It’s a juggling act for Dungog’s Liam Kennedy who has been selected in both rugby league and AFL rep teams.
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The 12-year-old played soccer for four years before taking up league four years ago.
He had been playing up an age group for the past couple of years but this year an under-12s side has enough players to field a team.
“I was asked whether I would go to the AFL trials and I thought I would give it a go,” Liam said.
“It was a one-day selection process and a squad of 22 was selected for the [NSW PSSA] Hunter team.”
Liam will play in the three-day state championships on May 19, 20 and 21 at Blacktown International Sports Park.
From this competition a NSW team will be selected.
However it was a three-stage process for Liam to be selected in the rugby league team.
He initially tried out for the Port Stephens zone team with four teams playing a round robin competition and 16 players selected.
He then played for the zone team in the Hunter PSSA tryouts gala day when nine teams from as far away as Taree, Aberdeen and Belmont played each other.
Two teams of 17 played in a possible versus probables game at Valentine where Liam was selected as part of the Hunter PSSA rugby league team.
“The state championships will be played at Cronulla on June 16, 17 and 18 and we will play 12 other regional teams for the state title,” Liam said.
“From this competition a NSW team will be selected.
“I am playing in my preferred position of hooker which I am pleased about.”
But for now Liam’s parents Tracy and Peter are busy taking him to training and trial games for both codes in Newcastle and the Sydney region.