Both teams came into the contest undefeated throughout the competition with Comet Bay finishing top of the South Division and Sacred Heart claiming the North Division.

It was back-and-forth between the two teams with constant lead changes in a game that remained at a margin of less than a goal for most of it.

Comet Bay kicked away late in the fourth quarter to take the 15-point victory in the end and claiming the Eagles Schoolboys Cup trophy for 2023.

West Coast Eagles Schools and Football Manager Bradd Dalziell praised the partnership with the West Australian Football Commission leading to another successful year for the competition.

“The game was a fantastic finish to what ultimately was a fantastic year for the Eagles Schoolboys Cup with the two most deserving teams battling it out in the end,” Dalziell said.

“This competition is an important one for all schools involved, and it’s great to work alongside the WAFC to grow our great game and provide students the opportunities to compete at a high level.”

The Eagles Schoolboys Cup runs through the school year during Term Two and Three with schools across WA nominating to compete in either the Waalitj Division or the Eagle Division.

With the Waalitj Division Grand Final being played on Optus Stadium, the Eagle Division Grand Final match was played at Mineral Resources Park a few days prior with Court Grammar School defeating Newman College.

WAFC Schools Specialist Regan Atkinson highlighted the success of the competition in 2023, with numbers increasing from previous COVID affected years.

“It’s been an awesome year for the Eagles Schoolboys Cup. We’ve seen over 110 schools participate with nearly 3000 students engaged in the program across Western Australia,” Atkinson said.

“We’re now well-and-truly through the COVID period in which we saw our numbers drop off for a few years, but our numbers are gradually increasing and now even surpassing 2019’s pre-COVID figures.

“We haven’t been out on Optus Stadium since 2019 so it was a fantastic opportunity made possible by our partnership with the West Coast Eagles.

“It’s great to have the support of West Coast throughout the Eagles Schoolboys Cup competition; with 2023 being the 40^th year we’ve run this competition, the Eagles have supported us for a large portion of that time.”