PSSA Carnival Attracts Future AFL Stars

Friday, May 7, 2010

Over 280 school students will get a taste of life as an AFL player when they travel to Sydney to take part in the PSSA Carnival at Blacktown Olympic Park from May 18 to 20.

The statewide competition is the biggest primary school based sports carnival run by the PSSA bringing some students to Sydney for the very first time.

Over the course of the year schools have been playing one another in PSSA matches. The best players have been chosen from 13 school regions to play at the new home of Team GWS.

PSSA executive officer Peter Moore said the carnival offers students a chance to showcase their talents at one of the state's premier sporting grounds.

This is a rare opportunity for budding AFL players to impress teachers and coaching staff alike, especially with the Sydney Swans and Team GWS looking for kids to be part of their academies.

At the conclusion of the carnival a team of 23 players will be selected to compete in the School Sport Australia Championships being held in Perth later this year.

A development squad will also be chosen from the carnival where young AFL players will be invited to attend a camp. In previous years the squad has visited the Sydney Cricket Ground where the students got to meet the Sydney Swans.

This year sees the introduction of Western SSA, comprised of students from Bathurst, Ungarie, Parkes, Tallimba, Forbes, West Wyalong, Gilgandra, Lithgow, Orange and Tullibigeal, for their debut in the school based sports competition.

There are two days of AFL action where the 13 representative schools will be split up into three pools. After a round of matches the side's that record the most number of wins will progress through to a finals series to be played on the third day of the carnival.

Students have been selected from the following school representative zones:

Pool A: Mackillop, Sydney East, Riverina, CIS

Pool B: Polding, South Coast, Sydney West, Hunter, Western

Pool C: Barrier, Sydney North, North Coast, Sydney South West

For more information, please contact AFL NSW/ACT on 8333 8000

Media Contact :
Ros Pullen - Media & Marketing Officer - Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney - 9839 6595
Karla Wyatt - Promotions Assistant - Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney - 9839 6593