West Gippsland claims back-to-back Interleague win

WEST Gippsland’s junior footballers retained their crown, securing a back-to-back victory at the 2025 Gippsland Youth Carnival at the Morwell Recreation Reserve on July 6.

The carnival saw football and netball leagues from West Gippsland, Gippsland, North Gippsland, Mid Gippsland and Ellinbank battle it out for the Interleague Carnival Cup.

West Gippsland won all four of its games – with only two goals scored against it for the day – to win for a second consecutive year and for the third time in the last four years.

The West Gippsland Football Netball Competition selected a team of 26 with an excellent cross-section of the league’s clubs represented and that trained at the Cora Lynn Recreation Reserve for the last six weeks.

The team won its games fairly comfortably, with its biggest challenge of the day played out against the Gippsland League.

West Gippsland and Gippsland’s matchup is always hotly contested, with West Gippsland winning by 10 points.

The West Gippsland Football Netball Competition named Charlie O’Garey from Phillip Island its man of the match.

O’Garey plays in the midfield and half back and was in and under everything all day.

The player of the tournament presented by AFL Gippsland was Garfield ruckman Ding Dieng.

West Gippsland Football Netball Competition operations manager Brett Tessari said the back-to-back win was exciting to witness.

“It was a fantastic day, and it was pretty cool to see our footballers reach the objective they set out to achieve,” he said.

“It was a good concept by AFL Gippsland and Netball Victoria to combine football and netball on the day – it was a very enjoyable day and very well organised.

“A special thank you to all the volunteers who helped on the day, and to the parents who took their kids to training at Cora Lynn and to Morwell for the tournament – it’s a great commitment.”