Suns shine to make Vic Country squads

Damen Francis

April 12 2014

Shepparton News

Five members of the Victoria Country under-13 and under-14 state squads hail from Greater Shepparton and eight ply their trade for Goulburn Valley Suns.

Shepparton pair Liam Kielty and Fraser Gosstray, along with Albury-Wodonga pair Alec Mills and Louis Gorman have been selected in the 22-strong U13 squad, while Shepparton’s Zac Hutchison and border players Isaac Read, Jack Milford and Sebastian Turner are in the U14 squad.

The squads will be trimmed to 16 ahead of the Football Federation Australia National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour from September 29 to October 3.

All five play for the newly formed Suns in the National Premier League’s junior competitions.

Two other Shepparton players — Declan Maiorano and David Musafiri — also made the U14 squad.

Maiorano and Musafiri play for Melbourne-based NPL club Bulleen Lions.

Cobram go-getter Gianluca Iannucci is part of the metropolitan-based Skillaroos program, which has a team in the U14 NPL east competition.

Suns junior technical director Pat Kielty said it was a great result for the fledgling club and showed the region had plenty of high-quality young players to draw from.

‘‘Just to have this raw talent here in Shepparton is terrific,’’ Kielty said.

‘‘It’s pretty encouraging and it shows you the standard.

‘‘An awful lot of people tried out to get in this team and what’s good about these three is they actually encourage some of the other players as well.’’

The younger Kielty is a talented left-sided player, who has pace, height and a damaging left foot, particularly when it comes to putting in crosses.

Gosstray narrowly missed out on the U13 team last year as a bottom age player and his terrific first-touch and brilliant feet make him effective as a line-leading striker or creative midfielder, just behind the strikers.

Hutchison has excelled as a right full-back, but can also be deployed in his preferred position as a central defensive midfielder.

Maiorano is a goalkeeper and has already had a trial stint in England.

Musafiri is a central defender, who captained last year’s U13 team, which featured Maiorano, Hutchison and Iannucci.

The latter is also most at home in the attacking third, whether up front or as a creative midfielder.

The squads will continue to train ahead of the championships this year.