City supports local footballer to take skills to a national level

Published on Friday, 21 July 2023 at 10:06:20 AM

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is proud to support local 15-year-old football prodigy, Connor Lally, as he sets his sights on the national stage.

Successful in his application for an Outstanding Individual Grant to support his travel costs, Connor will represent Western Australia at the 2023 AFL School Sports Australia Football Championships, held in Ballarat, Victoria from 22-29 July.Connor is one of 25 students selected to play in the championships and has played his whole junior football career with Saints Football Club.

Also a talented basketballer and soccer player, Connor has decided to focus on a football career, making his league debut this year for Kalgoorlie City Football Club.

As part of the City’s Community Assistance Scheme, the Outstanding Individual Grant offers financial assistance to support the development and growth of an individual and enable them to excel in their chosen field and inspire others within the community.

Mayor John Bowler said the City was proud to support Connor and other talented residents to compete at state and national sporting competitions.

“For a lot of Kalgoorlie-Boulder children, growing up in the Goldfields the chance to play sports at a competitive level is the ultimate dream, but due to living in a regional area, the opportunity to do so can be costly.”

“It’s an honour to assist Connor in his travels, and I’m sure he will gain much confidence from this experience of competing on the national stage.” Mayor Bowler said.

“The Community Assistance Scheme is an opportunity for us to recognise outstanding individuals in our community and remind our residents that the City is here to support you to excel and achieve your ambitions,” said Mayor Bowler.

Conor said attending this event will expose him to a very high level of AFL training and coaching and will hopefully encourage other junior players to look at this pathway.

“I’m pretty excited to be going to the competition and am grateful to receive the grant from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.”

“I’ll learn a lot from this trip, meet new people and I hope to make some good contacts for my career in footy,” he said.

More information about the City's Community Assistance Scheme is available on the City's website. 

Photo: Connor Lally and Mayor John Bowler

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