After a solid week of competition in Darwin against the seven best juniors from each state, Tasmania had lost only one match, to the ACT.

The side, consisting of co- captains Stephen Kaine and Blake Marshall, plus Max Crosswell, Cale Barrett, Jacob Marshall, Brodie Stubbs and Phoenix Smith, progressed to the grand final, where it defeated Queensland 8-4. 

The win capped a great week for Tasmanian junior eightball, with Stubbs finishing second to Queenslander Hayden Goode in the under-12 national titles and Barrett losing the under-15 grand final 6-4 to Queensland's Vijay Randall with Marshall finishing fourth. 

Tasmanian junior development officer Cyril Triffitt said: "Overall this was a great effort from all players as Tasmania was one player short and started each match conceding one game. 

"These young men travelled all the way to the Northern Territory to compete in what has been for the last 20 years a game that is dominated by the bigger mainland states and territories." 

- ROB SHAW