Sport
8 August, 2025
Schools battle in hoop-tastic tournament
Students from seven local primary schools converged at the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre last week to participate in the prestigious Noel Pollard Tournament.
Started over three decades ago by its namesake, the Noel Pollard Tournament encourages local kids to participate in basketball.
A total of 18 teams participated in the tournament across two divisions, with grade five/six students from Avoca, Carisbrook, Dunolly, Maryborough Education Centre, St Augustine’s, Talbot and Timor battling it out for bragging rights.
Both divisions finished with an inter-school grand final as St Augustine’s White took on St Augustine’s Green in division one, and the Carisbrook Raptors faced the Carisbrook Magic in division two.
After two gripping grand finals, it was St Augustine’s White and the Carisbrook Raptors who were victorious, concluding an exciting day of basketball.
The Maryborough Basketball Association’s Sally Neill deemed the tournament a success, hoping it cultivates a new wave of hoops lovers.
“It’s really opening the doors for kids that have never played basketball before,” she said.
“Even though kids like to win, it’s also about them having fun and having a go.”
With experienced players placed in division one and students learning the game of basketball in division two, Neill said the tournament is an inclusive annual program that is a great introduction to the sport.
“A lot of kids don’t have that exposure to team sports or even basketball, so it’s great for the kids to have that experience,” she said.
“You don’t want kids to be going ‘oh no, they are too good, I don’t want to play’, so it helps those kids who have never played before to actually touch the ball and contribute to the team.”