The Goulburn Valley and surrounds are simply brimming with top-level junior talent looking to take the next step.
Some, among the generally more publicised, have focused their athletic endeavours on one discipline and look primed to excel in their chosen field.
Matt and Jack Whitlock, Harriet Gall, Ashton Young. These names often come to mind when looking at the region’s ‘next in line’ — young stars on the verge of breaking out.
Beneath the surface, though, are a group of youngsters plugging away at multiple trades, and doing a more-than-handy job of keeping their options open as far as what they might choose to pursue later in their development.
There are many deserving names on the board and it’s impossible to run the rule over them all in one go, but here’s a crop that looks can’t-miss:
5. Kaleb Gilmour (Waaia Football Club/Waaia Cricket Club)
Kaleb Gilmour has been rising the ranks in the red and black all year round since first stepping on to the scene at under-14 level.
2023-24 was a comprehensively successful summer of cricket for Gilmour, who made under-age and Haisman Shield appearances with Waaia in a convincing minor premiership side.
He went on to balance those commitments with Northern Rivers appearances and a handful of junior games with St Kilda in a sub-division of Victorian Premier Cricket, following the well-worn path of many local prodigies.
No rest for the in-demand Gilmour, though, who then became an ever-present figure in Waaia’s senior Picola District League side, receiving his first senior premiership medal in the Bombers’ comfortable grand final win over Katandra.
There’s plenty of development ahead, but there will surely be a fascinating tug-of-war between the two sports for his services down the line.
4. Claudia Plattfuss (Mooroopna Netball Club/Nathalia Women’s Football Club/Murray Bushrangers)
Plattfuss is another who has done a tremendous job of keeping her options open through a busy season.
The Mooroopna goaler bounced between divisions rapidly in the Cats’ 2024 campaign, starring at 17-and-under level while notching solid hauls in B-grade and making a handful of appearances off the bench at A-grade level, including both finals against Euroa.
Featuring regularly among the votes at junior level, she won her share of plaudits in the Goulburn Murray Women’s League representing Nathalia, where she made five appearances and — sure enough — featured among her side’s best players every time.
Seven appearances at Coates Talent League level for the Bushrangers didn’t go astray either on what became a series of vbusy weekends for the Cats prospect.
The Plattfuss name is one with fingerprints all over the local junior sporting scene, and Claudia looms as one with a high ceiling.
3. Oscar Lambourn (Old Students Cricket Club/Shepparton Football Club)
Young Bear Oscar Lambourn flew into prominence during the most recent Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield campaign as a regular shining light of the Old Students line-up.
The talented all-rounder spent the vast majority of last campaign in the top half of the Students order, notching two half-centuries in the opening month to go with a knock of 45 in the higher-grade T20 competition, doing plenty of pinch-bowling with top figures of 3-28 against Shepparton United.
Lambourn moved to another level this year, though, after making his senior debut in the Goulburn Valley League as part of a rampant Shepparton outfit — though Monday’s presentation night showed he was leading the under-18 votes through six rounds before making the jump.
First appearing in a crushing round-seven win over Benalla after already featuring in the under-18 interleague clash for the GVL, Lambourn came through the season prior to grand final day averaging 13 touches, three intercepts and disposing at a sharp 79 per cent efficiency from his nine appearances.
With another Haisman campaign just around the corner and a big grand final at Deakin this weekend, he figures to go from strength to strength for some time yet.
2. Amani Issell (Mooroopna Cricket Club/Mooroopna Netball Club)
It’s a bountiful time to be part of Mooroopna’s netball brigade, and Amani Issell is emerging towards the front of the charge.
A burgeoning star all-rounder in the Goulburn Murray Cricket realm with the Cats over the summer, Issell’s highlights including a dizzying two-over bowling spell that yielded 5-8 against Echuca White, as well as three different unbeaten scores of 25 or greater in a runner-up side.
Switching back to the netball courts, Issell earned the chance to feature in the 17-and-under interleague side against the Ovens and Murray early in the season, then going on to play a prominent role in a fearsome Mooroopna outfit that suffered only one defeat in the regular season.
With Issell also on the list of juniors who could cap off big years with GVL premierships, there’s a lot to like about her trajectory.
1. Maisy Byrne (Echuca United Junior Football Club/Echuca Netball Club/Echuca Cricket Club)
This starlet just has a knack for winning — it’s that simple.
Maisy Byrne’s knack for achievement is almost unmatched among local juniors, having accomplished plenty in an incredible past 12 months.
The triple threat first took out honours with Echuca Green in the Goulburn Murray Cricket women’s grand final in February, retiring not out in the decider with 33 as her side cruised home.
She then lined up alongside Issell — whose Mooroopna cricket side she defeated in the summer — with the 17-and-under GVL interleague side in May.
Following on from that, she repeatedly threw herself in harm’s way to help Echuca United secure a memorable Goulburn Murray Youth Girls premiership in August over Shepparton United, before reaching the league semis back on the courts with the Murray Bombers later in the year having already featured in a trio of A-grade hit-outs for the defending premiers.
There’s a bright future ahead for the universally talented youngster — though one could confidently suggest there are a few.