Stars in A League of their own | Bundaberg Soccer | Football in Bundaberg

Bundaberg can genuinely lay claim to four players in today’s A-League and Youth League grand finals at Melbourne’s Etihad stadium.

And Across The Waves can vouch for three of them.

In the biggest game on the Australian football calendar, former Waves 21-year-old Mitch Langerak (Melbourne Victory) and the more experienced Clint Bolton (Sydney FC) will tend goals for their respective teams in the grand final.

In the curtain raiser, Across The Waves duo Josh Brillante and Koh Satake head Gold Coast United’s charge against Perth Glory.

All four players spent a majority of their junior career toiling at Martens Oval and today they will show Australia how far they have come on the biggest stage yet.

Langerak watched from the sideline when the Victory secured the premiership last year, and the hunger to be a part of it has grown since.

Since his promotion to first-choice keeper midway through the year, Langerak has continuously impressed all pundits.

Bolton’s re-emergence as one of Australia’s best keepers saw him named as a member of the Socceroos most recent squad and also sign with new A-League franchise Melbourne Heart next season.

Brillante, at just 16, will be the youngest member of United’s youth side but his father said yesterday the fullback was more than ready.

“Even if he was going to be playing against David Beckham he wouldn’t care less,” John Brillante said.

“We were dubious at the start of the season if he would get much game time, but injury has been the only thing stopping him starting in every game.”

More than 20,000 people are expected to be at the ground by half-time of the youth’s final, undoubtedly the biggest stage for Brillante and Satake.

“It’s the place to be playing. Every coach and selector will be watching and looking at how these guys perform on the big stage,” Brillante said.

The midfield-turned-fullback has been locked in with Gold Coast for next season, and will train with the top squad from May.

While others will return to play in the state league, Brillante has been asked to remain with the club, a sign that he is ticking all the boxes.

“The coaches are very happy with how he’s going,” Brillante said.

“Ideally he would love to play some A-League games next season, and if he keeps performing it’s not out of the question.”

“He’s got a lot on his plate, considering he is so young, but he knows what he wants and is handling himself very well.”

Satake, 18, moved from Bundaberg a little earlier than his team-mate, but the pair has formed a perfect partnership on the Coast.

All four Bundaberg boys are chasing a premiership, and at least one will get it.

Nothing splits the sides in the A-League final, but Melbourne has overcome injury concerns while Sydney will miss John Aloisi and Steve Corica.

Gold Coast has surged from fourth to make the final and have in its arsenal the league’s highest goal scorer, Chris Harold.

The A-League final will be televised on Fox Sports tonight at 6pm.