Excitement is building as the best junior players in the region prepare for tonight’s start of the SEDA 2019 AFL South East Regional Junior Championships.

Team lists, fixtures, welcome messages, FAQs and partner offers are now available on the Junior Championships Digital Record – http://www.aflsejuniorchampionships.com.au/ – which will be updated with results across the course of the elite-level three-day championships.

Boys and girls from the Frankston Districts, Mornington Peninsula, South East and Yarra Ranges Junior Football Leagues will converge on Frankston Park, Lloyd Park, Marriott Waters and Shepley Oval for the championships which run from Wednesday 5 to Monday 10 June.

Eight games will be played tonight, with three at Marriott Waters and five at Lloyd Park in Langwarrin. Both venues kick off at 5.15pm.

The championships consist of under 13 to 17s for boys and under 15 and 18s for girls.

The Queen’s Birthday carnival, an important stepping-stone in the Dandenong Stingrays Pathway, has grown in significance over the years and is now aligned with both the Melbourne and St Kilda Football Club’s Next Generation Academies (NGA).

Names synonymous with local football over the years such as Cazaly, Clarke, Clavarino, Hustwaite, Hynes, Peckett, Van Raay, Watts and Young will all be prominent as the stars of tomorrow try to impress on the big stage.

AFLSE RGM John Anderson said the carnival had quickly developed a strong reputation for identifying the next wave of talent emerging through the junior system.

“The Regional Junior Championships have become a very important stepping-stone in the pathway to higher honours, such as selection on AFL and AFLW lists, “ Anderson said.

“The carnival atmosphere and high level of competition provide the perfect platform for our future stars going forward. Each section is very competitive with all four leagues winning at least one age group in 2018.

“All leagues have once again put in a power of work to prepare for the championships and we wish them well in their endeavours.”

This year’s carnival is proudly supported by SEDA College, a provider of Sports Development and Talented Player Programs to Year 11 and 12 students.

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