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ACC History Book 

What do Olympians Herb Elliot and Peter Bol, Brownlow Medallists Matt Priddis and Simon Black, Paralympians Priya Cooper and Kingsley Bugarin and Matildas’ captain Sam Kerr all have in common? They are all West Australian sporting superstars, of course, but all of them also had their first taste of sporting glory playing for their school at an ACC sports event.

The Associated and Catholic Colleges of WA (ACC) is an independent secondary school sports association. To celebrate their 85th anniversary, Peter Bol and Matt Priddis will launch “The Right Spirit - A History of ACC Sport”. Written by Perth author Ken Spillman and packed with images, The Right Spirit captures the most memorable days and finest achievements of ACC schoolchildren across 85 years.

Few would have thought that when three Christian Brothers boys schools met at Loton Park in East Perth for an athletic contest o a Saturday in October 1937, that the day heralded the birth of a mighty and inclusive sports association.

The ACC is the largest private schools sporting association in Australia, according to ACC Director of Sport, Kyle March. “From three schools in 1937 we have grown to 89 schools and over 55,000 students. Over the years ACC sport has provided many up-and-coming champions with their first experience in sport, but more importantly, it has provided countless thousands of everyday students with their own moments of glory”, Mr March said.

Many greats of West Australian sport left school with fond memories of the ACC’s interschool contests. Among the most famous are athletes John Baguley, Herb Elliott, Dean Capobianco and Peter Bol; swimmers Tamara Bruce, Tamsin Cook, Jennifer Reilly and Eamon Sullivan; cricketers Lawrie Sawle, Ryan Campbell and Mike Hussey; tennis Hall of Fame’s Brian Tobin; football legends Bernie Naylor, Brian Foley and Simon Black; soccer superstar Sam Kerr; international hockey’s Colleen Pearce and Paul Gaudoin; US All Star baseballer Liam Hendriks; All-American NFL punter Mitch Wishnowsky; Paralympians Priya Cooper and Kingsley Bugarin; and basketballers Martin Cattalini and Darcee Garbin.

Importantly, the book captures the most important and enduring element of the association - inclusion.

“Inclusion of all denominations, genders and abilities has been in our DNA since the Brothers’ first started the association”, Mr March said. Unlike their rivals in the early years, the PSA who remained unwaveringly elitist, the ACC always had an open door.
Always the innovator, the ACC has often set the bar for other organisations to follow. It was the first private school association in WA to go “co-educational” in the early seventies, was first to introduce computer scoring and web result services and was also the first to include activities for students with disabilities in an interschool sport program.

“People often talk about how many schools we have and the systems we developed to manage all that sport,” Mr March said.
"But for me the barometer of our success has been our sport for all philosophy. Watching Peter Bol and Paralympian Rhiannon Clarke run at Tokyo was a very proud moment for everyone involved with ACC sport. Just knowing that the opportunities we provide helped them find their talent and live their dream makes it all worthwhile”.

To purchase 'The Right Spirit - A History of ACC Sport' ($40) - visit: accwa.square.site