Alumni Newsletter - April
Welcome
Dear Alumni and Marist Friends
Welcome to our first edition of The Red and White Alumni Newsletter. We hope that this newsletter provides you with opportunities to connect with the College and the many generations of graduates from Marist Brothers Kogarah, Kogarah Marist High and Marist College Kogarah.
Please share this newsletter with friends and relatives who form the extensive network of Kogarah Marist alumni.
High Achievers Assembly
To celebrate the achievements of HSC class of 2024, the College welcomed back the high achievers in Week 3. The outstanding results achieved by the HSC Class of 2024 are a testament to their hard work, dedication, and resilience. Each student demonstrated what it means to strive for excellence, and for that, we are immensely proud. Their success is not just measured by their results, but by the legacy they leave behind. They have set a high standard for future classes, showing that through teamwork, perseverance and a shared vision, remarkable things can be accomplished.
Kogarah now
Much has changed at Kogarah over the years but the familiar landmarks remain. Here are some photographs taken by current Year 11 student, Max, that capture the layout of Kogarah now.
Beyond Kogarah
We asked Steve McMahon, HSC class of 1994, to share his reflections on life after Kogarah Marist.
Life is a journey filled with twists, turns, and unexpected adventures, and since leaving Kogarah Marist High in 1994, my path has been nothing short of remarkable. Leaving those familiar school grounds, I stepped into the wider world with hope, ambition, and a mix of uncertainty about what lay ahead.
The years since have been a mosaic of experiences, shaped by career choices, relationships, and personal growth. My professional life saw me leave Sydney University with a Degree in Economics. I worked in Business Banking, Politics, Corporate Affairs and the Thoroughbred Horse Racing industry. Highlights would be working as Chief of Staff to Minister Kevin Greene (also an alumni) and becoming Mayor of Hurstville.
I’ve learned the value of resilience, adaptability, hard work and that life is about relationships.
On the personal front, life has been equally enriching. Family and friendships have been my anchor, grounding me through the highs and lows. I married Lee from the same year group from Bethany College. Most of our early interactions were at St Declan's church, albeit outside the church whilst the service was on. We are blessed with 2 children, Elouise (15) and Declan (13).
There’s also been time for reflection — moments to look back on those formative years at Kogarah Marist High. The lessons learned there, both in and out of the classroom, have stayed with me. They’ve served as a foundation for navigating life’s complexities and pursuing a meaningful existence.
As I continue this journey, I remain grateful for the experiences that have brought me here. Life since 1994 has been an evolution — from a young graduate full of dreams to someone who’s embraced the unpredictable beauty of the road less travelled.
From Scarborough to Valentine – A Football Journey
Watching the 2015 Senior Football team slip to fourth place in the Metropolitan Catholic Colleges competition with one round to go made it seem like we were destined to miss out on the finals — something unheard of at Marist Kogarah, especially considering we believed we had potentially the best team on the field since we could remember. So much promise and yet so little to show for it. There were a few egos amongst them, enough ego to let off flares at the school Swimming Carnival, but that’s another story. The team was disappointed in their efforts and it was in the change room before the last game that the elephant in the room was addressed. Captain (and local flare supplier) Leo Malfara expressed the disappointment he felt and explained to the team that we were all to blame. “We have the best players in this whole comp and we may not even make it to the finals. It's embarrassing.” There was no shortage of confidence with this lot.
The air was thick with tension. They locked arms and shoulders and spoke encouragingly to each other. Backs were slapped, fists were pumped and we ‘looked’ like a team that wanted a win. The coaches looked at each other, both silent but nodding. Something just happened. We took to the field that day and took the points and in fact, we did not lose a game for the rest of the season!
The 2015 Senior Football team was one of the more talented sides Marist Kogarah put on a football field. The coaches had been watching the progress of the younger grades over the years and looked forward to the day when they could combine players in a senior side. In the end, the 2015 Senior A grade team was made up of players from Year 12, Year 11, Year 10 and even one player from Year 9, a new student to the school, Kosta Grozos, who in 2024 was named captain of the A-League Newcastle Jets.
We won that last game of the round and the semi then took on Ryde in the MCC final which we won comprehensively 4-1. But that was not the end, the Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) trophy beckoned. That was a difficult comp to win; knockouts are always hard.
It had been twenty two years since Marist Kogarah had won the CCC and in the quarter finals against St Edward’s we looked in trouble. Two nil down, a small ground and 1000 students cheering the opposition on… we were gone. But with 15 minutes to go, the bell went. The crowd dispersed and went back to their classes. The silence was deafening and we rose. We put away three goals in 15 minutes and won the game 3-2. Got a feeling those students at St Edward’s were surprised to see us cheering as we drove out of their school.
We went on to win the semi-final against Aquinas and were left to face St Gregory's Campbelltown on their home ground in front of their home crowd. Tough task, but the boys were confident and on a roll.
