Academy training players to next level

THE door is still open for Far North junior football players to join the FNQ Football TriSeries academy launched with trepidation last weekend.

About 75 players attended the Cairns training session at Edge Hill FC on Saturday, while about 30 participated in a session at Mareeba on Sunday. The planned session in Innisfail was postponed and will be held today.

FNQ Football general manager Matt Kelso said the delayed release of information may have caused some uncertainty, but felt there were positives from the first sessions.

“If kids are serious about taking their game to the next level, my belief as a coach and administrator is you can’t be provided with a better opportunity than what’s on the table,” Kelso said.

Players are invited to join programs in Cairns, Mareeba and further sessions in Innisfail twice a week from next week until Easter.

The zone is co-ordinating the academy training program, until after Easter when the players will be placed into Cairns, Tablelands and Johnstone River zone teams or chosen to remain in the Cairns FC program.

The zone teams, in under-12 through under-16 for boys and girls, will play three carnivals in a Tri-Series. They will also participate in the Football Queensland Community Cup in Mackay in July.