Carroll Cup a family affair

By James Matthey

Turvey Park junior and current Sydney Swans player Harry Cunningham will be on hand at Robertson Oval on Wednesday night to barrack for his alma mater and little brother Jesse in the Carroll Cup Grand Final against The Riverina Anglican College (TRAC).

The younger Cunningham will be hoping to replicate the form his brother showed in the 2011 decider when he was named best-on-ground in Mater Dei’s victory over Kildare College.

Jesse told The Daily Advertiser that he would welcome any tips from his older sibling, who made his senior AFL debut in 2012 and was upgraded to the Swans’ senior list on the eve of the 2013 campaign.

“Harry came down last (Monday) night and is back for the week,” said Cunningham.

“I’ll probably have a talk to him this afternoon about it, hopefully he can give me a few tips and help me out.

“During the game he’ll probably be giving me advice, tell me where I’m going wrong and what I need to be doing.

“He’s really looking forward to it.”

The 17-year-old has been in scintillating form for Mater Dei, and is keen to add a third Carroll Cup title in as many years to the school’s trophy cabinet.

While he acknowledged that nerves would be a factor, Cunningham said that playing in last year’s Grand Final win over Kildare would be invaluable in helping him stay relaxed.

“The nerves will probably kick in the morning of the game, but I played last year and that’s probably kept me pretty calm,” he said.

“It’s going to be a tight contest, but our boys should be up to it.”

Meanwhile, TRAC is set to unleash a secret weapon on Wednesday night in their bid to claim their maiden Carroll Cup premiership.

Representative star Max King is the ace up TRAC’s sleeve as they prepare for the decider of the prestigious tournament.

King has been unavailable during this campaign due to commitments with TAC Cup side the Murray Bushrangers and the NSW/ACT Under-18s team, which is currently competing in the NAB AFL Under-18s championships.

The 18-year-old made the trip back to Wagga Wagga from Melbourne on Monday night before joining his schoolmates for training on Tuesday.

Despite not being part of TRAC’s push for supremacy thus far, King is confident his side has the right ingredients for success, but is wary of a talented Mater Dei outfit.

“I saw TRAC’s game on Monday night but other than that I’ve been away with training and things,” said King.

“I haven’t talked to the boys yet but we’ve got a fair few good players this year, I think we’re a good enough team to win.

“I’ve seen a bit of Mater Dei and I’m good mates with a lot of them, but they’ve got a lot of good older boys and some coming up through year 11.

“They’re a competitive school.”

TRAC coach, Dane Fuller, said King would be a welcome addition to his side, but they could ill-afford to get drawn into the trap of thinking he will single-handedly guide the team to victory.

“Add a good quality tall to any side and they’ll improve, but we need everyone doing their job to get there.

“One player in an Aussie Rules team never makes a huge difference, but it certainly won’t harm us at all.”

A Carroll Cup premiership would be the perfect parting gift for King, who is in his final year of school.