The StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup will be back and better than ever in 2024, with nominations open for primary and secondary schools today.
The state-wide schools competition, which started in 2016, soared to new heights in 2023 with a record 693 teams and almost 16,000 Queensland students participating.
In 2023 StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup games and gala days started in March and were held from Byron Bay all the way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The State Finals were held over a three-day weekend on the Sunshine Coast in October.
Trisha Squires, Head of AFL Queensland, is encouraging all schools across Queensland to consider entering the competition in 2024.
“The AFLQ StreetSmarts Schools Cup is our premier schools competition in Queensland and it continues to grow from strength to strength each year,” she said.
“Our key aim for this competition is to be accessible to all schools, regardless of location or previous experience.”
“We want every student across Queensland to feel as though they can have a go at AFL and the AFLQ Schools Cup provides a great opportunity to do so.”
The competition not only encourages some students to have their first taste of AFL; some of the state’s most promising talent have taken part in the competition.
“Recently we saw past Palm Beach Currumbin High School students Jed Walter and Will Graham selected with Pick No.3 and Pick No.26 by the Gold Coast SUNS at the 2023 AFL Draft.
“Both were championship players for Palm Beach in the 2022 AFLQ Street Smarts Competition while Graham backed up again to be a part of the 2023 PBC winning open team.”
Peter Bock, Head of Program at Mountain Creek State High School, said they will be nominating again for the 2024 competition. They have participated since its inception in 2016.
“The opportunity to jump on a bus and play the best schools in the state each year is both challenging and exciting,” he said.
In pleasing news, StreetSmarts also returns in 2024 as the competition’s naming rights sponsor.
Joanna Robinson, General Manager (Land Transport Safety and Regulation) at the Department of Transport and Main Roads said the Schools Cup provides an important opportunity to connect with young audiences.
“StreetSmarts is proud to again partner with AFL Queensland to deliver the Schools Cup competition,” she said.
“It is exciting to see the competition go from strength to strength each year with record participation numbers.
“It’s never too early to promote road safety, regardless of how you use the roads. We know how important sport is to so many young people, and the Schools Cup provides a golden opportunity to reach the next generation of Queensland drivers to ensure they are kicking goals on and off the field.”
Schools can nominate here:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/AFLQueensland/_2024StreetSmartsAFLQSchoolsCupNomination2
