By Kirra Livingstone
16-YEAR-old Beerwah Bulldogs junior Callum Ballantyne has been picked for the Redcliffe Dolphins U18s Mal Meninga team for 2023, making it his second representative appearance.
When Callum found out he had been picked, he said he was quite surprised he was picked due to his young age.
“I was sort of a bit shocked because I’m one of the younger players of the u18s this year, I was always going to try to get in everywhere,” he said.
“That was our goal, but making the team, it was the cherry on top and it was pretty cool.”
The halfback will be 17 when he plays in the U18s competition next year and said he has always been ahead in the sport for his age.
“This year I played for the U16s and U18s Beerwah Bulldogs teams, and next year I will be playing in the U17s and the new U19s team as well.”
Ballantyne has been playing since he was five in Canberra, and since then has played in the U16s Cyril Connell Cup, which his dad Ray Ballantyne said was the first time he realised his potential.
“That was a big achievement for him, it probably was the first time he realised that he does have the talent, it’s not just dad telling him that he can do this,” he said.
“We are so proud of him, he’s a real hard worker, the effort he does in his own time and his commitment to his goals and dreams and what he wants to do, that’s full credit to him.”
Callum’s goal is to make it into the NRL one day, but he said he’s not rushing anything in the process.
“NRL is the goal to just to get there, and it doesn’t matter if I debut at 26, I just wanna make that debut and make it happen,” he said.
