DARREN MONCRIEFF
Monday 2 April 2012
DEFENDING premiers Western Australia and heirs to the throne South Australia wlll kick off next week's second AFL National Under-15 KickStart Championships on the Gold Coast.
The two traditional football states will begin proceedings on Tuesday, April 10; the first of three games on day one of the championships.
Western Australia won all its games at last year's inaugural championships, including the grand final, while South Australia fell narrowly to Queensland in its final qualifying game.
WA defeated hosts Queensland to win the first national KickStart title.
Northern Territory and NSW/ACT will play the following match and Queensland and Victoria/Tasmania will round out the first day's play.
Like last year, every State and Territory will be represented at the championships, an extension of the nation-wide AFL's KickStart program which ties good behaviour at school with football.
All 16 matches (15 qualifying games and the grand final) will be played at Queensland club Southport Sharks' home ground but, unlike last year, the grand final won't be a curtain-raiser to an AFL match. It will, rather, be played at Southport.
The round-robin matches will be two 15-minute halves with no time-on, while the grand final will be a four-quarter match with 18-minute quarters.
At the end of each day's play (except Friday's) the teams will hear life programs include those against violence, cultural identity and future prospects.
All teams have finalised their playing squads.
Match program
Tuesday 10 April
WA v SA @ 4.28pm
NT v NSW/ACT @ 5.03pm
Qld v Vic/Tas @ 5.45pm
Wednesday 11 April
WA v NT @ 10.30am
SA v Vic/Tas @ 11.10am
Qld v NSW/ACT @ 11.50am
NT v Vic/Tas @ 1.40pm
WA v NSW/ACT @ 2.20pm
SA v Qld @ 3pm
Thursday 12 April
Vic/Tas v WA @ 10.30am
SA v NSW/ACT @ 11.10am
Qld v NT @ 11.50am
NSW/ACT v Vic/Tas @ 1.40pm
WA v Qld @ 2.20pm
SA v NT @ 3pm
Friday 13 April
Grand FInal @ 10.40am
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 02/04/2012 19:14