Under 12 whiz kids claim Port Stephens’ Junior Boys Oztag title

A BATCH of promising rookies have tasted instant success in their first season in the Port Stephens junior Oztag competition. 

The premiership-winning Playmakers Under 12 Boys experienced a dream debut season.

Comprising 10-year-old and 11-year-old athletes, they upstaged their older opponents by blitzing the Big Rascals 13-1 in the Grand Final at Fingal Bay Oval.

Featuring a core of players with touch football backgrounds, the rookie lineup dominated the Under 12 Boys division with their speed, footwork, stamina and passing skills to lift the trophy in dominant style.

Young guns Rhylin Green, Harley Lovering, Lakyn Spackman, Carter Creighton, Banjo Slade, Braxx Buckton, Thomas Lord, Dustin Stoddard and Albie Affleck captured the imagination of the local Oztag public with their superb displays in the Junior Boys series.

After a clean sweep of victories in the regular season pool rounds, the Playmakers showed tons of spirit to edge out rivals Lightning Bolts 6-4 in a semi-final before slamming the Big Rascals in the title decider.

It was a tremendous feat by the versatile whiz kids who toppled the Big Rascals 9-3 in their first-ever Oztag match before repeating the dose in their second encounter a few weeks later.

The Playmakers also chalked up wins over the Mighty Bommies (11-6 and 13-4), Lightning Bolts (8-2 and 11-5), Tag Attack (7-4 and 10-4) and Gatzo (13-6 and 14-4) in the preliminary rounds to underline their supremacy.

The recipe for the team’s success was the boys’ strong bond and will to win and ability to quickly adjust to the finer points of Oztag – despite lining up against players nearly two years their senior.

As free spirits on the sporting field, the boys impressed keen judges with their enterprising style of play that led to the team posting an incredible 124 tries while conceding only 46 in their 12 matches overall..

By Chris KARAS