Last year’s event was massive - but the 2025 edition will be even bigger.
Heralded as Australia’s largest weekend junior football tournament, close to 400 teams, 4000 players and 10,000 visitors will descend on Shepparton Sports City and Mooroopna Recreation Reserve for the AFS Shepparton Cup.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Shane Sali was elated to see the region play host to the tournament for another year.
“Greater Shepparton has had the pleasure of hosting the Cup for a number of years, and we are fortunate to have it back even bigger in 2025,” he said.
“To go from just over 300 teams to nearly 400 teams will see this event become the biggest weekend junior tournament in Australia.”
“Local businesses are looking forward to welcoming visitors, with these types of events being the perfect occasion to support local jobs while keeping the visitor economy strong, with an estimated economic impact of between $4 million to $5 million for the region.
“We welcome all junior players, their families, friends and supporters to our region, and wish them all the best throughout the competition.
“We encourage attendees to visit the region’s destination website, Shepp and GV, to discover everything they need to immerse themselves in the very best the region has to offer.”
Talent from all over the country and across the Tasman will touch down for the destination event, which kicks off on Friday night from 6pm.
In past years, the likes of Shepparton’s Alou and Garang Kuol and James Nieuwenhuizen have used the tournament as a launch pad, while Socceroos such as Ajdin Hrustic and Nishan Vellupillay have also featured.
It means the next crop of national stars could be discovered this weekend.
AFS director Rolando Navas thanked GSCC for its cooperation in hosting such a major event and looked forward to returning to Greater Shepparton for the annual tournament.
“This event has truly become the highlight of the junior football calendar across the country,” he said.
“We have teams from every state in Australia and even from New Zealand joining us this year, making it the biggest weekend of junior football we’ve ever had with 385 teams competing. It's an exciting and truly expansive event.
"It’s also wonderful to see how the Shepparton Cup has grown into a generational tradition.
“With teams coming from all over the nation and New Zealand, we’re now seeing former players who started as kids returning as coaches, referees, or even bringing their own children to participate.
“It's become a family legacy that spans generations, and that’s something really special to us.”
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