The StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup finals have returned for 2023, with the countdown on to crowning this year’s champions.
Across terms one and two, 693 teams and almost 16,000 students have participated in gala days as a part of the StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup.
Introduced in 2016, the StreetSmarts Cup is AFL Queensland’s premier schools’ competition. The state-wide, interschool competition for boys and girls includes Primary and Secondary School teams, in addition to inclusion sides.
This year will see the finals series kick off on 3 August and culminate in the championship three-day event at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast from 13 to 15 October.
Jeff Neumann, AFL Queensland Participation and Programs Manager – Schools, Inclusion and Diversity said, “We see the best of the best in school footy coming through this competition, with almost 16,000 students doing battle this year for the trophy.”
“Over the last seven years of the StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup, we’ve seen continuous growth. In 2022, we had 612 teams participating and this year, we’ve had a phenomenal 693 teams across Queensland.
“We’ve seen huge growth in participants across the Gold Coast North region with a 75% increase, Brisbane Central with a 45% increase and Inner West with a 54% increase. Pleasingly, we’ve also seen a 14% increase in female teams participating in the competition.”
Trisha Squires, Head of AFL Queensland, said with finals just around the corner, everyone was looking forward to seeing some of the rising talent on display.
“It has been another record-breaking year in participation in our StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup, which is evident of the work our teams do to grow our relationships with Queensland schools, and develop strong, quality competitions,” she said.
“With almost 700 schools state-wide participating in the competition, more than 60 qualifying gala days have been held across Queensland, from Byron Bay to Cairns.
“This competition has moved from strength to strength each year, showcasing some of the incredible talent we have in our schools across the state. The StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup is yet another pathway we’ve created to give players an avenue to develop and nurture their footy skills.
“Thank you again to our naming rights sponsor of the 2023 AFLQ Schools Cup, StreetSmarts, for their ongoing support of this program.”
The StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup has a proud history of nurturing and developing some of the state’s best talent including past AFLQ Schools Cup students and now Gold Coast SUNS products Serene Watson, Connor Budarick, and Alex Davies, along with Brisbane Lions AFLW Premiership player Belle Dawes.
The state finals series will be livestreamed on KommunityTV, News Limited’s streaming platform, across the remaining days of competition:
- South East Queensland Quarter Finals – 3 August
- North Queensland Championship – 15 – 16 August
- South East Queensland Semi Finals – 29 August
- State Championship – 13 – 15 October
News Sport Network General Manager – Product and Partnerships Sachin Kumar said the AFL Queensland Schools Cup provided sporting fans a glimpse into the future of the sport in one of its fastest growing markets.
“The AFL Queensland Schools Cup has a proud history of helping grow and develop the elite players of the future,” he said.
“KommunityTV has proudly partnered with AFL Queensland to showcase the finals of this competition for the past three years, and to be able to lock in the next two years of the competition is a great extension of our partnership.
“It is also great to see the growth of the AFLQ Schools Cup in 2023, and we look forward to showcasing a host of new schools and players on our live streams throughout the year.”
