WHILST all eyes are on the elite level of Australian rules football that kicks off tonight, junior elite level football is not too far away. The South Australian National Football League (SANFL)’s top young stars will begin their 2020 journey in a couple of weeks, but crossing the border and the first top-level Victorian competition to begin will be the Associated Public Schools (APS) on July 25.

APS Boys

This year is different compared to others, and not just because of the COVID-19 lockdown. In past years, the winner and/or winners of the boys competition would be announced as the team that was on top at the end of the season when the 11 competing schools had played one another. With a time crunch, this year sees the 11 sides broken up into two pools of sides, one with six and one with five, where the teams play all the other teams in their respective pool.

Last year was the first time since 2006 there was a three-way tie with Carey Grammar – led by top two AFL Draft picks Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson – Caulfield Grammer and Haileybury College all deemed the winners. Haileybury had won its third successive title after having a raft of high draft picks over the past few years including Max and Ben King, Liam Stocker, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Andrew Brayshaw just to name a few. Caulfield Grammar had an even team with Fischer McAsey the star last year, but also possessed a number of bottom-age talents including Oakleigh Chargers’ Will Phillips and Murray Bushrangers’ Zavier Maher.

The first round kicks off on July 25, with the final round scheduled for September 12, all games to be played on Saturdays. Following the five-week round robin season, three rounds have been left clear for a re-draw to enable the best teams from both pools to face off and earn a premiership title.

POOL 1:

Brighton Grammar
Carey Grammar
Geelong College
Haileybury College
Scotch College
Wesley College

POOL 2:

Caulfield Grammar
Geelong Grammar
Melbourne Grammar
St Kevin’s College
Xavier College

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APS Girls

There are some similarities in the boys’ fixturing as there is in the girls, such as the start and end dates of the competition. But as a competition that is by comparison relatively new, just five teams compete in the girls’ APS season. They do align with schools from the boys – Carey Grammar, Caulfield Grammar, Geelong Grammar, Haileybury College and Wesley College.

The five round season presents a perfect opportunity for each of the APS Girls sides to face every other team, with the three rounds of redrawn matches giving organisers a chance to get double-up matches between the best sides.

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APS Boys Fixtures

 ROUND 1: Saturday, July 25

Brighton Grammar vs. Scotch College
Geelong College vs. Carey Grammar
Wesley College vs. Haileybury College

Caulfield Grammar vs. Xavier College
Melbourne Grammar vs. St Kevin’s College
Bye: Geelong Grammar

ROUND 2: Saturday, August 1

Scotch College vs. Geelong College
Haileybury College vs. Brighton Grammar
Carey Grammar vs. Wesley College

St Kevin’s College vs. Caulfield Grammar
Geelong Grammar vs. Melbourne Grammar
Bye: Xavier College

ROUND 3: Saturday, August 8

Haileybury College vs. Scotch College
Wesley College vs. Geelong College
Brighton Grammar vs. Carey Grammar

Caulfield Grammar vs. Geelong Grammar
Xavier College vs. St Kevin’s College
Bye: Melbourne Grammar

ROUND 4: Saturday, August 15

Scotch College vs. Wesley College
Carey Grammar vs. Haileybury College
Geelong College vs. Brighton Grammar

Melbourne Grammar vs. Caulfield Grammar
Geelong Grammar vs. Xavier College
Bye: St Kevin’s College

ROUND 5: Saturday, August 22

Carey Grammar vs. Scotch College
Brighton Grammar vs. Wesley College
Haileybury College vs. Geelong College

Xavier College vs. Melbourne Grammar
St Kevin’s College vs. Geelong Grammar
Bye: Caulfield Grammar

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APS Girls Fixtures

ROUND 1: Saturday, July 25

Caulfield Grammar vs. Geelong Grammar
Wesley College vs. Haileybury College
Bye: Carey Grammar

ROUND 2: Saturday, August 1

Haileybury College vs. Caulfield Grammar
Carey Grammar vs. Wesley College
Bye: Geelong Grammar

ROUND 3: Saturday, August 8

Haileybury College vs. Geelong Grammar
Caulfield Grammar vs. Carey Grammar
Bye: Wesley College

ROUND 4: Saturday, August 15

Geelong Grammar vs. Wesley College
Carey Grammar vs. Haileybury College
Bye: Caulfield Grammar

ROUND 5: Saturday, August 22

Wesley College vs. Caulfield Grammar
Geelong Grammar vs. Carey Grammar
Bye: Haileybury College