AIC First XIII rugby league’s best team since 2009
How’s this for an All-Star schoolboy league side? We name the best AIC Team of the last 15 Years, which includes Origin, NRL talent and state schoolboys.
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The AIC school sporting pool has produced countless Wallaby and Queensland rugby union champions, but did you know it was also a fertile playing field for elite rugby league talent as well?
This year’s Queensland State of Origin series winning squad, for example, featured Padua College old boy Lindsay Collins while a host of current AIC students have shone in the NRL, Queensland Cup, schoolboy and club league this season.
Christian Welch (Storm), Dylan Napa (Roosters) and Jeral Skelton (Canterbury) were all current NRL players from out of the AIC school system.
So here it is, our AIC best side across the last 15 seasons.
Fullback: Jeremy Trappett (Iona College)
No.1 Trappett is a 2022 Queensland schoolboy representative who is contracted to the Newcastle Knights. He is a beautifully balanced runner who can also play centre or wing.
Wing: Will Boland (St Patrick’s College)
Boland was an electric outside back who was the best in his era at Paddies. He was chosen as fullback in the QISSRL Merit team named in 2019.
HOW THE SEASON HAS UNFOLDED
Centre: Campbell Moller (Ashgrove)
Moller was enormous for Marist Ashgrove at the 2019 Confraternity Carnival, the leading strike centre who made the Confra Carnival merit side after playing the house down with crashing runs and strong defence.
Centre: Tim Ryan (St Patrick’s College)
An elite 2021 Confraternity Carnival player when he scored tries for fun, he was an AIC rugby sensation currently playing for Aussie 20s in union. He played league as a five-eight.
Wing: Jeral Skelton (St Patrick’s College)
The bayside talent is a current NRL player with the Bulldogs who was a 2015 Confraternity Carnival team selection and who made Queensland rugby schoolboys team in 2016. After playing in the Aussie sevens program, he was signed by Bulldogs.
Five-eight: Ryley Jacks (St Laurence’s College)
Jacks was a clever half who graduated from Laurie’s in 2009. He played NRL and also played in England.
Halfback: Max Plath (Iona College)
The son of a Brisbane Broncos club champion, John, Plath was a tenacious and clever play maker. Plath graduated from playing Q-Cup for Wynnum to earn a Dolphins NRL contract this year.
Lock: Mitch Rogers (Padua College)
Rogers was the most unlucky player not to make the Queensland schoolboys this season as the squad’s second hooker to Cameron Bukowski.
He was elite at this year’s Confraternity Carnival and was player of the match in the under 18 Meninga Cup grand final for Redcliffe Dolphins.
We named him lock here because he just had to be in our First XIII.
Second row: Zack Brooks (Marist Ashgrove)
Brooks was a crashing edge forward who played his way into the 2018 Confraternity Carnival team. He has settled into a successful career with Norths Devils. Don’t be surprised to see Brooks turn up on a train and trial contract over summer at the Dolphins.
Second row: Dylan Napa (St Patrick’s College)
The son of a BRL legend, Stan, mountain man Napa is a former Queensland State of Origin prop and an NRL enforcer. He was a fearless defender and ruck running forward.
Prop: Lindsay Collins (Padua College)
A 2022 Kangaroo and current Queensland State of Origin forward leader, Collins has taken his game to another level playing for the Roosters and Maroons over the last 18 months. He is a terrific athlete for a big man with speed and a vertical leap.
Hooker: Cameron Bukowski (Villanova College)
The Brisbane Broncos-signed Bukowski is a smart dummy half who runs the ruck expertly while also having speed and street smarts to threaten with scampers. How appropriate it was that he scored three tries in a fabulus game against Padua at the weekend. He is also a tackling machine.
Prop: Christian Welsh (Villanova College)
Welsh is an NRL ironman who has had a distinguished career with the Melbourne Storm. A work horse prop, he will forever be a Queensland Origin series winning hero.
Reserves:
Billy Walters (Ashgrove) is the current Brisbane Broncos hooker who graduated from Marist in 2011.
Centre Harry Taylor (Padua) was like Campbell Moller in that he was superb at the 2019 carnival and was on the cusp of First XIII selection above. He captained Padua to the semi-finals and was outstanding that season for his school.
Ryan Jackson (St Laurence’s College) is a Wynnum Manly junior, Jackson is working his way through the system at the Dolphins, learning the tricks of the trade playing Cup against the men.
Freakish talent Floyd Aubrey (Ashgrove) may not have made the Confraternity Carnival team in 2019, but Ashgrove would not have swapped him for anyone.
Harrison Graham (Iona College) is a decorated Seagulls player who deservedly picked up a Dolphins NRL contract after displaying form that could no longer be ignored by the big league. He played NRL at the weekend.
Edge forward Danny Heenan (Padua College) was a powerhouse, making the Confraternity Carnival representative side in 2018.
Casey Douglas of St Patrick’s College was the best in the business in 2014-15, a middle player who is currently part of the Northern Pride Q-Cup squad. Has played more than 40 Q-Cup games.
Special mentions
Centre Josh Billing (Marist College Ashgrove) is signed by the Raiders.
Centre Jordan Fewings (Padua) made the Confraternity Carnival merit side in his age group in 2014.
Ayden Hoad (Iona) is an outstanding hooker who has played Queensland Cup at Redcliffe this season. His brother Sully is also a fine halfback who plays halfback at the Dolphins in colts.
Ethan Pringle (Padua College) was another elite hooker who made the 2016 Confraternity Carnival side.
Another 2019 Confraternity team selection was Noah Lutui of St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe, currently in Hasting Deering 21s for the Dolphins.
Josh Radford (Ashgrove) was next level playing for Marist at the 2019 Confraternity Carnival.
Iona College’s current forward leader is Will Lane, a courageous all-or-nothing middle forward who also shone this season in the Meninga Cup for the Seagulls.
Hayden Molkentein was an excellent schoolboy centre from St Edmund’s College
Rookies on the Rise
Leon Karena (Marist College Ashgrove) is a current young gun, a border from Stanthorpe who was so impressive at the Confraternity Shield competition, he played his way into the team of the carnival. He plays front row.
Jack Chandler, the current Eddies’ dummy half, has been a shining light in the competition this season.
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