2023 Grassports Junior State Championships fixture & playing shirt reveal

The 2023 Grassports Junior State Championships is now less than one month away and Hockey Victoria is excited to be able to release the Event fixture - 2023 Grassports Junior State Championships Fixture.

The JSC is due to take place as follows:

• Under 14 & Under 16 – Thursday 29^th June to Sunday 2^nd July at Melbourne Sports Centres Parkville and Footscray Hockey Centre
• Under 12 Hockey 5s – Saturday 1^st July to Sunday 2^nd July at Footscray Hockey Centre

Further information regarding live streaming, accessing scores and ladders will be released in the coming weeks.

HV is still seeking additional Umpires and Technical Officials for the JSC, so if you are interested, please submit an EOI through the following links by 5.00pm Thursday 8^th June.

Umpires – please click here.

Technical Officials - please click here.

2023 JSC Playing Shirts & Goalkeeper Smocks

HV are delighted that as part of the 2023 Grassports Junior State Championships, all 9 zones will play in JSC Uniforms inspired and designed by Billy-Jay O’Toole, or BJ as commonly known.

BJ created an incredible piece titled ‘Coming Together on Dja’ that appears on the 2023 Grassports Junior State Championships jerseys. The piece will be on display at Melbourne Sports Centres Parkville during the JSC.

This artwork is about travelling across the country and coming together. The first meeting place shown leading down the middle are the teams at their local clubs preparing for the JSC. The meeting place in the middle symbolises everyone coming together. The hand print in the middle is everyone’s connection to country.

Whether you are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or not, everyone is connected to this Country in some aspect. BJ highlights this connection to Country further with the dots acknowledging the lifeblood of Country, our waterways, with the eucalyptus leaves welcoming you onto Country.

Participants will also get the opportunity to experience a smoking ceremony at both venues on Saturday 1^st July. NAIDOC week is due to commence on 2^nd July and Hockey Victoria are looking forward to running our first Indigenous Round from 7^th – 16^th July.

Information on the artist – BJ O’Toole

BJ is a proud Wadawurrung man residing on Wadawurrng Country in Mount Duneed. Born and raised on Wadawurrng Country in Djiland (Geelong), BJ is recognised as a Traditional Owner and member of the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners’ Aboriginal Corporation, where he works as a Cultural Heritage Representative.

BJ also created the wonderful piece titled “To Play” that appears on the 2023 Indigenous Round medals.

To check out more of BJ’s work through his company Papul Art, please use the links below:

• Papul Art Facebook 
• Papul Art Instagram