MAX Hoysted is the latest Nambucca Valley footballer earmarked for a long and successful sports career after winning selection in the NSW Country Rugby Union Under 19 Development Squad.
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The call-up will see the strapping 17-year-old turn out for NSW Country Colts (under 20s) at the Southern State Championships in Adelaide in February.
The 188cm (6ft 2in) tall, 88kg outside back told the Guardian he was blindsided yet delighted to be thrown a rep jumper.
“I had literally just finished (Bowraville) Goannas training and was checking my phone and saw I had a message from a mate telling me to check my emails,” Max said.
The confidante was Ryan Kenny-Wilson from Port Macquarie, who had already discovered news of his own selection - and that of Max - in his inbox.
“I have never been so happy. I was jumping up and down and telling everyone at training,” Max said.
The Year 12 Macksville High School student has been used mostly as a utility back by the Goannas, but is the only specialist fullback in the Country squad.
“When (Goannas coach Mick) Bainesy found out, he said ‘I don’t know how I’m going to fit you into the team now, you’re too good’,” Max quipped.
His State call-up is all the more remarkable as for the most part his football heritage has been more league than union.
While Max has been a ‘Swampie’ rugby player for his school since Year 7, he’s only been playing competitively for the past two years with the Goannas where he was part of an Under 18s team that secured the club’s first premiership in any grade.
But before that, he had played league for the Bowra Tigers, and in Sydney, for Forestville and the Manly Warringah Harold Matthews (Under 16) side. He also plays for the Macksville Sea Eagles Under 18s.
Adding to this, Max has dabbled in boxing, winning his sole and quite probably only fight, as representative football will demand focus.
The NSW Country development squad will have limited opportunities to gel before the Southern State champs.
Max said there will be a camp in the Hunter Valley in a couple of months, and then games against NSW City U19s and a GPS school.
“Selection was really out of the blue and now I’m just going to hunker down and work on my fitness,” he said.
