Levi Love, Brady Hazledine‘s Canberra Raiders NRL academy program win revealed

While their Aaron Payne Cup football campaign fizzled out before finals, four St Patrick’s College students have their attention turned to NRL commitments.

Battling through the trials and tribulations of schoolboys football has brought Brady Hazledine and Levi Love closer, and the pair hope to continue their league paths together after school.

The two St Patrick’s College students have wasted no time in signing with the Canberra Raiders in the NRL, despite having a year of schooling left.

Hazledine, who has been a member of the academy program since 2019, had Love, Harry and Henry Thorpe join him in Canberra during the 2021 season.

Harry Thorpe (left), Levi Love, Brady Hazledine and Henry Thorpe are students of St Patrick's College in Mackay, and have all been signed as Canberra Raiders academy prospects. Picture: Matthew Forrest

Love said he was excited to continue his footballing journey with close friends.

“We’ve all played some tough footy together this year, so we’ve definitely grown closer this season,” he said.

“The reputation of schoolboy footy has improved so much in recent years, everyone we play is so good at the sport.

“To get signed to the same club is exciting, whether we end up down in Canberra together or not.”

Levi Love, a student of St Patrick's College in Mackay, is a Canberra Raiders academy prospect. Picture: Matthew Forrest

Covid impacted Love and Hazledine’s ability to travel to Canberra for camps, with the city in lockdown during the rugby league season.

Hazledine said the disruptions to training were distracting, but the schoolboys football for St Pat’s was a great level.

“With Covid restrictions it’s pretty hard to predict what will happen over the next few weeks,” he said.

“If we can get down to Canberra for the camps running and show the coaches how we’ve improved over the course of the season in the flesh, that’d be great.”

Hazledine said he knew he had signed with the right club, despite having to move away from family if he received a full-time contract at the Raiders.

“I’ve been at the club for three years now, when I went down to the club initially I could tell it was definitely a family-based club,” he said.

“They’ve got a lot of good values at the club, they want you to be a better person and push you to improve off the field as much as on it.”