The "next level" of competition will be on show at Apex Oval this weekend when the National Indigenous Touch Football Knockout is contested.
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Now in its third year, the knockout will run for two days and attract some of the best players from NSW and Queensland.
Run by the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS), the event also puts a focus on health and well-being and offers access to services across the two days.
Nic Forrest is one of the huge amount of players set to take part and he, like the organisers, expects the carnival to be the biggest and best yet.
Despite the chance to be tested against some elite talent, the weekend offers much more than that.
"It's more about seeing mates you haven't seen in ages," he said.
"In my team there was boys from Brisbane and two from Sydney who made the trip. It's more of a get-together in that way."
Wellington-based Forrest will be part of the Maliyan United side which takes part in the mixed competition at Apex Oval.
There are men's, women's and mixed divisions as well as juniors matches at the knockout.
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Maliyon United made the semi-finals last season and while the standard of competition is expected to be higher again, Forrest has his eyes on the decider.
"Hopefully we can go one better. We made the semis last year so would be great to make the final," he said, before speaking about the standard.
"From playing in the Dubbo competition to see others around NSW and from Queensland, it is the next level."
Standing in the way of Maliyon United and a number of other teams is the likes of former NRL premiership winner Scott Prince.
Prince was part of the sides which won the men's and mixed titles at last year's knockout and he's set to return again.
As well as the talent players like Prince bring, they also ensure the competition gets plenty of exposure.
"You see the kids and they want to get involved and it's really good to see," Forrest said.
The carnival may still be in its early days and not at the level of the iconic Koori Knockout, but Forrest can see the similarities.
"It's insane. You see what the big knockout does and this is a smaller scale but it is still big," he said.
"I was there for the first competition and and it was really good and successful and when everyone heard it would be coming back it was really exciting."
The action at Apex Oval starts at 8am on Saturday and runs all day.
The finals are on Sunday with the juniors followed by the women's at 11.30am, the men's at 12.05pm and the mixed at 12.40pm.