Youth Representative Pathway
(U12-U15 Boys, U12-U16 Girls)
The representative pathway has changed for 2006 and beyond. The criteria of having to attend Auckland Football Federation player development programs to be eligible for representative selection has almost completely been removed. The diagram below outlines the pathway the players will need to take to be selected for a Auckland Football Federation Youth Representative team.
The Auckland Football Federation will be divided up into four regions - West, East, Central and South. Clubs have been allocated to each region:
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WEST Auckland - Bay Olympic, Central, Western Springs, Metro, Mt Albert Ponsonby, Lynn Avon
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EAST Auckland - Eastern Suburbs, Fencibles, Bucklands Beach, Waiheke, Beachlands, University-Mt Wellington
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CENTRAL Auckland - Ellerslie, Onehunga Sports, Onehunga Mangere, Three Kings, Otahuhu, Manukau City, Mangere Utd
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SOUTH Auckland - Papatoetoe Utd, Papatoetoe AFC, Pukekohe, Tuakau, Clendon, Waiuku, South Auckland Rangers, Papakura, Manurewa, High School Old Boys, Drury, Clevedon
Players are nominated to attend trials through the clubs and schools in their zone. Trials will take place in each region to select a representative team for each zone in each age group - the dates for these will be advertised on the website well in advance. The rep teams from the four regions will then play for the Clive Herbert Trophy. (The winner of the tournament will be decided by adding up the points from all games across all ages. Thus, the winner will be one of the regions, e.g. East Auckland).
From this tournament, certain players will be invited to attend the Auckland Football Federation Centre of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence could cater for anywhere between 20-30 players at each age group, and will train two-three times a week.
The Auckland Football Federation representative teams for the Weir Rosebowl and National Age Group tournaments will be selected from the Centre of Excellence players. Therefore, players will be required to attend Block 1 of the Centre of Excellence to be eligible for representative selection. (Block 1 will run for the eight weeks prior to the Weir Rosebowl or National ID tournament).
Thus, the only requirement to be eligible to represent the Auckland Football Federation is that a player must attend Block 1 of the Centre of Excellence if invited. There is no requirement to attend any of the other Auckland Football Federation development programs for representative selection.
However, it is advisable that players attend Auckland Football Federation programs for their own development. It is also a good way to put yourself "in the spotlight" for selection to a regional representative team and on the pathway to Auckland Football Federation selection.
