Throughout the dark, cold months of winter, a group of dedicated local youngsters fully committed to their football, and representing their state of origin, spend countless hours on the road training and playing in Northland and Auckland.
All have grown up playing at junior level, in Kerikeri or Kaitaia forthe most part, but have taken the chance to play at a higher level, with one of the North Force teams currently contesting five Auckland youth championships. The teams - which act as evolutionary feeders for the three North Force senior teams (men's, men's reserves, and women's) - play on a home-and-away basis in either Whangarei and Auckland.
Particularly noteworthy were those youngsters hailing from the Mangonui county who regularly cover double the distance week in and out, compared with their Bay and Whangarei counterparts. The North Force organisation has tried to ease the strain of travelling by holding weekly training in Kerikeri, although players were also expected to train in Whangarei on Thursdays.
Dave Alabaster from the Northland Football Federation oversees the wider group.
He noted many of the current crop came to the selectors' attention at the Weir Rosebowl Tournament, an annual tournament for under-12 players, contested by teams from the upper half of the North Island.
While Kerikeri has long held a solid rep pedigree, Alabaster said Kaitaia youth were starting to figure more prominently. He cited View Rungpao and Dylan Rogers - who had also stepped up to play senior football for Kaitaia in the Northland men's division 1 championship given the chance - and younger players coming through the ranks, like Kalani Walters Hewson.
Alabaster put this growing presence down to the efforts of those promoting junior football in the region through Kaitaia United AFC.
With North Force sides having played in Auckland youth competitions for the past five or six years, Alabaster said several players from that first intake were now making their debuts for the North Force senior teams. And while there was no one representing Far North football in seniors this season, it seems likely that would change.
