TOP YOUNG TALENT FROM NORTHERN TERRITORY OFF TO TOWNSVILLE FOR AFL NATIONAL DIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
AFLNT is pleased to announce that it is once again sending a strong contingent of local talent to the AFL National Diversity Championships in Townsville.
Forty-four young players identified from right across the Northern Territory will make up two teams of 22, the Kickstart Team and All Nations Team.
They will join more than 200 participants from Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds to compete at the weeklong tournament.
The event runs from Sunday 3 April to Friday 9 April at the Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville.
Names on the NT representative list include U14s Gundersen Medal winner, Joel Jeffrey.
Jeffrey has represented the Palmerston and Wanderers Football Clubs on 73 occasions, playing 60 games at U12 and 14 Level and 13 Games at Under 16 level along with kicking 131 goals.
AFLNT has a proud history of producing players that have followed the AFLNT Talent Pathway to its peak.
Willy Rioli Junior, Nakia Coackatoo, Brandan Parfitt, Dominic Grant, Jake Long and Liam Holt-Fitz (Flying Boomerangs) along with Ryan Mu, Marcus Valastro, Nelson Sonntag, Nathan Mu and James Quinn (World Team) all had the opportunity to play at the highest level of the AFL Diversity Program.
This year’s contingent was selected via nominations from their local clubs and AFLNT Remote Project Managers.
The Kickstart Championships are 18-a-side games and the NT’s 2016 team will have the privilege of being coached by Wanderers forward and ex-AFL player Shannon Motlop.
The All Nations Championships are 15-a-side games and this year the NT side will be expertly coached by St Mary’s Football Club and Assistant World Team Coach, Josh Heath.
AFLNT High Performance Manager, Wally Gallio said, “The Diversity Championships are an important pathway for our Diversity Programs, it provides talented participants for our Flying Boomerangs and World Team squads, umpires for AFLNT and AFL umpiring academies, and coaches for AFLNT/AFL coaching academy.
“We are given a unique opportunity to strengthen the AFL game with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.”
A full list of the players representing the NT in the Kickstart Team and All Nations Team is attached.
All players train in their regional areas and Darwin-based players train each Wednesday afternoon at 4.30pm at the MLLLC.