Mackay’s best junior footballers in 2022 ranked
From prolific scorers to tackling terriers, Mackay has the next generation of Australia’s best footballers in its backyard. Read the full ranking here.
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From goal scoring threats, to best defenders and premiership heroes, Mackay has produced some fantastic junior football prospects.
Read the full list of the region’s top football prospects for 2022.
50. Bailey Venz – Wests Tigers U16 Boys
A versatile halfback, Bailey Venz has the ability to set up scoring drives with his footy smarts, passing and footwork.
But Venz is just as capable scoring his own tries if required.
Venz scored nine tries for Wests in the under-16s competition, and was a consistent player for Mackay State High in the Cowboys Challenge.
49. Reuben Saron – Mackay Brothers U14 Boys
Brothers’ powerful second rower was impressive throughout the 2021 season, using his big frame to overpower his opposition.
Reuben Saron scored 23 tries through the U14s season, which led the league, including one in the 20-8 grand final win against Wests.
Saron was a member of the Mercy College squad that won the Cowboys Challenge in 2021.
48. Bailey Cochrane – Mackay Magpies U16 Boys
The tough lock was moved around the pitch a bit in 2021, but he succeeded in all positions he trialled.
Cochrane used his big frame to break tackles and gain extra metres, but was also very good and long lateral passes.
He scored eight tries for the Magpies in their under-16s season.
47. Flynn Battaia – Mackay Brothers U14 Boys
One of the competition’s best converters, Battaia was lethal in front of goal in 2021.
He led the league with 130 total points scored, with 74 of them coming from field goals or conversions.
The fullback, who was also the Brothers’ premiership captain, scored 14 tries for the season and was instrumental leading the troops through the season.
46. Mark Morrow – Wests Tigers U14 Boys
While the Tigers did not finish the under-14s season with a premiership, the side made the grand final and lost to a strong Brothers team.
Mark Morrow was an important player for Wests, scoring 17 tries for the season, including a late score in the preliminary final to secure a come-from-behind win against the Wanderers.
Morrow was paired with Jt Brice in the centres for the Tigers, with the tandem forming a dominant pairing.
Together, Morrow and Brice scored 146 of the team’s 284 points for the 2021 season.
45. Harry Thorpe – Mackay Magpies U16 Boys
It was a disappointing season for one member of the Thorpe twins, with Harry spending part of 2021 recovering from a major shoulder injury.
But the five-eighth was fit and playing good football for both the Magpies and St Pat’s by the end of the season.
His two tries in the elimination finals against the Wanderers helped the Magpies over the line, but he was not able to get back on the park for the semi-final loss against Norths the next week.
Despite the injury, both Harry and his brother Henry signed with Canberra Raiders as a member of the Academy, with the twins set to complete their schooling in Mackay before potentially moving to Australia’s capital.
44. Lachlan Starr – Wests Tigers U14 Boys
While Lachlan Starr was a solid contributor with the ball in hand for Wests, scoring 13 tries, it was not the only way he scored in 2021.
Starr was deadly accurate when the ball was perched on a cone, kicking his way to Tiger victories throughout the season.
He finished second in total points scored in the under-14s competition with 110 while playing second row for the Tigers.
43. Sam Anderson – Mackay Wanderers U13 Boys
Sam Anderson had a phenomenal season for the Wanderers in 2021, leading the side to a second-placed finish.
The second rower captained the side, which fell short of a premiership after losing to Brothers in the grand final.
Anderson scored 31 tries in the season, which was the second-most in the season.
42. Page Brodel – Norths Devils U17 Girls
The strong-but-fast prop was well used through the course of Norths’ season, with the side falling short of ultimate premiership glory.
Brodel scored three tries for the Devils, but it was her defensive presence that stood out on the field, making big tackles and preventing a large number of tries throughout the season.
She was picked as a starting prop for the first game in the Cutters’ under-19s team.
41. Eva Neilson – Norths Devils U17 Girls
Leading from the front, Eva Neilson was almost always the first to each contest, willing to bury her shoulder in and make a big tackle.
The captain was a constant in a strong side, with the Norths prop offering stiff resistance on defence and often breaking lines with the ball in hand.
Her side ultimately fell short in the grand final, but Neilson was a consistent contributor for Norths throughout the season.
