Gympie Hammers young gun with ‘speed to burn’ earns Qld rep call-up

The 18-year-old will head to Cairns to represent the Gold City on the big stage next weekend.

Gympie Hammers young gun Casey Dobson has been selected in the South Queensland Women's XV Squad.

RUGBY UNION: Gympie Hammers young gun Casey Dobson has been selected in the South Queensland Women’s XV representative squad.

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The 18-year-old impressed in a recent outing for the Sunshine Coast Stingrays at Toowoomba, earning her spot in the side and giving herself the opportunity to represent the Gold City on a big stage.

Casey Dobson (left) in touch football days.

Hammers president Jason McPherson said Dobson’s feat was all the more impressive because it was her very first year playing senior women’s rugby.

“Casey’s only in her first year in the senior women’s, and she’s got an opportunity to represent Gympie which is just tremendous,” McPherson said.

“She’s come from the touch football background, she’s a very good sprinter. I think she was a state representative in both.

“She’s got speed to burn. It’s tremendous, to think this is coming off the base of the school rugby implemented in town.”

McPherson heaped plenty of praise on Gympie region schools implementing solid grassroots rugby programs to help foster emerging talent in the region.

Under 16's Union St Pat's Wednesday July 24, 2019. Back (from left) Elise McAndrew, Jorja Duggan, Emily Dwyer, Tahlia Gook, Sophia Algie, Isabella Zischke, Romy Senini, Jaya Garrahy, Matilda Duggan and Elizabeth Kidd. Front (from left) Alysha Brown, Lilli Finger, Jaime-Lee McLennan, Tia McLellan, Ella Rosin, Casey Dobson, Georgie Bunn and Emily Grott.

“There’s some really good things going on behind the scenes. The teachers’ efforts at the schools are really tremendous,” he said.

“In the past if they weren’t starting to play until after school they wouldn’t have the exposure.”

Dobson, a St Patrick’s College graduate, will be playing plenty of rugby on the Sunshine Coast through season 2021 before the Hammers women reunite for sevens competition later in the year.

She will head to Cairns next weekend to compete in the Queensland Country Championships.

Back home, the Hammers are preparing for a bumper weekend of Albert Park action starting Friday night and continuing through Saturday.

Originally published as Gympie Hammers young gun with ‘speed to burn’ earns Qld rep call-up