Overall the Diocesan girls AFL carnival was a fantastic day. The level of skill demonstrated by the girls was excellent and the way in which they played as a team was quite impressive and a reflection of the quality coaching from Ms Cornett. While it was a day of competition, it was as much a day of being introduced to the skills and rules of the game in a fun and non-threatening environment. For a number of schools it was their first exposure to the sport while others, including St Patrick's have been playing AFL regularly and this was clearly evident on the day.

The St Patrick's girls went through the round games undefeated to finish first in the pool. This meant the girls then played off against the team that finished second in the other pool which happened to be St John’s from Nowra. While the first half of this semi-final game was relatively close, the superior fitness and skill level of the St Patrick's team saw them run away with the win in the second half. This semi-final win then meant the girls would now play a strong Holy Spirit team who accounted for St Mary’s in the other semi-final match. The grand-final match started at a frantic pace and was a close affair until a late goal just before half time gave St Patrick's a buffer and the advantage heading into the break. Holy Spirit were then convincingly outplayed in the second half with St Patrick's going on to a convincing win and the honour of being crowned the inaugural girls AFL champions for 2016.

A special thanks must go to Ms Cornett for coaching the team on the day, to Ana C who acted as an assistant to the carnival convener and did a fantastic job, as well as the Giants AFL organisation who were sensational in their support of the event. On that note, the AFL development officers were so impressed with the quality of players on show at the event, they have proposed an elite athlete testing day to be held at the College to identify girls that have the potential to transition into the professional female AFL league. A very exciting opportunity for females to make inroads into the professional sport arena.

The 2016 AFL team consisted of Olivia F, Angelique H, Dryandra M, Esther M, Lily M, Phillipa M, Andrea M, Julia P, Sarah P, Amy S, Natalie S, Emily U, Lyliann V, Uini V and Lily W. Coach Ms Cornett.

Scott Ashcroft - Sports and Activities Coordinator