Sport
15 February, 2026
Athletes score gold at titles
YOUNG athletes from the Tablelands, Douglas Shire and Cairns region have played a key role in Queensland’s return to the top at the Australian Underwater Hockey National Titles.
Sean Hartey, one of the underwater hockey coordinators for Cairns, said 33 athletes from the club, spanning Cairns, Mossman and Mareeba, represented Queensland at the championships across masters, elite and junior divisions.
He said Queensland’s success marked a historic turnaround.
“Queensland won their first gold medal in 30 years in 2019 and they’ve held the under-15 medal for probably four or five of those years. They lost it last year and then won it back again this year, and this year, our Queensland elite men’s team won the gold medal for the first time since 1986.”
Mossman teenagers Jackson Francis and Lani Kelliher have returned from the Australian underwater hockey national titles with gold medals after an undefeated campaign for Queensland.
The pair, both 14, were part of the under-15 Queensland side that did not concede a single goal across the tournament and scored more than 100 goals.
Jackson, a student at St Stephen’s Catholic College in Mareeba, said the achievement was unexpected.
“Yeah, I was pretty surprised. It’s pretty good.”
He said the team’s attacking speed proved decisive.
“Our best player was a centre forward, so he got a heap of goals. And because a lot of the forwards in our team are fast, they grab the puck and then just go straight for the goal.”
For Lani, representing Queensland on the national stage was special.
“It’s good, because not many people do it, and I get to say that I’m in the national team.”
Both said underwater hockey was a challenging sport to learn but rewarding once players gained confidence.
“It’s really, really hard to start off with, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll get so much better.”
Both players encouraged others to try the sport.
Anton Williams, development officer for Underwater Hockey Australia, said both players were already pushing into higher Queensland development squads.
“Evan Meyer (a standout player from the Tablelands) came and played in our under-19 development side.”
“Jack Francis played in the U15s and he also played some games in that Queensland under-19 development side as well.”
Mr Williams said Mary-Ann Van Der Merwe and Kai Footer, also from the Tablelands, were emerging talents.
