For the up and coming boys, Damon Deaton and Ryan Whittle wore ACT representative colours while Kurt Devlin led the way in the NSW team.

Brothers Jake and Ben Staines represented NSW Blue in the tournament that was played in Canberra.

Devlin’s NSW side finished runner up to Queensland in the final, losing 8-2, while the ACT side finished seventh and NSW Blue finishing fifth.

“It was two all at half time so we thought we had a chance,” Devlin said of the grand final match against QLD.

“After they went 5-2 up we pulled our goalie with about eight and half minutes to go. “It was disappointing to lose.”

Devlin is no stranger to big tournaments. He has had state representation since an early teenager and came into the NSW side as one of the more experienced players.

Damon Deaton on the other hand was representing the ACT at an Australian Championship for the first time.

The Fireflys striker found the going tough in his first outing, but relished the experience.

“It was a lot harder then what I’m used to,” Deaton said of the tournament. “Just learning new things like realising your basic skills are more necessary.”

His ACT side, which included fellow Goulburnian Ryan Whittle, finished seventh overall.

“We wanted to make top four, but those close losses to both NSW sides turned that on its head,” Deaton said.

For the Goulburn’s girls, Laura Gray, Mikayla Evans, Kayleigh Hadlow, Renae Robinson, Ellen Cornish, Jayde Butz and Crookwell’s Sam Picker all represented the ACT in the tournament played down in Melbourne.

The team finished fourth overall in the tournament, which like the men’s, was taken out by the Queensland state team who defeated NSW 5 – 2 in the final.

The girls had gone into the third place play-off with Victoria Blue but couldn’t get past them despite an early Ellen Cornish goal, losing 3 – 2.

Earlier in the tournament Goulburn’s Mikayla Evans had reason to celebrate, with a hat-trick in the ACT’s 4 – 1 win over Tasmania.