AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) in conjunction with the Adelaide Crows women’s team is pleased to announce the Darwin Region School Sport and Northern Territory Government Crows Cup (NTG Crows Cup) will take place this Thursday, on the eve of the highly anticipated NAB AFLW Round 6 game between Adelaide and Fremantle.
Approximately 100 participants will form eight teams in a girls-only interschool football carnival that was first developed in South Australia in 2016 by Adelaide women’s co-captain Chelsea Randall.
The Darwin Region NTG Crows Cup aims to encourage girls in middle-school years to give football a go in a comfortable environment.
The carnival has already been successfully rolled out across regions in South Australia, and this Thursday’s event will be the first of its kind to be held in the NT.
Games will be hosted at Gardens Oval from 9 am, with the grand final scheduled for 12:55 pm.
Participating schools will be; Darwin Middle School, Dripstone Middle School, Essington Middle School, Marrara Christian College, Nightcliff Middle School, O’Laughlin Catholic College, Sanderson Middle School and St John’s College.
The day's fixture can be downloaded here.
The Crows AFLW players will make their way to Gardens Oval once they land in Darwin to cheer on grand final participants and offer a hand with official presentation duties. They are also eager to meet the NT’s future stars.
In 2017 the Territory witnessed a 15% rise in female participation in Australian football, and with just over a third of all NT football participants now female, carnivals like this have a captive audience.
AFLNT Manager of Game Development Emily Wastle said the elite game continued to positively impact and grow the game at the grassroots level.
“We see more young girls wanting to play football than ever before, and events like the NTG Crows Cup or programs like Thunder Juniors for those in the next age group down are designed to foster their interest, and teach them the skills in a fun, inclusive environment.
“It is great that in our first trial of the concept here with Darwin Region School Sport that there will be some big supporters backing the girls in. The AFLW competition and Crows team have a positive impact and we will certainly look at the potential of expanding the competition into other NT regions in the near future.
“We also couldn’t do it without the backing of Darwin Region School Sport and the Northern Territory Government, so we thank them for their continued contribution in developing the next generation of NT footballers,” she said.
The Hon Minister for Tourism and Culture, Lauren Moss MLA said the Government was proud to support the Crows Cup and Adelaide women’s team.
“We are delighted to have partnered with AFLNT and Darwin Region School Sport to support the Crows Cup Carnival which provides a fantastic opportunity for girls in Darwin Region middle schools to compete in an interschool football carnival aimed at encouraging young girls to give football a go in a fun and safe environment.
“We are also very proud of our support for the Adelaide Crows AFLW team and it is fantastic to see these elite sportswomen in action here in Darwin again this year.
“We continue to bring top-class sporting events to the NT as they attract visitors from across Australia and enhance the Territory lifestyle, which is so important in keeping people living in the NT,” Minister for Tourism and Culture, Lauren Moss said.