MOST ATTENTION WILL BE ON THE ELITE FOOTY IN THE COMING WEEKS BUT SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THOSE JUNIORS SET TO RUN OUT FOR THEIR FIRST MATCH, AS TOM BOSWELL REPORTS

THEY count AFL premiership player and Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Beams as one of their products and the Carrara Saints believe their they aren’t far off unearthing another star.

The club’s next batch of former Auskickers will make their way in to fully fledged football this year when they make their way into the under-8s competition. The small Gold Coast club has forever punched above their weight and coaching coordinator Todd Rigby said the Saints are positioned to improve further on a big 2017 season.

“For the first time ever we got every youth age group and senior group in to the finals,” Rigby said.

“We lost one grand final in the reserve grade and won the under-16s grand final. We call it a really successful year. Hopefully the seniors will be pushing for a division flag in the next couple of years. We do all right for a little club.”

Beams – along with brother Claye – is the most notable player to come through the Saints system, playing for the club while it was formerly called Mudgeeraba.

He has since gone on to win a premiership with Collingwood and is the current captain of the Brisbane Lions.

Rigby said Carrara might not be as big as some of the powerhouse Aussie rules clubs on the Gold Coast but it was starting to match them at all levels.

“We have a good go them,” Rigby said.

“Other clubs have got a lot more history and stuff but we have been around for 20 years. at

“We are still developing and the way our juniors are set up now we are division one club.

“We take them on and the skill level of the kids is definitely growing.

“We just want the kids to be able to stay here longer rather than get to under-14s and 16s and think they need to move on to a bigger club.”

WE DO ALL RIGHT FOR A LITTLE CLUB