Kory kicks on in Canberra

By Glen Atwell
The Year10 student from the Narre Warren South P12 school was part of the winning Victorian under15 team.
His football journey to the nation’s capital all began in the schoolyard.
“One of my teachers told me about the championships and gave me a nomination form,” Kory said.
Trials at Caulfield Grammar followed, with three separate sessions held over a fourweek period.
“There were 200 kids to begin with, that was cut to 50 after the first session and down to 25 after the next,” he said.
Kory said he had an inkling he’d make the cut.
“I trained well and though I had a good chance of making it, but was still thrilled when I found out,” he said.
Kory plays for the Narre Warren Junior Football Club during the regular season and is enjoying success with his under15 team.
“We just knocked off the undefeated team in the first final, so we’re straight into the grand final,” he said.
At the football championships, Kory’s Victorian team went through undefeated.
“We beat the nonfootball states, ACT and Northern Territory by more than 100 points,” he said.
After also thumping the New South Wales team, the Vics had to beat a determined Western Australian team to clinch the championships.
“We won it in the last quarter, it was a close game,” Kory said.
The Vics broke a fiveyear drought at the championships, stealing the trophy from Western Australia that was victorious the past two years.
Kory played in the midfield during the championships, but also rotated to the back pocket when required.
“I play ruckrover at Narre Warren, so I enjoyed the positions I played,” he said.
His mum, Karen said she was surprised and didn’t expect her son’s team to do so well.
“I couldn’t go to Canberra for the week and when I found out they won, it was even worse,” she said.
For Kory, travelling to Canberra to play a week of football during the school term was a dream come true.
“I wasn’t complaining, it was great,” he said.