Scotch College

Drew collects more gold

Drew Ginn (‘92) with his partner Duncan Free won a gold medal in the coxless pair event at the World Rowing Championships in Munich, the second consecutive year that they have won gold in this event. Drew previously won a gold medal in the same event in 2003 and then Olympic gold in 2004 with James Tomkins.

They were challenged by the New Zealand crew in the second 500 metres, but stamped their authority on the event in the third 500 metres of the race, and went on to score a decisive win by over five seconds – the biggest winning margin of the regatta.

The Australian VIII with Cam McKenzie-McHarg in the six seat finished second in the B final and eighth overall. They will now need to compete in Europe next year to qualify for the Beijing Olympics

A real eye-opener for Nick Smith

Nick Smith’s first year with the Sydney Swans has been a real eye-opener for the talented young sportsman.

Nick (’06), who was Captain of Football, Captain of Cricket and a Prefect in his final year at Scotch was recruited by the Sydney Swans as their first pick in the 2006 AFL Rookie Draft, and moved to Sydney late in 2006.

Nick said he wasn’t sure what to expect at an AFL club. ‘It’s a lot different to junior football; the games are a lot more tactical and involve more commitment. Moving away from home has also been a challenge.’

Nick isn’t a stranger to elite level football: he represented Victoria Metro in the under 18s championship last year. He played in the all-conquering Sydney Swans reserves side which ultimately won the premiership in the AFL Canberra competition.

The left-footed midfielder, who has played in the Sydney Swans’ Reserves throughout 2007, described his first Swans season as ‘mixed’. ‘I started okay, and then it was not that good for a while. [My form has] been all right, not great.’

Nick said his goals for 2007 were quite basic. ‘Obviously I want to be here next year and make a go of it.’

A member of the Scotch 1st XI for four seasons and the 1st XVIII for three, Nick was an excellent leg-spin bowler at School, who became the first Scotch bowler to take more than 100 wickets in APS cricket.

Matt’s on target for Olympic glory

After success at important swimming events in the US this year, Matthew Targett is taking time out from his university studies to concentrate on the trials for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

According to a report in The Australian, at a swimming meet in California during June he became a potential Olympic medallist after beating world championships bronze medallist Eamon Sullivan, and winning the 100m freestyle final in a personal best time of 49.35sec.

The Australian said Targett’s recent performances had taken him from ‘a young man coasting along on talent, content to know that he had the potential to be a great athlete but unwilling to put in the hard work to make it a reality’, to a genuine Olympic medal prospect.

He told the paper: ‘I’ve done a lot more quality work. I am trying a bit harder and taking a bit better care of myself.’ He confessed to the paper: ‘I had never really taken swimming seriously. When I went to the last Olympic trials I was still playing water polo. Ian Pope has been coaching me since I was 11 at Scotch College and he told me from the start, “you are going to be great”. I was kind of satisfied being a mediocre swimmer and riding on talent.’

Matt can’t wait to try out for the Olympic swim team. ‘My goal at the Olympic trials is to break Michael Klim’s national record (51.81sec in the 100m butterfly), he says. The Australian remarked: ‘That would put him within striking distance of a medal at the Olympics.’