40. Hamish Donohoe – Mackay Magpies U13 Boys
The Magpies captain in 2021, Donohoe was easily the most dominant player on the field whenever he played.
Donohoe started at five-eighth each week, but his ability to line up in almost every position added great value to the Magpies side.
He was the third-highest try scorer in 2021, crossing the line 25 times in the season.
39. Jed Theiber – Wests Tigers U17 Boys
A valuable halfback for Wests, Theiber had an innate ability to read the play around him and make good decisions.
While it was an ultimately disappointing ending to the Tigers’ season, Theiber was good for Wests, scoring six tries for the season.
He finished equal fourth in total tries.
38. Tyler Toby – Wests Tigers U17 Boys
Toby was an extremely important piece to both the Tigers and St Pat’s teams.
The five-eighth was a mainstay in both sides, and while he could not lead his teams for premiership success, Toby was as consistent as they came in 2021.
He scored five tries for Wests in 2021 and was always threatening with ball in hand.
37. James Wilson – Sarina Crocs U13 Boys
Pegged as a future Sarina star on the field, Wilson had a dominant year for the Crocs.
While Sarina ultimately had a disappointing, seven-placed finish in 2021, Wilson was a shining light at lock.
He scored six tries in the final game of the season, and finished third in the competition with 25 for the year.
Wilson was the second-top scorer in total points with 142, which accounted for more than a third of Sarina’s total score for the year.
36. Mikayla Pitt – Souths Sharks U14 Girls
A versatile player, Pitt was moved around the field to fill gaps for the Sharks in 2021.
Pitt lined up at halfback, second row and prop throughout the course of the season, and was a consistently strong player in each position.
As captain, Pitt knew the team came first, and at times sacrificed her preferences for the betterment of the team.
While she was not able to lead her team to premiership glory in 2021, a grand final berth was an outstanding achievement for a relatively new team.
35. Saxon Crofts – Mackay Brothers U14s
A strong halfback in a premiership-winning side, Saxon Crofts had a great performance on grand final day.
He also scored 16 tries in 2021, finishing fourth in the competition.
His ability to read the play and set up his team on attacking sets was fantastic throughout the year.
34. Riley Parnis – Souths Sharks U14 Boys
Riley Parnis was a revelation for Souths in 2021, developing into a strong second rower.
He was a great line-breaker for the team, bursting through tackles and gaining extra metres.
Parnis scored 15 tries for Souths, which left him fourth in the competition’s leading scorers.
33. Will Veitch – Mackay Wanderers U15 Boys
A powerful centre, William Veitch was a key player for both the Wanderers under-15s premiership side and Mackay High’s Cowboys Challenge team.
Despite starting the schoolboy season poorly, Veitch was a key contributor to the side’s late-season change of form.
He was also the leading try scorer in the under-15s competition, crossing the line 16 times.
Veitch’s 16 tries was three better than the second-top scorer.
He was selected as one of the starting centres in Mackay Cutters’ Cyril Connell Challenge side.
32. Darcy Clark – Mackay Wanderers U15 Boys
The starting prop for both the Wanderers’ premiership side and Mercy College, Clark had a great 2021 season.
While Clark does not venture far from the prop position, it is not because of a lack of diversity, rather a dominance in the position.
He scored four tries for the Wanderers, and laid bone-crunching tackles across the course of the 2021 season.
Clark was named as one of the starting props for Mackay Cutters’ Cyril Connell Challenge.
31. Kayne Smith – Mercy College
A strong starting lock, Kayne Smith was a strong contributor for Mercy College in the side’s Cowboys Challenge season.
Smith also had an accurate boot on him, and was called upon regularly as the conversion kicker.
After a strong 2021, where he helped Mercy clinch the Cowboys Challenge title, Smith was picked in the Cutters’ Cyril Connell Challenge side.
30. Kai Simon – Mackay Wanderers U16 Boys
While Simon’s premiership tilt with the Wanderers was unsuccessful, falling to Norths in the grand final, he had a strong season across multiple teams in 2021.
The big-bodied, powerful centre scored nine tries for the Wanderers, which was good enough for equal fourth in the league.
His kicking boot was also very accurate, scoring more points from conversions and field goals than from tries.
