Students from Jamboree Heights State School have earned selection in Northern Eagles District squads for the 2026 Met West regional trials, with Year 6 student Jackson selected in the Under 12 Boys AFL squad and four girls selected in Northern Eagles Netball squads.
Jackson earned his AFL selection following district trials and will represent the Northern Eagles District at the 10–12 Years Boys AFL Met West regional trial, scheduled for Tuesday 10 March 2026 at Kenmore Bears JAFL — Akuna Oval, Hepworth Street, Kenmore. No regional trial levy applies to students attending in 2026.
The 10–12 Years Girls AFL Met West regional trial was held on Tuesday 3 March 2026 at the same venue.
Four Jamboree Heights State School girls also earned Northern Eagles selection for Met West Netball trials: Jessica and Felicity in the 10–12 Years category, and Edie and Abby in the 10–11 Years category.
About the AFL Met West Trials
Metropolitan West School Sport runs the AFL Met West regional trials across three age groups each year, giving students from affiliated Queensland state and independent schools the opportunity to compete for selection in regional representative squads. The trials cover 10–12 years, 13–14 years and 15–17 years age groups across both girls and boys competitions.
All 2026 AFL Met West trials are held at Kenmore Bears JAFL — Akuna Oval, Hepworth Street, Kenmore. The full 2026 schedule runs as follows: 13–14 Years Girls on Wednesday 4 March, 13–14 Years Boys on Thursday 5 March, 15–17 Years Boys on Tuesday 17 March and 15–17 Years Girls on Thursday 19 March. Students selected from the regional trials progress toward the Queensland Representative School Sport State Championships, with the 10–12 Years State Championships scheduled for 4–7 June 2026 in Cairns, the 13–14 Years championships for 14–17 May 2026 in Townsville and the 15–17 Years championships for 18–21 June 2026 in Brendale.
The 10–12 Years Boys squad will be managed by Ethan Harder from Browns Plains State High School, coached by Matthew Cripps from Faith Lutheran College and trained by Dean Newbery from Park Ridge State High School. The 10–12 Years Girls squad will be managed by Matthew Robins from Camira State School, coached by Emily Dunn from Park Ridge State High School and trained by Tasha Ridley from Jamboree Heights State School — a direct local connection to the Centenary and Jamboree Heights community.
Why This Benefits the Centenary and Jamboree Heights Community
Representative school sport pathways like the AFL Met West trials deliver benefits that extend beyond the individual students selected. They provide local young athletes with structured competition at a higher level than club sport, exposure to quality coaching from experienced school sport officials, and experience of representing their district in a team environment. For families in the Centenary and Jamboree Heights area, these programmes offer a clear and accessible pathway from local school participation through to state-level competition — at no trial levy cost to families in 2026.
The Jamboree Heights State School connection to the 10–12 Years Girls squad through trainer Tasha Ridley also means the community has direct local representation in the management of these programmes, strengthening the link between the suburb’s schools and the broader Met West network.
Students wishing to participate in future Met West school sport trials must be nominated by their school sports coordinator to the relevant district, with nominations then progressing to the regional level. Further information on the AFL Met West programme and all 2026 trial dates is available here.
Published 6-March-2026.
