Sport
23 March, 2026
Rep players take the stage
EIGHT young footy players from Mareeba have taken to the big stage recently, representing the Northern Pride in its elite pathways representative squads.
The Mareeba Gladiators have six players in the elite pathways squads, with Ethan Morgan, Ashton Martin, and Jay Mataio playing in the ongoing U19 boys Mal Meninga Cup, while Ainsley Martin, Zahlita Tokarahi, and Madinah Bajramovic played in the Harvey Norman U17 girls competition, which finished at the weekend.
Additionally, Mareeba residents Azariah Mataio and Jehaziel Kose competed in the Harvey Norman U19 girls comp, which also finished at the weekend.
The players have travelled all over the state for their representative duties, playing games in Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Mackay, Townsville, and Brisbane, among other areas.
Gladiators junior girls coordinator Alison Martin said these pathway squads were a great opportunity for local players to stand out.
“It’s really good to see this many kids coming out of Mareeba – it’s a decent number of kids from here who are representing the Pride,” she said.
“It takes a lot of hard work as well. The kids have 3-4 training sessions a week, plus games that are played all over the state. So it’s a big commitment from the players and their families.”
To date, the Northern Pride squad playing in the Mal Meninga Cup has lost all six games, with just three left to play in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Harvey Norman U17 and U19 competition wrapped up at the weekend, with the Pride finishing with 3 wins and 3 losses in the U17s, and a 0-6 record for the U19s.
This weekend, the U19 boys in the Mal Meninga Cup will take on the Burleigh Bears on the Gold Coast, before finishing with two games at Cairns’ Barlow Park to round out the competition.
