The time frame of an academic year is different in Australia- it is in the Southern Hemisphere. School starts in January, and my graduation in Year 12 would be in September, with IB final exams being in October of 2027.
The thing with athletic recruiting, I’m not quite interested in trying to push it as my main path for school entry, because I feel my academics are relatively sound. I felt that it was a really good bonus to somewhat excel at a sport I am passionate about, at least, I hope that’s what admissions boards think.