2023 Winter Sport Preview
AFL
AFL kicks off the winter sport program with our shield and pennant grades Senior A and Middle A promising to be hotly contested in 2023.
In the Senior A grade, Scotch has won 2 titles in a row, however the top of the table was incredibly tight in 2022 with the Wilderness, Pembroke, Seymour and Immanuel also in close contention. Also watch out for Middle A Champion Concordia who will be promoting talented players into the Senior A competition this year.
Did you know… AFL started out as an IGSSA Sport in 2017 as a one-day carnival hosted at Pulteney? Within 12 months, a full home and away Middle and Senior School competition of 20 teams was up and running. Today we have 4 full grades of AFL – Senior A, Senior B, Middle A and Middle B. IGSSA is proud to claim some of the state and nation’s best players out of our leagues with multiple students now on SANFL and AFL contracts, but we are equally as proud of those starting out, giving it a go for the first time in the Middle B grade.
Netball
Netball remains IGSSA’s most popular sport with over 170 teams from all 10 IGSSA Member schools playing home and away in schools, and at our central venue at Anzac Highway each week.
IGSSA Netball has taken on a new look in 2023 with a brand-new Premier League and Premier League Reserves competition in 2023.
Concordia, Immanuel, Pembroke, St Peters, Scotch, Seymour, and Westminster have enthusiastically entered our new highest-level netball competition, which promises high quality weekly battles.
Since 2010, the Senior A title for the highest grade of netball has only been shared between 2 schools – Immanuel and Westminster.
Could 2023 see a new premier netball school?
Badminton
IGSSA Badminton is played on Saturdays with member schools and Badminton SA hosting over 50 teams each week across our 6 badminton grades.
Immanuel, Pembroke, St Peters, Seymour, Walford and Wilderness make up a boutique Senior A Badminton competition. Pembroke was the undefeated champion in 2022, however, expect them to be strongly challenged in 2023 – starting with their Round 1 Grand Final replay clash against Wilderness.
Since 2022, IGSSA has awarded a First Singles Trophy in Badminton to the player who wins the most singles games in the #1 position over the season. This award is also expected to be tightly contested with some incredibly talented young players representing their schools once again in 2023.
Hockey
IGSSA Hockey is played on Saturdays at various hockey venues across Adelaide, with newly promoted St Peters expected to make their mark following a dominant 2022 season in Senior B. Seymour and Wilderness are perennially strong in hockey, whilst current champion Pembroke and runner up Scotch are expected to be at the top end of the table again. Walford joins the exciting 6-team competition that will see all teams play each other twice for shield points.
Hockey at IGSSA is small in numbers, but high in quality. Despite Pembroke holding the last 3 consecutive Senior A titles, IGSSA hockey matches are almost always closely contested, none more so than the 2022 Grand Final that saw Pembroke just nudge out Scotch in an overtime thriller.
Soccer
Premier League Soccer at IGSSA kicks with a round of friendly games in preparation for the shield season. Reigning champion, Scotch went through the 2022 season undefeated with just one tiny hiccup, a draw in the minor rounds. Wilderness, Seymour and Immanuel were all finals contenders with the grand finalists only determined on the last match of the minor rounds. This makes for an intriguing 2023 season!
IGSSA Soccer has 30 teams competing across 4 grades weekly on Wednesdays, home and away at school grounds.