Simon was a key member of Mercy College’s premiership-winning side, and will be a starting centre for the Cutters’ Mal Meninga Cup team.
29. Daley Moore – Proserpine Brahmans U16 Boys
While Proserpine was ultimately short a finals run in 2021, Daley Moore was a standout performer each week.
Moore started at centre for Proserpine, and scored two tries, and converted twice, in his side’s 28-24 loss in the elimination final against Sarina.
The centre finished second in total tries scored last season with 13, but topped the total scorers with 112 points.
28. William Gething – Wests Tigers U17 Boys
The consistent hooker was a major player for Wests in 2021, and it showed when he did not take the field.
He scored seven tries in nine games for Wests, and the side struggled to score when he could not play.
Not only was he a strong scoring option, but Gething also set up a lot of the team’s scoring plays in 2021.
He will start on the interchange for Mackay Cutters in the Mal Meninga Cup, but will be an important and versatile player for the side.
27. Joshua Wyatt – Mackay Brothers U17 Boys
One of the most damaging wings in recent memory, Wyatt had a strong season in 2021.
He finished the season with 13 tries, with only one player scoring more.
Wyatt was unable to cross the try line in the Brothers’ close grand final loss against the Wanderers.
He was named as a starting wing for the Mal Meninga Cup for Mackay.
26. Michael Hinchey – Souths Sharks U15 Boys
The Sharks fell short of the grand final in 2021, but Hinchey enjoyed a strong season for Souths.
The starting centre was a bollocking presence for both Souths and Mercy College, scoring tries at will and providing a strong defensive presence.
Hinchey scored 10 tries for Souths in the 2021 season, and was a key player for Mercy College in the Cowboys Challenge.
He was also named in the Cyril Connell Challenge team for Mackay Cutters, and will come off the interchange to start the season.
25. Sean Drew – Mackay Wanderers U14 Boys
Sean Drew was an impressive centre for Mackay Wanderers in 2021.
Often finding gaps in defensive lines, Drew used his speed to take advantage of opposition lapses.
He had 12 tries for the season in 2021.
24. Courtney Harris – Mackay Wanderers U14 Girls
A devastating finish to the Wanderers season, the side lost in golden try rules in the semi-final.
Harris had a great season for the Wanderers, with eight tries good enough for fifth-most in the competition.
Her play from fullback as a key reason the side progressed to the finals, with plenty of offence stemming from Harris.
23. Sienna Mayer – Mackay Wanderers U14 Girls
A versatile hooker, Mayer had a good year and capped it off with a strong semi-final performance in the loss to Souths.
She scored six tries for the season, but was strong reading the play and setting up teammates for scoring chances.
22. Paityne Johns – Mackay Magpies U17 Girls
A highly-versatile player, Paityne Johns is a chance to line up in almost all 13 positions each week.
Johns is commonly found at hooker for the Magpies, but she has also played on the wing and in either halfback or fullback through the course of a season.
She was selected for Mackay Cutters’ under-19s on the wing, but her versatility will be highly sought after.
21. Mersades Lawson – Mackay Wanderers U17 Girls
The under-17s leading scorer for 2021, Mersades Lawson was an instrumental piece to the Wanderers’ premiership side.
Starting at centre, Lawson scored 12 tries for the season, including one in the 23-6 grand-final win against Norths.
Lawson was named at five-eighth for the Cutters’ under-19s women’s representative team.
20. Kayla Shepherd – Mackay Wanderers U17 Girls
Kayla Shepard is one of Mackay’s top five-eighths in rugby league, helping lead a dominant Wanderers to a title in 2021.
She scored seven tries for the season, which was good enough for third in the competition.
But her ability to set up her team with scoring chances was the major reason for her successful season.
Shepard also scored a try in the grand final against Norths.
19. Jaxon Purdue – Norths Devils U16 Boys
Purdue had a perfect 2021 season for both club and school.
The five-eighth was a key piece to two premiership sides, winning the Cowboys Challenge with Mercy College and the under-16s title for Norths.
Purdue also received best-afield honours for Mercy College, and was named in the team of the tournament.
His ability to set his teammates in the right positions for success was apparent in each of Mercy’s games, with long lateral passes quickly becoming a trademark.
