Almost every Friday for the past three months, a team of teenagers have caught the bus down to Sydney, played their hearts out, them got back on the bus that same night to complete the arduous journey home.
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So it's fair to say that for this group of Orange Thunder players, taking part in the Vawdon Cup is no easy feat.
Considering the majority of their opponents come from Sydney and don't have nearly the same travel requirements, winning is even harder.
But for the touch football team made up of kids ranging from 13 to 17 years old, they have achieved just that and are now one win away from taking home the youth league title.
"You've got to be driven and committed to do it," coach Wayne Hill said.
"Playing week in and week out against tough touch football competition, it improves us as country kids.
"Generally, when we can put the best players in each age group, we can always get a really good squad. It's fantastic to see our boys youth league team succeed."
The Vawdon Cup brings together the best young players from all across the state.
While team success is the ultimate goal for Hill, showcasing his players is also high up on his list.
"We found that playing Vawdon is the number one contributor to getting our kids high level touch football and with that comes high exposure," he said.
"They're more in front of the top selectors for NSW, Australia and that develops them at a greater rate than us just staying home, training and playing once a month in a local gala day.
"We work really hard getting our kids to a lot of competitions and it pays dividends."
The Thunder will take on the Hills Hornets at 2pm on Sunday, November 5 at the Canterbury Velodrome in the grand final.
Regardless of how the final score ends up, Hill couldn't be prouder of what his side has accomplished over the weeks and months leading up to this point.
"This group of boys missed out on Vawdon a few years ago because we do have a really good group of 18 and 19 year olds," he said.
"Now they've got their opportunity.
"It can be tricky sometimes with older age kids to buy in and allow the younger ones to be part of a system, but we've got a good culture and learning platforms in Orange."
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Riley Krause
I am a senior journalist for the Central Western Daily. A jack of all trades, I cover everything from sport, to human interest stories and crime. Drop me an email at riley.krause@austcommunitymedia.com.au
I am a senior journalist for the Central Western Daily. A jack of all trades, I cover everything from sport, to human interest stories and crime. Drop me an email at riley.krause@austcommunitymedia.com.au
