Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolToday’s whole-school Premiership Celebration on the Crowther was an opportunity for our community to recognise the commitment, teamwork and school spirit on display across BGS over the past week.
There was certainly plenty to celebrate. Last weekend, four of our First teams competed in Grand Finals, an outstanding achievement in itself. Our students secured APS Premierships in Football, claimed the VSRU Rugby Premiership, while our Basketball and Soccer teams finished as APS Grand Final runners-up. Together with the APS Tennis Premiership earlier this year, these achievements reflect the high performance culture at BGS that values hard work, resilience and collective effort.
Just as importantly, ‘Super Saturday’ was a celebration of our wider community. The energy from the spectators and supporters across the day was fantastic, with students, families, staff and Old Boys coming together to proudly support our teams and our school.
This same spirit can be seen across the school. This week, our Year 8 students have impressed with their creativity and collaboration in iDesign, our dancers have refined their performances for their showcase, our STEM racers have been gearing up for tomorrow’s BGS Cup, and our Junior and Secondary School Snow Sports teams have enjoyed excellent results on the ski slopes.
What stands out across all of these activities is the way our students support one another and work towards a shared purpose, reminding us that the end result comes from individuals contributing their strengths to something bigger than themselves. We achieve more when we work as a team.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolIt has been a wonderful week for BGS, with plenty to celebrate across our sporting and performing arts communities.
Congratulations to our Rugby and Football teams, who both secured premierships this season. These achievements are a fantastic reflection of the commitment, resilience and teamwork demonstrated by our students and coaches throughout the year. While our Basketball and Soccer teams were unable to claim the premierships, they should be equally proud of their efforts and the way they represented BGS. Reaching the final is an achievement in itself, and we congratulate all involved on their seasons.
There was also plenty of excitement on stage, with the FGS/BGS Years 7–9 production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory JR which concluded Saturday. The production was a wonderful showcase of the creativity, talent and enthusiasm of our students. Congratulations to all of the students and staff involved in what was a fantastic production.
This evening, we look forward to the iDesign Expo and Awards for our Year 8 students. It is always a wonderful evening, showcasing the creativity and innovation of our students. It is fantastic to see the students develop their ideas and bring their concepts to life through their projects. I look forward to seeing their work on display.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings & Reminders
- Wednesday 26 August, 7.00pm: Online webinar: Assessment Readiness: how to study for exams
- Thursday 27 August: Wear it Purple Day
- Monday 31 August, 7.00pm: BGS/FGS Combined Concert – Con Spirito: Music of the Bay
- Wednesday 2 September, 7.30am: Father’s Day Breakfast and Chapel (Years 7 & 8)
- Wednesday 2 September, 7.00pm: Online webinar: The Manosphere: how it works, what we can do
- Wednesday 9 September, 7.30am: Father’s Day Breakfast and Chapel (Years 9-12)
APS Grand Finals
Saturday’s Grand Final Day was a wonderful celebration of Brighton Grammar sport. With three Grand Finals hosted at home, the campus came alive with a gala-style atmosphere as the Brighton community turned out in numbers to support our boys.
Our Football team capped an undefeated season with a 72–63 victory over Caulfield Grammar, becoming the inaugural APS Football Premiers. Prior to Football, on the Crowther Oval, our Rugby team produced a terrific performance to defeat a competitive St Kevin’s 22–14 and claim the VSRU Premiership.
Earlier in the day in Soccer, St Kevin’s secured a 1–0 victory after scoring in the first half. Our team fought hard and had a number of opportunities, however they couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net and were narrowly beaten.
Our Basketball team battled hard, playing away against Caulfield, eventually going down 80–63. After winning just one match in 2025, the team’s remarkable improvement under coach Brad Newley was a fantastic achievement.
Congratulations to all boys, coaches, staff and families. Your support made the day truly incredible and a memorable celebration of BGS sport.
Rob Cooper
Director of Sport
BGS/FGS Combined International Student Event
On Friday 14 August, international students from both BGS and FGS came together for a lively board game and karaoke night that celebrated friendship, teamwork and connection. Working in mixed teams, students played a variety of games and supported one another during the karaoke performances.
