DARREN MONCRIEFF
Friday 9 March 2012
INDIGENOUS junior football has received a major boost this week with the AFL including the Flying Boomerangs into its national under-16 championships.
The Boomerangs program is a personal development and leadership initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys between 14 and 15 years of age.
The team plays annual matches against similar aged sides from outside Australia. In December, the Boomerangs played in Fiji at the AFL Youth Oceania Cup. Previously, they have played against other national sides from South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
The inclusion of the Indigenous into the national championships side will add another dimension to the football program, which in December last year won a prestigious international sport award.
The Boomerangs' invitation follows that of WA North West into the championships to battle for the national title.
The addition of these two new sides takes the total number of competing teams at this year's championships, which will be held at Blacktown in Sydney's west in July, to 12.
It means up to 50 young footballers will get the chance to show their wares on the national stage.
"The NAB AFL Under-16 Championships will be a significant event in the Flying Boomerangs program that will enable the players to develop their skills and compete against some of the best up-and-coming players in the country," AFL community engagement manager Jason Mifsud said.
Boomerangs graduates have included Leroy Jetta (Essendon), Austin Wonaeamirri (Melbourne) and Nathan Krakouer (Port Adelaide, Gold Coast).
"The inclusion of two more teams will give talented young players from around Australia an elite opportunity to develop their potential," AFL general manager of national and international development Andrew Dillon said.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 09/03/2012 12:42