Sunshine Coast’s top touch football players selected for Queensland youth academy
From across the region a number of junior touch football stars will aim to take their skills to the next level after being selected in a top Queensland academy.
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The new generation of touch football stars are excelling to elite levels with players across the Sunshine Coast selected for academy honours.
The Sunshine Coast Fraser and Burnett District Touch Association’s 15 clubs include Noosa, Coolum, Caboolture, Bribie Island, Kawana, Kingaroy, Maleny-Witta, Glasshouse, Maryborough, Biggenden, Gympie, Childers, Hervey Bay, Gayndah and Mundubbera.
Athletes from across the region represented the Sunshine Coast Pineapples at the recent National Youth Championships in Kawana with some recently selected for the Broncos Queensland Youth Academy for 2023.
The association had 28 players selected in the boys and girls, under 14 and under 16 teams.
Players will undertake a three day intensive training camp at the Gold Coast Performance Centre in Runaway Bay from February 10 to 12.
In no particular order here’s a look at which junior players are ones to keep an eye on for the future and what they had to say following their selection.
All players and parents were approached before the time of publishing.
Sunshine Coast’s Broncos Youth Academy Stars
Charlotte Goding
Local Club: Caboolture Touch Association
School: St Benedict’s College, Mango Hill
Age: 15
“I am very proud and so excited to be selected,” Goding said.
“I can’t wait for next year and being part of the Broncos at the Qld Youth Touch Academy.”
Goding said she was looking forward to meeting new players.
“I am hoping to become better at touch as well as having fun,” she said.
“I also want to meet new people and develop new skills.”
Angus Goves
Local Club: Caboolture
School: Grace Lutheran College, Caboolture
Age: 14
“I’m very proud of my efforts, of course I didn’t play perfectly but was very happy with my performance and have been looking forward to this opportunity since NYC,” Goves said.
“I would love to further improve my game, improve my defence and attack skills, learn new plays and improve my knowledge of touch.
“I’d like to thank my parents as this opportunity wouldn’t be possible without them.”
Goves is also producing standout performances on the cricket field for his local club Glasshouse.
Ellie Walker
Local Club: Kawana Touch
School: Unity College
Age: 13
“I’m very proud, it was a goal of mine heading into the National Youth Championships and I’m really excited to be a part of this squad,” Walker said.
“I’ve worked really hard to improve my playing skills and it’s selections like this that makes the hard work I put in rewarding. “
Walker said she was excited to further her game knowledge and skills.
“I hope to improve my knowledge of the game as learning new skills and tactics from the elite level coaches will help me achieve my ultimate goal of playing for Australia one day,” she said.
Hayden Corbet
Local Club: Gympie Junior Touch Association
School: James Nash State High School
Age: 14
Corbet said he was excited for the coming months and hoped to improve his skills.
“I’m very happy with my efforts,” he said.
“I want to learn tips and tricks to improve my performance.
“I’m looking forward to staying in camp and getting to train with the top players from around the state.”
Tully Bastable
Local Club: Caboolture Touch Association
School: St Columban’s College, Caboolture
Age: 13
“I set a goal last year to gain selection in this squad so I’m pretty happy to have achieved that,” Bastable said.
“I’m looking forward to improving in all areas of my game.
“I’m also looking forward to making some new friends and connections within the Queensland touch community.”
Ben Chubb
Local Club: Gympie
School: St Patrick’s College, Gympie
Age: 14
“I am very proud of my efforts, touch footy is a sport that I love and I’m happy to have been selected,” Chubb said.
“I’m now hoping to gain more experience and knowledge of the game, and improve the way I play.”
Chubb was excited to share the field and opportunities with his Broncos teammates.
Sienna Hilton
Local Club: Hervey Bay Touch Football Association
School: Xavier Catholic College
Age: 14 years
“Our entire team worked very hard during NYC and I’m so pleased to be able to be selected with my teammates to attend Q Academy,” Hilton said.
“I’m really looking forward to expert coaching and training, as we have limited opportunity to access specialised training in Hervey Bay.
“I’m mostly looking forward to contemporary and expert training from the coaches, and playing alongside, and learning from some amazingly skilled players.”
Hilton said she was looking forward to entering another elite level environment.
“Playing for the Sunshine Coast Pineapples at NYC was the toughest touch football competition I have experienced so far, and I really enjoyed the challenge,” she said.
“I am a stronger player after competing in this carnival.”
