The Opal Little Saints Cup has returned bigger and better than ever in its third year, with a record number of aspiring young footballers taking part in the annual fun-filled tournament at RSEA Park.
An all-female round-robin tournament run featuring Grades 5 and 6 students from local schools, the Opal Little Saints Cup seeks to provide girls with an exciting and encouraging introduction to football, with the aim to foster ongoing participation at community and local level.
Over 120 students from five different primary schools — Brighton Beach, Moorabbin, St Louis de Montfort, Black Rock and St Joseph’s Primary Schools — flocked to St Kilda Football Club earlier this week, with AFLW players Hannah Priest, Georgia Patrikios, Bianca Jakobsson and Darcy Guttridge among the many Saints to support and run the sessions.
Brighton Beach Primary School came out on top of the tournament after the hours of football action, receiving a special trophy made of sustainable materials from St Kilda’s AFLW co-major partner and sponsor of the tournament, Opal.
“We’re really happy to have all the girls participating from the local area and it’s awesome to see so many of these young athletes dominating their footy and kicking goals both on and off the field,” STK Education Lead and AFLW captain Hannah Priest said.
“This day couldn’t be done without the support of our sponsor Opal, who are not only huge supporters of girls participating in football, but also massive supporters of our AFLW team.”
The Opal Little Saints Cup serves as one of STK Education’s flagship community participation programs, having grown significantly and empowering many young females to continue to play since the inaugural event was held in 2022.
“Opal is honoured to support the Opal Little Saints Cup,” said Duane Stagoll, National Marketing Manager of Opal.
“This fantastic grassroots initiative champions young girls in football and empowers the next generation of women athletes.”