Three Under 14 state teams have returned to Queensland after participating in the inaugural State of Origin Cup hosted by Football Victoria at the Darebin International Sports Centre. 

The three-day tournament welcomed boys teams from Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT, providing the young players in attendance with the opportunity to take on interstate competition as they showcased their skills in front of Football Australia staff. 

“The Under 14 state team is an important stepping stone in each player’s development pathway,” FQ General Manager – Football & State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer said. 

“The main learning point for athletes at this stage is to express their technical skills for the benefit of the team and to focus on challenges they can control on and off the field. 

“The State of Origin Cup in Melbourne served as a fantastic benchmarking event before the players strive to earn selection for the Under 15 state teams for the National Youth Championships, with Football Queensland and Football Australia staff observing many strong individual performances throughout the tournament.” 

The FQ Academy Maroon and FQ Academy White teams finished second in their groups, meeting in the third-place play-off where the Maroon side secured victory, while the FQ Academy Silver team shared a fifth place finish with Tasmania. 

Queensland’s Under 15 and Under 16 state teams will participate in the National Youth Championships for Boys from next Monday, 2 October to Friday, 6 October before Queensland’s Under 14 and Under 16 squads compete in the National Youth Championships for Girls from Monday, 9 October to Friday, 13 October. 

View the National Youth Championships draw here.