Belmont and South Cooge face Swans test

The Sydney Swans will be given an early pre-season training test when they take on Belmont Christian College and South Coogee Public Schools AFL teams this Friday (December 2) in the Swans Challenge.

The winners of the Paul Kelly Cup regional final will get to showcase their talents in the blockbuster match against the Swans which will be played at Lakeside Oval, opposite the SCG.

The Paul Kelly Cup is one of the biggest primary school sporting competitions in Australia with over 15,000 students and 1000 teams taking part this year.

Only two schools – Belmont Christian College (Hunter) and South Coogee Public School (Sydney) – have been given the opportunity to play against the Swans as a result of winning their regional finals this year.

It will be a memorable afternoon for the budding AFL juniors who will get to rub shoulders with some of the game’s most exciting young players. 

They will face tough opposition, however, with the likes of Dan Hannebery, Luke Parker, Ted Richards, Gary Rohan, Tommy Walsh and plenty others lining up for the Swans.

Swans young gun Dan Hannebery said he’s looking forward to the match.

“The boys and I have been working hard on the training track and we are ready to take on Belmont Christian College and South Coogee Public School,” Hannebery said.

“Both schools did a great job taking out their Paul Kelly Cup regional competitions this year, so we know we are up for a big challenge.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m really excited.”

The Paul Kelly Cup is a great introductory AFL competition for players new to AFL and in recent years has helped to identify current Swans players including Kieren Jack.

Paul Kelly Cup champions v Sydney Swans
When: Friday, December 2
Where: Lakeside Oval (opposite Sydney Cricket Ground)
Time: 1.30pm (South Coogee Public School), 2pm (Belmont Christian College)