National Under 16 Championships: Group Stage Recap
Published Wed 15 Apr 2026
The group stage of the tournament has concluded, with Tasmania finishing in third place in their respective groups, setting up elimination repechage games on Thursday to reach the Quarter Final Stages.
The Boy's side began their tournament, coming close to a huge win, as they led NSW State 2-1 at three-quarter time thanks to a pair of goals from Joey Bush. But they were ultimately overrun in the final quarter to fall 3-2 in a thriller.
Later that evening they took on South Australia, where Joey Bush continued his day out, scoring a hat-trick to set up a 3-1 lead, but a last gasp goal from the visitors saw the game ending locked at 3-3.
On the Wednesday there was more late heartbreak, as another goal conceded in the dying moments saw West Australia breaking the deadlock and securing a 1-0 victory, after a gritty defensive effort from the Tasmanians.
It means Tasmania will now face off with Queensland Gold in the Repechage round, needing a win to advance to the Quater Finals.
The Girls began their tournament with a clash against a strong Queensland outfit, and after falling behind early, the Girls drew level in the second quarter via a Claudia Windsor goal. But they couldn't quite keep up with the slick Queensland side and fell 4-1 with the defence holding up well under pressure.
That evening they would bounce back with a victory however, as Lucy Meikle hammered home a pair of goals from penalty corners to help fire Tasmania to a 2-1 victory over the Northern Territory.
The final group stage game saw the girls take it right up to NSW State with goals from Sophie West and Lucy Meikle, seeing the game levelled at 2-2 late on, before a late goal saw it end 3-2. A last-gasp penalty corner almost saw a post-siren equaliser, but it wasn't to be. Despite the defeat, it was the side's best performance of the group stage and a commendable result against one of the competition's heavyweights.
It means Tasmania will now face off against Victoria Development side on Thursday in the repechage round, needing to win to advance to the weekend's quarter final stage.
Group Stage Results
Boys
Tasmania 2-3 NSW State
Goals: 2 Joey Bush
Tasmania 3-3 South Australia
Goals: 3 Joey Bush
Tasmania 0-1 West Australia Gold
| R | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Australia Gold | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 |
| 2 | New South Wales State | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 6 |
| 3 | Tasmania | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 4 | South Australia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -5 | 1 |
Girls
Tasmania 1-4 Queensland Maroon
Goals: Claudia Windsor
Tasmania 2-1 Northern Territory
Goals:2 Lucy Meikle
Tasmania 2-3 New South Wales State
Goals: Sophie West, Lucy Meikle
Standings
| R | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queensland Maroon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | New South Wales State | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| 3 | Tasmania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Territory Stingers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -14 | 0 |
