VICTORIA'S boys and girls teams claimed the silverware in Friday's dramatic finish to the School Sport Australia 12-under football championships in Bendigo.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After four days of hot competition on the Epsom-Huntly Reserve pitches, Victoria was No.1 in the boys race and tied with New South Wales in the girls championship.
At the end of six matches in the round-robin series, New South Wales and Victoria had scored 22 points apiece to claim the girls' trophy.
Victoria will hold the trophy for six months before it heads across the Murray River into the Blues territory.
The race for the boys championship was closely fought.
A tally of 21 points was enough for Victoria to claim the title from joint runners-up New South Wales and Queensland on 19.
At the closing ceremony, tournament organisers said the championships were a pathway for players and referees to state-level competition, A-League or W-league, and possibly to the Socceroos or Matildas.
It was the first time student referees, drawn from NSW, Northern Territory and South Australia had officiated at the SSA 12-under titles.
Key off-pitch players at the titles in Bendigo included technical director Nick Mammone; the Epsom Scorpions Football Club; SEDA; and the canteen team.
Next year's School Sport Australia 12-under football titles will be in South Australia.
