With more than 4500 players, 900 games and enough goals to fill a commercial fishing net, the 2025 Australian Football Skool Shepparton Cup was as big a spectacle as they come.
Participants and supporters alike got their kicks over three days of well-oiled round ball tournament action, providing fun, football theatre and a jumbo sized economic injection to boot.
And, amongst the organised chaos, stood an unlikely hero story - Shepparton Stars.
The catch? They didn’t win a single game.
When the Stars took to the pitch for the first time in the AFS Shepparton Cup, the scoreboard told a harsh story.
A 12-0 defeat in game one seemed to confirm what the casual observer might have expected: a team cobbled together from kids who didn’t usually play in clubs, hailing from multicultural backgrounds, facing opponents who had trained together for years.
But a scoreline rarely captures the heart of a story.
And this was a story worth telling.
The Stars weren’t brought together to chase trophies — they were formed to give kids who might never have the chance to compete a taste of the game at a higher level.
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Shepparton Stars’ Abel Morey gets stuck into a tackle. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 2 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Yassin Shamri turns on the jets down the wing. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 3 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Leo Luvara eyes off a free kick. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 4 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Izeirig Teia shirks a challenge. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 5 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Jethro Elrayah battles to keep his balance. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 6 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Daley Tunumafono keeps his opposite honest. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 7 of 7
Shepparton Stars’ Kueth Agog sticks the laces through this shot. Photo by Rechelle Zammit“I had a local dad contact me to say they were looking for someone to coach a team to play in the tournament,” coach Kellie Crosier said.
“I got a text message from a guy (Abraham Abrahams); long story short, he’s from Football Australia and they wanted to give kids the opportunity to play in the tournament that might not otherwise have the chance to do that.
“I think the idea behind it is to give these kids an idea of the expectation of playing at the higher level.”
Football Australia sponsored the Stars, covering entry fees and uniforms, while Crosier guided the kids through a crash course in playing as a team.
A handful of trainings later, and the Stars were ready to shine.
One of the younger players even asked Crosier if he could get scouted at the tournament.
“I told him if he’s going to get scouted, he’s going to have to get fit,” she said.
“He said, ‘but miss, I get tired after one game!’”.
Over four games, the Stars gradually found their feet - and fitness.
The opening 12-0 defeat was following by 3-0 and 4-0 losses, and then, in the final game, it happened.
The Stars scored their first goal.
A 2-1 defeat to Surf Coast meant little on the scoreboard, but it marked a victory in spirit and proved the point that many of the Stars’ players had made to Crosier before the first kick.
“I explained to the kids they might be comping up against teams that train four nights a week and play together on the weekend and might’ve done for a few years,” she said.
“They were like ‘you know what, we don’t care - we just want to play’. They’re not worried about losing, they just want to play.”
Shepparton Stars may not have lifted a cup, but they walked off the field with something far more valuable.
Proof that courage and a love for the game can shine brighter than any scoreboard.