MOUNT Isa pool prodigies, Nikolas, Samuel and Joshua Burnett created history when they competed at the 2012 Australian Junior 8-Ball Championships in Canberra recently.
It was the fist time three brothers had represented Queensland at the national championships.
Nikolas, 9, also created individual history when he became the youngest ever player to make the U12 grand final at the age of eight. The young gun celebrated his ninth birthday a few days after his impressive achievement.
Older brother Samuel, 13, finished seventh in the U15 division while Joshua, 8, displayed his rapidly developing game as an invitational player.
It's with a measure of justified pride and an indication of the Burnett brothers' talent with the pool cue that the trophy won by the Queensland side for best aggregate has all three of their names engraved on it.
Nikolas met current Queensland and now Australian U12 champion Hayden Goode in the grand final after an impressive performance in the round robin stages.
Unfortunately Goode, 11, who was Nikolas' Queensland teammate, also proved to be his nemesis at the championships.
Goode defeated Nikolas 3-2 in the round robin and then 6-3 in a race to six frames in the grand final.
However, Nikolas said he was proud of his achievement and hoped he would be able to go one better next year.
"Hayden was 11 and I was eight so that means he will have to move up to the next age group and I still have another three years to compete at the U12 age group," he said.
Nikolas' efforts at the national championships mean he is now the No. 2 Australian player in the U12 Australian 8-Ball Federation rankings.
In 2011 then seven-year-old Nikolas was ranked fifth and dad and coach Stewart said his son still had plenty of improvement in him.
"The experience of the past two years has been invaluable for Nikolas and he is always looking to improve and get better as a player," he said.
It was Samuel's first crack at the national championships after earning his spot on the Queensland team with a second place finish at the state titles last year.
Smart pool and skill saw the 13-year-old match it with his more experienced opponents and he too said he had gained a lot from the experience.
"I really enjoyed my time at the tournament and learnt how to deal with pressure and hopefully that will make me a better player," he said.
Samuel will also have a couple more pots at the U15 division and said he was looking forward to building up a rivalry with Goode.
"I've beaten him once or twice before but I want to just work hard and try get in the top four at the next national titles."
The youngest of the Burnett pool sharks, Joshua, was invited by the Queensland team manager to play at the nationals and the eight-year-old showed he was a star of the future.
All three young players have earned a reputation for being incredibly talented players in the Mount Isa Pool Association competition, giving the city's elder pool statesmen a run for their money.
Stewart said the training grounds of Mount Isa's pubs and clubs had helped and will continue to help the boys develop as players - both with the cue and in mental discipline.
"There are some really talented players in town and if the boys can compete against them and be successful while learning to deal with the pressure around the table that will help them get even better," he said.
"We also have one of the best pool players who doesn't play in the Mount Isa pool competition in Josh Hart coaching the boys and he has been a great mentor.
"He keeps the boys grounded and makes sure they remember pool is as much a mental game as a physical one."
The Burnett brothers success has turned heads in Mount Isa and now the world of Australian 8-Ball has taken notice.
"The boys' results have even raised the possibility of one day hosting the national championships in Mount Isa when it's Queensland's turn," Stewart said.
For now, the brothers are racking up the balls in the back shed and practising for what shapes to be another big year.
Their undeniable talent will be on show for Buffs JMI when the 2012 Mount Isa Pool Association season breaks.
Pool fans should make the effort to catch these future champions at work.
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