SACE website stretched as results out for students of 2021, including our rising stars

The SACE site delivering year 12 results is so stretched this morning that schools have been locked out to cope with the traffic.

Thousands of students have been logging into the SACE website to get their Year 12 results, pushing capacity to the limit.

The SACE Board said the high level of traffic is being managed “smoothly as planned”.

However, school administrations are being held back until later in the day.

“To ensure smooth access for students at this high-peak period, access to others including schools is controlled by the SACE Board,” a spokeswoman said on Monday.

“This had meant some delay for schools seeking access to results reports on Schools Online, which provides a summary of results for students attending that school.

“Reports on Schools Online will be available today.”

A record 15,644 students have gained their SA Certificate of Education, including many rising stars.

Among them is Matty Roberts, a graduate of St Peter’s College, who was at training with the Sydney Swans when results went live at 8:30am, but he’ll be logging on to the SACE website as soon as he can.

It’s typical of how the young man from Langhorne Creek balanced a packed timetable of elite football with the rigours of Year 12.

Sydney Swans recruit Matty Roberts balanced his SACE studies at St Peter’s College with his football and social life. Picture: Tim Hunter.

He got ahead of the game by studying some final subjects while in Year 11, freeing up lesson periods during the day in Year 12 for extra work so he could get to footy training with South Adelaide after school hours.

“It was a fairly busy year,” he said. “I used that tactic of knocking off 1½ subjects in Year 11 so I could do assignments and so on during school hours this year.”

Roberts, 18, also made sure he had time to spend with his girlfriend, Erin Tonkin, and to catch up with mates.

“You’ve got to have balance,” he said.

Schooled at Eastern Fleurieu in Strathalbyn to Year 9, Roberts then boarded at St Peter’s, which provides extensive tutoring in the evenings.

Picked at no. 34 in this year’s draft, he said he’s settling into Sydney and life at the Swans where the club has “been really welcoming”.

But he’ll always keep his options open which could include physical education teaching or being on the family’s cropping farm close to where he first tasted footy success as part of the A-grade premiership winning team at Langhorne Creek in 2018.

This year he played for South Adelaide at the same time as captaining St Peter’s.

In seven games for the Panthers, he scored six goals, including 2.1 in the preliminary final against Glenelg.

Roberts is not the only AFL recruit who finished their SACE this year.

Alastair Lord, 18, was drafted by Essendon Football Club at pick 46.

He was deputy head prefect at Rostrevor College where he led student-based mental health initiatives at the same time as playing for Norwood under-18s.

“In anything I do, I try and do it well and study’s no different,” said Lord.

Essendon recruit Alastair Lord graduated from Rostrevor College.

Crows AFLW draftees Brooke Tonon and Zoe Prowse.

Crows AFLW recruits Zoe Prowse and Brooke Tonon will also be checking their SACE results.

Prowse attended Mercedes College while Tonon was a Scotch College boarder.

Others on the fast track to a career in the spotlight include G-Nat! on performers Isla, Rylee and Alessia.

The pop group, who were grand finalists in TV show The Voice, are now preparing for Eurovision Australia Decides in February.

Thebarton Senior College students and G-Nat! on members Mateja Sardelis (who was in Year 11), Alessia Musolino, Rylee Vormelker and Isla Ward. Picture Kelly Barnes

SACE Board chief executive Martin Westwell said he was incredibly impressed by the

resilience, perseverance and determination of the young people who have completed their SACE.

“The class of 2021 has had more to contend with than any other cohort over the years, and yet they have risen to the challenge,” he said.

“This year we have seen the highest level of retention through to final SACE completion than ever before.

“Remember that SACE is one moment within your whole life. It is not the end, but a beginning. Think of this as the start of your learning journey.”

Education Minister John Gardner congratulated all SACE students and said even those who don’t get marks as high as they hoped should be proud of their achievements.