Athlete Eligibility

Athlete Selection Criteria

The purpose of the academy is to support junior athletes in the Great Southern who are recognised as pre-elite by their State or National Sporting Association. Eligibility is based around the following criteria:

  • Age 13-18 years of age

  • Must be and Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident

  • Resides in the Great Southern region of Western Australia

  • Is recognised and endorsed by their sports State Sporting Association (SSA) or equivalent*

  • Athletes need to be competing or trialing at a State level for a Tier 1 Scholarship eg. State Junior team, State Open team, representing WA or Australia.

  • Demonstrates dedication to their sport and training

Tier 2 scholarships will be awarded to athletes who are considered “just outside” of State representation by their SSA. This might look like selection as a team reserve, training squad, Talent Identification from a SSA or NSO or racing just outside of national times.

The Great Southern Academy of Sport reserves the right to award Tier 2 scholarships to athletes who have been identified as having the talent and potential to achieve State representation in the near future.

State Sporting Associations

Example of SSA's are Basketball WA, Swimming WA, Gymnastics WA, Cricket WA etc. If your sport does not have a clear SSA please do not hesitate to contact our Executive Officer, Dani Carne. GSAS does not participate in talent identification, the State Sporting Association will endorse the athlete if they qualify as high performing. 

The applicant will also be required to provide contact details of the person from the SSA who endorses their application. Some SSAs may choose to develop their athletes through alternative strategies that do not involve GSAS.

If you are unsure of your eligibility, apply anyway! 

GSAS reserves the right to use discretion with all selections and may choose to award scholarships to athletes who do not meet the entire criteria over those that do. This might occur due to remote-area athlete inclusion, varying levels of in-kind and financial investment from some Sports, after a display of phenomenal talent, or any other reasons as determined by the GSAS Board.

A scholarship with GSAS is not a right and therefore no appeals will be heard. GSAS will always ensure that athlete selection is based on the GSAS vision, mission and values.

The below criteria will be used to select athletes for scholarships.

  • All athletes supported through GSAS must meet every point in the criteria below:

    1. Reside in one of the following Great Southern LGAs: Albany, Kojonup, Katanning, Jerramungup, Broomehill-Tambellup, Gnowangerup, Woodanilling, Cranbrook, Denmark, Plantagenet, Kent. Athletes who go to a boarding school outside of the listed LGAs are not eligible for scholarship;

    2. Be between the ages of 13 and 18 (inclusive) at the time of application. Athletes must have already turned 13 at the time of applying.

    3. Demonstrate an ongoing commitment towards physical and mental preparation and to achieving best possible performance;

    4. Be endorsed/talent identified by the appropriate State Sporting Association or National Sporting Organisation.

    5. Demonstrate the potential to reach the ‘elite’ level in open (not age group) competition in future years.

  • Applicants may be deemed ineligible where one or more of the following apply:

    • Insufficient performance progression:
    Athletes who have not yet demonstrated potential to compete at a national level, including but not limited to athletes without state qualifying performances, state team or squad recognition, or whose achievements are currently limited to regional competition.

    • Non-pathway representation:
    Athletes selected in touring teams or squads that are not part of an officially recognised state or national sporting pathway (e.g. privately organised tours, university games, or country-only representative opportunities).

    • Age eligibility:
    Athletes who are under 13 years of age or 19 years of age or older at the time of application.

    • Existing high-level support:
    Athletes already receiving substantial financial and/or performance support that, in the opinion of the GSAS Selection Panel, exceeds the intended level of GSAS assistance. This may include athletes contracted to professional teams or holding scholarships with organisations such as AIS or WAIS.