2017
St Leonard’s continued to dominate the swimming, winning all three major trophies and eight year-level pennants. Westbourne had great success in athletics and cross country, with a clean sweep of the three major trophies in both events. Year 9 Westbourne student Olivia Yacono set three new records in the athletics carnival, winning a perfect five first places for the second year running.
In weekly sport, the Westbourne first girls table tennis team won their twentieth premiership, having been unbeaten since the ACS began.
A one-day years 7 to 9 girls football lightning premiership was introduced at the completion of the winter season, with Overnewton taking out the inaugural premiership. In the senior competition, Loyola retained the premiership but not unchallenged – Westbourne, the big improver, finished in second place.
Team captains for All Stars teams were introduced.
Meg Hansen, Principal Westbourne 2010–2021, interview, 2022
Nikki Little, Head of Sport 2008–19 & Head of Cocurriculum 2019–present Overnewton, interview, 2022
‘Of particular importance is the ACS continues to hold inclusiveness as a significant component of its identity. We had one student with a disability compete in the athletics and continue to encourage others to compete. ACS continues to encourage and support any student who identifies as transgender to compete. All-gender change rooms are made available.’
2017 Champion Schools
2018
Overnewton won its first ACS championship cup by taking out the aggregate boys athletics trophy. A whopping 22 new athletics records were set, and Olivia Yacono from Westbourne broke the Year 10 girls long jump record which had held since 1999, as well as the Year 10 girls 90m hurdles and high jump records.
Responding to the popularity of the girls football program, Australian rules football was introduced as a weekly sport in the senior girls winter program on a trial basis, replacing the one-day lightning premiership. Numbers of participants were set at 16 per side because students had to choose between their original winter sport and football.
Meg Hansen, Principal Westbourne 2010–2021, interview, 2022
Michelle Sheehan, Executive Officer ACS 2001–present, interview, 2022
Matthew Healy, Director of Sport at Westbourne 2004–present, interview, 2022
In representative sport, and a first for the ACS, the Westbourne boys senior football team won the AFL Victoria Herald Sun Shield Division 2 grand final. In a thrilling match, the team came from behind to clinch victory over Salesian College 75–73. The Overnewton senior boys soccer team took first place honours in the Melbourne City Premier Schools Cup, defeating CRC Sydenham 3–0. Girls also performed strongly, with the Loyola senior girls football team losing by a mere six points in the semi-final of the Herald Sun Shield Senior Girls Division 2, and the Loyola senior girls soccer team finishing third in the Melbourne City Premier Schools Cup. The Victorian School Associations reintroduced a representative swimming competition after an absence of several years, and ACS finished third in the combined and boys sections.
2019
After 16 years with the ACS, Thomas Carr College withdrew at the end of the year to join the Sports Association of Catholic Co-educational Secondary Schools (SACCSS) due to changing needs. Their enthusiastic participation had brought a new level of competition and spirit of sport which greatly enhanced the ACS program. Highlights for Thomas Carr included winning their first and only major carnival cup, for aggregate boys swimming, in 2007 and winning the most summer grand finals in 2006 and 2008 as well as three senior girls football premierships.
Rob Huntington, Deputy Principal
St Michael’s, Deputy Principal, Overnewton, interview, 2022
Matthew Healy, Director of Sport at Westbourne 2004–present, interview, 2022
2019 Champion Schools
2020
The World Health Organization’s declaration of a pandemic on 11 March put an end to ACS competition for most of 2020. Senior teams competed in term one and grand final competitions were held before lockdowns were enforced but no premierships were awarded for teams from years 7 to 9. No winter season fixtures were held.
The swimming carnival took place in term one but the athletics and cross country carnivals were not held. An invitational cross country meeting at the end of the year at Westbourne Grammar provided a rare opportunity for students to meet.
Meg Hansen, Principal Westbourne 2010–2021, interview, 2022
Nikki Little, Head of Sport 2008–19 & Head of Cocurriculum 2019–present Overnewton, interview, 2022
In line with the introduction of remote learning across all ACS schools, chess and public speaking moved online.
2020 Champion Schools
2021
In the second year of the pandemic, the ACS program was again disrupted. Years 7 to 9 did not complete either season of weekly sport. Senior premierships took place in the summer season, and the winter season was shortened. No winter grand finals took place but premierships were awarded based on ladder positions after five rounds.
Swimming and athletics carnivals were held with appropriate social distancing measures in place but the cross country, run as an invitational event only for the second year in a row, was held later in the year at Westbourne Grammar. Chess competition was held face to face but public speaking took place online.
Meg Hansen, Principal Westbourne 2010–2021, interview, 2022
2021 Champion Schools
2022
The ACS welcomed a new member, St Aloysius College, as it began its journey towards coeducation. Year 7 girls joined ACS competition, in advance of the introduction of boys in 2023.
Meg Hansen, Principal Westbourne 2010–2021, interview, 2022
Michelle Sheehan, Executive Officer ACS 2001–present, interview, 2022
In a change to the structure of weekly sporting competitions, Year 8 moved its match day to Thursday to form an ‘intermediate’ competition with Year 9. This change allowed schools to enter more teams in popular sports where there is the most demand. The cross country carnival was held for the first time since 2019, with all three championship trophies won by Westbourne.
Sarah Sansonetti, Loyola College graduate 2019 and ACS All Star, interview, 2022
St Leonard’s College won its first ever senior table tennis premiership in a tough competition with Loyola. Four students, Zac, Leo, George and Trent, were also members of the Year 8 boys premiership-winning team in 2019.
‘Representing St Aloysius for the first time in ACS has been an amazing experience. I have made great connections with people from my school and other schools. I have enjoyed playing in weekly matches and have learnt about new sports. Participating in ACS has been a terrific experience and has helped me grow so much.’
2022 Champion Schools
2023
The ACS celebrates a quarter-century of successful, friendly and coeducational interschool competition!
Matthew Healy, Director of Sport at Westbourne 2004–present, interview, 2022
Sarah Sansonetti, Loyola College graduate 2019 and ACS All Star, interview, 2022
Matthew Healy, Director of Sport at Westbourne 2004–present, interview, 2022
Student Reflections
