Goal keeper Eamon Smith will be heading to South Africa next year with the national team following his selection in the side announced last weekend at the Pacific School Games in Adelaide.

Eamon was a member of the NSW under 16 side beaten 2-0 by Queensland in the final.

The Australian squad will head to the republic next June for a three week, three test tour. Eamon follows fellow Manning players Sam Mudford (2016) and Wade Harry (2017) in the Australian under 16 side. Sam went to South Africa and Wade to Europe.

Eamon has also been named in the NSW under 18 men’s indoor side to play in the national championships in Goulburn next month.

He played with Mid North Coast Premier League champions Chatham last season while he also turns out with Norths in the Newcastle Premier League.

He’s been a goal keeper since he started playing hockey in the Manning juniors, however, he initially played representative hockey with Newcastle. He did play with Manning Valley in the open men’s State championships this year.

Eamon has been a regular member of NSW sides for the past 18 months.

Earlier this year he played with the NSW under 18 side that dominated the Australian championships played in Hobart, only to be beaten in the final by a Pakistan national side playing in the tournament by invitation.

Meanwhile Priya Bourke has been named as a shadow reserve for the Australian under 16 girl's side.

A midfielder, Priya was a member of the NSW team beaten in a penalty shoot out by Queensland in the final of the Pacific Games.

NSW played seven games going into the final for six wins and a draw, scoring 48 goals and conceding four.

Priya, who plays for Chatham in the Manning competition, was also a member of the NSW Blues side that played in the Australian under 18 championships in Hobart.

Abby Watts from Moorland was a member of the NSW under 12 girl’s hockey team that finished with a silver medal. The side was unbeaten, however, finished second to Queensland on the pointscore, with the competition decided on a first-past-the-past system. A draw against Western Australia cost NSW the opportunity to win gold. NSW and Queensland also played a 1-1 draw in the opening game of the tournament.

Abby was NSW’s top goal scorer with five.

Kurt Walters from Taree West was co-captain of the NSW under 12s side. The Blues finished fourth.