2022 National Youth Championships for Boys Day Five Wrap: Queensland and New South Wales Champions of Australia

Following five days of elite junior football, Queensland and New South Wales have been crowned National Youth Champions on Gumbaynggirr land.

The matches were played in unfavourably wet and windy conditions with excellent displays of grit, determination, and poise.

14s grand final
Early stages of the 14s final were evenly contested with limited scoring opportunities. QLD’s Rafael Texeira Issa Costa broke the deadlock, slotting a penalty, despite the best efforts of WA keeper Jim Collins.

Going into the second half QLD looked in control until Aiden Rawlins levelled the scores 1-1.

With the rain coming in sideways, tensions high and everything to play for, the referee blew their final whistle at 1-1.

Both sides traded penalties under extreme pressure that ratcheted up further into sudden death. When WA’s Hudson Burn pushed one high QLD were confirmed kings of the nation.

QLD Skipper Rhys Williams praised his coaches on the victory and described his shootout secret as “taking deep breaths, looking where you’re going and hoping for the best.

15s grand final
The 15s final was a bruising affair. An encounter expected whenever NSW plays QLD. The boys in blue went on the attack in the opening minutes when Oliver Steinerts headed home an expertly delivered corner.

Junior Conde was effective throughout and NSW’s aggressive posture was smothering for the Queenslanders. Midway through the second term Conde put his team up 2-0 with a convincing penalty. Noah Mathie then put it beyond doubt for NSW running into the arms of elated squad mates on the sideline.

When Agazio Fragomeli was sent from the pitch with a second yellow card, Rylan Brownlie brought the score back to 3-1, but time wasn’t on the side of a brave QLD outfit undefeated until the grand final.

Football NSW’s path to the 15s final was boosted by a renewed commitment to understanding their players on an individual level. Technical Director Warren Grieve explains, “We are trying to get a better understanding of the players as individuals. Understanding what makes them tick, how they actually work, how they operate on and off the pitch.”

“The way the team's been managed has been absolutely exceptional from the coaching staff and that's what's allowed the us to actually pick the championship team,” Grieve said.

Julian Recchia and Harry Crawford players of the championships 
Victoria’s Julian Recchia (14s) and South Australia’s Harry Crawford (15s) have been named players of the championships.

The diminutive and speedy Recchia, from Melbourne City, had a superb championships sitting nine points ahead of the next best player.

Harry Crawford was universally praised by technical directors for his nationals performances. He has confirmed his ambitions to play football professionally saying “I want to take my career overseas and play in Europe.”

����Ӱ��’s Oscar Gonzalez believes the selection of Recchia and Crawford sends a positive message about the purpose of National Youth Championships. “You might not be the final, but it's about what people have seen consistently all week. We have analysed 1,500 reports, submitted by state’s technical directors, evaluating a range of key performance factors to reach our decision.”

Additional honours were delivered to referees and keepers of the championships.

Referee of the Tournament.

• Under-14s Referee of the Tournament, Thomas Brinkworth (Football South Australia)
• Under-15s Referee of the Tournament, Jock Quartermain (Football Victoria)

Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

• Under-14s Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Noah Ellul (South Australia Red)
• Under-15s Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Daniel Graskowski (Victoria Blue)

National Youth Championships a success after pandemic hiatus
After two years of COVID-19 cancellations the championships have returned as a success. Players, coaches, and referees have all benefited and enjoyed the opportunity to compete and progress on their football journeys.

As former Socceroo Josh Kennedy explains “Nationals are an integral part of player’s pathways and development. It’s an opportunity for them to be away from home, spend the week in camp in a high-pressure environment and bond with their teammates or coaches. There is development on and off the pitch. It gives them a taste of what a professional player experiences on tour when playing in a national team, so it's an important piece of their pathway.”

Talent identification doesn’t stop in Coffs Harbour
����Ӱ��’s talent ID process continues beyond National Youth Championships.

Oscar Gonzalez explains “We will clean, analyse and find insights within our championships data and report back to member federation technical directors for feedback. These reports then feed up to Joey’s leadership for the next cycle of selections.”

When pressed on the message to players Gonzalez revealed “If you worked hard at nationals then you will be identified, but this is not the only capture point. Member federations are doing elite matches in all their states, they are doing schools events too.”

Match official development a priority
Kate Jacewicz, FIFA and A-Leagues referee, has been involved in referee development at the championships and is impressed by what she has witnessed.

“There is a shift in the commitment levels of this younger generation. They're more dedicated match officials rather than players doubling up back home in their member federations. This is a great development pathway over the next five to 10 years and the standard of refereeing will rise again as a result,” Jacewicz said.

Referee Charlie O’Bryan, from Northern NSW Football, has enjoyed the championships saying “It’s been interesting to see the focus on us as well as the players. It has been good to come to a national tournament, training every day, debriefing every day, recovering every day.”

He hopes to implement learnings back in his local NPL competition. “I’ve walked away with coaching points, advice, and strategies. Things like positioning and managing around team’s tactics to understand and change my positioning around styles of play,” O’Bryan said.