Riverina wins this year’s PSSA State Carnival
Over 280 school students from around the state got a taste of life as an AFL player during the week when they travelled to Sydney to take part in the Primary School Sports Associations (PSSA) state carnival at Blacktown Olympic Park.
Riverina claimed the ultimate prize by winning the grand final against Mackillop by 37 points. Mackillop finished in second place while Sydney East came in third and CIS in fourth.
There will be a few smiling faces today given 23 people will be representing NSW at the School Sport Australia Championships being held in Perth later this year.
Of this number, eight players were chosen from Riverina, four from Mackillop, four from CIS, three from Polding, two from South Coast, one from Sydney North and one from Sydney East.
Carnival organiser, Andrew Lowing, said the week has been an absolute success and he is hopeful the event will return to Blacktown Olympic Park next year.
“The week’s been absolutely fantastic. It has been very enjoyable for all of the kids that have come from the 13 teams we’ve had this year,” Lowing said.
“The state team will be a strong side and those selected will go away and represent NSW with pride. They will do extremely well when they get over to Perth later in the year.
“Overall the facilities here are first class and I hope other carnivals will be held here in the future. I know the CIS are looking at next year and hopefully the national carnival in the next couple of years can be held here as well.”
Everyone at the carnival took a lot out of the event as students were given a rare insight into the life of an AFL player when Team GWS and the Sydney Swans attended the carnival.
Former Geelong dual premiership winning captain, Tom Harley, traded in his football boots for a whistle as he took to the stage as an umpire for the Barrier and Sydney South West match.
Harley also took the opportunity to speak to the players and their parents providing encouragement and congratulations to the developing young footballers. Riverina local and former Sydney Swans great, Paul Kelly, came to the event to wish all of the kids participating good luck.
Some students swapped their football boots for a note pad and a recorder as they pretended to be journalists at a Sydney Swans ‘press conference’.
It was a fantastic occasion for young aspiring footballers to ask their favourite Swans players some questions about how they got involved in the game and the commitment required to make it in the AFL.
The activity was made even more special given four of the five players in attendance, Kieren Jack, Craig Bird, Nathan Gordon and Dylan McNeil, have all competed in the PSSA carnival before going on to be listed with the Swans. Byron Sumner was the other Swans player who attended the press conference.
The statewide competition is the equal largest primary school based event in Australia, tied with only rugby, bringing students from 13 different regions together for a sports carnival.
Click here to view this year’s NSW state team to travel to Perth.
PLACINGS 2010
1 Riverina
2 Mackillop
3 Sydney East
4 CIS
5 North Coast
6 South Coast
7 Polding
8 Barrier
9 Sydney North
10 Sydney West
11 Sydney South West
12 Hunter
13 Western
Day three
Polding 7.7.49 v Barrier 3.1.19
Sydney South West 7.9.51 v Western 0.0.3
Mackillop 5.2.32 v CIS 3.1.19
Riverina 6.11.47 v Sydney East 1.0.6
North Coast 6.0.36 v South Coast 5.5.35
Sydney North 6.4.40 v Sydney West 2.3.15
Sydney East 8.4.52 v CIS 2.1.13
Hunter 6.4.40 v Western 3.0.18
Grand Final
Riverina 7.3.45 v Mackillop 1.2.8
