Four Port Stephens representatives will take part in touch football’s greatest rivalry and showpiece State of Origin series to be held in Redcliffe this Friday and Saturday, November 9-10.
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Husband and wife Cal and Nicole Mitchell, Elissa Doherty and Jodi Frizell, all from Nelson Bay, will be out to retain the prized trophy in their respective age groups.
Cal will compete in the men’s over 45s while Nicole, Elissa and Jodi are all members of the women’s over 40s squad.
The NSW-Queensland series is also a springboard to selection in the national team.
For Cal Mitchell, the Blues cap is a recognition of a culmination of 30 years of playing touch at district and regional level.
“I have trialed for NSW rep honours before but this is the first time I have been selected so it is something special for me,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity for me to see how far I can go. Fortunately, we have a strong side with the majority of players coming from Sydney so I will be in class company.”
Elissa Doherty, another state first-timer who has been playing touch since her teenage years, says her selection was a result of hard work and good team support.
“Like the men, we also have a strong team and are expected to perform well at the tournament.”
Both Nicole Mitchell and Jodi Frizell have represented both their state and country in previous years.
The series will be played across 14 divisions over two days.