Purdue will start for the Cutters’ Mal Meninga Cup at the five-eighth position in 2022.
18. Henry Thorpe – Mackay Magpies U16 Boys
Thorpe is a versatile footballer who had a strong season in 2021.
A big-bodied NRL prospect, Thorpe was used really well for both Mackay and St Patrick’s College.
Despite the injury, both Harry and his brother Henry signed with Canberra Raiders as a member of the Academy, with the twins set to complete their schooling in Mackay before potentially moving to Australia’s capital.
17. Ataliah Love – Mackay Brothers Women’s
Ataliah Love was rewarded for an amazing 2021 when she was named as captain for the Mackay Cutters under-19s team.
The hardworking forward played for the senior Brothers team last season, scoring six tries and being the side’s third-leading scorer.
Brothers ultimately won the grand final against Magpies 26-18, and Love started at hooker for the side.
For Mackay, she will start the season as a prop, but her versatility is a major asset to the side.
16. Lachlan Whippy – Mackay Wanderers U14 Boys
Lachlan Whippy comes from a strong rugby league family, and he is a strong prospect as he develops.
Carrying all the football smarts, Whippy is a classy player who often plays in teams that are years above him.
Whippy scored 11 tries in 2021.
15. Tenzin Contor – Mackay Wanderers U16 Boys
The fullback is best playing in the number one jersey, but he can be used around in different positions.
Often setting up attacking sets, Contor was a key contributor for the grand-final side that lost to Norths.
Also an important player for St Patrick’s College, Contor will be a key to any success in the Aaron Payne Cup in 2022.
14. Flynn Matheson-Hone – Proserpine Brahmans U16 Boys
A powerful second row, Matheson-Hone was a consistently dangerous player for Proserpine.
While he was used as a forward, his ability to make sweeping lateral passes made him as dangerous as a halfback with ball in hand.
Matheson-Hone scored 11 tries in 2021, and finished third in the league.
13. Abby-Rose Bowman – Mackay Wanderers U17 Girls
Abby-Rose Bowman had a successful season in Wanderers colours in 2021, winning a premiership and being the side’s leading scorer.
The hooker had seven tries in the year, which was enough for equal-second for the competition.
Her ability to read the play made her a perfect hooker, controlling the pace of the game and using her play recognition to set up teammates for tries.
She was named as the starting hooker for Mackay Cutters’ under-19s women’s team.
12. Brady Hazledine – Mackay Brothers U17 Boys
The Brothers and St Pat’s starting fullback had a great season across two different competitions.
While neither side won a premiership, Hazledine’s development was noticeable, taking control of the flow of the game and providing consistent outlets to the try zone.
Hazledine was signed to the Canberra Raiders as a part of the NRL team’s Academy program.
He scored five tries for the Brothers in 2021, as well as two in the grand final loss against the Wanderers.
He was named on the interchange for the Mal Meninga Cup side.
11. Isabelle Bartolo – Mackay Wanderers U17 Girls
The premiership-winning fullback was a major piece to the puzzle for the Wanderers in 2021.
An already-developed ability to lead and direct, Bartolo slotted perfectly into fullback for the side.
Bartolo scored six tries for the side, with her play recognition and her skillset enough for the starting fullback position for the under-19s team for Mackay Cutters.
10. Levi Love – Norths Devils U16 Boys
The big-bodied prop is a dangerous scoring option each week, with an ability to break almost any tackle.
Love was a major player in North’s grand final win, helping set up major scoring drives as well as provide defensive resistance.
He was signed to Canberra Raiders as an Academy player in 2021, and will play for Mackay Cutters in the Mal Meninga Cup side.
9. Thalia Alchin-Strohfeld – Norths Devils U17 Girls
Norths’ leading scorer in 2021, Alchin-Strohfeld was a major reason the Devils made the grand final.
But disaster struck the fullback, with the star injured and unable to play in the grand final.
Alchin-Strohfeld scored three tries against Wests in the final round of the season, and finished the year with five across the entire season.
8. Adam McSherry – Mackay Brothers U13 Boys
It is hard to believe Adam McSherry plays in under-13s when he takes the field.
