17 Goulburn Junior Stockmen named in Raiders Development Squads

12 of the 17 players named were in the Under 14s, with the other five in the Under 17s Girls.

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The news, announced on Thursday, follows the release of the Under 15s Development Squad on Wednesday, July 7, in which five players were named.

The news thrilled Stockmen president, Matt Cowling, but, as the former coach of Goulburn's Under 14s Boys side, he was not surprised.

"I was very happy," Cowling said.

"That age division, they've been undefeated for four-and-a-half years. They've earned the right to have so many players in there, it was to be expected."

Although there was one player who Cowling believes was "hard done by" not to have been selected in the Under 14s squad, he acknowledged that the nature of representative football is that sometimes deserving players miss out.

With the growth of women's rugby league over the last decade, it was particularly pleasing for the Stockmen to have five girls selected in the Under 17s side.

"It's really good for the girls' divisions, they're getting stronger and stronger through all ages," Cowling said.

"It's good they have got these teams to provide pathways. I think the NRL was talking about bringing in more women's teams in later on, so that'll give more of the senior women a chance too. It's a great opportunity."

Cowling has spoken to some of the players named in the squads in the days since they were released, and he said they were "all very happy" to have a chance to be in the Development Squads.

"I talked to them after and they were all very happy that the opportunity for representative football has come up, because at one stage there, they weren't going to have it this year," he said.

"It's good they got that chance."

The full list of Stockmen players named is:

Under 14s

Under 17s Girls

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