The game went to penalties and here is where I thought we would come unstuck.
I should explain…
The Senior Football side had not had a training session all year. The coaches and players decided that they would meet and practice in the top nets or meet at recess a couple of days a week just to get to know each other. Most of the players already trained three days a week and adding another session seemed to be going overboard. Warming up before a game was also problematic. We would get dressed on the bus and often arrive just in time to get our boots on and get on the field. We rarely practised penalties. Hence my doubts.
Our star players stepped up to the mark and they managed to miss the first and second penalty…we were cactus! But nobody imagined what our goalkeeper Dean Veganes was capable of. He did a tremendous job and saved three penalties. The final penalty save that won us the game was a fingertip full length dive into the bottom corner that touched the post as it went out. Brilliant!
We were victors! After twenty two years the CCC cup would return to Marist Kogarah. Historic team!
But these boys were not done yet…
After the CCC final we were notified that we had qualified to compete in the NSW All Schools Championship. We had no idea that there was another level. The coaches couldn't believe their luck… another day out from work playing football! Coach Fisher sorted the details and informed the team we were going to Valentine Park. The boys were ecstatic.
The NSW All Schools Championship brings together the winners of the CCC (Catholic High Schools), CHS (Public High Schools) and CIS (Independent High Schools). Essentially, it is a round robin consisting of the top three teams in NSW schools. Each team plays each other at Valentine Park and the winner on the day would be crowned the best school football team in all schools in NSW.
The team got dressed on the bus as we always did. We stepped off the bus in our long socks and headed to the pitch. There the boys stood and watched the team from John Hunter Sports High warm up. Hunter had to beat some very good football schools to reach this stage, including Westfield, which arguably had Australia’s cream of the crop of young football talent. They looked very professional. They had training hats going in all directions, trainers in identical tracksuits running around and even massage tables, almost one per player! We had a net bag with gear we had never used, except the balls.
Our captain, Leo, stopped me from putting the hats out. He suggested we not change anything. No hats, no warm up. We were just going to do what we always did. Get off the bus, put on our boots, rev up in the change room, get on the field, knock the ball around a bit, have a team hug and play.
In the change room, there was too much silence. Coach Fisher began his talk. He confidently outlined all the players’ responsibilities and our game strategy. He was leading the way. I knew he wanted me to try and motivate them and I had spent time considering it. I came up with the idea that I would set this up as a culture war. The rich school with the fancy facilities vs the poor school with the Top Nets as our greatest facility. It was delivered in a crescendo and by the end there was shouting and stamping and yelling and we headed out onto the pitch.
The referees took to the field, the team huddled and the whistle headed towards the referees lips. Game on!
Coach Fisher and I couldn't sit down on the bench. We stood and chatted nervously, watching the opposition coaches leaning back on their massage tables, laughing and drinking Gatorade.
Within ten minutes we had scored. The suits on the opposition bench folded their arms and sat up. Five minutes later we scored again. The suits stood up and stood on the sideline. We were looking good. When we scored the third goal Coach Fisher and I sat down. The suits were frantic! I was excited and tried to convince Coach Fisher to put on the subs. He told me to sit down. Late in the game we copped an injury to one of our midfield players and team captain, Leo Malfara, also had to come off injured. Soon after, they scored and I couldn't sit or stand. We worked hard and eventually the suits ran out of time. We ended up winning that game 3-2 and the next game we just got better. 6-0; we carved up.
We were now the best schools football side in NSW and we deserved it.
At the end of the game the suits packed up their massage tables and got on their bus without even shaking our hands. The other team hung around and we all celebrated together. Even the grounds announcer got involved. He came down to personally congratulate Coach Fisher and I and we were amazed at how happy he was for us. Apparently, he had been working there for years and was sick of always announcing the same teams as winners over the years. He had never heard of us.
Considering how difficult it is for a local comprehensive high school to win that title, it may be a very long time, before we see Marist College Kogarah rise to that level in school football. The extent of quality players coaches had at their disposal in the playground at any given lunchtime was phenomenal and Marist Kogarah was the team to beat.
Thanks for the ride! We had a ball!
Fisher and Russo
Social Justice
Project Compassion 2025
The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘Let’s all Unite Against Poverty!’
Let’s all ‘Unite Against Poverty’! There is no time like 2025! Throughout Lent at MCK, we’ve been sharing stories from many communities around the world to spread awareness on how Caritas aims to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential and thrive.
For over 60 years, Caritas Australia has worked hand in hand with people in Australia and overseas to break the cycle of poverty. Please consider joining us in raising funds for Project Compassion by donating to our Project Compassion fundraiser:
Stay in touch
Do you have a story to share?
Please send it to alumni@mckogarah.catholic.edu.au