Whilst on a recent school exchange to Germany to take part in an international conference, I met some pupils from Geelong Grammar School in Australia. While talking to them, I was amazed to learn that Geelong has two Fives courts but unfortunately they were not in use.

Over the next few months I thought more and more about the possibility of travelling to Australia to help start up the game once more, (the last visit by Eton Fives players being in 1989). Consequently, I wrote a series of letters to Geelong to persuade them to take me as a teaching assistant for the two months following my A Levels before the start of University. With support from my school, St Olave's, Geelong readily agreed and I arrived there at the start of their third term in July for an eight week stay.

Geelong Grammar is just outside Geelong and only an hour's drive from Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. The two Fives Courts hold an excellent position within the school, as they are just outside the school's main quadrangle and every pupil has to pass them to get to lessons. One court is a perfect Eton Fives court and is in excellent condition, and the other is a three-walled court with a ledge, but no buttress or step, Luckily the school has a very wide sports programme and places a large importance on the fact that every student takes part in a sporting activity twice a week. In the time I have been there, it has been possible to introduce over 250 pupils to the game in their PE lessons and to encourage them to come to one of the four after-school sessions a week.

The main source of interest has been from the younger years of the school, who have been much more willing to try new sports than the senior school. I set up a middle school Fives club. which was made up of about forty pupils, each of whom took part in a league which led to play off finals and eventually a middle school champion. The school even donated a trophy for the competition so that it san be continued every year. The competition will give the players something to aim for and look forward to.

Although interest from the senior school has not been as forthcoming as it could have been, the middle school is very keen. In a few years this will mean that there are senior players to coach the junior ones. Fortunately many of the teachers appear to be very interested in the game and some now know enough to continue Fives after I leave. A number of boys have also asked to buy gloves and balls which is a promising sign and some have even expressed a wish to come over to our National Schools' Championships next year.

Obviously the main problem at Geelong Grammar is the lack of any recognised coach and the fact that there is no competition from outside schools. This means that soon Fives could die out in the school as it has done in previous years. However I hope it will be different this year. The competitions already in place within the school mean that interest should remain high and the school has said how pleased they were with the introduction of Fives into the sports programme. They have also asked if the Rugby and Eton Fives Coaching Agency could find a coach for a similar period next year.

I would like to thank all those who helped to make my trip possible and so worthwhile, especially Sean Burke, deputy principal at Geelong Grammar School who arranged my position there, and St Olave's for their help and assistance.

All in all, I feel that my trip has been a success. Interest in the game is healthy and the future looks bright providing that a coach can be found to renew the pupils' enthusiasm each year. It would certainly be a great prospect, to see an Australian Fives player in England within the next few years.

J.P.T.

Eton Fives in Australia
Created 8th January 2004 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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