By Milla Webster
KILMORE Football Club is heading to Canberra on Friday, February 20, with its under-17s squad to compete in the Queanbeyan Cup. This is the first time the club has sent a team to the tournament, offering a rare chance for the players to test themselves against strong under-18s interstate competition.
Club vice president Matt Chesswas said: “It’s a massive opportunity for the boys to test themselves against strong under-18 interstate competition and continue their development both as footballers and as young men.”
The Kilmore group has shown strong intent throughout its pre-season preparation and will head into the tournament with confidence, determined to return home with the cup. The campaign provides an important opportunity to showcase the depth, development and competitive spirit of the club’s junior football program.
The team has three games on Saturday, scheduled for 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 7pm. The finals are on Sunday, and the entire weekend will be live-streamed through All In Sports so families and supporters back home can follow every moment.
“I think our boys are going to position themselves really well at the event. They are a naturally talented group, with most of them playing together for their whole football journey. As a club we want this to become something our juniors look forward to for years to come. We are heading there to learn, to grow, and to represent Kilmore proudly, but we’re also heading there to win,” Chesswas said.
However, opportunities like this don’t happen on their own. It has taken a lot of work behind the scenes, but “giving these boys and the club an experience that lifts their football and opens new pathways makes it all worth it. I want Kilmore to become a destination club within our area,” he said.
In a significant boost for the trip, the team will also be in Canberra at the same time a local junior boxing prospect, Nate Long, steps into the ring at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Players and staff have expressed their full support for Long and plan to rally behind him as he represents the Kilmore community on a major stage.
“On the way back, we’ll also be stopping in at the AIS to support local boxer Nate Long, who’s fighting on Sunday. It’s a great chance for the boys to get behind a former KJFC player, someone many of them have actually played alongside. Nate has also worked with our academy, running boxing sessions that several of the boys continue to attend outside of club commitments.”
He said Kilmore Football Club is proud to have so many young athletes competing at high-level events on the same weekend, highlighting the strength of local sporting pathways and the clubs strong community culture.
“It’ll be a big weekend of development, competition, and community and we’re proud to be representing our club,” Chesswas said.
