FOR the third year in a row a Coolum Breakers AFL player has been selected to play for Queensland.
Thomas Griffiths will represent the state at the AFL National Championships for 12-year-old schoolboys to be held in Darwin from this weekend.
The Coolum State School Year 7 student follows in the footsteps of fellow Breakers Reid Gordon and Tom Ansell, who played for Queensland in the same age division in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Thomas said he was "pretty pumped" for the national championships.
"It's a really big honour," he said.
The Collingwood fan hopes his fledgling representative career continues right up to the elite level.
"I'll hopefully keep making rep sides and then someone from the AFL comes along and I'll get drafted one day," he said.
"That'd be cool."
Breakers president Glen Farrow said Thomas brought a lot to the club with his playing ability and leadership.
"He is a great player and all of his team-mates love playing with him," he said.
"He is a quiet kid but he is a leader in his team.
"He shows his leadership through his ability but also with his encouragement towards other players around him, both at training and on game day."
Thomas's parents, Lynden and Jodie-Ann, and brother Tanner will also make to trip to Darwin.
Lynden, who also coaches Thomas's Breakers team, said he was proud of his son's achievements.
"I know how hard he works. He loves his footy and works really hard at it. So it's his reward," he said.
Lynden said he was not worried about his son's ability to handle the big occasion but joked he was worried about a rest day during the event.
"They get to go to a water theme park and a crocodile park," he said.
"I hope the boys don't confuse the two."
Thomas said he was not fazed by big games.
"I kind of just zone out really. I just play footy," he said.
Written by Mike Garry for Coolum and North Shore News
http://www.coolum-news.com.au/news/player-pumped-to-represent-qld/1975454/
Last Modified on 26/09/2013 15:28