It’s only the beginning

By Gavin Staindl
FOR most kids, finishing as state champions is the highlight of the year.
But for the Doveton 12-year-olds, winning the state championships on Sunday is only the beginning of something even bigger.
The juniors fly to Sydney on Friday to take part in the Volkswagen Junior Master Championships … with the winner earning a place in the international under 12 championships in Poland next May.
“To achieve what we did at state level is great, but to have the opportunity to travel to Poland takes precedence over anything else,” Doveton coach Julien Costin said.
“We had a recovery session at the pool on Monday night and normally the boys are a bit flat after a big game, but they all had smiles on their faces and there was a real buzz around the group.
“I don’t know what to expect (of this weekend) but I just hope all the boys can go and have a good time.
“It is an excellent opportunity for Doveton kids to showcase their talent on a national scale.”
Among other things, Doveton qualified for the national tournament by finishing runners-up at last year’s state championships.
But on Sunday, Doveton went one better, beating Northcote City 3-1 and Bulleen 1-0 to capture the championship.
Doveton was given little hope of beating Bulleen, who had a squad of 150 players to pick from and boasts seven state players.
Doveton, meanwhile, has a squad of 20 and one state player.
Doveton’s predicament was not helped when it was reduced to 10 men because of a red card shown to one of its players before half time.
But an unlikely counter-attack goal by Doveton’s Jalil Nabizadah in the final 10 minutes snatched the win and kick-started the celebrations.