REVEALED: Meet 10 of Warwick’s undiscovered sports stars – full list
From grassroots clubs to achieving success at state and national levels of the sport, these are the talented Warwick athletes you may never have heard of before and how they are rising through the ranks. FULL LIST HERE:
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Warwick and its surrounding areas may have produced some of the nation’s most famous sporting icons, but the region is also home to stacks of up-and-comers quietly rising through the ranks of their chosen sports.
From athletics champions and equestrian talents to the athletes ready to represent their country on the world stage, these are the sports stars from across Warwick and the wider region that you may never have heard of before.
Check out the full list below:
Angus Davey – javelin
Hailing from Stanthorpe, Angus Davey was the national champion in 2017 and 2018 for javelin in the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships.
The young gun said he first tried his hand at the sport one day at school, but soon realised he was “pretty good at it” and pursued it competitively.
“I had a bit of a bad injury there so I sort of cut my career short a bit, but I might get back into it when I feel comfortable,” Davey said.
“You could have the next Olympian just sitting there without having a way to show his potential if he’s good at an odd sport, like me with javelin.
“You need a lot of those quirky sports out there for kids to try, because you never know some kid might be an absolute gun at it.”
Caitlin Skaines – netball
The impressive goal and wing defence starter for the Darling Downs Panthers kicked off her netball career in Warwick, playing for the town’s home association since she was 12 years old.
Skaines currently plays with the Toowoomba-based side in the HART Ruby Series, in which some of the top teams across southern Queensland play, and says the games attract massive livestreaming audiences despite their regional location.
“It can be hard for regional communities to offer so many sports because they’re so far from the city where someone can easily go further, because city kids can get more of an advantage with coaching and staff,” she said.
“When we play at home we get 200-300 spectators who show up to our games and support, then we go to Brisbane and there’s like 10 supporters there and our parents.
“If you think you can go and do it, don’t hold back.”
Callum Brook, Keely McGrath, Ella Myers – polocrosse
Formidable Warwick polocrosse trio Callum Brook, Keely McGrath, and Ella Myers are set to put their hometown on the map when they represent Australia at the 2023 Polocrosse World Cup.
The group each has long-running ties to success in the sport, with both Brook and McGrath’s parents previously playing for the national team and Myers already making the side in previous years.
Warwick Polocrosse Club president Les Fraser said the trio had been invited to the US to play against the country’s World Cup squad before the major international tournament in South Africa next year.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity, we’ve got a fantastic polocrosse set up here in Warwick, we’ve got one of the best facilities in the world here at Morgan Park,” Fraser said.
He said it was great to see young athletes shine following a tough few years for the club during Covid.
“We went for 18 months playing no polocrosse whatsoever,” Fraser said.
Kayden Dawes – soccer
At only 12 years old, Warwick Wolves gun Kayden Dawes is already playing ahead of his age and has been selected for the U13 South West Queensland team in the State Community Cup.
Coach Jamie McMillan said he was impressed by the young athlete’s performance at trials for the representative squad.
“He’s just got that potential and strives to be better, and he doesn’t look out of place with any of the older kids hence why I selected him,” McMillan said.
“Kayden did stand out initially, he could match any of the other older players and stand above the rest, he’s confident and I thought ‘wow, this kid has a lot of potential.”
Dawes and the rest of the South West team are travelling next month to compete in the State Community Cup, which showcases some of the best talent in the sport.
“We’re always competing against rugby league, AFL and rugby, (so) it can be a big issue trying to attract kids to the squad,” McMillan said.
“These rep teams are so important because they let the kids play higher and better football, as well as giving them something to work towards so they have good opportunities for the future.
“It’s about giving back, and looking at the grassroots and making sure we are helping improve and upskill these players at a younger age.”
Dean Morris – horse trials
One of the best riders and trainers in the country, the Southern Downs’ Dean Morris ranked a four-star equestrian at the competition of horse trials interstate and in Queensland.
Warwick Horse Trials vice president Cameron Osborne said many people didn’t really understand the sport, which he described as “the triathlon of equestrian sports”.
“One horse and rider compete in a competition of dressage, show jumping, and cross country,” Osborne said.
“Dean was born and bred in Stanthorpe, who’s moved from starting as a junior competitor to one of our elite competitors in Queensland and has competed interstate,” Osborne said.
“It’s a bit of a shame that the sport only gets celebrated at the Olympic Games, where Australia is at the top of the pack.
“It doesn’t seem that there’s a huge interest in eventing. That may be for lack of opportunities to advertise eventing, (as) a lot of people don’t know about these important sports, which lots of people put a lot of time and energy training for like a triathlete.
“It’s not easy and it can take years, in fact.”
Oliver Seibel – motorsports
At only 15 years old, Oliver Seibel is able to race against some of the best and hold his own out on the track.
Seibel started off racing motorbikes before making the transition to youth car racing, and came second in the Queensland State Sprint Series.
Proud dad Phil Seibel is well known in Warwick for his passion for the sport and cycling, and says his son did extremely well for his age.
“I thought he’d just go round and have a bit of fun and enjoy the day, but he’s quite competitive and he’s always running up the front,” Seibel said.
Seibel said spectators and athletes of any experience level could appreciate the skill that went into motorsports, even though the field may seem slightly intimidating at first.
“Everyone out there is there to just have fun, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day they just love the racing, nobody shuns you and everyone’s happy to talk to anyone,” he said.
“If you even have a partial interest in it, you can head down to Morgan Park and people will look after you.”
Jack Spencer – darts
Jack Spencer has been labelled a “natural talent” and certainly one to watch in the darts game, with the 16-year-old quickly rising to the state and national levels of the sport with only two years of experience behind him.
Spencer ranked first for Queensland juniors in the 2022 championships and will this month play for the chance to represent his country as a member of the Australian juniors side.
Queensland representative darts player and mentor Kathleen Martin said she had taken Spencer under her wing after hearing about his high skill level, and the two had become a formidable team in the two years since.
“He has a go at everything that is possibly thrown at him,” she said.
“I think he started to get really noticed at one darts tournament where he actually beat a senior player who has made the Queensland state side for numerous years, probably the last 20 years, and he beat that player to make the semi-finals of a tournament.
“There’s always four boys and four girls that represent Australia, so he’s got to fight for one of those four spots with the rest of the country, but I believe he’s a good chance and have a lot of faith in him.”
Denika Murray – athletics
Denika Murray has often been recognised by those in the know as one of the most promising rising talents in the Warwick area, and her recent success at the national level of competition has cemented that status.
Murray was one of six Darling Downs Athletics Club members who competed at the National Track and Field Championships in Sydney earlier this year, qualifying for a massive four events including the 200m, 400m, triple jump, and long jump.
The talented teenager came out of nationals with a bronze medal in the long jump, and coach Bec Rogers described Murray’s overall performance as “truly outstanding”.
“It was outstanding for so many athletes to be selected and then do so well among the best athletes in Australia,” she said.
“Obviously those athletes put in a lot of training over the summer season when athletics would have a rest, and then put in the funding to get down (to nationals).
“These kids have trained for two and a half years now with no school competitions, so it’s a big ask for them to continue training and that love for it to keep themselves motivated with no competitions.”
Murray also received a Darling Downs Sports Award earlier this year, receiving a cash incentive and prize package in recognition of her efforts.
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