Page 40 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

UNDER 16 QUEENSLAND SCORPIONS
The Queensland Young Scorpions completed a clean sweep of victories to take out the Division 2 Under 16 NAB AFL National Championships in Western Sydney for the sixth time in nine years.
Debut Coach John Rankin and his support team moulded a very tight and competitive group who showed great resilience when challenged in the final Championship game against NSW/ACT.
The final squad of 25 players was made up of eight Gold Coasters (from 2 teams), five from Brisbane North, six Country Kookaburras, three boys from Brisbane South East, two Suncoast Power players and one Western Taipan.
The Young Scorpions kicked off their campaign with a dominant 67-point win over Tasmania and followed up with a 74-point drubbing of the Northern Territory.
To be assured of winning the Championships the Young Scorpions needed to overcome a quality NSW/ACT Rams team who were surprisingly beaten by Tasmania in Round 2 of the Championship.
The Rams had nothing to lose and looked to have taken the game away from the Young Scorpions, increasing their lead at every change to go into three-quarter time with a 22-point lead.
After kicking the important first goal of the final quarter the Rams held a 29-point lead with 15 minutes left on the clock.
The plucky Queensland group refused to concede and clawed their way off the canvas to reel off 8-goals and 1-behind in a barnstorming finish to clinch the title by an incredible 21-points.
It was a fitting finale for retiring Queensland Talent Co-ordinator Robbie Hull, who was mobbed by a jubilant Young Scorpions team at the final siren.
Lachlan Weller from Broadbeach FC was awarded the Alan McLean Medal for best player in Division 2 of the Championships and young Surfers Paradise rover Cassidy Haberfield won the team’s Most Valuable Player Award.
At the completion of the Championships 3 Queensland players - Lachlan Weller, Liam Dawson and Matthew Hammelmann - were awarded 2013 AIS/AFL Academy Scholarships.
BOB BATTY
QUEENSLAND TALENT MANAGER
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2012 Year in Review