NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships 

On Wednesday 23rd July, Alice K proudly represented the Polding region at the NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships in Sydney. Competing against a highly competitive field of 79 runners from across the state, Alice displayed incredible grit and determination as she raced to a new personal best—shaving an impressive 18 seconds off her previous time to finish 22nd overall. We are extremely proud of Alice’s outstanding achievement and the perseverance she showed throughout the event. Her dedication and never-give-up attitude are truly inspiring. Well done, Alice! 

Polding Rugby Union 

Congratulations to Vinnie M who has been selected in the Polding rugby union team to play at Ernie Callan fields next week. We know he will give his absolute all and we wish him the best of luck. 

AFL Paul Kelly Cup Regional Finals 

On Monday, in cold and blustery conditions the St Joseph’s girls’ team took to the fields for the regional finals of the AFL Paul Kelly Cup. The girls took on a range of opponents throughout the day, proving to be a formidable force and growing in confidence throughout the day. They faced down St Catherine’s in the final, coming in as the underdogs and as the wind picked up, so did the efforts of St Joeys. Some of the girls who may have been a little tentative with tackling, in other games, really stepped up. Their defense was strong, and the kicking game was spot on for the girls to come away victorious and head to Sydney on Wednesday to contest the state finals at Blacktown. Win, lose, trophy or no trophy the team from St Joeys is a team of champions. 

Big congratulations to all our regional champions and special mention to Andie L, awarded player of the final! What an amazing achievement. 

Special thanks to Grant Vickery, team coach and his trusty whiteboard that clearly showed the team how to execute the game plan, along with his coaching expertise and calm and caring nature he modelled throughout the day. The support from parents, grandparents and all our squad were a feature of the day as they cheered on the team and kept the WhatsApp conversation going for those who couldn’t make the games. A big thank you also to Emma Cook and Helene O’Neill for all your hard work and support leading up to the event and organising behind the scenes. These days don’t happen without all your help.  

Paul Kelly Cup State Finals – Joeys Girls Make History 

On Wednesday, our Joeys girls AFL team travelled to Sydney for the Paul Kelly Cup State Finals — becoming the first girls team from our school to ever reach this stage! 

Their place at state was secured just two days earlier at the Regional Finals in Warners Bay, where they defeated top-ranked St Catherine’s in the grand final— a team that had beaten them 15–1 in the beginning rounds. Entering as underdogs, our girls played with unity, heart and grit to prove just how far teamwork and belief can take you. 

A huge shoutout to Andie Leach, who was named Best on Ground at regionals — an outstanding achievement and well deserved. 

At state, the girls played four games in tough, wet conditions, improving each time and showing incredible resilience and sportsmanship. They made it to the semi-finals, narrowly missing the grand final by just 1 point. 

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Grant Vickery, who has supported the girls all the way from the local comp through to state. His time, care and guidance played a big part in the team’s success. 

We’re also so grateful to the parents who helped with transport and support — whether cheering from the sidelines or tuning in via livestream. 

We are incredibly proud of this group of girls. What a team, what a journey, and what a memory!