By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
SIX local students will play for state representative teams in Australian schools football championships in Geelong next month.
Surf Coast kids Tom Dickinson and Finn Murphy will join Grovedale’s Indiana Parish in the under-12s, while Geelong secondary students Benjamin Searle and Sarah Chapman will play in the under-15 boys and under-16 girls teams respectively.
Various Geelong grounds will host the championships after an opening ceremony at Simonds Stadium on 19 July.
Boys and girls from ACT, Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia will battle to be crowned School Sport Australia national champions.
Victoria has hosted 17 championships, with Geelong last hosting the 1978 festival.
National secretary Luke Soulos said many student footballers had gone on to forge successful sports careers at community and elite levels.
“A national championship is certainly the pinnacle of our school sport program and I’m sure that players and spectators alike are looking forward to a wonderful week of football here in Geelong.”
