U18 Championships fixture announced

The future stars of the AFL will have a number of opportunities to showcase their talents to club recruiters this year with the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships fixture announced today.

The championships bring together the best under-18 players from all states and territories in Australia.

With matches spread over seven weeks and 20 games across various venues in the country, the championships will provide players with the perfect platform to impress all AFL club recruiters looking on.

The championships are designed to best prepare players for life in the AFL with exposure to first-class coaching, training and recovery.

All state teams will also be given the chance to travel interstate to replicate the week to week preparation of AFL clubs when on the road.

The expansion of the national competition to 18 teams – with Greater Western Sydney’s entry in 2012 – will provide an unprecedented number of places available on club lists this year.

Club recruiters will again be monitoring all championships matches as they scour the country to identify players to recruit in the end of season drafts.

From last year’s Under 18 Championships, 23 players have already debuted in the AFL including Dyson Heppell (Essendon), Jack Darling (West Coast Eagles) and Thomas Libertore (Western Bulldogs).

This year, the championships will also be broadcast live nationally on Fox Sports 1 for the final division one matches, to be played at 5.35pm and 7.35pm (eastern standard time) on Wednesday July 6 at Etihad Stadium.

AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said the later broadcast provides a fantastic opportunity for football fans to see the players of the future.
“For the first time we will play the final round of division one in the early evening to make the matches more accessible on Fox Sports,” Sheehan said.

“Many of the Under 18 players will be playing AFL football this time next year. I encourage everyone to either see a game live or watch the broadcast.”

2011 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships fixture

Round 1
Sunday May 29
6.30pm NT v WA – TIO Stadium

Saturday June 4
10am Qld v SA – Blacktown Olympic Park
2.35pm NSW/ACT v Vic Metro – Blacktown Olympic Park

Sunday June 5
11.30am Tas v Vic Country – Bellerive Oval

Round 2
Saturday June 11
12pm Vic Country v NT – Visy Park
2.30pm Vic Metro v Qld – Visy Park
11.35pm SA v NSW/ACT – AAMI Stadium

Sunday June 12
11am WA v Tas – Leederville Oval

Round 3
Saturday June 18
1pm SA v Vic Country – Adelaide Oval

Sunday June 19
11.15am WA v Vic Metro – Patersons Stadium

Saturday June 25
10.45am Qld v NT – Metricon Stadium
12pm Tas v NSW/ACT – Aurora Stadium

Round 4
Friday July 1
12pm Vic Metro v SA – Skilled Stadium
2.15pm Vic Country v WA – Skilled Stadium

Saturday July 2
12pm NT v Tas – Visy Park
2.15pm Qld v NSW/ACT – Visy Park

Round 5
Wednesday July 6
5.35pm Vic Metro v Vic Country – Etihad Stadium
7.35pm SA v WA – Etihad Stadium

Thursday July 7
12pm Qld v Tas – Etihad Stadium
2.15pm NT v NSW/ACT – Etihad Stadium