Head of the Lake: extra height will help Ballarat Grammar crews

HEIGHT should add power to Ballarat Grammar firsts crews this summer.The defending girls' Head of the Lake champions have added height to their boat.In the boys, twin towers Clive Fairbairn-Calvert and Jock Lawrence return to the firsts, stronger with another season's experience.Both are keen to avenge a narrow second-place finish and claim the title, while the girls are driven by a determination to keep their title.Grammar's girl crews are a long-established force on the water and this summer will seek to extend their reign over the JH Netherway Cup to 19 years as the best-performing Ballarat Associated Schools' girls.Ballarat Grammar director of rowing Bradd Denham said all crews had been putting in solid hours of training on the water and were "hopefully tuned and ready to go" at Boat Race.Today, The Courier takes a close look at Ballarat Grammar's campaign.THE FIRSTSALANA Heinz (two seat) says she loves the roar of the crowd when the boat emerges from under the final bridge along the Barwon River rowing course.Crew-mates Annie Armstrong (stroke) and coxswain Paige Mackay remember the sound vividly - it spurred them to victory last summer.They return to defend the Patterson Shield with experienced rower Norah Finn (three seat) and open-class debutante Maddie Fry (bow), who add some height to the crew.Fairbairn-Calvert (stroke) and Lawrence (three seat) lead a new-look Grammar line-up, including experienced young coxswain Matt Haberfield.Only in year nine, this is Haberfield's fourth season coxing and he is relishing the challenge of guiding the top open-division boat.Scott Gullack (bow) and George Meek (two seat) step into the firsts with open-division experience from last Boat Race.THE RIVALSPAIN is still raw in the Grammar boys' firsts from slipping by a canvas to St Patrick's College last summer.It was the third consecutive year St Pat's had eclipsed Grammar for the Dowling Challenge Cup.Fairbairn-Calvert and Lawrence felt it first-hand last summer and have worked on picking up the pace in the boat this year.The crew is taking one race at a time, focusing on their own race, because Lawrence said there was more than just St Pat's to watch out for on the water."We've met St Pat's and (Ballarat Clarendon) College and the races have been very close between the three crews," Lawrence said."We've improved a lot since we started the season."The crew is reaching its peak at the right time."Annie Armstrong said Grammar's girls firsts felt a little pressure as title-holder and considered all boats to be rivals."We've all been up and down," Armstrong said."It depends on the day."It's hard to judge, we're still developing as a crew."THE TRAININGROWERS trialled Grammar's new eight boat in the pre-season to work on technique but since racing began, crews have all been in the fours.Grammar's senior crews have been based in Essendon on the Maribyrnong River.The juniors have trekked to Geelong and joined in racing at regattas earlier this month.Paige Mackay said the Head of the Lake was the reason Ballarat rowers trained so hard.THE FLEETBALLARAT Grammar director of rowing Bradd Denham said all crews had trained well and looked in good form this year.More than 100 Grammar rowers descended on the Barwon River for a combined camp to work together on the Boat Race course earlier this year.THE SUPPORTERSTHIS week, leading into Boat Race, the Wickity Wack come out at Ballarat Grammar.Students make plenty of noise to motivate their crews, while the Wickity Wack bang on bins, sinks or anything to promote the tribal feel. They will be out in force on the river bank.