CHAMPIONSHIPS and natural ball skills are synonymous with Medowie Football Club’s talented under-15 boys soccer team.
The young Bumblebees have continued a remarkable run of success by claiming the Newcastle Football community inter-district A Grade championship with a hard-fought 1-0 grand final victory over minor premiers Nelson Bay FC at Myers Park Broadmeadow.
For this exceptional group of Medowie colts, winning championship titles has become something of a tradition.
Since starting their journey as 12-year-olds in 2023, the team has captured three Newcastle Football championships plus a Northern NSW Champion of Champions title in a golden period.
Under the expert coaching of Jaye Walker, the Bumblebees have continued to compete at the highest level, and their latest grand final triumph adds another chapter to an impressive four-year run.
But this year’s successful campaign may have been their toughest challenge yet.
After losing five outstanding juniors from the club’s 2025 championship-winning squad to Premier Youth League, there were plenty of questions about whether this Medowie squad could continue its dominance.
The answer came on grand final day.
A proud Walker told News Of The Area that his promising charges had steeled themselves for another grand final appearance this season.
“The boys had their eyes on the championship decider,” Walker said.
“We came up with a plan for the grand final and the boys executed it perfectly – they gave Nelson Bay nothing all game.”
The road to the grand final wasn’t without challenges.
Medowie had to deal with several significant injuries throughout the season, but despite the setbacks, the team continued to find a way to stand up when it mattered most.
And in a grand final decided by a single goal, it was striker Daniel Shoesmith who provided the special moment – finishing from a brilliant free kick delivered by Hudson Turner.
The goal lifted the entire team: from that moment Medowie took control of the match.
Lining up against one of the competition’s highest-scoring outfits, the Medowie colts produced a disciplined defensive performance, with emerging goalkeeper Jaxon Everill once again demonstrating his class and value to the team.
It takes a united team to win a championship. That includes parents who give their time to help prepare and support the boys on game day.
Johnny Andrijic deserves a special mention for the work he has put into developing young Everill throughout the season.
In an odd twist, Andrijic was once the coach of Nelson Bay but has since made the move to Medowie FC and become an important part of the boys’ support network.
His advice on grand final day played a key part in helping Everill produce an outstanding performance and keep his former club scoreless.
For coach Walker the result was more satisfying following the doubts that surrounded the team before the season commenced.
“Everyone wrote us off after we lost five key players and yet the boys ended up winning the competition,” Walker said. The grand final victory was a fitting reward for a band of players that have grown up together at Medowie.
Medowie’s championship-winning under-15 squad featured keeper Jaxon Everill; fullbacks Noah Davison, Liam Munro, Travis Hayes, Beau Wheeler, Jarryd Stein and Flynn Tolhurst; midfielders Quincey Wilson, Zac Poole, Quinn Beck and Taylor Walker (captain); forwards Leo Marland (vice captain), Jonnie Andrijic, Hudson Turner and Daniel Shoesmith.
Walker was assisted by coach Samantha Cartwright and manager Adam Tolhurst.
By Chris KARAS
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