Katandra’s Rhys Damon and Finley’s Jai Taylor have been selected in the U15 Kickstart Team to represent Victoria in the 2016 National Indigenous and Multicultural Championships in Townsville from 3-8 April.
The tournament will see the country’s best indigenous and multicultural players compete for the national title.
In its sixth season, the National Indigenous and Multicultural Championships provide a unique opportunity to strengthen Australian Rules football, as talented players from culturally diverse backgrounds showcase their skills on their journey to reaching their AFL dreams.
AFL Goulburn Murray Football Development Manager Mark Lambourn is excited for the opportunity presented to the two young indigenous stars.
"Rhys and Jai both impressed with their performances during the Kickstart trials held over the past few months" he said.
"Rhys was outstanding last year and earned selection in the Australian Flying Boomerangs squad after the Nationals so he is expected to be a key player in the team."
"We have had a strong record of representation in this program over the past couple few years and we wish the two boys the best of success as their represent their club, their region and their Victoria."
To be eligible for selection in the Kickstart squad, participants must come from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, while the All Nations squad is designed for players who were born overseas or come from a non-English speaking background.
Ten indigenous cultural heritages are represented in this year’s Kickstart squad whilst 11 different countries are represented in the All-Nations team, including Zimbabwe, India, Ireland, Sudan and Lebanon.
For the first time in the National Indigenous and Multicultural Championships’ history, the competition structure has changed to increase the number of players allowed on the field from nine to 15, in order to cater for the fast growth of the tournament seen in recent years.
In addition, AFL Multicultural Academy recruiters will also be in attendance to look at the next crop of future stars that will be selected in the Flying Boomerangs National Indigenous Team and All Nations World Team.
To see a full list of the 2016 Kickstart and All Nations squad go to www.aflvic.com.au.
Last Modified on 06/04/2016 11:17