The country’s eyes may be tuned into the State of Origin match at the MCG on Wednesday night, but two hours up the road, the Goulburn Valley’s best junior touch football prospects are getting ready to shine at the Touch Football National Youth Championships.
Five talented footballers from two different families in the region will make the journey to Coffs Harbour in NSW from September 25-28 to represent the Victorian Touch Football side.
The under-14 representative side will feature Giaan Williamson (Nagambie) and Aroha and Tennille Kautai (Nathalia).
The under-16 side will feature older sisters Alyssa Williamson and Zahlia Kautai, while Zahlia, Tennille and Aroha’s father, Kaokao, will coach one of the under-16 teams.
Kaokao has worked with Victoria Storm for the past two years and School Sports Victoria for the past five and has always enjoyed his coaching role.
But the proud father said these championships would be made all the more special given he would be able to coach Zahlia.
“It’s a special moment for me,” he said.
“It has always been a goal of mine to coach my children at a state level.
“It’s overwhelming, but also benefiting to myself and my family.”
In any form of rugby, whether it be union, league or touch, the two powerhouse states of Queensland and NSW are dominant as the sport is ingrained into the fabric of their culture.
As part of the Victorian coaching team, Kaokao said their focus was to close the gap between the Storm and the northern states.
The side’s on-field goals are to make finals and be competitive, but off-field, Kaokao said there had been a strong focus on culture.
“You have got kids (in the side) stretching from Ballarat to Geelong to Shepparton and as far as Warrnambool, so you have to make it special,” he said.
“At the same time, our culture also involves having fun.
“You tend to get a better training style and technique if the children that you are coaching are feeling relaxed.
“Our culture is based around family, taking pride in yourselves and just setting goals for yourself and achieving them.”
The five girls play high-level touch football for the Harlequin Rugby Club in south-east Melbourne, travelling down on Sundays to train.
Kaokao hopes that the sport’s governing bodies will start investing more time and focus in regional areas to develop young footballers.
“This team is very special as touch football is pretty much metropolitan based in Melbourne (but it features regional players),” he said.
“Having these regional kids who are out further (than Melbourne) achieve their goal too is something special.
“I would like more regional kids involved as I think there is a lot of talent out here; it’s just they aren’t seen.
“If we could have trials out here for touch football, that would be great.”
Goulburn Valley’s Victorian junior touch football representatives
Name: Aroha Kautai.
Age: 11.
Position: Link.
Strengths: Team player and rucking the ball down the field.
Excited about: Diving after scoring a try and celebrating with teammates.
Name: Alyssa Williamson.
Age: 15.
Position: Link and wing.
Strength: Passing, catching and communication.
Excited about: Winning games alongside her friends and teammates.
Name: Giaan Williamson.
Age: 13.
Position: Middle and link.
Strengths: Passing, help out player.
Excited about: Playing with and meeting new people.
Name: Zahlia Kautai.
Age: 15.
Position: Middle.
Strengths: Communication, reads the play well, controls the game.
Excited about: The opportunity to go away and the chance to win games against tough opposition.
Name: Tennille Kautai.
Age: 13.
Position: Middle.
Strengths: Speed and scoring tries
Excited about: Scoring tries with her team.