Schools Dream Team Winners

Ben Mathewson from Tasmania's The Friends School has beaten over 40,000 students across Australia to be named the national champion of the 2012 Toyota AFL Schools Dream Team Schools Competition.

The competition was open to primary and secondary students across Australia.

Collingwood star and Dream Team coach, Nick Maxwell praised Ben for his achievement.

"I’d like to congratulate Ben on his fantastic effort; hopefully we might even see him coaching an AFL side one day," he said.

As part of the competition students were asked to create and coach their dream AFL team, selecting players within a salary cap and trading them throughout the season according to players’ performance in the AFL competition.

Each student's team was then ranked against other entrants from their school, with Ben and the other best performing students progressing to the state championships. Ben achieved the highest dream team score during the elimination finals.

Ben will receive a Toyota AFL Grand Final experience which includes return flights to Melbourne for two, accommodation, two tickets the 2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final, the opportunity to participate in the 2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade.

Year-12 student Ben will also receive a Sherrin and AFL Club football jumper signed by the coach of his favourite AFL Team and AFL equipment valued at $750 awarded to The Friends School.

National Runner-up Winner

Brayden Dymmott from Greenwith Primary School, SA

Brayden, who is a Year 3 student, will receive a Sherrin and AFL Club football jumper signed by the coach of his favourite AFL Team to the value of $689 and AFL equipment valued at $500 awarded to Greenwith Primary School.

State Winners

• ACT: Joseph Looby, Year 9, Gold Creek Primary School
• NSW: Chuan Jiang, Year 8, James Ruse Agriculture High School
• NT: Mathew Collins, Year 12, St John’s College
• QLD: Ash Arrowsmith, Year 11, Mountain Creek State High School
• SA:  Brayden Dymmott, Year 3, Greenwith Primary School
• TAS: Ben Mathewson, Year 12, The Friends School
• VIC: Tom Berryman, Year 8, Carey Baptist Grammar School
• WA: Carolyn Smith, Year 11, Winthrop Baptist College

All state and territory champions will receive a Sherrin signed by the coach of their favourite AFL Team valued at $369 and AFL equipment valued at $250 awarded to their schools.