THE 2011 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships fixture has been confirmed.
Matches will be played throughout Australia over a seven-week period commencing on Sunday May 29 at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
The final Division One matches, to be played at 5.35pm and 7.35pm (eastern standard time) on Wednesday July 6 at Etihad Stadium, will be broadcast live on Fox Sports.
AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said the later broadcast would be a fantastic opportunity for football fans to see the players of the future.
“For the first time we will play the final round of Division One in the early evening to make the matches more accessible on Fox Sports. Many of the Under 18 players will be playing AFL football this time next year. I encourage everyone to either see a game live or watch the broadcast,” Mr Sheehan said.
Twenty-three players from last year’s championships have already debuted in AFL including; Dyson Heppell (Vic Country / Essendon), Jack Darling (Western Australia / West Coast Eagles ), Thomas Liberatore (Vic Metro / Western Bulldogs), Andrew Gaff (Vic Metro / West Coast Eagles) and Reece Conca (Western Australia / Richmond).
2011 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships fixture
Round 1
Sunday May 29
6.30pm NT v WA - TIO Stadium
Saturday June 4
10am Qld v SA - Blacktown Olympic Park
2.35pm NSW/ACT v Vic Metro - Blacktown Olympic Park
Sunday June 5
11.30am Tas v Vic Country - Bellerive Oval
Round 2
Saturday June 11
12pm Vic Country v NT - Visy Park
2.30pm Vic Metro v Qld - Visy Park
11.5pm SA v NSW/ACT - AAMI Stadium
Sunday June 12
11:20am WA v Tas - Patersons Stadium
Round 3
Saturday June 18
1pm SA v Vic Country - Adelaide Oval
Sunday June 19
11.15am WA v Vic Metro - Patersons Stadium
Saturday June 25
10.45am Qld v NT - Metricon Stadium
12pm Tas v NSW/ACT - Aurora Stadium
Round 4
Friday July 1
12:15pm Vic Metro v SA - Skilled Stadium
2.30pm Vic Country v WA - Skilled Stadium
Saturday July 2
12pm NT v Tas - Visy Park
2.15pm Qld v NSW/ACT - Visy Park
Round 5
Wednesday July 6
5.35pm Vic Metro v Vic Country - Etihad Stadium
7.35pm SA v WA - Etihad Stadium
Thursday July 7
12.15pm Qld v Tas - Skilled Stadium
2.30pm NT v NSW/ACT - Skilled Stadium
The NAB AFL Under 18 Championships are part of the of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program provides recognition and a clearly identifiable direction for a player's career, and comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Under 18 Championships
- AIS-AFL Academy
- NAB AFL Under 16 Championships