Lachlan Britten
Local Club: Noosa Touch Association
School: Noosa District State High School
Age: 13
“I’m very proud and feel very privileged to be given this opportunity,” Britten said.
“It will provide me with exposure to different coaches and managers that will help me develop my skills and support my goal to play for Queensland and Australia one day.
“This pathway is important to me as it will assist me to develop as a person and a player.
“I believe this experience at this representative level, it will help me learn how to grow into and become a leader and a positive role model to my peers.
“Playing alongside like-minded players and against the best of Queensland which is pretty special.”
Jared Jackson
Local Club: Kawana
School: Chancellor State College
Age: 16
“I’m super proud of my efforts,” Jackson said.
“All the hard work throughout the year, all the early morning trainings and the afternoon sessions really made a huge difference to the way I played.”
Jackson said he was looking forward to the coming months,
“I’m hoping to widen my skill set and open up my game more by training and playing against high quality opponents and making new mates along the way,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge that is going to be set in front of me while playing against high quality teams.
“Facing this challenge will make me a better overall player along the way.”
Indi Cumner
Local Club: Gympie and Noosa
School: James Nash State High
Age: 12
“I was very happy and proud when I found out I had been selected for the Broncos,” Cumner said.
“I can’t wait to spend some time with new coaches to learn different skills and improve how I play touch.
“I’m excited to catch up with my touch friends and hopefully make some new ones.”
Lucas Curtis
Local Club: Caboolture Touch
School: St Columban’s College, Caboolture
Age: 13
“I am very excited and thrilled to be part of the Broncos team and cannot wait to get down to the Gold Coast and get into it,” Curtis said.
Curtis said he would welcome any improvement to his game.
“I’m looking forward to developing more skills and abilities, working on new techniques and fixing up any weaknesses in my game,” he said.
“It will be cool to meet new people and being around a team camp environment.”
Ava McGowan
Local Club: Caboolture
School: St Columban’s College
Age: 16
“I am very proud of the effort and being selected, I only started playing touch two years ago and making this squad has been one of my goals,” McGowan said.
“I am hoping to enhance my skills and learn from some of the best.”
McGowan thanked the support of her coaches, teammates and family.
“I’d just like to thank my mum for always driving me to training and events as well as all my coaches and everyone who has encouraged me and invested their time in making me the player I am today,” she said.
Willem Poulus
Local Club: Kawana
School: Chancellor State College
Age: 14
“I’m pretty stoked, I enjoy playing touch with all my mates and it’s even better to be recognised and given a chance to improve my game with a place in the Broncos squad,” Poulus said.
“Although I play a lot of touch footy at school, with amazing coaches, I am looking forward to learning from a variety of new people.
“Hopefully they will give me lots of new areas to work on as I head into the last few years of high school.”
Poulus said he was excited for the challenge that this elite camp would bring.
“I’m particularly looking forward to playing on the same team with lots of boys from different clubs we normally play against in the school competitions,” he said.
“Thanks to Touch Footy Australia for the opportunity to go down to the camp and all the Chancellor teachers who’ve helped me be a better player over the years.”
Tiahna Boothby
Local Club: Kingaroy Redbacks
School: Kingaroy State High School
Age: 13
“I am very proud and honoured to be selected into the 14 girls Broncos team and to be invited to attend the Q Youth Academy,” Boothby said.
“Under the guidance of the coaches, I hope to improve my touch skills and knowledge of the game.
“I am also looking forward to playing with and against the best players in Queensland.
“I am looking forward to spending time with friends and the opportunity to meet new people.”
Layla White
Local Club: Caboolture Touch
School: St Benedict’s College
Age: 15
“I am very proud of this achievement as it is a large event and not always an opportunity that happens all the time,” White said.
“At the camp I am hoping to develop my skills further and learn how to expand my game and improve.
“I hope to learn many new things and different game play from the coaches while also learning from my teammates.”
White said she was looking forward to the coming months.
“I am looking forward to hanging out with my team and making new friends and of course getting to play touch,” she said.
Stephanie Lawrence
Local Club: Caboolture
School: Craigslea State High
Age: 16
“I am very honoured to be given the opportunity to play at an elite representative level,” Lawrence said.
“I am looking forward to gaining and developing new skills and different perspectives within the game of touch football.
“Also the great opportunity of working with high level coaches that we are able to access at the camp.”
Lawrence said she was thankful and excited for the coming months.
“I am looking forward to expanding my touch knowledge, further developing my skills and fitness while making new friendships,” she said.
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