination! A huge welcome to Oliver, who joined the squad like he’d been part of the squad forever! And a big shoutout to George, working hard in midfield and keeping possession steady for our Team. A fantastic team effort—everyone played their part, and Lightning never backs down! On to the next fun challenge! Player of the Day (POD): Freddie Fyfe - was the heart of the comeback—his improvement was on full display! His confidence in front of the goal has grown, and today he proved it, firing in the equaliser that brought the team back into the game. His positioning and finishing were top-notch, earning him the well-deserved Player of the Day! Moment of the Day (MOD): - Walker Jones - also showed great progress. His game play was sharper than ever, earning him The Moment of the Day - stepping up and applying himself, showing a fantastic commitment to support the Team. It’s been awesome to see him gaining confidence and making such a big impact on the field! 🌀 Western STORM A great game for the Storm crew against a focused Burwood team! The team worked hard, and everyone moved with energy and purpose around the pitch… Daniel again bagged himself a hattrick and then took on the role providing and setting up his teammates - helping them score some goals too! Player of the Day (POD): Henry Fuller - with his tireless effort around the field and completing it with a lovely run along the opposition goalie and finishing it off nicely! Moment of the Day (MOD): - Kuraidon Mataroria - for a stunning goal that screamed into the back of the net with such power from a distance!! 🌪️ Western TORNADOES The Western Tornadoes were on fire this weekend, with our spirited group footballers playing one of their best games! From the first whistle, the team brought their signature energy—zooming across the field like a whirlwind, full of determination and heart. Every player gave it their all, showing off their growing skills, teamwork, and love for the game. There were some fantastic goals, and even better sportsmanship on display. The sidelines were buzzing with cheers from proud whānau as the Tornadoes played with huge smiles and unstoppable enthusiasm. It was a game full of fun, friendship, and unforgettable moments—exactly what football at this age should be! Player of the Day (POD): Lewis Van Beek - for his all-round link up play and goal scoring attributes Moment of the Day (MOD): Finley Haig - for a marvellous, mazy run from the halfway line and scoring a beauty ⚡Western THUNDER The Western Thunder took to the field with focus and fire, showing just how far this talented group of footballers has come. From the opening kick-off, their passing was sharp, their positioning smart, and their teamwork truly impressive. What stood out most was the way they supported each other, communicated, and played as a united team. Every player had a moment to shine, whether it was a clever tackle, a confident run, or a big defensive stop. The Thunder played with heart and hustle, leaving the pitch proud of their efforts and excited for the next challenge. A strong, steady performance—just like a real rumble of thunder. Moment of the Day: Coen McInnes Player of the Day: Max McGarry 9TH GRADE 🐯 Western TIGERS We had a near-full squad (missed you, Nico!), and the hard work from Thursday’s training really showed. Highlights:
Moment of the Day (MOD): Hussin Ayoub Mohammed - showing resilience and determination to stay on despite pain—what a Tiger attitude! Player of the Day (POD): Oscar Urquhart - for stepping up with great positioning, communication, and involvement—brilliant progress! Lastly, a quick reminder: let’s keep the sidelines positive and help our kids reflect on what they learned and enjoyed. These moments build confidence and love for the game. Go Tigers! 🐺 Western WOLVES Started our pregame huddle with a few diagrams on the white board reinforcing our aim to keep to our positions and cover areas instead of ball chasing. Game started with a great succession of passing and off ball movement, every player kept to their position and were looking to support when needed, all that hard work led to the first goal by Marlon. With one goal to us the team got a bit of confidence and were ready to take the ball up from our half, there was a lot of space out there for each player to take on the defence with knowing they had support in all directions for passing. Second goal came from Marlon again with a loose ball being cleared up the field to him from Daxton. The last 15 minutes brought a few quick goals by Selwyn as the lads had lost a bit of steam. Third goal came from Ricardo after some spectacular defence; he took the ball to a one on one with the goalie and nailed the shot. Final goal was from Josh playing midfield, he stole the ball then passed to Ricardo then got it back and ended the game with his shot. The Wolves have improved with each game and keep wanting