Schools
Paul Kelly Cup
Paul Kelly Cup is the largest Australian rules pathway competition for primary school students in Australia, with 596 teams chasing the crown in 2025.
Congratulations to the 2025 Winners:
- Girls – St Luke’s Grammar
- Boys – Albury Public School
Paul Kelly Cup is the premier primary school competition in NSW and ACT for boys and girls in Years 5 and 6.
Year 3 and 4 competitions are available in Greater Sydney.
The competition is open to all primary schools in NSW/ACT
SEE LINKS BELOW FOR THE 2026 RULES & REGULATIONS
Local Days are held across the state and territory, progressing to 11 regional finals and a State Final, to be held at Central Coast Regional Sporting Complex in late Term 3/early Term 4 (date TBC in early-January)
Northern NSW – Contact Matt Crawley at Matthew.Crawley@afl.com.au
Central West – Contact Will Flynn at will.flynn@afl.com.au
ACT – Contact Joe Carroll at joseph.carroll@afl.com.au
South Coast and Illawarra – Contact John Dyball at john.dyball@afl.com.au
Southern NSW – Contact Sam Daniel at sam.daniel@afl.com.au
Grants are available to assist schools in attending school competitions.
The following categories are available:
- CRT Cover: Full day ($450) and half day ($250) CRT Cover relief grants available to allow teachers to either attend an AFL Professional Learning session or competition day.
- Uniform/Apparel: Subsidy of $500 available to help cover the cost of a new set of guernseys/jumpers for school teams, and the purchase of appropriate playing uniforms that are made specifically for girls.
- Event Attendance Support: $300 per team, per competition, to support teams to participate in competition or event days.
- Goal Post Padding: Subsidy of $500 available to help cover the cost of goal post padding for school oval goal posts.
- 'AFL Starter' Equipment Pack: Base-level AFL equipment pack available to both primary and secondary schools.
For further information and to apply for a grant, visit the AFL Schools Support website or click the flyer HERE.
High School Competitions
The AFL NSW/ACT Junior and Senior Schools Cups are designed to engage high school students in a competitive pathway competition and engage players in the game of Australian Rules Football
The Junior Schools Cup (Years 7-9) and Senior Schools Cup (Years 10-12) competitions are open to all high schools in NSW/ACT. With a revised pathway in 2026, all schools have the opportunity to qualify for the State Final, to be held in Lavington Sports Ground on 24th June, 2026.
Local Days are held across the state and territory, progressing to Regional Play-Offs (new for 2026), Regional Finals and State Finals.
Please see below pathways for each region.
2026 Registration & Dates - Coming soon!
Grants are available to assist schools in attending school competitions.
The following categories are available:
- CRT Cover: Full day ($450) and half day ($250) CRT Cover relief grants available to allow teachers to either attend an AFL Professional Learning session or competition day.
- Uniform/Apparel: Subsidy of $500 available to help cover the cost of a new set of guernseys/jumpers for school teams, and the purchase of appropriate playing uniforms that are made specifically for girls.
- Event Attendance Support: $300 per team, per competition, to support teams to participate in competition or event days.
- Goal Post Padding: Subsidy of $500 available to help cover the cost of goal post padding for school oval goal posts.
- 'AFL Starter' Equipment Pack: Base-level AFL equipment pack available to both primary and secondary schools.
For further information and to apply for a grant, visit the AFL Schools Support website or click the flyer HERE.
Independent School Competitions
The Independent AFL Schools Competitions, administered by AFL NSW/ACT, offer a premier Australian Football experience for Independent Schools. By partnering closely with key Associations, the program delivers high-quality competitions for both male and female students, aligning with existing school sporting schedules and providing a positive, inclusive environment for the entire school community.
The AFL Sydney Independent Schools Competition is held in Term 1 (Secondary Girls) and Terms 2-3 (Secondary Boys) for Independent Schools across Greater Sydney on Friday evenings and Saturdays.
- Fixtures & Results
- Quick Reference Rules Guide:
- Boys
- Girls - Rules & Regulations Document (Girls)
CONTACT:
Chloe Davis, Schools Competition Manager – Greater Sydney
chloe.davis@afl.com.au
+61 499 323 080