YOUNG TALENT TIME
GORDONVALE State School’s young AFL talents couldn’t hide their excitement when they stepped on to the field at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena yesterday.
The southside primary school is one of five Far North Queensland schools competing at the AFL Queensland Schools Cup North Queensland Championships.
The two-day event kicks off today, with students from Gordonvale State School, Whitfield State School, Woree State High School, St Augustine’s College and St Mary’s Catholic College among more than 500 bright young AFL talents at the tournament.
Winners from the two-day championships will compete in the AFL Queensland Schools Cup State Championships in Maroochydore this October.
Gordonvale State School physical education teacher and AFL coach Wesley Hull said the girls, some of whom have been playing Australian rules for less than 12 months, had really embraced the sport.
“We were just doing a training session at Great Barrier Reef Arena yesterday and that sense of excitement was really palpable,” he said.
“The girls were saying, ‘here we are, we’re going to be playing here tomorrow’ and they felt really special.
“It’s not just a kick and a giggle, they’re actually developing very good skills to be able to go to these levels.”
He said the goal wasn’t so much to win, but to create an environment where the young girls “felt a part of something”.
“Our aim is to provide opportunities, not just to play football, but to be involved in sport, recreation and community aspects,” he said.