Auskickers steal spotlight at Grand Final

By Alison Zell

The Sydney Swans may have been the stars of the show in the AFL Grand Final at the MCG on Saturday afternoon, but it was 22 young Auskickers who nearly stole the limelight in the post-match celebrations.

As the Swans basked in their Premiership win, heading around the ground for the traditional lap of honour, the young Auskickers could be seen playing in the red and white confetti and lapping up the attention of the crowd.

NSW’s Caleb Walker, James Kenny and Joven May were three of the budding football stars, chosen from more than 7000 entrants in the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition.

The Auskickers of the Year were selected for demonstrating the values at the core of the Auskick spirit: teamwork, dedication, commitment and passion.

Caleb, 6, from Wagga Wagga presented Swans hero Jude Bolton with his Premiership medal after an action-packed Grand Final experience.

“Getting to present a premiership medal with all my friends and family watching on TV was really cool,” he told the Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga.

Along with James, 7, from the Emu Plains/Glenmore Park Lions and Joven, 8, from the Gungahlin Jets, Caleb had the experience of a lifetime as all the Auskick winners played a key role in the lead up to the Grand Final.

The kids met Geelong captain Joel Selwood at the Auskickers of the Year awards dinner, marched in the Grand Final parade on Friday and played Auskick on the MCG before the Grand Final.

They are just a few of more than 180,000 children and their parents who head to one of 2800 NAB AFL Auskick centres around the country to participate in NAB AFL Auskick each weekend.

2012 has seen the most successful year of Auskick in NSW/ACT with the introduction of the GWS Giants meaning more live AFL in NSW/ACT and giving more than 3000 kids the chance to play Auskick at half time of AFL games.

Picture: Caleb Walker presents Jude Bolton with his medal