Under-16 Nationals kick off in Sydney

The NAB AFL Under-16 National Championships began in Sydney on Saturday with two big Division 1 clashes held at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Vic Country won a thriller against Western Australia while Under-18 champions South Australia were far too strong for Vic Metro.

In Sunday’s games the host state got off to a winning start with the NSW/ACT Rams defeating Queensland by 21 points in their first Division 2 game.

The Northern Territory side also got off to a flyer, winning by 40 points over Tasmania in the other Division 2 match-up.

In Division 3, the Flying Boomerangs played were too strong for the South Pacific while the World XVIII – made up of talented international youngsters from South Africa, England, Ireland and Denmark, as well the best upcoming AFL multicultural players from across the nation – won a thriller against WA North-West.

The NAB AFL Under-16 Championships Footy Forum and Luncheon was held on Monday and the footy will begin again in earnest on Tuesday when the Division 1 sides take to Skoda Stadium for Vic Country v Vic Metro and Western Australia v South Australia.

Click here for the full draw

Day 1 Results:

Vic Country 11.13 (79)
Western Australia 9.11 (65)

Best
Vic Country: Skinner, Collins, Mathieson, Parish, Schalhe, Sheahan
West Australia: Clark, Stewart, Ah Chee, Eades, Wilkins, Rogers

Goals
Vic Country: Mathieson 3, Schalhe 3, Tucker 2, Hullett, Sheahan, Holmes
West Australia: Kersten 2, Stewart 2, Rogers 2, Mirco, Parish, Eades

South Australia 22.16 (148)
Vic Metro 3.2 (20)

Best
South Australia: Beioley, Sullivan, Dew, Nunn, Combe, Olekalns, Francis, Marshall
Vic Metro: Klep, Parsons, Pirrie, Stillman, O’Kearney

Goals
South Australia: Beioley 8, Rocca 4, Burton 3, Olekalns 2, Barry, Combe, Graham, Aguis, Nangle
Vic Metro: Peet, Gilkbert, Binns

Day 2 Results:

NSW/ACT 13.14 (92)
Queensland 11.5 (71)

Goals
NSW/ACT: Cornell 5, Simons, Mills, Coenen, Wilson, Tiziani, Cubis, Johnston, Mannagh
Queensland: Woosup 3, Filewood 3, Tipungwuti 2, Nicholson, Driffield, Blanket

Best
NSW/ACT: O’Donoghue, Cornell, Mills, Coenen, Simons, Bance
Queensland: Keays, Tipungwuti, Glover, Filewood, Woosup

Northern Territory 14.10 (94)
Tasmania 8.6 (54)

Goals
Northern Territory: McKenzie 3, Frank 3, Dhamarrandji 2, Hamilton 2, Parfitt, Niki, Corbett, Rotumah-Onus
Tasmania: Murfitt-Cowen 2, Crossin 2, Dodge, Pitcher, Gavralas, Johnston

Best
Northern Territory: Hamilton, Carter, Parfitt, Venes, Frank, Nyhuis
Tasmania: Dyer, Lovell, Batchelor, Gee, Pitcher, Gavralas

Flying Boomerangs 13.5 (83)
South Pacific 10.9 (69)

Goals
Flying Boomerangs: Bolton 4, Wilkes 3, Powell-Pepper 2, Young 2, Pupangamirri 2
South Pacific: Fafita 4, Savare 3, Morehari 2, Siwee

Best
Flying Boomerangs: Young, Gresham, Powell-Peppper, Hampton, Nelson, Pupangamirri
South Pacific: Ekari, Morehari, Savare, Fafita, Tirang

World XVIII 10.15 (75)
WA North-West 10.6 (66)

Goals
World XVIII: Moshoeshoe 2, Paligorov 2, Mostert 2, Kerbatieh, Choi, Kennedy, Greyling
WA North-West: Gore, Birch, Seton, Evans, Shaw, Simons, Cox, Oakley, Ahchee, Djiagween

Best
World XVIII: El Mousalli, Mostert, Aujla, Kerbatieh, Santillo, Moshoeshoe
WA North-West: Seton, Petera, Gore, Daley, Birch