The awareness the five-eighth shows on the pitch belies his age, with McSherry almost always making the correct decisions with ball in hand.
As captain, McSherry also ensures his troops are assembled properly on the field, moving players as needed and shouting instructions.
McSherry scored 32 tries across the Brothers’ 2021 season, which led the league.
He was named best on ground in the Brothers premiership win against the Wanderers.
McSherry was also awarded the Brothers best-and-fairest award in 2021.
7. Balin Burnett – Norths Devils U16 Boys
The fullback of North’s premiership-winning team in 2021, Burnett was a key player in the team’s successful season.
Norths finished the season with 13 wins and just one loss with a point differential of 312.
Burnett was the league’s top try scorer with 20 across the season, including four in the grand final.
He also finished second in the competition for total points with 86 across the year.
6. Xavier Kerrisk – Mackay Wanderers U15 Boys
Xavier Kerrisk enjoyed a fantastic season as the hooker for Mercy College’s premiership win in the Cowboys Challenge.
While he was not able to secure a club title, the Wanderers’ captain was outstanding in weekend football, finishing third in total tries scored for the year.
At the end of the Cowboys Challenge season, Mercy College coach Matthew Paul said Kerrisk “was the best hooker by far” in the competition.
“He was consistently outplaying their opposite number each week,” he said.
His ability to pinpoint teammates and accurately deliver passes gave Mercy plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the season.
Kerrisk was also named as the starting hooker for the Cutters’ Mal Meninga Cup side.
5. Jennifer Kimber – Moranbah Miners U14 Girls
Kimber was an important member of Moranbah’s premiership-winning under-14s team in 2021.
The halfback was the league’s leading try and point scorer, with 19 and 104.
Kimber dominated as the side’s playmaker, setting up scoring chances and providing attacking threats all season.
The Miners enjoyed an undefeated season with 10 wins and a bye on their way to a 34-0 grand final win.
4. Hunter Harris – Mackay Wanderers U15 Boys
Hunter Harris is as versatile as footballers come, and showed it throughout the 2021 season.
The tall, fast-moving footballer was deployed as a winger for Mercy College throughout the Cowboys Challenge season, where he consistently scored tries.
For the Wanderers, Harris started at fullback and was named best on ground in the side’s premiership win.
He was named as a prop for Mackay Cutters in the Cyril Connell squad, but will be used in a variety of positions.
3. Will Shears – Mackay Wanderers U17 Boys
A highly-touted junior, 2021 was a year of phenomenal growth for Will Shears.
The Mercy College captain and fullback led his side to a Cowboys Challenge title, and was an important piece in the side’s tournament triumph.
He was selected for the Mackay Cutters Mal Meninga Cup side as the starting fullback and co-captain.
During the Aaron Payne Cup in 2021, St Patrick’s College coach Michael Comerford said Shears was an exciting prospect going forward.
“He’s got great size for a young player, really good footwork and reads the game really well,” he said.
“Will will be a great player as he moves into the senior team.”
Shears was the starting lock for the Wanderers under-17s team which lost to Norths in the grand final.
2. Luke Pietzner – Sarina Crocs Men’s
A dual-sport athlete, Luke Pietzner is an outstanding cricketer but is a future star in rugby league.
The 17-year-old has already cracked into the starting side for Sarina’s A-grade team.
Pietzner was the Crocs’ fullback in their 2021 premiership win, and has moved to Newcastle ahead of the 2022 season.
He is playing for the Newcastle Knights in the S.G. Ball Cup, which is a junior competition played in New South Wales for under-18s.
Pietzner has been named in each of the first four games at centre, and the Knights have won three of those four matches.
1. Emily Bella – Mackay Brothers Women’s
An emerging star in women’s rugby league, Emily Bella’s bloodlines are thick with football royalty.
She is cousins with Will and Lauren Bella, who progressed through the Gold Coast Suns’ AFL academies, and her uncle Martin Bella is one of Mackay’s greatest football products.
Even her cousin Ross Bella is a big name in Mackay football, captaining the Cutters in 2021.
But Emily is building her own legacy, playing in the Brothers’ premiership-winning women’s side in 2021, as well as representing Queensland Country and Mackay.
She was named as the starting halfback for the Cutters’ under-19s women’s team in 2022.
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