Xavier College 2026 DAV Debating Success

It is easy when reading this, to be drawn to the historic nature that defined the 2026 debating season at Xavier College. Not only did we celebrate 100 years since the College’s first formal debate, but record after record tumbled in our main DAV Debating season, to achieve what has been – factually speaking – our most successful year yet.

However, what words cannot adequately describe were the little moments along the way. From the training session where a Year 9 finally mastered the concept of ‘rebuttal’, to the late-night MS Teams call when the team selection was decided. From the pre-debate bus rides and dinners spanning nearly every corner of the city, to the defeaning silence before a Year 12 would speak in their final-ever debate. These are the memories which ultimately define our 2026 season.
DAV Interschool Debating, as the largest high-school competition in the English-speaking world, is the pillar of every school’s debating program. After a five-round home and away season, only between the top 30-40 teams in each year level – starting from more than 450 teams in some year levels – will progress to the Finals series. Debating is very different to any sports competition: it only takes one loss, and any Finals hope is lost for that year. There are no second chances.

Fortunately for Xavier, this year we broke our record for the number of State Finals entries, with 5 teams progressing forward: one team in Year 9, two teams in Year 10 and two teams in Year 12. This is a feat only accomplished by a handful of other schools in Victoria, reflecting the strong debating culture now embedded in the College’s co-curricular life. It is also how we bring the ‘Eloquentia Perfecta’ Jesuit tradition to life. Because debating at Xavier is not merely about winning, though that is of course welcomed: it is also about empowering our boys to use their oratory skills meaningfully, and to realise they can always go that one step further. It is challenging our students to question why they hold the views they do, and then to understand others’ viewpoints. This is ultimately the culture which imbues our Senior School debating program.

Our 2026 Finals Run is likely something we won’t see for a very long time again. After some difficult Playoff allocations in both Keysborough and Northcote, we still had 4 teams coming into the Octo Finals (Quarter Finals for Year 12), to be held at Xavier. This was a great opportunity for all the College community to get around our debaters, welcoming guests from all the top debating teams across the State. It was a night of great competition and also celebration, recognising students do not get this far without hard work, dedication and camaraderie.  

After this Finals night, we only had two teams left coming into the Term 3 holidays – a Year 10 and 12 team. The next stage of the Finals, held at Korowa, was certainly a nerve-wracking experience for all involved: however, both teams got the job done, in what was an incredibly exciting moment for our debaters, staff and parents alike. 

Indeed, our Year 12s (James O, Darby T, Campbell P, Angus D, Frankie WS) had now accomplished a feat that had only been done once before for Xavier, back in 1975: they had made it into the Grand Final of the A Grade (Firsts) division. The Grand Final against Melbourne Grammar, held on their home turf, was one of those nights that everyone there will remember – nobody could ever have imagined a completely full auditorium at 8pm on a Thursday to watch a debate! However, that is exactly what happened and although our boys fell just short in a split decision, their debate performance truly served as an inspiration for all our younger debates present.

Finally, spurred on by our Year 12s, our Year 10s won their Semi Final that same night and proceeded ahead into a Grand Final rematch against Melbourne Grammar the next week. It is suffice to say, after the gut-wrenching Year 12 loss, our Year 10s were well and truly the underdogs going into their last debate – yet they trusted their preparation, and more importantly each other, to give it everything they had. And the result speaks for itself: Xavier won the Year 10 Grand Final Premiership. This was only  Xavier’s 5th Grand Final Premiership in the 70-year history of DAV Debating, and its first in Year 10: it is a testament to our Year 10’s relentlessness and determination to make some history of their own. Each of the following students were a part of that success and now etch their names into Xavier debating folklore: Zach P, Xavier M, Zac O’D, Will O’C, Gabriel C, Alex G, Oliver M, Ollie W, Oli H, Dylan S, Max F, Pat D, Ike F, Alfie M.

But more than that, it is also a reflection of how – no matter how many times someone may tell you it’s impossible or too difficult – you don’t give up. Because that is what drives Xavier’s debating program, and the College more broadly: to strive for the magis, the ‘more’, in everything we do. And the results, but more importantly the friendships and camaraderie along the way, will soon follow. 

Sursum Corda!

- Mr. Will Stefano (OX 2021) Head of Debating and Public Speaking