Jack Steele Shield and Hannah Dunn Cup Find Their First Home

By Lachlan Bryce

On a cloudy June day, Primary Schools across Canberra and it’s surrounds participated in the inaugural Jack Steele Shield and Hannah Dunn Cups. Aptly named after the Canberran AFL and AFLW captains (Jack Steele – St Kilda, Hannah Dunn – Gold Coast Suns) who inspire the younger generation, lead their teams and clubs respectively.

The competitive day at EPC Solar Park saw Curtin Primary School take home the Jack Steele Cup upsetting the undefeated Marist team in a nail-biting finish. Majura defeated Aranda in the grand final to take home the Hannah Dunn Cup with a hard fought win.

 

 

The Marist team looked composed on the day and got better and better each game, but it was not enough to get across the line against the strong Curtin side. The game opened up late for Curtin as they tallied up the score.

Majura Primary were determined to break tackles to create goal opportunities, yet their defensive pressure solidified the grand final win.

Tom from Curtin PS and Lilly from Aranda PS both took home best on ground honours for their ability to attack the ball with their craft and skill.

All Players had a big smile and enjoyed the day with many players giving AFL a go for the very first time. Radford player Isla Murphy came into this carnival not playing for a local club instead only playing AFL for her school in local carnivals. After the inaugural Hannah Dunn Cup, she is intrigued by the idea of playing for a club.

“I get quite competitive sometimes, I like playing AFL. Yeah, I would like to play for a team after this, it’s quite a good game it’s fun and it’s competitive. You can do it socially or you can go hard.”

Curtin and Majura Primary will now go through to the Paul Kelly Cup Finals which will be played at GIANTS Stadium in Sydney where they will face off against the best schools from across NSW.