Messenger School Sports Awards back for 19th year
THE search is on for Adelaide’s best young athletes as Messenger’s School Sports Awards return for their 19th year.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE search is on for Adelaide’s best young athletes as Messenger’s School Sports Awards return for their 19th year.
The awards recognise outstanding achievements by SA sportspeople aged 10-18 over the past year.
Since 1997 they have unearthed stars such as A-League soccer player Jacob Melling, teenage swimming sensation Kyle Chalmers, and inaugural winner and tennis great Lleyton Hewitt.
Onkaparinga Hills shooter Jack Rossiter took out the secondary school category last year.
It capped off a breakthrough 12 months for the teenager who competed at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and won the senior Oceania Shooting Federation Continental Championships.
“This (award) represents all the hard work I’ve put in and gives me confidence for the future,” Rossiter said of the honour.
“It was a really good year.”
West Beach squash player Alex Haydon won last year’s primary school section, sponsored by the Department of Education and Child Development.
Haydon claimed the national under-15 title and represented Australia at the Penang Junior Open in Malaysia.
“I was so surprised to win because the other (finalists) had achieved a lot too,” the Henley Beach Primary student said.
“I couldn’t believe it – I was shaking.”
Any student enrolled in a South Australian school is eligible to enter.
Male and female monthly winners will be announced for northern, southern, eastern and western Adelaide between June and September.
Three finalists in each category will be selected in October. Overall winners will be announced at the Celebration of SA Sport gala evening at Adelaide Oval in November.
To nominate a talented young athlete, visit decd.sa.gov.au/sport/pages/
schoolsportsawards and fill out a nomination form. Completed forms should be emailed to paula.nielsen@sa.gov.au
Ditters deliver: 10 things we learned in local SA footy
The reigning AdFL div one premier bounced back for an important comeback win on Saturday, remaining on top of the ladder with finals fast approaching. See what we learned from the weekend’s country and suburban footy action.
Ranked: The Eyre Peninsula’s top 50 footballers of 2025
The Eyre Peninsula is stacked with star country footy talent so we’ve drawn from the region’s four main leagues to rank the top 50 players of 2025. See who made the cut.