AFL Victoria is proud to be coordinating the 2012 Kickstart Future Leaders Camp for Under 15 Indigenous boys. The camp will take place between Thursday March 8th until Sunday March 11th at Halls Gap.
Attending the camp will be 32 Metro and Regional Victorian boys, 4 Tasmanian boys and 6 AFL Victoria Trainee’s. The venue for the camp, Brambuk, holds key cultural significance for Indigenous people, with the region and venue 100% Aboriginal owned and operated.
During this camp, a National Indigenous Program Managers Meeting will be held at the same location. Elements of these two events will intertwine, benefiting each group involved.
People attending the events include Andrew McLeod (AFL Engagement & Talent Coordinator), Xavier Clarke (AFL Indigenous Engagement & Transition Manager) and Jason Mifsud (AFL National Community Engagement Manager).
AFL Victoria’s Indigenous Program Manager Aaron Clark has taken this concept and made it into a life changing experience for these young boys.
“This is an opportunity for our Indigenous boys to receive exposure to the TAC Cup Talent Pathway Programs, AFL Clubs and their Indigenous players, leadership, health, education, and life skills,” Clark said.
“The Kickstart Program is important in attracting talented athletes to our game as well as assisting them to become future leaders within their communities.”
A trial match between these Indigenous participants will take place on Sunday 11th March at Ballarat High School (Sturt Street) at 12pm. North Melbourne Footballers Cam Richardson, Nathan Grima, Ayden Kennedy and Tom Curran will be attending the game to assist these young boys.
At the conclusion of the camp, 23 boys will be selected to represent Victoria/Tasmania at the National Kickstart Under 15 Indigenous Football Championships from the 9th – 13th April on the Gold Coast. From this tournament, a ‘Flying Boomerangs Football Team’ will then be selected from all 125 Indigenous participants.
As announced this week, the Flying Boomerangs side will compete for the first time in the 2012 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships at Blacktown International Sportspark (Western Sydney).
AFL Community Engagement Manager Jason Mifsud said it’s exciting to have the AFL’s Indigenous squad participate for the first time.
“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,” Mifsud said.
Last Modified on 14/03/2012 20:40