to learn more. Great game team keep it up! Player of the Day (POD): Marlon Minhinnick Moment of the Day (MOD): Connor Darling 10TH GRADE 🦅 Western PHOENIX Phoenix played host to Parklands Leopards on a peach of a morning. After some early pressure from Parklands, Phoenix settled into the game and started passing the ball around with composure. Parklands equalised a few minutes later so the teams entered the break on even terms. The game continued as an even contest in the second half, but, unfortunately, Phoenix was unable to put the ball away whilst Parklands bagged four with some good finishing. Phoenix finished strongly, though, with William rattling the crossbar and Alfie making several skilful attacking runs. Player of the Day (POD): Atticus Dornbusch - for solid defending in the first half, and putting the gloves on for some goalkeeping action in the second half. Moment of the Day (MOD): Leo Vaughan - A Phoenix break down the left flank, led to Leo collecting the ball and hammering home an angled shot. It was Phoenix's first goal of the season. 😡 Western FURY Really strong effort from all the kids today. Several with impressive defensive performances and this set up great counterattacks to get a good final result. Goals to Sam T, Sam K and Oliver. Fantastic to see the continued honesty when the ball goes out as well. Showing ourselves as great humans as well as good footballers. Player of the Day (POD): Hector Cameron - really confident display around the field and pulled out some smart positioning throughout. Kept moving towards the play and contributing. Well done to both of you. Moment of the Day (MOD): JJ - in goal and pulling off several incredible saves including one play where he was able to dive and continue to volley the ball away. GIRLS 🔥 Western FLAMES All 10 played really well, good to see things we work on at training making it through to the game day. Techs coach came over at end of game complementing our passing and defence. Stars all over the show, Greta and Ella scoring two goals each, Mia putting a big shift in at goalkeeper despite being hobbled. Beast stuff Flames, see you Thursday. Player of the Day (POD): Sofia Buckley Moment of the Day (MOD): Michelle Munemo 💥 Western STRIKERS Another great game for the girls today. They gave it their all and left it all out in the field. Player of the Day (POD): Charli Brouwer – for her great defence and support on the field. Moment of the Day (MOD): Willow Waugh - for her break down the sideline. 11TH GRADE ⚔️ Western WARRIORS A beautiful morning for Football over at Westlake Reserve and the Warriors were fizzing and ready for a high energy game! The team played some great passing football and generated plenty of chances in the match and rattled the posts and crossbar in numerous occasions plus sent plenty of shots just whizzing wide. Halswell had some great chances and moments but for some outstanding Western defence and a few amazing diving saves from Lennox in goal. The second half started off with a Western flurry of goals then we flipped the script a little and changed positions/role to try and give players some new and different opportunities. The game opened up and the ball was travelling back and forth, up and down the pitch - at one stage Halswell hit the posts and crossbars 3 times in 20s and were unlucky not to score considering the excellent build play they produced. Player of the Day (POD): Leo Wilson - with not just a Hat Trick but showing some fantastic linking, running and passing which created numerous chances - not to mention some fantastic left footed skills being on display! Moment of the Day (MOD): Carter Roberts - had a great game today and assisted in two great goals - and the first of which earned him the Warriors MOD - seeing a clear opportunity for an assist - Carter powerfully struck the ball through the Halswell team from 20m out and expertly timed it to strike the post at just the right angle to bounce back nicely into the path of a teammate to tap in a goal - a truly artistic and skilled assist worthy of our MOD. 🗓 Training Logistics 📍 Where: Westminster Park (weather permitting) Thursday Training Times: 4:00–5:00pm – Flames, Strikers, Tigers, Wolves Please arrive 5–10 minutes early so we’re ready to start on time. Training is crucial for building skills, confidence, and chemistry — let’s make every session count! 📣 Team Communication Please keep your coach and team in the loop:
This helps us stay organised and ensures every player gets the most out of each week. 🏅 Weekly Awards
🚨 Upcoming
We’re so excited for what’s still to come this season. Keep showing up, playing hard, and supporting each other—on and off the field. This is what makes Western more than just a football club. It’s a community. It’s a whānau. And we’re so proud to have you with us. Let’s go, Western! — Coach Arron  |
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