GETTING one player into a junior NSW Country side is a great achievement for any regional city but to have four players make the cut is something special.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's the outcome for Bathurst District Football as four of their junior stars - Rupert Begg, Cody Cramer, Billy Wilson and Mason Vuki - prepare for their upcoming boys FFA Youth National Championships campaign.
The Western NSW Mariners FC quartet survived the qualification process to earn the right to represent their state in the tournament at Coffs Harbour, running from September 30 to October 4.
Begg, Cramer and Wilson give Bathurst strong representation in the under 13s side while Vuki flies the flag for the city in the under 14s division.
The four juniors represent a wide variety of skills and positions across the park.
Begg is the last line of defence at goalkeeper, Cramer has an important part to player in centre defensive midfield, Wilson provides a fast option on the right wing and Vuki shapes up as a goalscoring threat in the number 10 role.
Making it through to the final side was a thrilling moment for Begg.
"From state titles last year we went on to training sessions where we were selected for camps. We had three of those camps then a selection day," he said.
"There were 34 talented soccer players there and it was cut down to 17.
"I was very nervous during that final day. There were three of us going for two spots at goalkeeper and I got through."
Keep up to date with the latest sports news by clicking here.
Cramer has made the centre defensive midfielder role his own after a switch, and is hoping to take his good form up north.
"I thought I'd done alright up until the national camps. After that I wasn't sure if I'd make it but it was a nice surprise when I did," he said.
"I was more of an attacking player but this year in our team we had a lot of attacking players so I dropped back and found it easier."
Wilson said the camps have helped the team connect.
"There's going to be a lot of teams at Coffs Harbour and some of them will be very strong," he said.
"Now that we've had a few camps together we've gotten to know one another. We focused on using the line a lot more and taking on our opponents."
Vuki, who is more accustomed to playing on the wing, is excited to see how he fares in a different role.
"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable playing there now," he said.
"I played right wing in first camp and as time went on for Mariners I played at the 10 and they liked me there.
"This team all played together last year. There's just two new players this time."