On Thursday night, I cheered my favourite footy team, Hawthorn, to a hard-fought, finals-like win against Collingwood, the season’s benchmark team. It was more than just a sporting victory: it was a masterclass in steady, purposeful improvement, resilience, and teamwork—qualities that resonate deeply with our community here at BAC.
Over the past couple of years, Hawthorn has rebuilt from a slump through relentless focus on the fundamentals. Their improvement in ‘hard ball gets’—diving into the contest even when the odds are against them—reminded me of the small daily efforts that lead to big results. Their coach’s thoughtful balance of training, rest, and adjusting tactics also struck a chord. It’s a holistic, long-term approach: one that values persistence, adapts to challenges, and prioritises wellbeing.
As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of parallels with school. Just as Hawthorn’s success was built one training session at a time, our students and staff achieve progress step-by-step, driven by shared goals, support, and encouragement.
This term has seen plenty of these “match moments” in our school calendar:
- Prep Readiness Day: Yesterday, BAC welcomed our 2026 Preps for their readiness day—a big milestone for both students and their families. The groundwork laid by parents in preparing their children for school is much like pre-season training: building social and emotional “fitness,” supporting new routines, and nurturing teamwork and independence.
- Senior Education and Training (SET) Planning: Last week’s panel discussion for Year 10 families played a part in guiding students as they select pathways and subjects for senior school and beyond. In the coming week, we’ll sit together and craft plans that best suit each student—tailored approaches, like a coach deploying tactics to suit each player's strengths.
- Year 12 Finals Countdown: With only 56 school days to go, our Year 12 students are entering their own “finals season.” It’s natural to feel the intensity rise, but as we saw last night, excellent results are built over time—through teamwork, resilience, and daily commitment.
What counts most—on the footy field and here—is ongoing, purposeful effort:
- Hone your skills through continual engagement: Learning happens in the everyday small efforts, not just in the big moments.
- Wellbeing and balance: Taking time to rest properly, manage screen time, and keep a healthy balance is vital for peak performance at school and in life.
- Look ahead, set goals, be patient and play the long game: As a team, we plan for the next step and focus more on growth and possibilities rather than hurdles.
Hawthorn’s victory came about because of careful planning, collaboration, and relentless small gains. Our community thrives when we work together, support one another, and put our best selves forward each day. Let’s keep encouraging our children to 'stick the tackle,' back themselves, and rise to every challenge, knowing their whole team is behind them.