The friendly competition encouraged communication and collaboration, while the social nature of the evening gave students from both schools the chance to connect beyond the usual school environment.
The event also helped us develop confidence and interpersonal skills. Contributing ideas in front of others, communicating with unfamiliar teammates and, for some, stepping outside their comfort zones to sing all helped us become more confident in expressing ourselves and working with others.
Overall, the Game Night was more than just a fun competition. It strengthened the relationship between BGS and FGS, encouraged friendships across year levels, and gave students valuable opportunities to develop teamwork, communication, confidence and social skills.
Wen Yan
International Student Coordinator
Max Zhou, Henry Wang, Eddie Jin, Eason Ma
International Student Leaders
Music of the Bay
Don’t miss this special opportunity to enjoy an evening of exceptional music performed by the talented musicians of Brighton Grammar and Firbank Grammar Schools at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Monday 31 August.
Additional seats have been released this week so book your tickets and join us in celebrating a shared tradition of musical excellence.
BGS Business Breakfast
Join us on Tuesday 25 August as we welcome Nicolas Cann (OB 2003), founder and CEO of Blobfish International and founder of Fur Media, as our Business Breakfast guest speaker.
What started as a simple idea in Australia in 2015 has grown into an international business operating across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, with expansion into Japan and South Korea. Through Blobfish International, Nic helps some of the world’s biggest brands connect directly with consumers through targeted sampling, activations and partnerships.
Nic is also the founder of Fur Media, Australia’s pet-focused digital out-of-home media network, which reaches pet owners through more than 200 veterinary clinics nationwide.
Passionate about entrepreneurship and building scalable businesses from unconventional ideas, Nic will share insights into innovation, growth and creating memorable brand experiences.
Don’t miss this inspiring morning with one of Brighton Grammar’s entrepreneurial success stories. Book now.
From The Archive
Not only did the soccer, basketball, rugby and football teams show their best at the Grand Finals weekend, so did the School grounds.
The Crowther Oval was picture perfect thanks to the efforts of the Maintenance Team and grounds’ staff, a far cry from its appearance in 1906 when Dr Crowther secured an adjoining property of five acres, extending from New Street to Outer Crescent.
Back then, ‘a pond and tree-lined marshland made up by far the greater part of the area’ and ‘boys had spent many happy hours there, seeking frogs, tadpoles and birds’ eggs, or sailing model yachts.’ (Meliora Sequamur: Brighton Grammar School 1882-1982)
Over the years, the oval has seen flooding and extreme drought. Old Boys and members of staff have helped with the filling, draining, and maintaining of the site. There are even accounts of boys armed with sticks and knives going out to the oval on mass to tackle an invasion of onion grass.
Thankfully there was none of this on Saturday and the only tackling the boys had to do was against the opposing teams to secure well-deserved wins in rugby and football.
From Reverend Waterhouse
A very good long-time friend of mine is the chaplain at Caulfield Grammar School and so it was a real joy to be able to spend some time with him last Saturday at both the Basketball and Football APS Grand Finals. With a win for each school, neither of us could really complain afterwards.
During the week, there was a little playful banter about who might be praying harder for victories and who God might extend his favour to … all in good jest, of course, as I can say with a clear conscience that our prayers during the week were not for a specific side to win, but rather for safety for the players, for favourable weather, for protection of the umpires and officials and for a spirit of solidarity amongst the competitors.
A question I am sometimes asked is, does prayer change things, when God already knows the future? The answer is a definite YES!
God’s three answers to prayer are generally yes, no and not yet and thus human prayer brings us in line with God’s will; to use a sporting analogy: like being part of an efficient cycling tandem team working in unison.
In his first pastoral letter, the apostle John writes, ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him. [1:14 & 15].
As in all things with the Christian walk, the first step in faith in Christ, our mediator, through whose name we freely engage with a heavenly Father who delights to give good gifts to his children.
So pray boldly, patiently and confidently!