Magpies Crusaders youth teams ready for A-League scouts at Townsville tournament

Mackay’s brightest young soccer stars are ready for the A-League attention, with a major tournament in Townsville an opportunity to showcase their talents.

The bright lights of the A-League are becoming more accessible to Mackay’s most talented soccer prospects as youth teams prepare for their next tournament.

The Magpies Crusaders academy players, aged from 13 to 16 years old, will travel to Townsville to compete in the Queensland Regional Festival.

Mackay and Whitsundays technical director Anthony Alexander said it was a great opportunity to showcase Mackay’s footballing talent to A-League talent scouts.

“We want these kids to progress their football and know there’s a long-term plan for them in the sport, and these opportunities are a part of it,” he said.

“We’ve seen a lot of progression from our young players, it’s important to continue their development to be in that shop window for national selectors.”

Of the 36 teams that were scheduled to play games in Townsville, six are from Cairns and will not make the trip to the tournament.

Alexander said the Mackay academy teams were developing well.

“When we were down in Brisbane we played against the Roar academy team, and we weren’t that far off, considering we don’t have the player pool or the talent depth and acquisition they do,” he said.

“Long-term plans are to filter kids into Tom’s senior team if they want to stay local.

“Angus McKenzie and Jaiden Brown are two examples of the younger kids who have come through the academy and the tournaments before.”

The ultimate goal for the academy players is to reach the A-League, and Alexander said the club’s connection with Brisbane Roar was strong.

“We’re fortunate enough to have a good relationship with Brisbane Roar across the board, from their A-League through to their academies, we have those contacts,” he said.

“It’s also in their best interest to have those connections through regional Queensland to find players outside the south east corner.”