St Bede’s College have defeated Burnside High School to secure the Christchurch Junior Hawks Cup Cluster Tournament.
The Junior Hawks Cup constitutes the first step on the AFL New Zealand High Performance Pathway. Athletes that make an impression in these competitions can be rewarded with invitations to join the AFL New Zealand High Performance programme, from which the very best are selected to represent New Zealand at age group level.
The match between the two rival schools was fiercely competitive, though played in a good spirit. St Bede’s College shot out to an early lead, taking their opportunities in the 1st quarter. At the break, the score stood at 25-0.
Burnside High School were not about to give up though, and fought back hard in the 2nd quarter, particularly on defence. They managed to stop St Bede’s College from scoring any goals, and at half time the score stood at 29-8.
St Bede’s College came out at a furious pace after half time, completely dominating the 3rd quarter. With their skill, accuracy and tenacity, they held Burnside High School scoreless over the period, and scored 24 points of their own.
With an unassailable lead going into the final quarter, St Bede’s College relaxed. Burnside High School took advantage, outscoring their rivals by 14 to 9. The match ended with a final score of 7.20:62 to 3.4:22.
Part of the AFL New Zealand High Performance programme includes a pathway towards becoming a High Performance Coach. Both teams were well served by senior students who took on the responsibility of coaching and passing on what they have learnt through the AFL New Zealand High Performance programme.
St Bede’s College were coached by Alex Frew and Liam Minton, while Burnside High School were coached by Jonty Hall. Both teams were lucky to have coaches with experience of High Performance AFL to learn from. Burnside High School was also assisted by teacher Chris Risbridger.
The venue for the tournament was Westminster Park, which operates as a hub for AFL in Christchurch. Each weekend local volunteers run Junior AFL coaching and matches as Westminster Park, and the Senior NPC will also be played there.
Hawks Cup cluster tournaments have been taking place around the country over the previous weeks. The Junior Hawks Cup programme will culminate in the AFL Junior Secondary School South Island Championships, where school teams will have the opportunity to secure the title of being the best AFL team on their island.
Fixtures and Results:
St Bede’s College 7.20:62 – 3.4:22 Burnside High School
