Regional

Don McSweeny cup returns to Adelaide Oval

Program Highlights

  • South Australia Police hosting interactive demonstrations from its specialist operations, including tactical response, bomb response and police dog units
  • A facilitated leadership program at AFL Max, focusing on teamwork, communication and personal development
  • Engagement with Woodville-West Torrens Football Club – the SANFL club zoned to the APY Lands
  • Exposure to elite athlete preparation through the SANFL Talent and High Performance programs at West Lakes, showcasing high performance data and training methods

5 June 2026

APY Thunder players recently travelled to Adelaide to partake in the latest instalment of the Don McSweeny cup at Adelaide Oval.

Founded in 2004, the Cup stands as a testament to the vision and dedication of Don McSweeny OAM, a South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee whose passion for community and opportunity helped establish a program that extends far beyond football.

At its heart, the Don McSweeny Aboriginal Lands Cup provides participants with invaluable life experiences, fostering education, leadership development and exposure to career opportunities beyond their school years.

The week-long program brought together participants from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and Yirara College, which supports students from remote Central Australian communities.

Across several days in Adelaide, the group took part in a series of immersive and inspiring experiences designed to broaden horizons and build confidence.

The experience culminated in a special moment, with participants touring Adelaide Oval before taking to the field to play a curtain-raiser before the Adelaide Crows v Geelong AFL match, where the 2026 Don McSweeny Aboriginal Lands Cup took place on one of the nation’s biggest stages against Yirara College.

An APY Thunder player celebrates a goal in the match between Yirara College at Adelaide Oval. Picture – Sarah Reed

SANFL proudly celebrates the enduring impact of the Don McSweeny Aboriginal Lands Cup, a program that has transformed lives and created meaningful pathways for young Aboriginal men from remote communities for more than two decades.

The Don McSweeny Aboriginal Lands Cup has not only created individual opportunities, but it has also laid the foundation for one of SANFL’s great success stories, the SANFL APY League.

Now celebrating its 20th season, the SANFL APY League was born directly from the Cup (formerly known as the Rio Tinto Cup) and has evolved into a thriving competition comprising 13 teams across South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The League’s structure includes a 14 round home-and-away season followed by a four week finals series, providing consistent, community based football opportunities across the region.

Importantly, the impact of the program continues to come full circle. Many former participants of the Don McSweeny Cup have gone on to become coaches, umpires and administrators within the SANFL APY League, demonstrating the program’s long-term influence on leadership and community capacity building.

SANFL acknowledges the critical role of its partners in delivering this life changing initiative:

  • National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), with special thanks to James Armitage and his team for their continued support.
  • Woodville West Torrens Football Club, led by David Couzner, for their ongoing commitment to engaging and developing participants.
  • Yirrara College, led by Jed Delaine and Wes Meurant whose dedication has ensured a meaningful and memorable experience for students this year.

SANFL remains strongly committed to ensuring the Don McSweeny Aboriginal Lands Cup continues to evolve as a program that empowers young Aboriginal men through sport, education and connection.

Through this initiative and the continued strength of the SANFL APY League, SANFL is proud to support pathways that build not only better footballers, but stronger leaders, communities and futures.

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