National Diversity Championships hit Sydney
The 2017 National Diversity Championships will be held this weekend in Sydney (8-13 April) with more than 300 teenage players from around the country taking part.
As the first time Sydney will hold the Championships, Blacktown International Sportspark will host players from Multicultural and Indigenous backgrounds, as they come together to promote and connect with some of the best athletic talent from around Australia.
With Australia’s largest urban population of Indigenous people, and with 177 nationalities living in Blacktown, the venue provides the ultimate setting for such an occasion.
In recent years, the National Diversity Championships have produced players such as Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassador and Sydney Swan, Aliir Aliir, as well as GWS GIANTS Co-Captain, Phil Davis, and this year, will again be looking to find the next group of AFL stars.
AFL NSW/ACT will be represented by two teams throughout the Championships – the All Nations (Multicultural) and Kickstart (Indigenous) teams. The two squads were selected following the recent Adam Goodes and Stephen Coniglio Talent Camps held in Sydney. The teams are made up of Under 15 year old boys from right across the state and territory, with the female National Diversity Championships taking place in September.
AFL NSW/ACT Multicultural Programs Manager, Nickie Flambouras says the event is a great opportunity for the young players to gain some professional experience on their home soil.
“Our boys are excited to take on the best diversity talent from across the nation,” said Flambouras.
“The AFL NSW/ACT Multicultural and Indigenous programs have provided a great platform for the boys to develop their AFL skills, building their participation in AFL into a great passion.”
The Championships will kick off on Saturday evening with the opening ceremony being held at the Rooty Hill RSL. Throughout the jam-packed week, each of the teams will take part in education seminars, skills clinics, and will play up to five round-robin matches prior to the finals.
The Grand Final will be held at Blacktown International Sports Park on Thursday, 13 April.
Following the Grand Final, the World Team and Flying Boomerangs Team will be announced with the best players throughout the tournament being named.
